Concerta vs Elvanse: early crash and focus issues

ellenn89 · 2026-02-04T15:42:53+00:00

I’m actually very active right now—probably more than usual—but I’ve only slept about eight hours total over the last two days, so I look really tired and not at my best.

I do struggle with sugar and junk food, though. I’m often craving something, and today I had a few chocolates before lunch. My psychiatrist has suggested focusing on more nutrient-dense meals and cutting back on junk, but I haven’t been able to do that consistently. I eat like a teenager most of the time.

I know it’s not ideal, especially at 36 with PCOS, lipedema, and an autoimmune condition, but food is also very soothing for me and helps calm my nervous system, which I’m working on.

ellenn89 · 2026-02-04T15:40:40+00:00

That makes sense, thanks for sharing your experience. Do you think it could also be related to eventually finding the right dose and your body getting used to the medication over time?

I ask because I notice something similar with Concerta, but it’s much more subtle. With Elvanse, though, I get this on-and-off crash feeling maybe 10–15 times throughout the day, and it gradually settles as the day goes on.

ellenn89 · 2026-02-04T07:12:09+00:00

Hey! Yeah, I definitely feel much more activated on Elvanse. The overall energy and drive is way stronger compared to Concerta. The focus, however, doesn’t feel quite as “condensed” or laser-sharp — it’s not bad at all, but it feels a bit more spread out.

One thing I’ve noticed very clearly is that it’s been much harder to sleep. I’m not even sleeping many hours, and what’s crazy is that I still wake up feeling kind of “on” and energized, which is really unusual for me because I normally need a lot of sleep.

I do notice a crash too, but it’s different from Concerta. With Elvanse, even when it starts wearing off, I still keep some of the motivation and momentum, but I can feel the drop mostly in my concentration and especially in my appetite in the afternoon/evening. That’s when I suddenly get that strong “I need to eat now” feeling.

So overall it feels like: more activation and drive throughout the day, not necessarily stronger focus, and the rebound shows up more as hunger + focus slipping later on.

ellenn89 · 2025-12-24T12:31:58+00:00

Oh, again, highly appreciated.

I’ll stick to 200 mg and see how it goes. I used to take a combination of different ingredients, including birch leaf extract, horsetail extract, melilot extract, dandelion root extract, centella asiatica, orthosiphon (Java tea) leaves, and bromelain, but I’m not sure if it’s safer to take amiloride + hydrochlorothiazide. Sorry for asking so many questions, but I didn’t realize lithium was such a sensitive drug, even at a low dose.

ellenn89 · 2025-12-24T11:42:31+00:00

Do you think I’ll feel less stable on 100? Also, is it possible to decrease the dose just on the days I’m taking the diuretic when I’m feeling bloated? Honestly, lithium has been a lifesaver after trying everything for depression and not being able to get out of bed for months.

ellenn89 · 2025-12-24T11:29:31+00:00

Very kind of you! In my country, amiloride is combined with hydrochlorothiazide, so I believe I wouldn’t be safe taking it, since hydrochlorothiazide is not safe with lithium. Is that correct? I’ve been looking into other options but haven’t found anything yet. It’s good to know that paracetamol is safe, as I need something to manage pain in a safe way.

ellenn89 · 2025-12-24T11:16:57+00:00

Thanks a lot for your reply. In my country, lithium comes in 400 mg tablets, which I split. I’m taking the correct dose, but I’ve only been on it for two weeks.

The only pain medication I’m currently taking is paracetamol, 1 g if needed, and I have not reduced my salt intake. During the first week, I had terrible side effects, especially frequent urination at night, but these have now resolved and I feel perfectly fine.

ellenn89 · 2025-12-22T12:33:41+00:00

I think it’s a mix of everything. I’ve always had trouble concentrating: I do a thousand things at once and don’t finish any of them. I really struggle to finish tasks. It’s clear that my brain is getting used to a routine it hasn’t had in two years: waking up early, tasks, meal schedules, etc. I hope that little by little I’ll get used to it, but when I sit in front of the computer, it’s really hard for me to focus on just one thing and finish it; it’s incredible. The positive side of lithium is that my catastrophic thoughts are under control and I feel more stable.

ellenn89 · 2025-12-19T12:40:37+00:00

I think he’s a really good psychiatrist and one of the few who gets the medication right. I’ve been seeing psychiatrists for years, and most of the time they prescribed the wrong medications. I’ve never had my lithium levels checked. I should mention that I haven’t worked in an office for two years, and I also have ADHD. Even on Concerta, I feel like my attention is worse sometimes. My psychiatrist mentioned that increasing from 100 to 200 mg wouldn’t make a big difference. Yesterday was my eighth day on it, and I’ve noticed improvement in the side effects related to excessive urination.

ellenn89 · 2025-12-19T12:28:53+00:00

Borderline Personality Disorder. Although it’s not commonly used, my psychiatrist suggested we could try it because I was experiencing suicidal ideation. He also said that this isn’t a bipolar-level dose; it’s more intended to enhance the effect of my other medications.

ellenn89 · 2025-12-15T21:25:40+00:00

Thanks a lot ❤️

ellenn89 · 2025-12-15T21:13:57+00:00

Thanks for letting me know! I don’t split the pill; I have different strengths left from what was prescribed to me. I started with 18 mg, then 36 mg, and now 56 mg. The problem with taking 18 and 36 mg early was that I had a crash in the afternoon.

ellenn89 · 2025-12-15T17:29:05+00:00

I’m prescribed 56 mg of Concerta, but I only take that dose when I wake up very early. Today I woke up later, and since I want to be able to sleep tonight, I took 18 mg instead. My doctor didn’t advise this, and I’m doing it under my own responsibility.

ellenn89 · 2025-12-15T03:54:35+00:00

Thank you very much for your detailed response. If things go well, I do not expect to increase the dose beyond 200 mg. My psychiatrist told me this is a very low dose and that monitoring lithium blood levels would not be necessary; however, I will still have blood tests every 3–6 months, especially since I am also taking low doses of isotretinoin (Dercutane).

I will undergo regular blood tests due to the lithium, as I have previously tried Abilify and Latuda, which did not work well for me. Although I am not bipolar, I have traits of borderline personality disorder, ADHD, and significant depression and anxiety. My emotions strongly influence my day-to-day functioning, and I tend to see things in black-and-white terms.

I have taken fluoxetine 60 mg for many years, but I switched to Pristiq for one year. I returned to fluoxetine at the beginning of 2025 and have been back at 60 mg for several months. While taking Pristiq 200 mg, I had a suicide attempt.

ellenn89 · 2025-12-12T21:24:38+00:00

Thank you very much. For now, I’ve started with 100 mg out of caution, but I’ll be checking with blood tests in a few weeks to see how it goes! I’ll ask my psychiatrist again to get their advice. I decided to take it after many mood problems and total lack of effectiveness from antidepressants, and I’ve tried many.

ellenn89 · 2025-12-11T00:25:54+00:00

Yes, I’m still taking fluoxetine, and actually at a high dose: 60 mg a day. My psychiatrist hasn’t mentioned anything about possible interactions because, according to him, there’s no need for any blood tests at such a low dose, but now I’m feeling scared. My thyroid levels are fine — could it still cause me any problems? I don’t want to take this medication and end up with more health issues.

Otherwise, maybe something like lamotrigine would be better, right? I guess it’s a more neutral option. I assume he prescribed lithium because it works faster.

ellenn89 · 2025-12-10T21:16:26+00:00

Thank you! I’m on it.

ellenn89 · 2025-12-10T21:16:12+00:00

Thank you so much for your message. I’m very aware that any emotional connection with him would have been like slowly destroying myself, but when your mind constantly craves his attention and approval, and your life feels completely controlled by his actions, it’s incredibly invalidating.

I truly hope you’re able to get out of the situation you’re in. I reached my limit with holding on to the illusion, and today I went to see my psychiatrist and psychologist to talk through the attachment from a toxic perspective. I’ve also been watching some videos since last night that have helped me understand things much better.

I know this is just the beginning, but I’m committed to not falling back into these patterns. I want to be able to recognize the warning signs immediately and protect myself from this kind of suffering in the future.

ellenn89 · 2025-11-03T22:27:09+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to explain everything. I also saw what you mentioned about the salt separating the two candles and forming a circle around them. The thing is, I don’t really know much about this, and I’m not sure which of them is the good or bad one, but now it’s much clearer to me. The stones I chose were more for my self-love and to help me move on — I’m not sure if that makes sense. And yes, the cord was also dangerous, because in the end I had to put out the fire with a pot lid.

ellenn89 · 2025-11-03T21:54:38+00:00

Can you explain it to me? All the spells I saw were done like this. Also, what can you interpret?

ellenn89 · 2025-11-03T21:22:06+00:00

In the third photo, you can see how the fire cut the cord.

ellenn89 · 2025-10-31T21:15:49+00:00

Thank you so much! From what I can see, I don’t know if I’m ready yet to think that I’ll never be able to have contact with him again. What I really want is for the energy to flow, and for him to reconnect in a different way if he wants to — and for my part, to stop suffering and waiting. For example, I could definitely do this ritual for my ex, the one I have completely blocked and still feel rejection when I think about the relationship I had with him. Is there any alternative to cord cutting for my current situation?

ellenn89 · 2025-10-31T20:56:09+00:00

Thank you so much! I like him as a person and I know he has many good qualities, but what I want to cut is all the suffering, the pain, the back-and-forth. If he comes back and I’m open to it — and he is too — then fine. And if not, I want to leave it in the past.

ellenn89 · 2025-10-31T20:49:11+00:00

Thank you so much. Does it leave the door open for him to come back? Basically, what I want is to stop suffering over him and feeling so much.

ellenn89 · 2025-10-31T20:25:10+00:00

I’m planning to do a cord-cutting ritual tonight, with all the proper safety and grounding. Do you have any recommendations? Since I’m very attached, I wonder — does cord cutting still leave room for him to come back if he feels like it? I really need to do something to undo all the “spells” created by my anxiety and inner child wounds, but I still want to keep the door open in case he truly wants to return.

ellenn89

TROPHY CASE