I (25F) have been on 20 mg of Prozac for 6 weeks. I had my f/u with my psychiatrist yesterday. I explained that, with therapy, I am feeling better. I’ve experienced anxiety (shaking, trembling) before certain social situations or classes, but I was able to “recover” from the flight/fight and understand why I was having the anxiety & talk myself thru it. My psych said that since I’m still experiencing that, she wanted to up to 30mg. I was a little hesitant since it has been 6 weeks & I do feel that I’ve been improving & there may be more room for improvement with more time with therapy and being on 20mg. I expressed all of this to my therapist & while my therapist cannot tell me what to do, it was expressed that having anxiety is normal and that I have made improvements and it may not be necessary to up my dose until I feel like I need to since a tolerance may be built to the current dose I am on. I wanted to preface that my therapist did not sway my thoughts or said anything that went against my psych. I expressed to my therapist that I will continue on 20mg & will let my psych know & reevaluate in a month if I need to up my dose. I have only positives things to say about Prozac (aside from the few side effects I experienced at the beginning). I ultimately wanted it with help with my depression/anxiety as well as in conjunction with therapy. What I am asking is whether or not you have had hesitations to increasing your dose? When did you feel like you needed the increase? If you have been on Prozac for a longer amount of time & you found your “correct” dose, how is it supposed to feel? I guess I want to see how I feel on 20 mg in a few weeks if more time will allow it to fully “integrate” in my system

So I was in hospital in March with thyroid storm - resting bpm was 170, T4 was over 100, T3 was 27 and TSH was virtually non existent. I spent a week in hospital and left on 40 mg of prednisolone and 30 mg of propanol. I get bloods taken fortnightly and the last two tests have returned with my thyroid function looking normal.
I've got to say, the combination of medicine I'm on has me feeling absolutely fine. I saw an endocrinologist for the first time last week and she said she thinks the thyrotoxicosis was an autoimmune response likely caused by an infection and that hyperthyroidism is not a cause for concern at the minute.
I've been on the same dosage of medication UNTIL I was told I could start tapering off my steroids, and so I've gone down from 40mg to 35mg of prednisolone as of last week. I'm still on 30mg of propranolol. My endocrinologist said that there is chance of going thyrotoxic again; and today I feel exactly like I did before going into hospital.
I have emergency bloods scheduled for later this evening. I'm just wondering if anyone has been in a similar position with graves disease or hyperthyroidism not looking like it would be the cause? My mother has lupus and I often wonder if that's perhaps something to look at seen as though it's an autoimmune response. (However my endocrinologist said there is no link).
Sorry for the rambling, I'm just absolutely terrified of ending up in hospital again as I have a 1 year old at home, I'm so scared lol

Can I hear about positive experiences please? For anxiety and depression I’m a bit nervous to start tonight as 30mg I’m on Lamictal 100

When I take my focus meds - I couldn't care less about eating - even my favourite foods.
I am in my mid-thirties, married to an amazing woman, and we are expecting our first in 3 months... a baby girl. I have a demanding job in upper management so I still take my focus meds to help me navigate my working life, but never on the weekends.
Since I was diagnosed in my mid-20's with adult ADHD (among others), I have taken Cymbalta and Lamotrigine daily but have regulated my Vyvanse to "when I need it" and this worked very well until the last 5-6 months when my work demands and pressure increased.
That said, when I take my 30mg of Vyvanse at the start of the day, food or eating doesn't exist to me until I come down from the meds. Usually around or after dinner. I routinely make my wife dinner, and especially since she's been prego's, I cook almost every day, but except for the weekends, I am unable to eat with her.
I would love to know how others are dealing with this. What foods can you still eat, or strategies you use to make sure you are still getting something in you during the day? For me, some of the fruit and veg drinks help, or 1-2 bite items, like finger sandwiches etc.
Thanks all.

My psychiatrist seemed very surprised when I told him that I don’t feel the benefits of 30mg tyvense for much more than two to three hours. Thinks I have a very highly tolerance to them and was a bit reluctant to up the dose to 40mg as apparently there’s a shortage. Can anyone else share their experiences with upping dosages? Are negative effects common or mostly positive? I’m hesitant as I’ve got a lot on in the next few weeks and I don’t want my head to be all over the place

Hi all,
I was recently moved from Concerta 36 to Medikinet 20 (not due to shortages, just due to efficacy).
Medikinet is working a lot better, which was very surprising for me. The instant release (IR) dosages between these two is quite similar (fyi, Concerta releases 22% of the dosage immediately, and Medikinet 50%). But as expected, Medi is not lasting very long so at around 3pm I'm done.
I know that doctors usually tackle this issue by adding a little extra late morning, like 10 or 5. However, my doctor believes split dosages "don't work" and prefers to increase me directly to 30mg. I'm willing to try, but the IR in Medikinet 30mg is double of what I used to have with Concerta 36. I'm always weary of these things because my medication journey was super bumpy, starting with Elvanse, and I don't want to be stuck with a 28 day prescription that's too high for me.
I want to know if this kind of position is common and what is the reasoning behind it, if anyone has ideas. Thanks so much

I randomly got very sick a few years ago. I am not sure of the cause, but I believe it may have been COVID, which I believe unfortunately spurred on a pretty severe autoimmune/inflammatory reaction. It came on very sudden, first with brain fog, then a dull pressure headache, and then muscle twitching, what felt like a fever, neuropathy on the left side of my body (It began in my face and went downwards, used to affect both sides but only the left side now), ear ringing, throbbing headaches, upper body burning pain, dizziness, memory issues, neck stiffness, sinus inflammation that caused watery mucus, and other issues. I remember one day about a month into my issues, I had an extreme warmness in my face and nearly constant ear ringing on and off. It was the strangest thing.
I was able to see a PCP about a month into my issues. My PCP did not seem to consider my issues of an urgent nature, even with sudden neuropathy, memory loss, dizziness, etc. I had a CT scan of my brain 3 months after initial illness which showed mild volume loss and possible encephalomalacia.
It took me a year to finally see a neurologist for it due to waiting times. The first one I saw was dismissive and literally told me to "wait it out" and see if I got better (I didn't). The second one I saw, and saw the longest, didn't even see me personally the first time, and had his nurse look at me instead, and did really nothing for my issues save for trying a very small dosage of Gabapentin for a few months as well as vitamin supplements, which I stopped taking due to it not doing anything for me. The third one I saw for a second opinion of the second one told me "I don't know what's causing your symptoms" and just left it at that. I saw a rheumatologist in 2022 who also didn't do anything for my neuropathy, just more blood work testing.
I recently found out the second neurologist I saw who I saw for years was successfully sued for malpractice while I saw him, but in another state. I believe he does telehealth neurology. He was sued in Georgia and settled for 175,000 dollars in late 2022. I had been seeing him since late 2021, and last saw him in person in late 2023 where he blamed my issues on "stress" and left it at that.
I told numerous doctors/specialists about chronic body inflammation feelings, such as intense upper body burning, head pressure, dizziness/vertigo, memory issues, neuropathy, etc. and they have never ordered a spinal tap to see if there was something in the CSF causing the chronic feeling. I have had brain MRIs that showed possible idiopathic intracranial hypertension with mild CSF buildup in the optic nerve and a partially empty sella turcica, but again, no spinal tap was ordered because my eye exam by a neuro-ophthalmologist was clean and showed no swelling. My brain MRIs also showed volume loss possibly caused by encephalomalacia, again, no spinal tap done.
I've had blood work for lupus and celiac that was negative, and an ANA rating that was barely positive. Normal rheumatoid factor and negative for Sjogren's as well. I just checked and I believe I am negative for vasculitis as well, Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody test was negative looking back at my testing in 2022. I also had a sinus CT scan a year into my issues that showed mild sinusitis. I am not diabetic but I was pre-diabetic when this began. Glucose testing has been normal, cholesterol is fine, lipids are fine. B12 is normal, but vitamin D is low.
It has been almost 3 years now and I still have neuropathy in certain parts of the left side of my body (mainly my face and genitals, I'm male and was born male) and again, nothing was done for me regarding a spinal tap, which is the only test outside of a PET scan that I haven't done which could be helpful for me as far as I know. I saw that third neurologist for a second opinion, and all he did was say maybe to get a spinal tap if I have chronic headaches, but other than that, like I said, he said outright he didn't know what was causing my symptoms.
I cannot work with how I feel, and it feels like neurologists and doctors in general left me to rot and deal with the chronic issues on my own, and now I'm going to be stuck with long-term, permanent issues such as nerve damage in my face and genitals because no doctor cares. I have ED and anorgasmia now along with the neuropathy that affects my genital area. It's just on the left side for some reason. It used to be tingling/burning on the left side of my genital area and face and now is reduced sensitivity issues. In 2021 I had a very sharp pain on the left side of my penis when I touched the right side of it, it was very scary and made me believe the nerve may have died, but that went away with very slow improvement, but that side is still not back to normal.
I still sometimes have dizziness and headaches, for instance, if I'm in a car and I watch the cars speed by us at an intersection, I'll feel sort of dizzy. It's not as bad as it was, but it's still not normal to feel like that, and no doctor has done anything for that or suggested it.
Am I wrong to think a spinal tap should have been ordered? Is there any reason they didn't, even after I asked? 0 out of the 3 neurologists I've seen in the past three years or so recommended one, so I did try getting second and even third opinions. The first neurologist genuinely just brushed me off, he didn't even order any testing. Just sent me on my way without a follow up appointment after saying to "wait it out".
I live in America and am on my state's Medicaid. I recently switched PCPs (my previous one was condescending and didn't seem interested in my issues) and the new PCP referred me to a new neurologist I'm going to see later this year, but it just feels at this point all they can do is assess the damage and not fix it due to it being so long since I got sick and my issues never really totally fixing itself.
I had an MRA of my head last month that was clean thankfully, so I think I didn't have a hemorrhagic stroke or some sort of blood vessel damage in my arteries. I saw a neurosurgeon about two weeks ago that I last saw in 2021 who still believes my cerebral atrophy (which I'm guessing is the volume loss likely caused by encephalomalacia) is abnormal for my age (mid-20s). The neurosurgeon's notes say my current neurologist believes I may have small fiber neuropathy as well as a cognitive disorder, but he has not prescribed a single thing since the low dosage of Gabapentin over two years ago.
The only real testing I have left is neuropsychological testing which will be a few hours. I am 90% positive that my issues are from something, likely a virus, causing severe chronic inflammation all over my body including my head. I was never in the past 3.5 years given anything to treat that inflammation.
I recently saw a new neurologist which is my 4th neurologist since 2021. He seemed genuinely interested in what had happened to me and found the symptoms frustrating because of how vague they were/are, but it was in a "I wish i knew so I could help you" way, which I've never seen with a previous doctor I've seen. He said a spinal tap in 2021 may have been useful but didn't think it was essential testing for my issues, said he might have tried Prednisone for a couple of weeks to see if it helped with inflammation, but that was it. He said since I'm still seeing very slow improvement, my nerves may still heal, but is that true, even this late into it? I feel the previous neurologists I saw didn't care at all, and I finally found one that does, but it's too late to make a difference. He said trying B12 supplements and Cymbalta might help. He wants me to get a lumbar MRI to see why I have nerve issues in my genital area. He didn't think I had GBS/AIDP or something like that either, but he did think a viral cause could be possible. He was all I could ask for a specialist like this, but again, seems too late to matter. I just don't know what to do.
TL;DR: Got very sick years ago, told doctors of body weakness and pain, what felt like inflammation in my body, nerve damage, memory issues, etc. was not given any real treatment for what was still occurring in my body, which seemed to be chronic severe inflammation going on. If I get told I have permanent nerve damage/brain damage that was most likely from what I believe it to be, what would constitute the doctors I saw falling below the acceptable standard of care? Does anything in my story so far seem like negligence from doctors?
Please feel free to ask questions, and apologies for the length of my post.

Undergraduate Completion
This story is about my journey as a college student and the joy I have at its completion.
I started my 5-year undergraduate degree in accounting during the fall of 2018. The first year was pure bliss; I gained so many friends, lost my virginity, felt heartbreak, expanded my understanding of the world and came to love diversity. I had earned a position as an RA for my sophomore year with one of my new, and still, great friends.
Fall of 2019 started as the Residential Department put it, "Gaining 60 new contracted friends". I put my life into creating the best experience for both my residents and myself. Come March of 2020, this was shattered. COVID-19 officially shut down my campus and everyone was sent home. Uncertainty of the next year lasted until summer when our accepted return was announced. With many new rules and being shipped off into a different housing area, I was apprehensive to say the least.
Fall of 2020 was the beginning of my hidden, yet sharp, mental decline. It is here my met my most sincere and closest friends beyond my home as well. The seclusion was otherwise agonizing and I had turned to drinking on the weekends with a small group of friends for the majority of the college year. By summer of 2021, I had landed an internship in my field of study, entered a relationship, and received a promotion from RA to CA. The internship was phenomenal and the relationship amazing, though I found myself constantly crying and was put on am anti-depressant as depression runs in my family.
Fall of 2021, I was now entering the depths of my studies, additional responsibilities from my position, and my s/o was now 2 hours away. The anti-depressants dramatically worsened my mentality and became secluded from my studies, relationship, and job all at once. I dropped 2 classes in an attempt to reduce the load, to no avail. By winter of 2022, the relationship had ended in pain from depression+guilt and my education and job faltered further. I stepped down from my role as a CA to RA and took fewer classes to start the next year. Summer of 2022 was jobless in an attempt to regain my mental fortitude.
Fall of 2022 did not last long. Immediately I was shunted into the same routine of depressive behavior, this time accompanied by suicidal ideation. As I was failing every class and effectively not working as is, I dropped out of college just before Thanksgiving to live at home and continue online next semester. Spring of 2023 I had begun seeing a psychiatrist as well as therapist weekly. My class load was very light as I was surely going to need an extra year to graduate. I tried new medications bi-monthly and my therapist was unhelpful for myself. I completed some summer courses but sank deeper and deeper in depression.
Fall of 2023 was the worst time of my 24 years of existence thus far. Although my course load was still light, I had no point in living. I was divising painless ways to commit suicide and preserve my body for my family. I was ready to die when I started a new medication (Cymbalta) and started seeing a new therapist.
My life changed.
This medication with a dedicated therapist who cared about me and my wellbeing rocketed me out of the 6-foot hole. Within 3 months of dedicated medication rigorous therapy, I had finally stopped my suicidal ideation. Winter of 2024 was the first time I felt alive in almost 3 years. I felt pure happiness again for the first time 1 month ago. I am alive again.
As of May 11, 2024, I have walked across the stage, accepted my diploma for accounting, and am effectively depression free. I breathe as this chapter is completed. I felt the sun of my skin today, felt what it is like to be human. What it is like to be alive.
I wanted to share this joy with others in hopes to encourage growth and foster hope. I am alive and far beyond well as I work to create the best me I can for the world.

• Seth

Undergraduate Completion
This story is about my journey as a college student and the joy I have at its completion.
I started my 5-year undergraduate degree in accounting during the fall of 2018. The first year was pure bliss; I gained so many friends, lost my virginity, felt heartbreak, expanded my understanding of the world and came to love diversity. I had earned a position as an RA for my sophomore year with one of my new, and still, great friends.
Fall of 2019 started as the Residential Department put it, "Gaining 60 new contracted friends". I put my life into creating the best experience for both my residents and myself. Come March of 2020, this was shattered. COVID-19 officially shut down my campus and everyone was sent home. Uncertainty of the next year lasted until summer when our accepted return was announced. With many new rules and being shipped off into a different housing area, I was apprehensive to say the least.
Fall of 2020 was the beginning of my hidden, yet sharp, mental decline. It is here my met my most sincere and closest friends beyond my home as well. The seclusion was otherwise agonizing and I had turned to drinking on the weekends with a small group of friends for the majority of the college year. By summer of 2021, I had landed an internship in my field of study, entered a relationship, and received a promotion from RA to CA. The internship was phenomenal and the relationship amazing, though I found myself constantly crying and was put on am anti-depressant as depression runs in my family.
Fall of 2021, I was now entering the depths of my studies, additional responsibilities from my position, and my s/o was now 2 hours away. The anti-depressants dramatically worsened my mentality and became secluded from my studies, relationship, and job all at once. I dropped 2 classes in an attempt to reduce the load, to no avail. By winter of 2022, the relationship had ended in pain from depression+guilt and my education and job faltered further. I stepped down from my role as a CA to RA and took fewer classes to start the next year. Summer of 2022 was jobless in an attempt to regain my mental fortitude.
Fall of 2022 did not last long. Immediately I was shunted into the same routine of depressive behavior, this time accompanied by suicidal ideation. As I was failing every class and effectively not working as is, I dropped out of college just before Thanksgiving to live at home and continue online next semester. Spring of 2023 I had begun seeing a psychiatrist as well as therapist weekly. My class load was very light as I was surely going to need an extra year to graduate. I tried new medications bi-monthly and my therapist was unhelpful for myself. I completed some summer courses but sank deeper and deeper in depression.
Fall of 2023 was the worst time of my 24 years of existence thus far. Although my course load was still light, I had no point in living. I was divising painless ways to commit suicide and preserve my body for my family. I was ready to die when I started a new medication (Cymbalta) and started seeing a new therapist.
My life changed.
This medication with a dedicated therapist who cared about me and my wellbeing rocketed me out of the 6-foot hole. Within 3 months of dedicated medication rigorous therapy, I had finally stopped my suicidal ideation. Winter of 2024 was the first time I felt alive in almost 3 years. I felt pure happiness again for the first time 1 month ago. I am alive again.
As of May 11, 2024, I have walked across the stage, accepted my diploma for accounting, and am effectively depression free. I breathe as this chapter is completed. I felt the sun of my skin today, felt what it is like to be human. What it is like to be alive.
I wanted to share this joy with others in hopes to encourage growth and foster hope. I am alive and far beyond well as I work to create the best me I can for the world.

• Seth

Ні,
I'm a white female. I’m 5’5” and 150lbs. I have HSD (and a ton of multi-systemic issues from the hypermobility), ADHD, MDD and GAD, as well as other various ailments. Former smoker (quit in my late 20’s) and regular medical marijuana user (mainly edibles) since I don’t want to take opioids (mother was an addict).
Current meds are: Qunol CoQ10 100mg; Crestor 20mg; B-12/folate (methylated) sublingual; Cymbalta 60mg; Prilosec otc; Zyrtec otc; Famotidine otc; Wellbutrin XL 150mg; Vyvanse 30mg; vitamin D 5000iu 3 x a week; Guanfacine 1mg; Valacyclovir 1g; Ajovy injectable monthly; Nurtec ODT as needed for migraine; Valium as needed for anxiety.
Went to the GP for a checkup and after bloodwork I was prescribed Crestor 20mg for high total cholesterol and high triglycerides. I started the Crestor in the evening on 5/6 in addition to Qunol brand CoQ10 100mg. I also started 1000mcg B-12/500mcg folate(methylated) that day. I’ve previously taken different brands of CoQ10 and B-12.
On 5/10, I took my B-12/folate in the am. I noticed a rash that morning on my neck/ear that spread throughout the day. It consists of raised bumps with no redness or itchiness. I took 12.5mg diphenhydramine at 8pm on 5/10. Decided not to take CoQ10 or Crestor in PM on 5/10 and will not start up again until speaking to doc. Also stopping the B-12/folate, since it’s also new. On 5/11 in the AM, the rash is still present and has spread to my cheeks.
Other than the new meds, my routine has not changed and I haven’t tried any new foods, cleaners, body products etc. I don’t regularly get skin eruptions or rashes.
What is the likely culprit out of the new meds? If the Benadryl didn’t help should I keep taking it? Any advice or suggestions welcome.
I plan to call my doc Monday but it’s just freaking me out.
Link to photos https://imgur.com/a/aGvFHct

I've been on Parnate now for 3 weeks, started at 20mg and increased to 30mg after a week following Gillman's protocol with my pdoc.
After increasing to 30mg I definitely noticed somewhat less lethargy and anhedonia, actually choosing to cook for my household and not being exhausted/miserable was huge if small. Hoping to increase dose to 40mg soon since not much has changed but I've been a bit surprised by my BP and heart rate changes and curious if anyone has had similar on Nardil or Parnate?
My Baseline BP was 120/82 in the morning and 131/87 in the evening. Now my sittint BP is around 100/70 in the morning and evening.
Per fitbit, my resting heart rate decreased from 90bpm (it was oddly high for a while for some reason) to 75bpm over the same time period and now it's not uncommon to see mid-high 60s on my watch. My HRV even has increased somewhat. I'm still struggling with depressive symptoms (esp leaden paralysis and fatigue) quite a bit unfortunately so it's not like I've started exercising or anything.
It's not something I expected from my reading though I guess it's mostly positive and my pdoc thinks it may be from decreased anxiety and better sleep. I've not had any negative symptoms from hypotension or anything so I still plan to try a dose increase but a bit worried it will just continue declining and I dont really know how to interpret this with respect to determining therapeutic dosage.

Diagnosed in 30s as mixed inattentive and impulsive.
The 30mg of V is definitely a positive, helping me do things and feeling more prone to action.
I was hoping it would have more of an effect on my mind slowing and calming down. I’m still all over the place, speaking quickly and disorganized thoughts. I’m leaving things behind and unable to track things down etc.
Wanting to interrupt people all the time and having a hard time focusing even still.
Just mention this to my doctor and we can try something else?
Has anyone found success tweaking things with your doc?

Hello Everyone,
Two months ago I was laid off after working 13 years for the same company, and I quickly developed bad joints pain: wrists, ankles, knee, fingers, toes... The first days after the lay off I had high anxiety and sadness, I could not sleep and I had bad thoughts as well. I got prescribed cymbalta 60mg and I have been taking it for a bit over a month already, but im still waiting to see positive results. Last week I started a new job, so at least I feel much less stressed now.
Anyone who has a similar story of stress related joints pain? Additional note: I have been suffering from mild depression and middle anxiety for the last 20 years already.
Thanks

I've been dealing with chronic symptoms for just over half a year straight now, but I've had pop ups of the same symptoms occasionally since I was young. I had to fight to be taken seriously for the longest time, and when I finially got some of the testing, it's all normal. I've been to my gp more times than I can count, the er, gynecologists, gastroenterologists, etc. Every time I go there they just push some more medication or lifestyle choices and none have worked. They've knocked all my symptoms up to CFS, IBS, and Endometriosis, but they can run any testing to prove its those (in the case of endo its more of a they WON'T run the tests because of other reasons.) None of these conditions fully explain ALL my issues, and I've run out of things to bring up to my doctors to further my path to recovery.
So, I come here to explain some of my symptoms to people who might have similar issues and might be able to give me an idea of where to go from here (what tests to ask for, conditions to ask about, etc)
(This is NOT me asking for a diagnosis, just some help to point me in the right direction.)
GI issues
I've been dealing with chronic nausea, full abdomen stomach pain, and chronic constipation. I get full very quickly and nauseated after eating a normal meal, but I don't EVER throw up from any of this. I eat a very balanced diet, avoid fatty meats and pork, and have the worst sensitivity to sweet, rich, fatty foods.
Sleep/Head issues
I am constantly tired, regardless of my nights sleep. I find falling asleep very difficult because my "joints feel weird" and when I wake up I feel stiff like I did a workout the day before. I am VERY prone to headaches and my father has a history with migraines at my age.
Body issues (Joints and misc.)
I only feel comfortable if I'm sitting in some kind of stretch, otherwise my joints feel "too static." I have a hard time swallowing pills because it feels like they get stuck in my throat and I can't dislodge them (not a choking issue.) I am very intolerance to heat but also get cold very easily. I can't sit still, not in a psychological way, but like, my joints and muscles feel weird if I don't change position constantly.
Other information

• I am a female, young adult, and have no previously diagnosed health conditions
• I am on 30mg amitriptyline to help with the stomach pain
• I have the kyleena iud (which honestly is the only "prescription" that's helped me.)
• I have been on PPIs multiple times (not currently.)
• I am taking a daily laxative (restorolax.)
• I have been prescribed vissane because things get worse with my menstrual cycle, but have not started it because of my headaches.

TL;DR: I don't know where to go on my diagnosis path and I'm hoping by naming my symptoms, people can give me some advice on what to talk to my doctors about.

hey everyone, 4 days ago i switched from 30mg cymbalta to 150mg wellbutrin XL to adress sexual side effects and smoking succession, along with depression. being a couple days into it, not only am i experiencing the withdrawal symptoms from the cymbalta, but i am having depersonalization/derealization, with an intense underlying feeling of dread that nothing is good or real. it’s kinda hard to describe. i don’t know whether i should switch back to cymbalta or stick with wellbutrin to see if these negative mental effects get better. thoughts and advice much appreciated!

Hi Spicy Brain Family,
As I’m sure this is a question many of us encounter, especially with ‘chasing the dragon’ however,
I’ve asked a few friends and others on meds their experiences with medications and what they ‘felt’ in order to get a good understanding of what should be expected (Obviously note everyone is individual and results may vary).
I was initially prescribed : - 1month : Ritalin 10mg x2 a day, (felt nothing)whilst my psych received my assessments to diagnose (trial script)
-1month : Increased to 20mg x2 a day and quite quickly had to decrease to 30mg (20mg AM, and 10mg PM) as I was getting headaches and jitters? (Full disclosure, I was consuming 1-2 coffees a day, double shots, so I’m not sure if this caused any skewed results to go off)

• 1 month : swap to Vyvanse 30mg, voila I’m guessing euphori response initially but I felt a sudden urge to ‘clean out my closet’ (with people, workplace etc) I called it the ‘post diagnosis war path’.
  
• 8months : increased to 40mg although 30’s seemed good, couple months in I started feeling ‘frozen’ and starting to experiment with increases/trying Ritalin again, etc
  

During the above period my wife and I made some huge life changes (sold and bought a new house rural, for better QOL for the kids)

• most recently increased to 50mg and I couldn’t stand it for more than a week, anxiety, frozen, doom scrolling unproductive etc.

My question is, the psych always asks ‘any notable side effects’? And always has, but how am I to know what a side effect is when I’ve barely been able to think for myself and basically told how to feel (thanks transgenerational trauma)

• if one is experiencing ‘a few side effects’ or what’s believed to be side effects what does one do other than communicate with your specialists/GP.

I know that everyone’s dose/medication requirements are all different, but the costs are really starting to stack up.
Anyone who’s jumped around on meds could you please weigh in? I feel as though I had the sweet point on 30mg vyv (am currently self titrating to this from my 50’s)

• negative side effects on 40/50’s : elevated HR, sweating, irritability, angeimpulsiveness, impatience, unmotivated as fuck (frozen), fear, worry, dread, retracted ‘introverted’.
  
• positive side effects on 30s/early 40s : genuinely excited for day to day, felt butterflies for my wife (love?, never felt before) thinking big picture / goals, talking feelings/probably too much, writing ALOT, seeking answers I’ve not had the courage to ask.
  

I was trying to keep this short, but yeah novel again, thanks for reading and providing insight/input xx

wanted to update everyone on my experience withdrawing from mirt. I don’t see many positive experiences shared here, and hopefully this helps calm some nerves.
you can check my previous post for my taper schedule, but essentially I took 30mg every other day for about a month, dropped to 15mg and took that every other day, then went down to every 2 days. I was doing that for about two months, and then I went off of it! I am aware this is not the recommended taper, but it worked for me.
first week without mirt was fine. I definitely had very little appetite and some nausea, but I was on my period so truthfully that is pretty normal for me around that time of the month. I did get one migraine, but again I am chalking it up to my period since it was a one time thing. Sleep was not affected at all, and no mood changes.
week two the number one issue I had was that I was SO itchy. I wanted to soak in a tub of lotion it was so bad. Appetite came back though so that was good! Still didn’t see any change to my sleep or my mood, maybe a little bit more anxiety but it’s been stressful at work.
I’m currently on day 19 of no mirt, and the itchiness is still there but way more manageable. I have lost almost 10lbs over the last 3 weeks, but am still a healthy BMI and it’s stabilized over the last week. I was sooooo nervous to quit mirt, and worried that I would be stuck on this forever - so grateful that I had an easy experience. I didn’t feel any symptoms while tapering, only when I stopped completely! If you’re thinking about getting off, but are terrified from reading all of the negative experiences shared here, know that there are good experiences too!!

Note: I do have a follow up appointment with my psychiatrist, but it’s not for another few weeks. So I plan on discussing all this with her.
Please go easy on me. I’m new to all of this and very overwhelmed.
We are trying to treat my BED (binge eating disorder) and ADHD. I see both a therapist and a psychiatrist.
10mg Vyvanse did nothing. 20mg Vyvanse did nothing. 30mg Vyvanse gave me horrible side effects; I tried it for 6 days.
The GREAT part was it did help reduce my appetite and reduced my urge to binge. But that was the only positive. No improved cognitive function, no clarity, no focus, no motivation. Still scatterbrained, still a chatterbox, brain still buzzing, still have “food noise”, still can’t stay on task or read a book, etc..
The side effects were awful. Anywhere from 5-10hours after taking Vyvanse, I was hit with a rapid heart beat and chest feeling tight. The worst part was the extremely bad wooziness and lightheadedness. I felt like I was about to faint. I wasn’t sleepy-tired. I felt dizzy and weak, and on the verge of passing out. I couldn’t stand or walk or even lift my arms.
So… is there any hope? Is this just how these types of medications are? Am I going to have the same issues with Adderall or Concerta or any of the others?
If anyone has any ideas of questions and concerns that I can bring up to my psychiatrist at our next appointment, I would greatly appreciate it. I’m feeling very hopeless and despondent.

1st day on 50mg- ive felt elevated for longer and its been good but i do feel like ive had just a low level of consistent anxiety all day. Anyone else had that? Is it something thats likely to dissipate? Im sure my body will get used to and maybe itl go?
Edit- Also felt more adhd like than when i was on 30mg. More intrusive thoughts and forgetfullness subject to emotions more, less positive feelings. Altho ive had more energy for more of the day.
Any experiences and advise welcome

31F - currently taking methylphenidate 30mg twice daily (only been taking these for 2 months). In 2022 my smear test came back with low grade dyskaryosis and high risk HPV positive, this has now developed into CIN3 high grade severe dyskaryosis and I have recently had an LLETZ/LEEP procedure (awaiting results).
I had my first period when I was 13 years old, and it caused severe cramps and vomiting - saw my GP who put me on microgynon which made me vomit so much that I had to be put on a drip. I was then given the implant which I had for several years and had no periods.
Then I started bleeding daily, so I had the implant removed (around 12 years ago) and have not used hormonal contraception since.
My periods are usually very regular, 28 day cycle and I bleed for 4-5 days. Not massively heavy but have very occasionally passed clots that are around 3-4cm.
My issue is that I have severe cramps that extend through my thighs and back, usually starting a day before my period and continuing for the first three days. This pain is getting worse to the point where I can't stand up straight or do normal tasks (and cannot work). I have always experienced nausea but the last few periods I have been vomiting. I get severe headaches, find it painful to go to the toilet, and suffer really badly with bloating and trapped wind.
I experience occasional period type cramping throughout the month, and I also experience random stabbing/shooting pains that feel like they're in my vagina? I have experienced pain and bleeding both during and after sex on and off for years. And not sure if relevant, but in the last 12 months I have experienced noticeable hair thinning (my parting has widened and I can see my scalp very easily).
I have approached doctors with this several times and have been told this is all normal, but if it is, I don't understand how other women can function normally during their period. Am I just being dramatic? Do I need to push to investigate this? If so, is there something specific I should ask about?
Thank you.

I've tested low for B-12 (269pg/mL) and Iron (97ug/dL), but my Hg & Hematocrit are high and borderline high. I asked to be tested for Pernicious Anemia, as I'm Irish and I've heard my mom talk about my great aunt having it and how long it took for them to diagnose it back in the day.
I was started on B-12 supplements 2000mcg (I opted for sublingual since I read there's better absorption) and ferrous gluconate supplements 324mg every other day. I'm also taking 500mg vitamin C for the Iron absorption and vitamin D3 5000mcg as I'm low in this too.
I just got results for PA: negative for Intrinsic Factor Blocking Ab and Anti-Parietal Cell Ab = 16.5U (lab said <=20 was negative). However, I have tested positive for ANA IFA 1:320 titer (but negative @ 1:80) and also have a past positive ANA IFA(1:40 titer) test from a decade ago (I was not previously aware of this one until recently going through old med records).
After going through my old med records, I'm also realizing I've been deficient in vitamins D, B-12 and iron for a very long time- at least 10 years- but my prior docs only ever addressed the vitamin D deficiency by prescribing OTC supplements. Tbh I've taken those supplements on/off again and never looked too much into them as the doc didn't seem too concerned. But my symptoms have been forever: very low energy, memory issues (working and long-term), GI issues my whole life with extreme bloating and lots of chronic pain issues that have gotten so much worse the last 5 years with lots of muscle fatigue/weakness (hurts to even lift my coffee mug sometimes), edema in my extremities, burning in my skin especially on my uppelower arms, costochondritis and nerve pain/twitching stuff. This has been such an obstacle in doing any kind of regular exercise and in the last 4-5 months I've gained about 20 lbs very rapidly but haven't been eating any differently. I also have arthritis in my cervical spine, but I have 3 herniated discs, so to be expected I guess... but I don't ever test positive for inflammation/rheumatoid markers. I had mild whiplash at the age of 24 and my neck has been trash ever since so at the age of 44 they're suggesting surgery.
Sorry for the info dump but I've hit a wall on what I can do about my constant overall fatigue and muscles fatigue/weakness. It's really starting to affect so much and after considering trying for another baby (my partner, not me) makes me very worried about my ability to be healthy enough to be thinking about another kid at this point. I'm taking Adderall almost daily just to be able have motivation enough to do daily things like take my kid to school, pick up the house, errands, etc. I just don't think this level of fatigue and pain/discomfort at 44 is normal and compared to most of my peers they don't seem to be experiencing the same rate of fatigue on the daily. I've also broached the subject of Fibromyalgia with my doc and he basically gave me some SSNRIs to see if it helped (Cymbalta) but I don't want to start anti-depressants unless it's a last resort as I've had not great experiences with Paxil awhile back...
Any ideas as to which route I should pursue next or any experiences with similar test results/symptoms? Thanks everyone!

Some Background

I don't see many folks talking about this, but I thought I'd post about it because maybe there's others like me who have cracked the code on this and have some tips and tricks they can share on how they overcame it? For some context:

• Adult. 28. Diagnosed with 30mg Vyvanse about 2-3 months ago.
  
• Prior to this I occasionally would try to use non-amphetamine based drugs to solve the ADHD/ADD problem (i.e. Modafinil or Strattera), but Vyvanse was the one we arrived at that just worked.
  

The Main Bit

Vyvanse worked right away when I took it, and when I say worked - I mean worked. I was never so able to clear my tasks, get my work done, remember items, etc. It was absolutely perfect, and it did the job perfectly. However, two months in and I've began to notice some things outside of the norm than I would expect that it's just hard to put into words as a singular symptom.
At the end of the day, the underlying root cause of our ADHD/ADD is a dysfunction in the brain - and that dysfunction makes it so that our prefrontal cortex doesn't connect as well to the rest of our brain as someone without this disorder (apologies if this term offends you, I mean it purely as a scientific term and not as a derogatory one). When we take a drug like Adderall or Vyvanse, to simplify the science, it ups the current jumping through the neurons and effectively solves this electrical problem (i.e. you solving the side effects of a weak wire by sending more current through it so the output on the other side looks better). This is phenomenal, but being someone who is 28 and has lived most of my life without this drug, there's also this weird thing I've been noticing that happens as well.
The brain's ability to adjust and re-orient itself is neuroplasticity right; it's not just a set of wirings - but a set of wirings that re-align and reconfigure themselves to the optimal position. A month in, and the best way I could've describe it is, the continued use of the medication let's my brain leverage the new connections to work differently (that's the way I would put it).
That's the thing I think I'd love to ask all of you - any of you notice your brain start to work differently after being on Vyvanse for a prolonged period of time after ideally passing that developmental threshold where your brain's neuroplasticity was at its peak? It's little stuff here and there for me - but here's where I see it the most:
Memory
This is the biggest area. If we imagine the computer as your desktop PC (again, vast oversimplification here of how memory works, but roll with me) , it's almost like the long term use of Vyvanse is doing what I could almost describe as a defragmentation of the drive. It's moving stuff around up there to where something I might quickly know how to remember, isn't where I thought it'd be, but is somewhere else entirely. It feels almost like my mind had put these folders on the desktop, since for the last 27 odd years it learned that this was just how it works - and now realizes "hey I can finally stick these things in their folders! Finally!". I, not knowing this, go look on the desktop and can't find what I'm looking for, but realizing its in the relevant folder is just a step away. It's not any slower, and if anything it's cleaner, but it's different from how I'm used to functioning; how I learned to make these things work. Is that normal?
Emotions and Motivation
This one too is a bit odd. As most of you know, ADHD/ADD means that getting us to do something is immensely emotionally driven. When I like it, I do it, and when I don't like it, I don't do it. A month in on Vyvanse, and that's just not how it works anymore at all. Now it's about deciding to do something - and while that's better, it's again different from what I expect. Having to make the decision to do a task, is such an odd feeling from being motivated to do said task by some other worldly feeling of "woohoo go!". Don't get me wrong - it's again better since it allows for better emotional regulation and consistent work output, but damn if it isn't weird.
Learning
Yeah this part is interesting - and ties strongly into that emotional and motivational thing. I definitely learn a bit slower than I used to. It's not because I'm getting any dumber, and in fact, I'll recall information more readily and contribute more often in the work place, but it's that I'm no longer obsessive. I'm not shoveling a ton of information up at once and racing the clock against what are the mundanities of life to accomplish something. I'm just the stuff I need to do. However, this poses a question I never had to deal with before right?
Now I have to actively find the desire to want to learn something instead of rushing into it due to some intrinsic feeling, and again as most of you know, mindless learning of some off hand topic when the complexities of life are continually knocking at your door, is a hard cost to justify. I miss it though, and I could do it - but it's not worth prioritizing over the kids, the family, all that jazz.
Dunno these are some things I've noticed work differently - and I know that CBT is a lot of what people swear by to help them adjust. I almost can't help feel like I learned for so long how to walk without being able to bend my joints - and now suddenly I can. I'm grateful that I can, but it's different..and sometimes I don't know how to leverage this thing the way others intrinsically know how because I never grew up like that. It's hard.
Any pointers?