Focalin XR and Depression: What Users Say

• Chr...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 21, 2025

For ADHD "So my experience with Focalin XR went okay. It had its positives and negatives, let's start with the positives. Of course, it helped my focus a lot, and it made a sense of good feeling after taking the medication. Now, you really gotta watch out for this: when I tell you it was very hard for me to sleep, eat, and after a while after taking the medication, I felt like a zombie and I felt depressed. Now, thank you, I hope my review helped you!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 22, 2015

For ADHD "My son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 4 years old. He is now 7. Before finding Focalin, his doctor started him on Ritalin, he was only on it for 3 days because it made him zombified and depressive with many mood swings. Then he started Vyvanse for a few weeks, but it gave him some kind of allergic reaction in his throat. Finally, he was put on Focalin 10ml, and for the last 3 years, it has been doing him great. He does awesome in school, and also at home he can focus and he is happy. The only bad part is he has absolutely no appetite from 10 minutes after he takes the pill to 6 hours later. He drinks cyproheptadine syrup 2mg to help boost his appetite while on the Focalin."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• cha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 25, 2012

For ADHD "It makes me feel full and a bit depressed...but I do enjoy doing all my work and making good grades."