Did you start with methylphenidate or switch to or from a different ADD/ADHD med?

[Laudaphun]

I am curious about people who have dealt with ADD or ADHD and been prescribed ritalin(methylphenidate) and used other medications.

1. How old were you when you were first diagnosed with ADD/ADHD?
2. Which medication did you start with?
3. Which subsequent medications did you switch to and how did they compare in terms of effectiveness/side effects?
4. Does SWIY abuse his/her medication, always take it as prescribed, take it less than prescribed?
5. Does SWIY take any additional medications?
6. Did SWIY abuse the medication or similar medications before he/she was prescribed it?
7. Do you feel that your academic performance has improved since first prescribed the medication and if so how much?
8. Overall, compare and contrast methylphenidate to other ADD/ADHD medications you have switched to or from.

Feel free to share any other information about SWIY or yourself that like.

[Laudaphun]

I will start with SWIM. First off, SWIM has only ever been prescribed methylphenidate.

SWIM was diagnosed with ADD when she was age 5 however her parents decided against medication. She grew up a bright child, however looking back on her life it was obvious that lack of attention in combination with being over-privileged was detrimental to her development and performance in school. After finishing high school, SWIM started off to the local university where a whole new world of experimentation opened up to her. As a result from emergency room visits at ages 14 and 15 due to panic attacks, which SWIM blamed on caffeine, she was always apprehensive of stimulants. The funny thing is that SWIM wouldn't even learn that such a thing as a panic attack existed until almost 10 years later. Back at 14-15, the doctors just checked her heart, gave her an injection in the butt and told her there was nothing wrong with her...

So anyways, fast-forward back into the beginning of the university at age 17 SWIM was experimenting with all sorts of mind-altering substances. One encounter with methylphenidate where she and a friend sat up all night and insufflated quite a few pills... which resulted in enjoyment followed by a horrid crash involving this terrrible head-ache, bad coordination, etc. SWIM had went on a few cocaine binges and the crash from the methylphenidate binge was much worse. So, SWIM never took methylphenidate again.

By age 19 SWIM had been kicked out of the university due to poor grades and also about this time SWIM's drug experimentation had led to the beginning of her opiate addiction at which point she was doing about 80mg oxycodone per day. The next 6 years were wasted time, she was merely a junkie.

SWIM experimented with adderall a few times, no binges just a single dose for a long car ride or whatever the case might have been. Strangely, it did not effect SWIM like she expected, it instead increased her alertness without making her edgy or speedy at all.

Fast-forward again... shortly after turning 25 something happened that made a huge change in SWIM's life. She got prescribed suboxone. Her cravings were gone, so she completely dissociated herself from the whole drug scene. Within months, she was back in school. The suboxone, in combination with an energy drink every morning got her on the dean's list her first semester back. While the suboxone not only took away her cravings for all other opiates, it also cured her anxiety problems, social anxiety, and seeminly everything else.

After a year it seemed to lose its magic, now it only took away the opiate cravings. Suddenly SWIM had to deal with all of the issues that had been suppressed by the suboxone such as GAD, ADD, social anxiety, etc. SWIM began seeking help through her family dr. for anxiety issues, but they were never able to help with much. SWIMs grades were slipping gradually. With the return of SWIM's anxiety, she was once again too timid to raise her hand in class or seek help from classmates or the professor after class. SWIM put up her guard and became anti-social, avoiding people as much as possible, and probably seeming to others to be snobbish.

After no progress with her family doctor, out of desperation she asked her therapist for a referral to a psychiatrist. SWIM was having very bad anxiety problems which were only compounded by stress resulting from poor performance in an essential course which was taught by a professor that she could not follow, could not understand, and put her to sleep. The professor basically just could not hold her attention. This was her third semester taking a course with him(fortunately the first two semesters he taught very easy courses.)

Ironically, the psychiatrist suspected SWIM had ADD. Although she was very scared to try the methylphenidate, SWIM did. It was prescribed at 10mg in the morning and afternoon. SWIM started taking it in the morning before school... and all of a sudden she wasn't falling asleep in class anymore, she was able to follow the lectures without her mind wandering (most of the time), her mood was slightly elevated, and in between courses she was doing schoolwork instead of "surfing the web." Unfortunately for SWIM this was too late in the semester by this point to save her. On the other side, she has the spring to redeem herself. It should be noted that SWIM takes her medicine as prescribed and does not abuse it, nor is she tempted to.

[Laudaphun]

bump, still looking for a reply lol

[MotherSuperior]

Originally Posted by Laudaphun

I am curious about people who have dealt with ADD or ADHD and been prescribed ritalin(methylphenidate) and used other medications.

1. How old were you when you were first diagnosed with ADD/ADHD?

3 then again at 21 and recently again at 32!

2. Which medication did you start with?

Ritalin in 70's then went to Dexedrine in adulthood.

3. Which subsequent medications did you switch to and how did they compare in terms of effectiveness/side effects?

Dexedrine all the way! Not really fair on Ritalin as a kid they NEVER got the dosage right which meant I sometimes went days without sleep and as a kid could not understand why so associate Ritalin with some prettty bad experiences. Ironically SWIM may have to go back to Ritalin as there are manufactering issues in SWIMS country. SWIM is lucky to have found a pharmacy with supply this week. There could be a problem though as SWIM has (mis?) used drugs(most of em, specially opiates and uppers) and docs know... prescribing authority is not happy prescribing Ritalin to SWIM because of this(potential for abuse... via IV though SWIM is puzzled as IV'ing Dexe's is not unkown). Anyway.....

4. Does SWIY abuse his/her medication, always take it as prescribed, take it less than prescribed?

When kid, no. Could'nt. When in 20's SWIMused to IV it with 50mg IV meth amps. SWIM lost a great deal of veins and suffered a lot of problems doing this. However for SWIM and many others Dexe's and methadone IV was better than ANYTHING, yes even H and coke. SWIM no longer does this, mainly becuase of the difficulty of getting meth amps and due to the fact SWIMS opiate addiction is very small and doesnt even take meth anymore. Currentlty SWIM TRIES to be sensible as SWIM really does need it but cannot help binging often.

5. Does SWIY take any additional medications?

Yes. Prescribed, Diazepam, Zopilclone, Dihydocodiene, Testosterone. Illicit SWIM obtains OCCASIONAL Brown(H) and White(Crack). Occasionaly MDMA, GHB and whatever SWIM can get hold of.

6. Did SWIY abuse the medication or similar medications before he/she was prescribed it?

SWIM has (mis?) used street amp and MDMA and the likes....

7. Do you feel that your academic performance has improved since first prescribed the medication and if so how much?

Even though SWIM is a junky(albiet a mostly in a 'socially acceptable' sense) SWIM does very well academically IF SWIM gets ADD meds, otherwise(as history has proved) SWIM does very bad...

8. Overall, compare and contrast methylphenidate to other ADD/ADHD medications you have switched to or from.

Prefer Dexedrine. See above. Ritalin would appear to be more popular in most cases from docs(not for SWIM!). As pharmacist keeps saying... both pretty similar!

Feel free to share any other information about SWIY or yourself that like.

Feel free to ask anything else SWIM has some pretty interesting life history.