Focalin for ADHD User Reviews (Page 4)

• pla...
• September 11, 2010

"My 10-year-old son has ADHD (combined) and ODD. Focalin XR, so far, is the only medication that works on my son's inattentiveness. However, on 15 mg, he was very moody and glassy-eyed. Found out later that he was overmedicated. What I didn't like about Focalin was that he became very quiet, almost zombie-like. Also, the medication did not last in his system long enough. He stopped taking Focalin XR over a year ago and has been on Vyvanse (70 mg). I am considering putting him back on Focalin with a lower dose."

• Liz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 1, 2023

"I was on 20 mg of Focalin for a while, and it seemed to not work or help my ADHD, so I told my provider and we upped my dose to 30 mg. When I say it made me have a full-blown anxiety attack all day long, talking 12 hours long. The nausea and lump in your throat, like you can’t breathe or swallow while hot and shaky. Threw the whole bottle away that same day."

• Mon...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 13, 2021

"I am a college student who has ADHD (inattentive) and have been taking Focalin XR 20 mg, sometimes 30 mg, for about a year now. I'm not going to lie, it 100% has helped me in school. I can finally complete assignments on time and be super focused while doing them. My professors teach super fast, and I am finally able to keep up mentally and take notes quickly due to my increased heart rate. It keeps me physically awake all day, but mentally tired because I can't sleep at night, so I have to take prescribed Clonidine to sleep. My stomach is constantly hurting and has led me to have horrible eating habits, and I'm skinny. I have to force myself to eat and drink water - if I don't, I will shake uncontrollably and have headaches. My heart will race so much, it causes my anxiety to increase, and it makes it difficult to socialize. I can never predict my mood for the day because it is incredibly unstable. This medicine is worth it school-wise, but the side effects are definitely factors to consider."

• ama...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 10, 2020

"Pros: Helps my focus and relieves other ADHD symptoms. Did not decrease my appetite, create hyperfocus, or put me to sleep like Adderall did. Cons: Nausea, jaw tension, can't eat much at once. Feels pretty bad when it wears off (shaky, cold, weak, heart pounding, shortness of breath). Probably going to discontinue this med. The cons aren't worth it, unfortunately."

• Ste...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 1, 2018

"I am a 62-year-old female. I so wanted Focalin to work for me. Prozac and Focalin are both not good. So tired, can't focus, nauseated, dizzy, reclusive, crying. Now on the second day of Wellbutrin and already feeling 100% better. I thought Focalin would give me a boost. I’m giving Focalin the boot!"

• Dr ...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 29, 2021

"I have ADHD myself. Other stimulants had severe effects such as tremors, frequent urination, twitching, and mood swings. Focalin was a game changer. I was at 10 mg XR twice a day. I could focus very well without the above side effects. Then they allowed generics, and my life became a nightmare. Many of the generics seem to be methylphenidate and not generic Focalin (dexmethylphenidate). They cause the exact same side effects as the other meds, and they don't work. I used to be able to ask for a specific generic. Now it is considered drug seeking. I suggest, even though it is expensive, try the brand-name Focalin for a month because it will be a game changer for your child. Then complain to the FDA and the insurance commissioner in writing because no matter how hard your medical provider tries with prior authorization and a letter of medical necessity, the insurance company will say no. It is worth the fight."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2017

"I'm 22 in college. I've been taking Prozac for anxiety and depression, and it's worked great! I decided to take on my ADHD that I've had my whole life. Since having taken Focalin 20 mg, I have been a mess. Both medicines contradict each other. I have been very anxious taking this. I'm also very jittery, nonstop moving and sweaty. I'm hungry to the point of feeling faint, but can't eat because even the thought of eating makes me want to throw up. Some days my heart feels like it's beating out of my chest. I always wake up at 6 am feeling great and fall back asleep, waking up later feeling like rubbish. I haven't really been able to tell if it has helped me focus on school, but I'll begin focusing on other things like my phone or daydreaming."

• To1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 5, 2023

"Had to use Focalin temporarily when dextroamphetamine salts were backordered. I felt terrible - I had GI upset and difficulty sleeping. Wasn’t as effective for focus and had a longer onset, and felt pounding in the evening 14 hours after taking it. Initially started on 5 mg IR bid, and half the time couldn’t remember the second dose. Eventually was put on 5 mg ER. It unfortunately didn’t work for me."

• Faj...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 14, 2021

"I was on Focalin when it was in the trial stages many years ago, and I loved it. I finally was able to eat and enjoy eating for the first time since I was diagnosed with ADHD at 5. It then hit the market and wasn’t covered by insurance, so I stopped taking it because I didn’t want my parents to pay the EXTREMELY high monthly payments for the daily dose. I have now been on it for a couple of months again as a 23-year-old adult, and I love it. I feel like I have my life back. My anxiety has decreased. My concentration is amazing, and I feel organized again. My insurance covers the 2x daily dosage."

• mol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 18, 2019

"Worked my way up from 2.5 mg twice daily to 10 mg twice daily. No symptom relief on 2.5 mg, mild symptom relief and moderate nausea on 5 mg, mild symptom relief and severe nausea on 10 mg. The crash made me puke for the first time in sixteen years. Never again."

• Jac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 17, 2020

"I've been reading some comments, and they make a lot of sense. Focalin, along with pretty much every one of the ADHD medicines, is a powerful stimulant. I would think children should be put on this and others like it only in extreme circumstances. It's helped change my life for the better. The pros outweigh the cons for me, no question."

• Gre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 16, 2020

"I’ve taken Focalin once a few years ago and again just recently. Both times it made me very tired, to the point where I often have to take a nap 45 minutes after taking it because I’m so tired! I’ve never had this happen with any other ADHD medication except Focalin. It only helped my ADHD symptoms a tiny bit, but the side effects weren’t worth it, and both times I switched meds. Besides feeling truly tired (not “crash” tired, actually like I have to sleep), the other side effects I got from this medication: ear pressure, fast heartbeat, and ringing in ears."

• Han...
• January 6, 2021

"I took Focalin for 2 days, and it immediately put me into the deepest, darkest depression I’ve ever experienced. It barely helped with my focus, the little help it did offer wore off in a couple of hours. Definitely not worth the depression it caused."

• Ric...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 17, 2023

"I see a lot of negative comments about this medication. I just moved from Concerta to this, as Concerta was always out of stock. Nothing has worked for me so far. I'm an older male who took way too long to realize I needed focus meds. Anyway, my question is, why are people on it so long if it's not working? I knew after 2 weeks if something wasn't working, and I changed it. Just curious."

• Anonymous
• August 13, 2016

"I'm currently 15 years old, and this is the second ADHD medication I've been on. In high school, I feel that it's very important to succeed. Due to going untreated for my entire childhood, I dropped out. I'm back in school now, and it's been 2 years. If it gets to the point where you want to drop out, I suggest ADHD medication. But if you have a 3- to 10-year-old, I highly don't suggest it. When my brother was 4 to 7 or 8, he was on it. He would always try to kill me and my mother. He would hurt animals and kids at school. He was quiet and had no emotion or expression. He tried to kill himself many times. To this day, he is now 18 and 5'8 when he is supposed to be over 6 feet because of our genes. I highly do not recommend unless this is the last resort for a child."

• adu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 16, 2023

"I was just recently (finally!) given an ADHD diagnosis at 27 years of age. After spending a few months trying Adderall, Ritalin, and Concerta with abysmal results, my doctor switched me to 20 mg extended-release Focalin. The first few days, I noticed random bouts of anxiety and nervousness, which was unusual for me as I am not an anxious person. After around a week of being on Focalin, the anxiety went away, and I was actually seeing increasingly positive results at work, school, and home. It does start to wear off on my 16 hr school plus work days, but my doctor gave me 5 mg short-acting doses for the longer days if I need them towards the end, and that helps. As long as I take it and immediately eat breakfast, I don’t feel any appetite suppression like I do when taking it on an empty stomach. My only complaint is that my heartburn is in full force after starting it, but I’m okay with taking antacids until my body gets used to it, as the results have been more than worth it!"

• Fre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 6, 2021

"I was prescribed 25 mg daily, and it's horrible. It works for 2 hours great, but then immediately after that 2 hours, I start to feel like I'm starving. But every time I think about eating, I get really nauseous, so it's like I've got mixed signals going on. This stomach pain also makes it impossible to concentrate, even worse than before I take it, and that lasts the rest of the day. Then, when I get ready to sleep, I feel super physically and mentally tired, like I could just close my eyes and fall asleep right away, but the pain in my stomach keeps me up the entire night because it feels like it's eating itself. I also have to rock back and forth in my bed, tucked into my blanket, because Focalin also makes me very cold. But even though I am freezing cold, I start sweating like even more than when I'm in football practice and completely soak my bed throughout the night."

• Pan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 22, 2021

"Just went on this drug recently, and I have taken other ADHD medication. Focalin makes me feel extremely anxious and weak. I have never experienced this with any other ADHD medication. It makes me feel like I can only sit in one area and do nothing. It doesn’t help my focus ability and ability to complete tasks."

• Rya...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 29, 2020

"I'm on Focalin 10 mg twice a day. I'm shaky and cold after I take it, my appetite is down, and my heart is beating way too fast. I feel relatively blank, I'm tired, but have a hard time sleeping. I used to sleep between 9 or 10 pm then wake up around 7-8 am, now if I'm lucky I go to sleep at 11 pm or 12 pm and wake up at 6 am. I rarely sleep through the night, and I'm anxious and agitated all the time. I'm also on Prozac (20 mg), and maybe they're clashing. It does help with paying attention, I can focus on things long enough for them to register, but I feel worse than I did before I started it."

• Stu...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 17, 2020

"I’ve been taking Focalin ever since my junior year of high school. I’m now a junior in college. When I started taking it, I was on 15 mg extended release and 10 mg regular. No side effects other than some sweating and just the medicine helping me focus and doing what it was supposed to. It seems that the longer I’ve taken it, the worse the symptoms got. I now still sweat when taking it along with nausea (used to be occasional but it’s getting very frequent now), vomiting, and extreme frequent urge to go to the bathroom."

• BPa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 15, 2020

"I have been prescribed this for around 4 years now for my pretty bad ADHD, which has affected my life in many ways. I must say I have never, ever liked taking this, but I had to every school day. It helps me kind of focus, but it makes me feel terrible, as though everything really annoys me. When taking this, even talking irritates me, and no matter what variation I take, it always has the same annoying/negative effects with only a few positive effects."

• SIn...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 29, 2021

"I take Focalin for ADHD. I have bidirectional autonomic failure with Addison's disease, so the brain fog is terrible, and Focalin helps get my brain going for the day. Unfortunately, I feel it kick in, feel like I can conquer the world, forget about my disorders, but an hour to two hours or so later, I feel the crash and am done for the day. I have a short window of opportunity to get things accomplished. I am on permanent disability, so the tasks I need to get done are things I do at home, such as crafting, stamp collecting, drawing, reading, and blogging. I will skip it for a few days in a row if it builds up to a tolerance where I no longer feel the effects. Once I restart it, I feel the effects as if it were the first time taking it. I wish I could try something different, but my insurance covers this 100%, so unless I want to pay for a new medication, I'm stuck with this. I have been on Focalin off and on since 2012."

• Not...
• January 2, 2022

"Quick summary: yes, it helps drastically; but that’s about the only good thing. It’s physically horrible. Long summary: I have taken Adderall for over five years. It made me lose my appetite, so I briefly switched to Vyvanse, but that made me aggressive and violent. So I switched to Focalin, and I have been taking 15 mg for around a year now. I’ve switched on and off between 10 mg and 15 mg since my metabolism gets used to it. Here’s what I’ve found: without a doubt, it helps focus, and overall I am a lot more positive and happy, to the point where I want to make other people happy. However, Focalin has made me have constant side effects of a heavy beating heart, my right ear pops randomly when I’m sitting down, and shortness of breath. I would say just stop taking it. What I’m going to do is just take 5 mg only if I really need to. Because honestly, the side effects are horrible."

• Dak...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 30, 2021

"Honestly, I like the effects of I'm on 20 mg Focalin. When I was on 5 and 10, it didn't seem to do much of anything at all. But on 20 mg, my dysthymia has gone away. I've been dysthymic for as long as I can remember, and being on this medicine totally motivates me to get work done and be genuinely happy. However, this motivation comes with the effect of hyperactivity, which can kind of translate to anxiety. I can't rest as well as I used to, as I'm just thinking about the things I still need to do. I also cannot sleep as easily, and I wake up once or twice during the night. I've always had a low appetite, so I'm not sure how much the medication is affecting my appetite versus my own brain. Despite these side effects, I prefer my mental state when I'm on the medication over my mental state when I'm off. It's helped me get so much stuff done and not just lay down thinking about it and feeling crappy."

• Pro...
• October 11, 2021

"I've never been on an ADHD medication as I was diagnosed as a middle-aged adult. This has helped immensely, and I strongly believe that if I'd been put on this as a kid, I would've done so much better in school. It does work for me, although, I have nothing to compare it to. However, yes, if you'd have anxiety, this could make it worse. I take this with my anxiety medication (lamotrigine), and it seems to even itself out, but not always. Some days, it makes me incredibly sleepy, which is counterproductive. The doctor increased my dosage recently, and the sleepiness has gotten worse. Aside from this, in general, it's helped me focus, which helped me perfect my resume (3 hours a day for 3 days), which led me to a great new job-sounds crazy, I know. But I truly believe that the two medications helped me achieve something that I would've been (anxiety) motivated or (ADHD) focused enough to do it."