Focalin XR and Anxiety: What Users Say

• JDa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 13, 2021

For ADHD "I've been taking Focalin for about two years, and I have this thing happen where I'm super calm and feel super clear and super focused for an hour, and then after that hour, I just have a lot of anxiety and can't think as clearly. Anyone else have that issue?"

• KRA...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 28, 2012

For ADHD "I am a 60-year-old male with ADHD, who would have ever thought it? I started using Focalin IR 5 mg after cutting it into four (4) pieces. I would take one-quarter piece every three hours. It took me from being nonproductive to productive again with very few side effects. I am now taking Focalin XR, 10 mg in the morning and 5 mg 6 hours later in the afternoon. I think my ideal dose will end up at 15 mg in the morning and 10 mg in the afternoon to reach the optimal dose. The only side effects have been heartburn, a slight headache, and being a little jittery with an occasional outburst of anger. I can handle the side effects, which have subsided somewhat, to get the wonderful effects of this medication! ALIVE AGAIN AT 60 years old!"

• Ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 13, 2023

For ADHD "“I don’t care what anyone else says about this medication, it is the WORST for kids. I started taking this when I was 10 years old, and it was a nightmare. This medication gave me anxiety attacks to the point that I would just sit on my bed and stare at the wall, all zoned out for sometimes even 30 minutes. Focalin XR caused me to act like a zombie, and every day when I was trying to focus in class, I would not be able to listen to the teacher. It would make my eyes feel very heavy and tired, but when I tried to take naps, I could not. Every day, unwanted thoughts would crowd my mind and would make it very hard to function. Once I was sitting down on the gym floor waiting to be picked up, and I started to continuously zone out, and one of the teachers watching everyone asked if I was okay. Whenever I would walk down my school hall, I would almost bump into people because my brain could not process where I was going. DO NOT GET THIS, PLEASE. No one believes me about this."

• Eva...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 16, 2019

For ADHD "I've had ADHD for a very long time and didn't start taking Focalin until 11th grade. I tried other stimulants in middle school but gave up because I disliked the way they made me feel. Focalin does its job. It helps me focus and get work done, however, I do get shaky and anxious while on the drug. My appetite is also affected. You just have to decide if the side effects are worth the outcome."

• jay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 26, 2023

For ADHD "Horrible! The first few days of taking it, I noticed a stark contrast in my behavior. I started feeling more irritable, anxious, nervous, and aggressive. It didn't treat any of the symptoms of my disorder and only exacerbated the symptoms associated with my anxiety and bipolar I diagnosis. If you have one or more mood disorders, I wouldn't recommend trying Focalin."

• jay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 26, 2023

For ADHD "Horrible! The first few days of taking it, I noticed a stark contrast in my behavior. I started feeling more irritable, anxious, nervous, and aggressive. It didn't treat any of the symptoms of my disorder and only exacerbated the symptoms associated with my anxiety and bipolar I diagnosis. If you have one or more mood disorders, I wouldn't recommend trying Focalin."

• Jan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 26, 2019

For ADHD "I was prescribed this as my first treatment for ADHD when I was (finally) diagnosed at age 18. It helped me calm down a little, I could go to work and not feel the urgent need to go home. But then I would start crying at work, in public. I would cry to my parents until they couldn’t handle me anymore. The comedown from when it wears off was horrible for me. I have GAD, but the anxiety I experienced was nothing like that. It was acute fear and dread that came rushing in for the next 4-6 hours after the meds wore off. Also, I should mention I lost feeling in my hands and feet. I tried taking it for about a month, but it wasn’t worth it. Four years later, I still haven’t found something that works."

• Col...
• February 26, 2020

For ADHD "I am a 19-year-old female in college, and an athlete with extreme ADHD. I usually take Adderall XR 20-30 mg, and it has helped me so much in college. I used to drink 6 cups of coffee a day just so I could focus enough to remember where I left my keys and sit down to take a test, but now Adderall does that for me. Focalin, however, was possibly the worst experience of my life. Focalin took every bit of anxiety and sadness and threw me into several panic attacks. I am a very happy and energetic person, I have never experienced depression or anxiety like this. I didn’t sleep all night, and I spent most of the night sobbing uncontrollably. My heart was beating out of my chest, and I couldn’t think about anything but how sad and stressful everything was. I suggest to NEVER take this medication, the side effects FAR outweighed the purpose of the medication. I never felt focused or honed in."

• Iam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 15, 2022

For ADHD "I took the first dose of 5 mg this morning, then went back into bed. Thought I was awake, but I was having dreams, so I must have fallen asleep. Woke up two hours later and felt calmer, but it wore off about four hours later. I had some anxiety return with sadness for the next two hours. Too early to tell, but I take an antidepressant and never experienced sadness when the Adderall XR wore off. Will work with the doctor and see what she has to say. I'm on Wellbutrin SR, which I started a few days ago, so I can't really be sure if the side effects are from the Focalin XR or Wellbutrin SR. Wish I had started the Focalin XR without the antidepressant, even though I wasn't that depressed, but the doctor suggested I should take it. Will make another post later after some time passes by. Good luck to everyone."

• Use...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 4, 2021

For ADHD "I can't find the words to express how terrible I feel on this medicine. I feel like an emotionless zombie. During the first hours on it, you'll feel great. Like a burst of adrenaline, but then it wears off, and it leaves you feeling paranoid, tired, and depressed. You'll start shaking and twitching some days. It just feels awful. Please check if this medicine is right for you."

• Geo...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 25, 2022

"My issues are TBI, ADHD, ASD, GDD, and GAD. This drug is amazing for me! When co-administered with my SSRIs (sertraline and trazodone HCl) and my dissociative neuroanaleptic (memantine HCl), I noticed a vast decrease in depressive, ADHD, brain fog, and even some anxiety symptoms (especially social anxiety) when it was bumped up to 50 mg/day by my psychiatrist. However, this stuff isn't a toy. Avoid alcohol, foods high in vitamin C, and probably others that I forgot when taking this drug. My focus, mood, and energy feel like I'd never suffered right prefrontal trauma, but if you are well aware of your challenges, you can outthink the godlike feeling it may sometimes give you. Do not take this if you're also on Abilify. Do not take this if you're on venlafaxine, mirtazapine, or bupropion."

• Geo...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 25, 2022

"My issues are TBI, ADHD, ASD, GDD, and GAD. This drug is amazing for me! When co-administered with my SSRIs (sertraline and trazodone HCl) and my dissociative neuroanaleptic (memantine HCl), I noticed a vast decrease in depressive, ADHD, brain fog, and even some anxiety symptoms (especially social anxiety) when it was bumped up to 50 mg/day by my psychiatrist. However, this stuff isn't a toy. Avoid alcohol, foods high in vitamin C, and probably others that I forgot when taking this drug. My focus, mood, and energy feel like I'd never suffered right prefrontal trauma, but if you are well aware of your challenges, you can outthink the godlike feeling it may sometimes give you. Do not take this if you're also on Abilify. Do not take this if you're on venlafaxine, mirtazapine, or bupropion."

• Cai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 25, 2021

For ADHD "I tried this medicine after being on Adderall XR and dealing with that medicine not lasting the amount of time it should have, so my doctor tried Focalin XR. I was hopeful at first, the first 2-3 days were totally fine, but by the 4th day I was super anxious, jittery, and felt like my ADHD was worse. I gave it a couple more tries before I had a mental breakdown one day from the anxiety this medicine gave me. I always felt that anxious feeling in my stomach, that never went away. Nothing could calm me down. On top of all that, it made me sweat profusely. More than I ever have in my entire life. I finally was able to switch to Vyvanse and have never looked back."

• Cai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 25, 2021

For ADHD "I tried this medicine after being on Adderall XR and dealing with that medicine not lasting the amount of time it should have, so my doctor tried Focalin XR. I was hopeful at first, the first 2-3 days were totally fine, but by the 4th day I was super anxious, jittery, and felt like my ADHD was worse. I gave it a couple more tries before I had a mental breakdown one day from the anxiety this medicine gave me. I always felt that anxious feeling in my stomach, that never went away. Nothing could calm me down. On top of all that, it made me sweat profusely. More than I ever have in my entire life. I finally was able to switch to Vyvanse and have never looked back."

• Dow...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 9, 2014

For ADHD "I was properly diagnosed with ADHD after knowing all my life, I'm special. And different from the rest of my coworkers and people I meet and met. I recently lost my job due to a 'rightful' blowup at my boss's deputy, which led all the way to a final write-up. Two months later, it was discovered that I wasn't doing the daily logs, that everyone can do, but I couldn't do it easily. This behavior led to a doctor and conclusion, I have ADHD. At first, I was on Vyvanse 20, then 40, this left me speedy and jittery, almost unable to cope in public. So I changed to Concerta XR 36. Mild and cool enough, but I don't see the difference with my ADHD. So I moved to Focalin XR 25. It's been an hour since my taking it at 3 pm. I feel it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 14, 2024

For ADHD "It worked really well for me growing up, I did have some side effects, such as anxiety and stress. Overall, it did help with focus and productivity."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 14, 2024

For ADHD "It worked really well for me growing up, I did have some side effects, such as anxiety and stress. Overall, it did help with focus and productivity."

• Unk...
• July 3, 2016

For ADHD "Worst 10-year experience of my life! It gave me bipolar disorder, OCD, and even worse ADHD! It made me get very, very, very bad anxiety, and it felt like I was gonna have a heart explode!"