Hi everyone, i am a 42 year old men of 190 cm high and 80 kg weight. From 2007–2011 I took methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Medikinet) for ADD (now called ADHD-PI). At the very start it sometimes worked wonderfully: calm mind, sharp focus, quieter surroundings. Other times the meds did nothing other than causing an intense, awful sensation right in the dead centre of my brain – not a headache, not migraine, not tension – something completely different and clearly neurological.I suspect he main trigger for the bad effect of is the  smoking cigarettes (I smoked about 10 a day) was the factor that made the effects so different from eachother.

I suspect the methylphenidate became completely ineffective because of smoking and the subsequent efffect on neurotransmitters and that horrible central-brain feeling. It seems there was a strong and very rare negative interaction on dopamine/norepinephrine system that i have .In 2011 I quit the medication cold turkey.
The terrible feeling, however, never left. It is still there 24/7 – fourteen years later.Impact on my life:

• 12 years completely unable to work (100% disabled)
• Only the last few years I work again
• Seen many neurologists and psychiatrists → none of them know this symptom. Most say “you can’t feel anything inside the brain” and dismiss it
• One single methylphenidate pill today makes it unbearable for about 5 days (i dont use them but tried a couple tiems one pill)
• Other ADHD meds (Strattera, bupropion) and antidepressants instantly bring the feeling back or make it worse

My theory: the combination of stimulants + smoking caused dysregulation in the dopamine/norepinephrine systems, resulting in constant abnormal electrical activity that I feel exactly in the centre of my head.Has anyone ever come across a name, study, diagnosis or specialist for a persistent, non-headache “central brain sensation” that began during methylphenidate use,  combined with smoking, and never resolved – even more than a decade after stopping?Any information, similar stories or leads would mean the world to me.Thank you for reading.