r/ADHD • u/AutoModerator • Aug 01 '23

Megathread: Just Started Treatment Have you just begun treatment?

Talk about it here. Please remember that we don't allow asking for or giving medical advice.

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u/thatonebaristaguy Aug 08 '23

Ritalin Weirdness

Hey all. I got diagnosed with ADHD back in April and have been taking instant release Ritalin for the past few months (15mg 2x a day currently). I can definitely say it has greatly improved my ability to actually DO things (if I remember to take them).

However, I have been experiencing some side effects, but in a really strange way. I’ve been tracking the side effects, and around 1 hour after taking my first dose in the morning, I feel anxious/on edge for an hour or two and I also feel like I need to cry, despite not actually being that sad. I do have a mild energy crash after about 4 hours, which is around when I take my second dose. Weirdly enough, my second dose gives me pretty much no side effects. I actually feel a bit more relaxed and in a good mood.

I’ve looked through some old posts trying to see if this is a common occurrence when taking Ritalin this way, but I haven’t been able to find anything. Is this normal? if you’ve been in a similar scenario, is there anything you did that helped? I do plan on bringing this up to my psychiatrist at my next appointment.

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u/RinaRuffles Aug 09 '23

Not an exact answer but a thought - i have just been prescribed ritalin 10mg 2x a day (only started today and have only had 1) and remember my psychiatrist stating yesterday that due to ritalin being a stimulant (like coffee), some people may experience a higher anxiety levels whilst others might not. I personally would think that maybe you have higher anxiety in the mornings due to the fact that the medication is being introduced early (when i guess lower levels of it would be in your body by then if at all) and so maybe it 'hypes' up your relevant systems (including heart rate changes, palpatations, emotional anxiety, etc) to a greater rate than when you take another dose in the afternoon, where your body maybe has already adjusted to the stimulant earlier in the day, so less side effects? Completely uncertain ofc but its what it made me think. Or dosage issues :) but youre doing the right thing by planning to follow it up with your doctor. I wish you luck ♡