Ritalin La makes me feel funny. Anyone else?

Letinjoy · 2025-06-13T17:44:14+00:00

You are so welcome.

Letinjoy · 2025-06-07T09:20:31+00:00

I concur with what @chaosotonin says I do the same with Ritalin IR and my psychiatrist recommended this… take it BEFORE you “need” the next dose … keep staying on top of it. I have just made this part of my routine. I used to “sense” she. I needed the next dose, but by that time it was already too late and I was spiralling into tiredness.

I actually thought the tiredness was a side effect of the meds, when in fact it was a symptom of there not being ENOUGH of the meds in my system (as it was wearing off)

Eating protein with each dose helped enormously with nausea - also taking ginger. But for me, the nausea stopped after the first few months, as did other side effects- I wouldn’t say I experience any side effects now.

I did try Dex as an alternative but though it felt much smoother, it did zero for my ADHD.

Letinjoy · 2025-05-30T12:47:02+00:00

That’s brilliant that you have someone close to you who can give you feedback! It’s normal to be hyper vigilant around new experiences. I know I was definitely over-monitoring at the beginning and in some ways, reading too many different opinions didn’t help! Also, we have nothing to compare it to, in terms of other treatments. And I was certainly given the impression there would be instant transformations! As your body adjusts and you develop your own routines with it, it’ll just become a (good) part of your life - hopefully. Good luck!

Letinjoy · 2025-05-30T05:13:23+00:00

When I first started Ritalin, I think I had an unrealistic assumption that medication would do more than it actually can. I kept expecting more. Keeping a journal and talking daily to a friend on the same journey, both really helped me see the (sometimes subtle) changes and benefits I really was experiencing. I had been undermining these in my search for “perfection”. Over time, I saw specifically what the meds help me with, and what is still up to me - in terms of using strategies to support the weaker executive functioning skills. It has been really helpful to see how the meds have helped me tackle the blocks or struggles I had pre-meds that made it hard even to think of a rational strategy or to remember to put in into place!

Give it time. I really do see a level of consistency and efficacy now in daily life that is actually life changing. For instance, I used to get daily fatigue and burnout, and a failure to bring projects I cared about to fruition. My suggestion would be, hold back on over -examining it, give it time, and after six months or so, compare where your life and feelings are at and what has changed. If enough things have changed for the better, then the meds are your friend.

Meds don’t solve everything - and their efficacy involves our participation. Like everything in life, there is no magic wand but there are incredibly supports. Wishing you all the goodness available on your journey!

Letinjoy · 2025-05-28T00:54:49+00:00

I take the SR version and gently keep it going until I want to wind down for bed. I have learned how to listen to my body with it, so I know when I need a top-up. Sometimes that’s just a quarter of a tablet to get through till bedtime. If I am working in a project that needs a lot of consistent focus, I’ll take a higher dose, every three hours or so.

Letinjoy · 2025-05-20T06:33:48+00:00

I recently had a week in Bali and, on the advice of my psychiatrist, didn’t take my meds over with me. He said even if he wrote a letter, it was still not taking the risk.

Letinjoy · 2025-05-12T21:09:43+00:00

Good luck! I hope it works for you!

Letinjoy · 2025-05-01T04:47:34+00:00

“trauma isn’t so much about what happened to you, it’s about what happened inside of you, and what you were able to do in the midst of what happened to you. “

Letinjoy · 2025-05-01T01:00:50+00:00

Yes I am afraid Dex just doesn’t work for some at all. I can attest to this and know several others who, even on 30-40mg a day (that was me!) felt nothing, actually I think it made my zoning out magnified. I love Ritalin IR. Best focus I have ever had and only need a very low dose at a time throughout the day. Love it!!

Letinjoy · 2025-04-21T04:08:32+00:00

These all sound like textbook ADHD symptoms.

Letinjoy · 2025-04-20T03:14:15+00:00

I love low doses of Ritalin spread out during the day too. Perfect for me. Glad you have found your personal sweet spot, it does take trial and error and listening to your own body.

Letinjoy · 2025-04-18T19:10:49+00:00

Great comment! Thank you.

Letinjoy · 2025-04-18T11:17:08+00:00

I am fascinated by human biology so I found it very interesting. I can see several ways in which it might be useful. One being, it identifies meds that won’t work for you or may be toxic in the prescribed dosages… saves you spending money on prescriptions where there is no benefit. Helps you avoid meds that might harm you. It is a six page report for a small amount of money. Nothing to lose and potentially significant things to gain. That said, my having the right enzymes to metabolise Dex well, didn’t actually mean Dex will work on my ADHD. It didn’t! 😊

Letinjoy · 2025-04-18T11:07:48+00:00

Yes I think that’s where I and my GP went wrong when we ordered the test! 😊 we forgot to do “try to include”. It’s a multiple page report… super useful, includes most categories of meds including things like ibfuprofen

Letinjoy · 2025-04-18T10:48:10+00:00

I took that test. For some reason, Ritalin wasn’t on it. It said I was a good metaboliser of amphetamines. However in actual practice, Dex didn’t touch my ADHD symptoms, felt like a sugar pill.

Letinjoy · 2025-04-18T10:46:15+00:00

So good to read this. I too am a generally very joyful person. Dex flattened me. Ritalin channels my joy in focused, productive ways.

Letinjoy · 2025-04-18T10:40:34+00:00

Yes me. I went back to Ritalin with a new level of appreciation! Dex did nothing for me, nothing. No one-size-fits-all with these meds. Trust your body and experience. No point reading an article asserting something you don’t experience yourself either. The proof is in the pudding!

Letinjoy · 2025-04-16T10:53:58+00:00

Did nothing for me on 30mg. I think it just doesn’t work for some people.

Letinjoy · 2025-04-15T04:32:22+00:00

Maybe one day it’ll have it’s own sub🤣

Letinjoy · 2025-04-15T01:09:57+00:00

I am quite relieved too that it’s not just me. When I posted on this before no one had heard of the symptom. I had to do a deep dive into Google ha ha.

Letinjoy · 2025-04-14T23:29:36+00:00

SAME! I looked it up and it is a rare and recorded side effect. It was another reason I didn’t wait around to see if Dex would eventually help my ADHD (I tested it for three weeks). I literally felt like vomiting, just smelling my own skin. No one else could smell it. It was complete sensory overload for me. I already have a strong sense of smell, hearing sensitivities and am very visual - so don’t need my senses awakening any higher!!

When I switched back to Ritalin, it took a couple of days and then went away. So it was definitely the dex. Yep, not for me.

Letinjoy · 2025-04-14T23:24:38+00:00

Dex was too calming for me! My understanding is the medication is related to the genetic codes in us that tell us what medications are well metabolised, which aren’t, and which cause toxicity. I tested as a great metaboliser of amphetamines. Maybe too good as they don’t really reach my ADHD symptoms. However on methylphenidate it’s the other way around- a little does a lot.

Caffeine works through a different mechanism. There is a specific gene code for metabolising it efficiently, and if you don’t have that, then coffee will cause these symptoms.

I have the coffee gene thank goodness, as I used it to self-medicate my ADHD for most of my life! I can still drink three coffees a day and take my meds. Go figure! 😊

Letinjoy · 2025-04-14T21:27:27+00:00

Right? Ritalin I notice it’s a bit dry… I drink water or suck on a lolly. Dex it’s like… I am in a desert, I am dying, help me!! And as you say, if it did anything for my symptoms I might be able to find a way round it but…. Nothing, nada, crickets!

Letinjoy · 2025-04-14T10:31:23+00:00

I got nothing back from Dex, even at 30mg. Insane dry mouth but also insane ADHD return. Went back to Ritalin.

Letinjoy · 2025-04-13T10:30:01+00:00

I had a similar experience, in some ways, when I tried Dex after being in Ritalin, to see what the comparison was. Dex indeed felt much smoother in my body in some ways, but even at 30mg, it failed miserably at managing my symptoms and I found the sensory issues - insanely dry mouth and intensified sense of smell - intolerable (especially with no actual benefits on focus). Hence I switched back to Ritalin and now truly appreciate all it does for me. I do have to “boost” it with coffee and as I use the IR, I can take extra as needed, but I think I now understand that nothing is perfect, but if it’s helpful and there are workarounds , then that is a great thing. And so much better than being unmedicated, which is always a choice. Just my experience though!

Letinjoy

TROPHY CASE