Why is ritalin used with antidepressants ?

I have been on chemotherapy for two years now, during this time I had become extremely apathetic, depressed, tired, and lost all interest in life, people, my hobbies, and going out with my Husband -- it was terrible..I felt so sad and useless, and had no energy what so ever. I asked my Oncologist if there was ANYTHING he could prescribe for me that would help and wouldn't take weeks to start working. He gave me Ritalin , (methylphenidate 5MG tablets, 1 tablet by mouth twice daily. Let me tell you, what a remarkable difference it has made in my life! I feel like my old self again, I have energy and I'm happy! It's totally remarkable and has made all the difference in the world! Please give this medication a try. You won't regret it, and you'll get your life back, it's a beautiful thing!,

The panic attacks are probably from the ritalin, as you may be proscribed too much. I'm on anti depressants (an SSRI MAO inhibitor) and i was proscribed ritalin as well. However, the ritalin did start to make my anxiety worse because I abused the shit out of it.. Definitely try to avoid drinking when on anti-depressants as well (especially benzos). When i would drink of zoloft, my withdrawal from alcohol was way too extreme and caused me to hallucinate and have way too many crazy thoughts about suicide and hurting people. If taken correctly and not abused the ritalin should help with depression. Maybe talk to your Dr. about a medication called Vyvanse, which can help with anxiety, but mostly deals with depression. Plus you can't snort vyvanse so it's tough to abuse and if u take a shitload your anxiety goes through the roof.

Many people take stimulants for life, though this occurs mostly with ADHD/ADD. It is not unsafe to take it long-term, as long as you are taking the recommended dosage and not, say, taking 100mg per day, you should be fine, as long as it's helping you.

As for the anxiety attacks, they may be caused by the Ritalin. Perhaps a switch to Vyvanse, Dexedrine, or Adderall could help? All stimulants can cause anxiety, but each person reacts differently to different drugs.

I have ADD and Panic Disorder, and take Adderall (40mg/day), Xanax (for panic attacks PRN), and Klonopin (for insomnia). So perhaps adding a benzo would benefit you?

Another option is to try Focalin, a different form of Ritalin (a racemic isomer, which has less negative side-effects in general than methylphenidate).

As always, ask your doctor about these possibilities.

I was given 1st Provigil, then Ritalin, (because of expense). I also suffer a mild depression and a generalized brain fogginess which makes me lazy and very tired most days. I had always been extremely active prior to the diagnosis 2 years ago. I think that I am more active and less drowsy during the day due to Ritalin use. Ritalin is a known stimulant frequently used for ADHD treatment but it works for me to give me a lift throughout the day rather than to just lie around. I feel like I can be more productive. Hope this helps.