Dexmethylphenidate and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Bio...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 26, 2020

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "To start off, I would not recommend taking this drug Focalin unless absolutely necessary. It definitely helped me pay attention in school, and there was a noticeable difference between days I did take it and days I did not. However, for me at least, the side-effects outweighed the benefits. I'd been on it from the ages of 7-17, and throughout those years, I noticed a complete change in behavior. Muted emotions, loss of appetite, depression, insomnia. I paid more attention in school, sure, but all of those years I'd lost important emotional development time. It's only after being off of this drug for 5 years that I realize just how emotionally stunted it had made me over the years. I'm in college now, and admittedly it would help me get better grades. But I wouldn't take it again if someone paid me to do it."

• Sno...
• November 15, 2016

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "I am 20 years old and I've been taking Focalin for a year now. I have been on every ADHD medication under the sun since I was in second grade, and this is the only medication that helped me get on track right away. The only adverse side effects I experience are a faster heart rate (most ADHD meds do that) and trouble sleeping. If you are having trouble sleeping on this drug, here's what you do and here's what I did: prior to now, I was taking my medication at 11 am or 10 am. Often I would spend nights awake and panicky, just begging for sleep to come. This is a simple fix. Just wake yourself up at like 6 am every day to take it, and you shouldn't have any problem sleeping. That's what I did, and I sleep very soundly."

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

Dexmethylphenidate 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!"

• Mom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 1, 2020

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "I am a mom of 2 kids with ADHD. They used to take Vyvanse, it worked awesome for a while, but then they couldn't sleep at night, and it started making their ADHD worse. They can't even watch a five-minute show. They are fighting in public, they'd run off, hit me, scream, have tantrums, and one of my sons broke a vase at Walmart. Now one takes Focalin, the other Ritalin, and the son on Focalin is a lot nicer. I can rest now, I can manage them. If they don't take it, it's a hard day for all of us."

• mom...
• August 7, 2008

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "My daughter (6 years old) has been on Focalin for 30 days now to control her ADHD. This is our wonder drug. It gives her the control she needs without making her experience ups and downs. She hasn't experienced any problems with sleep, and we can see the medicine leave her after about 6 hours."

• Iha...
• August 4, 2016

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "I'm 17 years old and I've taken Focalin XR 30 mg for most of my life, and as much as it helps in school, I would not recommend taking this at all. Like most people with ADHD, I am pretty good socially, and when I'm on Focalin, I become very panicky. You can't eat, and for me, I feel like puking if I try to eat. My body becomes achy, and my mouth gets really dry and mucusy. Sleeping is a nightmare. I have tried to make this work, even took it every single day to build up a tolerance, but it's always the same thing. Sure, I managed to sit down and get my work done, but when the work is done, and school is done for the day, you feel strange, like not in your own skin. A tutor is the best thing that has happened to me, along with B12 vitamins."

• Bla...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 6, 2015

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was about 5, and my experience overall has been amazing. I've been on it for 12 years now. I take 40 mg once in the morning and in the afternoon, and by like 6 pm it wears off (by the way, I'm 6 feet tall and weigh 225 lb thanks to this medication). The only bad parts or symptoms I'm having are that caffeine has no effect on me anymore (probably built up a tolerance thanks to the Focalin), I don't always sleep too well, and ever since I turned like 14, my appetite went from non-existent to out of control (don't know why...). I'm 17 now and am an A- student, whereas I was an F student before. I definitely recommend this, but I should warn you all it's not for everyone. There are alternatives."

• liz...
• October 28, 2007

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "I just started taking Focalin, 5 mg, the long-acting type a week ago for ADHD. My doctor assures me that the drug should be out of my system within 6-7 hours, if that, and I should have no problem falling asleep. I take the medication at 7:30 in the morning and don't try to fall asleep until 11 pm that night, but to no avail, I can't sleep. This is definitely scaring me. I feel I'm developing insomnia...maybe I should discontinue use even though it helps with my ADHD."

• Jon...
• January 18, 2013

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "I got diagnosed with ADHD, and this is my first medicine. It helps me focus, but the side effects make me miserable. I'm starving right now, but I don't want to eat, and my throat is dry. I can't sleep, and this side effect makes it worse because I have asthma and severe allergies. So, I can't sleep, and I have twitches bad. I twitch my left shoulder blade a lot now, and sometimes it won't stop."

• AJa...
• August 2, 2020

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "My 7-year-old was on 5 mg of Focalin XR for 2 months. A lot of his quirky behavior went away, but not all. He was up until 10 or 11 pm every night and told us he had too much energy. Per the advice of the doctor, we took a 4-day break, and he went to bed at 9:30 all nights. We are day one of 10 mg, hoping that more of his quirky behavior goes away. It’s now 11:30 pm, and he’s wide awake. My son is perky and his same silly self - I can’t identify with other reviews that said it makes kids zombie-like. I did not have that experience at all. Hoping things get better soon, though. Also, it has not affected appetite either. He eats well, thank God."

• nat...
• April 12, 2016

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "I have struggled with ADHD for 10 years, and finally my doc did something about it. :) However, I did have sleeping problems for the first few weeks, but that was expected with it being a stimulant. But after a month or so, my sleeping is back to normal and my mind is not spinning out of control, so thanks, doc!"

• Nan...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 2, 2022

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "I've taken Focalin XR for 15 years and started in the 1st grade. It worked well when I was a kid because it would turn my brain on for the school day, then I'd go back to my normal self by dinner. Now that I'm an adult, this window of useful brain time is less effective, but a longer-lasting dose gives me insomnia. The feeling of being on or off gets very stressful and isn't great for my relationships. When the medication wears off, I get exhausted and crash. I loved my meds as a kid when it felt like I had a school mode and a play mode, but as an adult, I'm leaning more towards more subtle non-stimulant options."

• Col...
• February 26, 2020

Dexmethylphenidate 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."

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

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "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."

• Rat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 16, 2019

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "I took this medicine, it made me have suicidal thoughts. It is awful. It made me irritable, and I could not get sleep. This medicine tore up my stomach, every time I ate, I would throw up. I just got tired of this medication. I wouldn't take this medication."

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

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "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."

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

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "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."

• 800...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 18, 2022

For ADHD "I was put on this drug in my 2nd grade year and nearly overdosed the first time I took it because of my pediatrician being a crook. It helped with focus, sure, but I ended up going a week straight without sleep until I was placed on a lower dose. I developed symptoms of psychosis, insomnia, and angst. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, and I believed that I was alone and the world was against me. I couldn't have a single thought that wasn't fear, anger, or hopelessness. Paired with an abusive home life, I was miserable. I cried every day and attempted suicide many times. I finally got off it when I was 14, and I still struggle with sleep. I still have occasional bouts of extreme paranoia, and I started having bad headaches and chest pains since I've stopped. It's probably one of the worst things that's happened to me."

• exo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 18, 2021

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "I took Focalin XR for 6 months, and the first couple of months were amazing. Focalin helped me to get really important tasks done at school and work, but at some point, the drug did not let me sleep. I would get very shaky, I could only think about smoking cigarettes, and if there was alcohol near me, I would be down it. At this point, I was addicted to Focalin, even though I never took more than 20 mg a day. I would need it to survive the day, and here I am going through withdrawal right now. Be careful with this drug, I personally would never give Focalin to a kid or even young adult."

• Liz...
• July 13, 2021

For ADHD "I was on 5 mg of the generic Focalin XR for a few months. I became desperate because virtual learning as a medical student with ADHD was driving me off the rails. This was my first experience with stimulants. The first month or two was amazing. I was calm at work and able to get my schoolwork done on time. I was retaining information and felt great. Or even helped with my anxiety, oddly enough! Only downside was insomnia and loss of appetite. Fast forward. I started to experience awful heart palpitations, anxiety attacks, difficulty breathing, sweats, irritability, and shakes. I had to take generic Vistaril (hydroxyzine) just to calm me down, and even that wasn’t enough. I felt like I was spiraling. I could not pinpoint why I was feeling this way until I did some research! Absolutely awful. I’m now bouncing around trying to find a different medication."

• Ada...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 20, 2020

For ADHD "I started dexmethylphenidate when I was 8 years old. I started on a dose of 5 mg of XR daily, and this was doubled, and doubled again, and then I ended up taking 20 mg twice daily. Focalin made me so awake and attentive that even closing my eyes for a second was uncomfortable. I was unable to sleep at night for years and my appetite was greatly diminished while I was taking the medication."