I understand your thinking on trying it yourself and eliminating it, but I do think it is something you should leave in the doc's hands at this point. I know you do a lot of research but I worry about the combinations and starting and stopping new meds without the doc not knowing.
Stimulants are fast acting, and fast leaving, compounds. The half life of Ritalin is only 4 hours. After 6 hours, it is no longer in your body any longer, thus the Ritalin you took 7 hours ago will in no way interact with anything you take afterwards...
Ritalin is the only thing that I'm taking presently even though I have prescriptions for so many other things that do not help, but exacerbate other problems, or have nasty side effects, such as Alprazolam (generic Xanax) Wellbutrin XL (brand name bupropion) and Mirtazapine.
I am taking the herbal suppliment 5-HTP for anxiety, that is all, and I do not take it until bed time when the Ritalin has left my system.
Thus, trying this other type of stimulant will not interact with anything I am doing right now.
For any that care to know, I am extremely happy thus far that I have taken these, I feel this could be life changing....!
My log so far...
- Took at 2:15pm
- Felt first effects around 3:00pm I was anxious about side effects and my mind was the normal chipmunk anxious ADHD brain, then this calm came over me, and all anxiety dispursed. No side effects ever presented.
- at 3:15pm was able to notice increased concentration due to mental clarity and no anxiety. It's quite different that Ritalin. With Ritalin (it is known as the harshes stimulant for this condition, perhaps less than Adderall though) the increased focus is more a stimulated forced concentration, nice, but no where near comparison to this relaxed improved concentration. I am easily able to switch thoughts in head as is normal with baseline, but without intrusive thoughts and mental clutter. (i.e. can focus on two things at once much better)
- Anxiety gone, I feel so centred due to a lack of somatic side effects at all! No increase in heart rate, no blood pressure increases (I checked), no tics, no tachycardia, absolutely nothing but a mental clarity and calm, a slightly elevated mood because of this, and increased concentration, not focus, difference, I prefer this.
- 4:10pm It's been almost 2 hours into the dose now, if I was going to experience any side effects, they would have happened by now, peak effect of this is supposed to be within the 1-4 hour range, lasting 6-9 hours according to people here depending on your drug metabolism.
- 5:30pm I feel so gottam normal that I can't really notice these "doing" anything to me, due to this complete lack of any side effects.
- I feel more outgoing and have more self-confidence. I don't have that cynical bitter depressive feeling.
This is really great. I have 2 days supply left (3x 15mg ER)to see if this continues.
I'm going to bring in the last spansule to the psychiatrist on the 28th, and tell him that the benefits I've received with this over Ritalin is my elimination of anxiety, and no noticable somatic stimulation, I don't think it will affect my sleep patterns anymore than is normal for me. I feel like I could take a nap if I wanted to, which would be a lot harder on Ritalin. I will also bring in what's left of my RItalin so show him I'm not hawking them or abusing them.
He will be more concerned that I have found something that works for me, rather than where I got them, If he is a good doctor ... which I think he is, he knows I use cannabis on occasion and this has not had any impact on continuation or cessession of the Ritalin. He knows that these medications replace those forms of self-medication.
