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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by alchemy on August 12, 2012, at 14:55:18
I have started to try ritalin more consistently again. I gave up on it earlier because it didn't seem to help me much or very often. And I worried about it affecting mood fluctuations.
But for a couple of weeks now, I have found that if I take it early and before breakfast, it does help for about 3 hours - although it is the long acting kind. It alleviates my head "hurting" to deal with doing anything/ motivation, and a little mood increase. And my 2nd dose, with trials from 11-1pm may only have a subtle effect for maybe 2 hours, even when taking it on an empty stomach. The rest of the day sucks as usual.
My first thought is it is because I was already prone to my depression being worse in the afternoons. Our hormone states, etc., vary throughout the day. I even react differently to food depending to the time of the day. For breakfast I tend to have food allergies and am very sensitive to carbs.
Somehow stimulants are tied to my blood sugar more than usual. I have noticed that when I take ritalin, I have to eat very little at a time - maybe a few bites every 20 minutes. If I eat more, I get the "weird wavy" feelings that I have brought up before and cannot describe (and that feeling sucks!). I am hypoglycemic, but it seems like I actually feel better when I don't eat, but then I am weak and starving.
Posted by Phillipa on August 12, 2012, at 18:53:42
In reply to Ideas on why ritalin only helps in the morning., posted by alchemy on August 12, 2012, at 14:55:18
Do you test your blood sugars? Strange? Phillipa
Posted by alchemy on August 12, 2012, at 22:41:37
In reply to Re: Ideas on why ritalin only helps in the morning. » alchemy, posted by Phillipa on August 12, 2012, at 18:53:42
> Do you test your blood sugars? Strange? Phillipa
Ya, I actually did a more detailed test yesterday at different times. They are always "in range". (I was suprised that my 2 hr hypoglycemic test was positive) Every blood test for anything is "normal". Well maybe my blood is, the rest of my body isn't getting along somehow!
Posted by SLS on August 13, 2012, at 5:11:48
In reply to Ideas on why ritalin only helps in the morning., posted by alchemy on August 12, 2012, at 14:55:18
I think there is a certain art to using methylphenidate. You might give yourself some flexibility as to when you dose each day. It doesn't have to be at the same time every day. You might not want to take your first dose until you begin to feel worse later in the morning or when it is critical to function. For me, things get worse around 10:30am. I then get hit very hard beginning at 1:00pm. 2:00pm is always the worst time for me. I then begin to recover by 4:30pm. If I were to try methylphenidate again, I would keep this cycle in mind. I would probably try taking my first dose around 10:00am and then again 3 - 4 hours later, depending on when I first feel a significant loss of energy. I would learn through experimentation how to optimize my use of methylphenidate.
- Scott
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