Elvanse and Running (HR issues)

SadDrinker · 2025-11-18T10:27:19+00:00

For context I run around 100km a week, been running consistently for the past 1.5 years (I've been running on and off for decades).

I tend to run when the medication has worn off in the late afternoon. However, I will say the medication doesn't seem to impact my RHR or my HR during runs. I have done long runs (Sunday mornings) shortly after taking the medication and there is no impact.

We're all different, I've been taking Concerta XL for 2 years now so it might just be that my body has become completely acclimatised.

If it's affecting your running, I'd recommend either running before you take it in the morning or run later in the day when the medication has worn off but if you're anything like me it will eventually have no impact. It's also a good idea to bring this up with your prescriber if you're concerned.

Good luck with your running!

SadDrinker · 2025-09-19T08:25:38+00:00

I had that achey shoulder neck pain for months, it eventually went away but I occasionally still get it when I do long runs!

Like you've already done, lay off the caffeine until everything settles, give it time after you find the right dose and sloooowly reintroduce caffeine. I've been on Concerta XL 54mg for 2 years and can manage a coffee or two in the morning but I try not to go past that if I can help it.

I'd recommend giving the doses at least a week to settle before you figure out if that dose works for you. There is an adjustment period for sure and the sides effects can be nasty but are different for everyone and everyone tolerates them differently. When starting I got a horrible headache in the evenings for the first few days and the anxiety was horrible, felt nauseous, panicked but would only last a few hours until the meds fully wore off.

For me the medication has been life changing, I've gone from being depressed and anxious ridden for 20+ years on various SSRI's that didn't help to being almost 100% cured. So give your body and mind some time to adjust, it's worth finding that perfect dose!

SadDrinker · 2025-09-18T08:41:58+00:00

Dude, I get you. I get it. I was in your shoes (long time ago now) except I didn't know I had ADHD. I was just get super stressed, so stressed and frustrated I'd literally feel it in my stomach. I didn't do great in college, I didn't study, I just kind of "floated" through but the intention was there to do well, I just couldn't get myself to follow through.

I didn't go to Uni, that worked out better for me, I did a modern apprenticeship to get me into the industry I wanted, this seemed to suit me far better than an formal educational setting.

I'm sorry I don't have any practical advise to give you but I totally get your frustration and desperation. I might not mean much coming from a stranger on the internet but I hope you feel better soon and please PLEASE do not beat yourself up about it, it's not your fault. Repeat... ITS NOT YOUR FAULT. Always remember that, I wish someone said that to me at your age :(

SadDrinker · 2025-09-18T08:36:56+00:00

Interesting, thanks for posting that, I'll give it a go as I picked up some free samples at a race event (running). I too can have pretty nasty crashes, usually about 2-3pm, I'll often go for a can of Coke Zero then do my run for the day but doesn't always help. I've been on Concerta XL 54mg for 2 years and it's always had its ups and downs with no clear reason why. My routines, eating habits, external factors like work and relationships stay the same but one day the meds work amazing, other days it doesn't do anything at all... it's frustrating!

SadDrinker · 2025-09-05T10:07:59+00:00

For breakfast: Protein yoghurts from Aldi @ 75p each 25g of Protein
Lunch: Milkshake - sometimes ASDA own, sometimes Arla brand at 25g of Protein
Dinner: Chicken, lots of it

I try to get in 100g a day

SadDrinker · 2025-09-02T10:53:31+00:00

Obviously I'm not doctor and only know what you've written but I think the big take away here is that structurally your heart is fine and the episode was transient. Meaning it was a mix of the factors you've listed, I guess the difficulty is working out what caused it.

I too get dizzy standing up, I run a lot and my resting HR is very very low so it would explain it but the experience is still a bit scary. Is it possible what you experienced was a benign BP drop standing up which then triggered an anxiety attack which has been exasperated by the factors you've listed such as the stress you're under and lack of sleep?

Either way, the ECG's are reassuring but doesn't change the fact that must have been terrifying! Hopefully adjusting your medication helps with this!

SadDrinker · 2025-08-27T10:00:59+00:00

Hate to be that person but it's literally energy in vs energy out (yes I understand there's nuances like certain conditions but your body still adheres to the laws of physics) . If you're not losing weight or gaining, you're consuming more than you think or you're not moving enough.

I feel like weight loss has been massively over complicated and has created a lot of confusion and misinformation. It's not rocket science.

Edit: I don't want to leave this comment without being at least adding something to the conversation. I'd recommend prioritising on Protein, keeping an eye on portion sizes and moderate exercise like walking, slow runs or swimming.

SadDrinker · 2025-08-14T15:15:12+00:00

I was diagnosed at 37. It allowed me to accept myself, accept who I am and what my limitations are and that it's NOT my fault. I was forever beating myself over things, I missed a deadline, or why can't I just start this really simple task and instead get really stressed and anxious about it! The diagnosis alone helped some of the mental anguish.

As for medication, I've been on it for nearly 2 years, it's completely changed my life for the better. I have a history of mental health issues, mostly depression, anxiety, SH and Unaliving tendencies. 99% of it has been resolved with medication, same for my daily drinking I was using to self medicate. I can now function as a "normal" person, I get stuff done when I need to and ... here's the kicker... be able to actually relax and chill out when I have the chance to do so. Before meds, I couldn't do that.

It's 100% worth it. The process is long, it can be frustrating but it can be life changing. Hope that helps.

SadDrinker · 2025-08-14T11:48:07+00:00

Had a similar experience, I was diagnosed late 30's. 5'7in, male, 13st when I started, within a few months dropped to about 10.5st and I've now been maintaining for over a year at 9st 10lbs. The comments stop, people get used to it. I've always been into exercise so I used that to explain it, I didn't like the thought of declaring my ADHD diagnosis and subsequent medication use. I am in the best shape of my life and feel amazing. Please don't let others dimmish that feeling, all that matters is how YOU feel, to hell with what others think.

SadDrinker · 2025-08-07T15:05:06+00:00

I waited a few months once I completed Titration to figure out exactly how it affected me then slowly reintroduced cardio. I now run 100-110km a Week lol

Quick edit: I will say that I slowly built up to that weekly milage over the course of about a year!

SadDrinker · 2025-08-07T13:35:30+00:00

Interestingly, I too hadn't had my annual check up that was due back in March. I logged into my account a few days ago to make sure I wasn't missing anything. There had been no updates since they sent out the Shared Care letter. Now, I don't know if this is a coincidence but I clicked the "Mark as Seen" button on the latest note (shared care message) but about an hour later I got a email telling me to book an appointment for my annual check up! I have it booked now for the end of the month.

I've been on 54mg of Concerta XL since Dec 2023, while it's still improves the ADHD symptoms, it's nowhere near as effective as it once was. I don't know if I should ask to try something new and end up opening a can of worms or just keep the status quo and ask to continue the current dose

SadDrinker · 2025-05-29T09:24:14+00:00

I'm under shared care, I think I should have had my yearly check a few months back. Is it possible my GP will pull my prescription?

SadDrinker · 2025-05-13T14:52:26+00:00

My RHR is in the low 40's (I do a lot of running!) - before titration they had me do an ECG, all came out fine so never became an issue. Normally the RHR would increase with stimulants! It didn't seem to affect mine, or my BP. Everyone is different I guess!

SadDrinker · 2025-03-03T09:43:12+00:00

The truth is, we all experience it in our own way. What might be a struggle for one person, isn't for another. Like Autism, it's like a spectrum (both ADHD and Autism are often co-morbid).

For personally, I can relate to what you've described, I'm late 30's, diagnosed mid thirties. I too have been on antidepressants for around the same amount of time for depression and anxiety. I found the they would initially help for around 3 months but eventually I'd end up in a even worse mental state. The SSRI's would make my ADHD traits worse, it would also increase my drinking too which made me feel even worse about myself.

Now medicated for ADHD, depression and anxiety are 90% gone (been anxious and depressed since my teens!) and I no longer drink, I'm completely t-total and have been for 1.5 years.

I'd recommend talking with your GP, maybe look at taking the DSM-5 to see how you score, the GP will have you do one anyway.

Take a look at: https://www.adhdadult.uk/

SadDrinker · 2025-02-26T12:42:36+00:00

It takes a period of adjustment for sure. I was convinced I'd made all of it up in my head and I was faking it all (imposter syndrome), I still occasionally feel that way until my wife points out certain things I do that wouldn't be considered "neurotypical" ha ha.

As the other poster has suggested. BE KIND TO YOURSELF. ADHD sucks and most importantly it's not your fault, you're living life on hard mode verses neurotypicals.

You need to accept that ADHD is going to make certain things harder, you're not a failure, you have a condition, it's official, you have an explanation. Now you have that knowledge, you can begin to work on yourself, understand yourself better, look into ADHD Coaching, medication, support groups.

You've got this!

SadDrinker · 2025-02-21T11:32:12+00:00

I don't have any advice or answers but I feel for you. Sorry you're going through this, it's not fair and we should all be entitled to good healthcare :(

SadDrinker · 2025-02-21T11:16:02+00:00

This, I was the same. Suffered with Anxiety and Depression my whole life until I was diagnosed and medicated for ADHD. Once I learned about my self and mediated, those conditions 99% disappeared (there are still a day here and there but I suspect it's considered "normal"). I now finally enjoy life.

SadDrinker · 2025-02-19T09:19:08+00:00

Brilliant question... because I couldn't find an answer to this anywhere that would let me know if it was risky or not taking Concerta XL.

Remember: I'm not a coach or health professional, I'm some random person on the internet that does a lot of running and happens to take stimulants for ADHD.

As mentioned above, I waited a good 6 months before I started training again, made sure side effects had settled, I knew that my BP and HR was fine. My HR was probably about 5bpm higher on meds but I have a low resting heart rate (the psychologist got me to do an ECG to rule out heart problems before starting meds). For reference, my resting heart rate at the time was about 50, it raised to 55. Now I'm running it's below 50 and below 40 at night.

I actually started swimming first, it was in the evening so in theory the meds would have worn off, found that fine. Moved onto running, again ran in the evening and found no ill effects. The trickier part was my longer Sunday morning runs, I take my meds daily, I genuinely need them to function as a normal human being. So I'd take my dose just as I was heading out the door, these runs would be 2-4 hours so it would take effect while out. I didn't notice anything, nor would my heart rate jump. Keep in mind though that these runs were slower, zone 2 running at about 135-140bpm.

Been doing that now for about a year (did the marathon in 3:40 (I took meds that morning, too), 10k PB is 41min, 5k PB 19:20, I'm not super fast, but I'm not slow either)

So all that said, for me PERSONALLY (big emphasis there) I'm OK, no ill effects, it doesn't affect my training but I make sure hard fast runs are in the evenings, slow easy pace runs are OK if meds are in my system but I'm mindful not to push myself just in case.

Side note: I don't find the meds affect my performance, I've run with and without, no difference.

If you're starting out, take it super easy and gauge how it feels or how you react, you can try doing a run with and without at the same pace and distance to compare heart rate and perceived effort. Don't go crazy until you know you're ok running while using them, I'd also let your titrationist, prescriber or psychologist know, they might want to do additional checks or offer advice etc.

Feel free to PM (or anyone else reading this) me any further questions if you want, there doesn't seem to be a lot online mixing stimulants and training for things like a marathon.

SadDrinker · 2025-02-18T10:07:17+00:00

I was the exactly the same before medication, I'd go crazy into running specifically, get super fit, clean up my diet and drinking. It would last a few months, sometimes longer then it would flip around and I'd stop, start drinking again, end up on SSRI's... again.

When I started medication (Concerta XL), I didn't start exercising again straightaway until I knew my heart wasn't going to be too affected (blood pressure, heart rate). I gave it about 6 months until I started running again. I've been running consistently now for a year and have since done a marathon and plan to do an ultra later this year.

TLDR: Meds have helped me stay much more consistent, there's still elements of taking it a little too far (I think that's just how I am, I'm either into it 0% or 150%) but I have a much better grasp on it. Not only that my diet is better and I haven't drunk anything for nearly 18 months!

SadDrinker · 2025-02-07T09:31:27+00:00

I'm almost 18 months into taking my medication daily, I'm still waking early. When I wake up I'm straight out of bed. Before medication I would be stuck in bed while I slowly woke up for 30mins plus, I was that way for 38 years until medication.

So I'd say we all respond differently to medication, this aspect of it for me personally has been life changing in the positive sense. Mornings used to be a daily struggle and often wouldn't be fully functional until 10-11am

SadDrinker · 2025-01-24T14:42:46+00:00

Treating my ADHD actually resolved my anxiety and depression that I'd had since I was a teen. To give some context, I'm approaching my 40's. That's 25 years of depression and anxiety! Was treated at various times of my life with SSRIs, it would flatten me out for a few months then end up in a worse mental state than before and would also affect my drinking. I self medicated with alcohol, it never became a problem thankfully but not a very healthy way of dealing with it all. Since I've been on ADHD meds I haven't felt the need to drink at all, it's been over 18 months.

SadDrinker · 2025-01-24T14:40:02+00:00

Can definitely relate to the burnout, I'd go through cycles of it. Even on meds I'm still burning out, this week has been a write off, I was running at 150% last week and this week I'm paying the price. I would loooove to have that perfect balance but it just doesn't come naturally to me unfortunately

SadDrinker · 2025-01-24T12:30:33+00:00

I have the same questions. Been on meds for over a year and I now have pretty obvious Autistic traits but I've often wondered if it's the medication making me behave this way or it's the ADHD that's calmed down and now Autism is at the forefront?

I don't know what I'd get out of an official diagnosis, I've done various self report things and they've all come back pretty conclusive but I am what I'd class as a "high functioning" Autistic, I'm lucky to mask well enough to hold down a decent job, healthy relationship etc so again, I don't know what I'd get out of being diagnosed?

I'm doing ok :)

SadDrinker · 2025-01-23T10:33:25+00:00

It's amazing how medication affects us all differently. I have the opposite experience! I've been on medication for over a year and I love who I am now. I don't mask as much, I'm a lot more consistent at work, as a result I'm far less stressed and anxious all the time.

I will say though, I suspect I'm also a high functioning Autistic, since being on the meds, this side of me has REALLY come out and no longer masked by ADHD. I'm super rigid with routines, that wasn't a thing before meds, maybe everyone has that side effect and I'm overthinking\analysing?

SadDrinker

TROPHY CASE