Dexmethylphenidate and Irritability: What Users Say

• Gan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 16, 2020

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "Focalin does what it is supposed to, but this medication makes my heart beat fast and also makes me super nervous and agitated all the time. I hate this medication. It makes me feel like a zombie, and it makes me feel cold all over. The worst part is that I can barely eat without feeling sick and that it makes me constantly shake. This medication also makes my mood stoop to a terrible and very low level. After it wears off, I feel weak, tired, cold, and nauseous."

• Mr ...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 10, 2014

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "Let me explain what can go wrong here and what you may want to speak with your doctor about. Focalin XR's effect is much, much, much stronger than Concerta or Ritalin. This is very important to understand, so if you are thinking of switching to Focalin XR from another medication, do not go to a similar strength. I was on Concerta 54mg and went to Focalin XR 40mg. This was a scary experience. I got dizzy, almost passed out, and couldn't tell you what 1+1 was. It was horrible, to say the least. I discontinued the Focalin and tried Adderall. That made me grumpy and sick. I did research and found out about Focalin's potency. I am now on Focalin XR 15mg and doing awesome."

• Zmo...
• February 24, 2009

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "My 8-year-old son has been on this medicine for 1 year. At first, it was great, it helped with his self-control, focus, etc. Now he is having side effects such as chest pain, aggressiveness, irritability, and tics."

• Anonymous
• April 13, 2012

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "This was the sixth medication that my 6-year-old son tried. Loved Daytrana, but the rashes were terrible, and it took forever to kick in. Hated Focalin. He had no better appetite on it, and most importantly, even though his symptoms were not resolved, he was a zombie on the lowest dosage - hyperfocused, irritable, no sense of humor (and this is the kid that was always called 'a one-man show' in school). On to number seven now...."

• Tri...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 28, 2017

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "My son is now going on 9. We started out with Adderall 5 mg XR at age 5. As he got older, we adjusted and went to 5 mg twice a day. However, there were massive side effects with the Adderall, mainly moods, anger, frustration, among many others that I noticed at the age of seven. We then started Focalin, however, when we started the Focalin, my son was put on a 20 mg dose to start extended release capsule. He took the medication, went to school, and every day after lunch, when the second dose kicked in, he would constantly have massive rage, massive hallucinations, massive amounts of itching, breakouts, among other things. The 20 mg XR was way too strong for him. We downgraded to a 10 mg XR with a 2.5 mg immediate release for backup. Best decision we've made."

• Anonymous
• April 12, 2009

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "My daughter started this medication about 3 months ago. Her grades and reading levels have soared, and we don't have as much trouble getting her to concentrate on homework, but when it comes time for bed, she's a handful and irritable still when confronted with certain tasks to be done, like chores. I am not going to consider another medication on top of this but will instead consider a behavior intervention."

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

Dexmethylphenidate 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."

• 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."

• ADh...
• April 14, 2023

For ADHD "I started using this 2 months ago as an alternative to Adderall. It is not effective and has side effects, most notably headaches, irritability, and GI issues. When I take it, I have 1 hour to do what I can do. After the hour, it's shaky, GI pain, headaches, and quick to anger. Not sure if that's because of discomfort or because this messes with your mood. I would not recommend this medication. Vyvanse is what I'm trying next until Adderall is back on the shelves. Good luck to everyone!"

• 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."

• Cor...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 26, 2022

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "This might be the worst med I have ever taken. It slightly helped with ADHD symptoms, but it would wear off after a roller coaster of moods and leave me irritable and annoyed, with a headache like clockwork at 4:30 pm. I would have the worst sweats off of this med and odor, and I couldn’t take it no more. I was a 6th grader and switched meds to a different ADHD med, and it worked so much better without the side effects."

• LHJ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 13, 2022

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "From my personal experience, Focalin is by far the worst stimulant medication I have tried so far. The side effects I got from it are excessive sweating, bad mood, easily irritated/easily angered, and it makes me feel sad even when I'm on it, which is the only stimulant that has done that so far. On top of this, it makes me feel like I'm tweaking out."

• Kay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2021

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "I do not recommend this medication at all. It made me irritable and unhappy all day, and didn’t help me focus my mind. I was on 10 mg. Unless you want to turn into a horrible person, it made my heart race so bad, and I was constantly nauseous. Don’t take Focalin."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 31, 2020

Dexmethylphenidate for ADHD "Focalin just makes you irritable and tired all the time, doesn't even make you pay attention."