Methylphenidate for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome User Reviews

• G0309
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 4, 2020

"I take a small dose of Concerta, 18mg, each morning for my POTS. The moment the medicine kicks in, I feel great, able to get up and be on my feet all day. It has been a game-changer for my POTS. I was unable to take several other medications that are approved for POTS, like midodrine, due to side effects. This has worked like a charm. For me, the 32mg was a little too much and made my heart race, but the 18mg seems to be just the mild boost I needed with my POTS. That along with all the usual things like adequate rest, tons of water and salt."

• Dan
• January 16, 2017

"Two months ago, I was unable to work or to drive myself to my own doctors' appointments. Now, I can exercise upright, go out to a bar with my friends, work every day, and am completing applications to go to law school in the fall. Mehtylphenidate, in combination with midodrine and atenolol, has taken me from complete disability to at least some semblance of normalcy, although I still have to be aware of my body, pace myself, and monitor my physical activity."

• CPano
• February 1, 2020

"I started Concerta on a small dose at first 18mg every morning to help with fatigue, sleepiness and brain fog. Since the 18mg didn’t do anything my neurologist changed it to 36mg. I started noticing loss of appetite but my brain fog and fatigue and sleepiness were getting better for a bit, then the 36mg stopped working and I was put on 54mg. Since then I had insomnia, I completely loss my appetite and lost 12lbs, my resting heart rate was in 177-200 and I noticed my anxiety coming back and getting 100 times worse. Saw my cardiologist and he told me that I should have never been in a stimulant in the first place. My POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) is very severe and the stimulant was making it even worse!"

• Janna
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 26, 2024

"I did not get this prescribed for POTS but for ADHD. I have been taking it since I was 9 and has changed a few times. With my diagnosis for ADHD I did not immediately get the medicine (on our own request) I did some therapy but it did not provide the treatment that was needed as I was physically sick of my ADHD due to stress. Now I am 18 years old. The meds have been only for weighing the opposing negatives that I will have without the medication. All the effects are there but not an issue. I do have a significant lack of appetite that sometimes gets less severe when I am about to have my period. I don't faint with POTS but I have a clear severely distracting pre-syncope. It looks very similar to a bad panic attack as I do kinda panic during it as well. Whenever I trace back the episodes it was whenever I either woke up, was on my period (as I also have heavy bleeding) or it is at the end of the day when the meds stopped working. Things like periods do take extra effect."