[Wild Coyote]

Stimulant meds are mentioned here often and are used for differing diagnoses (depression, ADD, etc.)

Which stimulant(s) have you tried?
Which have helped?

I use stimulants for severe paralyzing depression (BPII) and for severe fatigue due to additional autoimmune illnesses.

I have used Ritalin, dextramphetamine and Adderall.
Ritalin has never helped. Others have sometimes helped a little only. (Again experimenting with dosages.)

I have also tried Provigil extensively (headaches and not helpful to me).

Looking forward to reading about your own experiences with stimulants.

Love to All.

WC

[Sunflower123]

I've tried Ritalin and Provigil. I also have severe, debilitating depression (bipolar 2). Ritalin works for me. If you find something that works better for you will you pass that along? Provigil did nothing. Thank you.

[AmandaBroken]

Wild Coyote, I have no recommendations for you but I hope you find out what works best for you. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Please be safe.

[Wander]

Ritalin helped me but I am being tapered off it now due to possible exacerbation of the BP. In the past I was on Modafinil for a month. It helped at first but pooped out after a few weeks. In my illegal drug days I did try amphetamines and wow they work amazingly but I had so much I crashed for a week so didn't do it again.

My current pdoc is very cautious when having a BP1 patient on stimulants. He says it often does more harm than good. But we are all different. Are yours working for you?

[bioChE]

I'm on Vyvanse and find it quite helpful. I've been through most of the stimulants on the market, but abused most of them so Vyvanse is the only one I can use now.

I'd suggest you try Focalin XR. It's relatively little-known, but I found it to be very helpful. It's a more pure form of Ritalin's active component. I found it helped much more than Ritalin, and it is one of the best drugs I have tried.

[Leia78]

I take Vyvanse. It's a pretty good med.

[seoultous]

I take Ritalin in the morning. I like it. It lifts the fog of depression. I take the extended release formula. It wears off late afternoon and then I feel a drop in mood. I am glad it gets me through the workday.

[scatterbrained04]

Heh...I had never heard of using stimulants to help with the symptoms of depression. Learned something new! *Almost* makes me want to take one of my son's Focalins and see what happens.

[Crook32]

I tried Adderall a couple of years ago and it didn't do much for me. I started Focalin a few weeks ago and have slowly been upping the dose. Once I get on a stable dose my pdoc is going to switch to Focalin XR so that I don't crash in the middle of the day before taking my second dose. So far it is working well. I have more energy and it helps me wake up in the morning.

[scatterbrained04]

Question: Do any of you find that the stimulants exacerbate anxiety symptoms?

[Moose72]

Originally Posted by Wander

My current pdoc is very cautious when having a BP1 patient on stimulants. He says it often does more harm than good. But we are all different.

That's why my only stimulant is coffee. I think my pdoc would look at me like I had 3 heads if I asked her for a stimulant. I wind myself up enough as it is!

[Wild Coyote]

Originally Posted by bioChE

I'm on Vyvanse and find it quite helpful. I've been through most of the stimulants on the market, but abused most of them so Vyvanse is the only one I can use now.

I'd suggest you try Focalin XR. It's relatively little-known, but I found it to be very helpful. It's a more pure form of Ritalin's active component. I found it helped much more than Ritalin, and it is one of the best drugs I have tried.

Thanks so much for the suggestion of Focalin XR. I will look into it and will mention it to my pdoc. Just a quick look tells me there's currently a $10,00 co-pay card available through the manufacturer.

How do we tell which stimulants are likely to be most powerful?
They tend to not work very well for me. (This is why I'd like to find which are most likely to be more potent than others.)

I am currently adjusting Adderall dose in a new trial of Adderall.
I am feeling less anxious as I increase the dose, which seems odd.

My pdoc knows me well and holds little hope that antidepressants will be helpful, as we have tried so many over the past 20-30 years. We are hoping to find a stimulant which will help.

Thanks for all you offer to the community. You share some very helpful info., along with lots of encouragement, insights and compassion.


WC

[newtobipolar]

I am so, so sorry about that depression. I've been there.

I use Adderall. It gets me through every single day. I take 40-60 mg every day.

I hope you find some relief soon.

[still_crazy]

adderall helped my mood. when I needed to lose weight, I found phendimetrazine (Bontril) to be more effective than phentermine, and more tolerable.

Phendimetrazine is apparently considered more "addictive" than phentermine, but its cheap and your doctor can still give you refills, unlike adderall, ritalin, etc. It was one big capsule in the morning, and honestly...I found it to be about as effective as adderall, but smoother, somehow. And (as one might expect) it suppressed my appetite more than ritalin la, focalin, or adderall did.

[Leia78]

Vyvanse is like the cleaned up extended version of Adderall. If you're already using Adderall, I suggest it over Focalin. But, that's only my opinion. I take Vyvanse plus a small dose of Adderall in the afternoon sometimes for a booster when I need it. (for ADHD) It does not cause me any symptoms of anxiety or mania. I take it with 160mg of Latuda and 400mg of Topamax, which by my understanding, act as mood stabilizers and keep me from the manic side of things.

[bioChE]

Originally Posted by Wild Coyote

Thanks so much for the suggestion of Focalin XR. I will look into it and will mention it to my pdoc.

Thanks for all you offer to the community. You share some very helpful info., along with lots of encouragement, insights and compassion.


WC

Thanks WC, that's the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a long time. You made my day.

[Wild Coyote]

Does anyone notice an increase in perspiration when using stimulants?
I am drenched is sweat and am not sure if it's the Adderall or not.


WC

[caringmum]

Originally Posted by scatterbrained04

Question: Do any of you find that the stimulants exacerbate anxiety symptoms?

Within the past year all three of my bp teens tried a plethora of adhd meds, without moodstabilzers (pre bp diagnosis). Child one became very anxious on small doses of vyvanse and adderall. He became manic on focalin, even a very small dose. Child 2 does well on vyvanse but when combined with adderall it makes him aggressive. He may start vyvanse once the latuda has settled him down. He became very depressed on focalin. Child 3 was immediately destabilized on focalin and it did not improve her focus. She became very anxious. Child one and three will not touch them again. Child 2 would once stable but not adderall as he becomes addicted to it and abuses it, vyvanse is the best.

[bioChE]

Adderall can certainly contribute to excessive sweating.

[Wild Coyote]

Originally Posted by bioChE

Adderall can certainly contribute to excessive sweating.

Thanks. It seems to make sense.

WC

[Daonnachd]

I was on Adderall for a few days, but it sent me into mania and got me hospitalized. Now I'm on Provigil with much milder results.

[bioChE]

You asked about which stimulants are the strongest. In my experience, Adderall (IR), Focalin XR, and Vyvanse would be at the top of my list. It is always dose-dependent, but those are the ones I would recommend looking at if you're looking for the most bang for your buck. Ritalin (and all its derivatives) aren't as "strong" in my book.