Methylphenidate and Insomnia: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Ang...
• May 9, 2011

Methylphenidate for ADHD "My son has been on Concerta for about 4 years now. He started when he was 6 years and will be 11 years in 2 weeks. He was put on this medicine starting with 18 mg. Over time, he was gradually put on a higher dose as his age and weight increased. He is now on 54 mg. Since my son has been on this medicine, he has developed seizures because Concerta lowers the seizure threshold. He was diagnosed last year, 2010. He has paranoia, fearfulness, psychosis, headaches, nervousness, aggression, mood swings, trouble going to sleep, and doesn't want to eat a lot. He has had suicidal thoughts and depression."

• Anonymous
• August 20, 2009

Methylphenidate for ADHD "Since I've been on Concerta, I've lost 9 1/2 pounds within the three months. So far, I've had to go to the hospital because it has caused me to have bad anxiety. Also, I can't eat, I can't sleep. Although it makes me sick every day and I have depression, my grades have gone up. So, I guess it helps with something."

• Mom...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 12, 2017

Methylphenidate for ADHD "My son, who is 12, was diagnosed when he was in 2nd grade. We tried everything before medication. When we tried meds, the first one made him lose weight, fast. The second gave him a nasty tic that thankfully went away as soon as he stopped the med. The third worked for a couple of years, and around January of last year, we started to have problems, so his doctor recommended Daytrana. It has been wonderful for my son! Easy to use, he handles this for himself each day and takes it off when he gets home from school. The patch effects last long enough for him to do his homework. He does have issues with weight gain and sleep, but he uses melatonin before bed if he feels like he will not be able to shut down. The shortage is killing us!"

• Mr ...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 19, 2016

Methylphenidate for ADHD "Been taking Concerta XL for a while with a steady titration from 18mg up to 81mg. I take it around 9 a.m. each morning, and the first few hours are very restless. However, by early noon, say 1-2 p.m., I go into a slow, sometimes dragging comedown, which makes me sleepy and therefore having a nap during the day. This leads to an almost sleepless night, which can upset my brain in many ways. Positives: alert, talkative, sociable, and above all, concentrate. Negatives: jaw clenching (gurning), sweaty, sleepless night (because of the midday nap). All in all, I have tried altering dosage times in the morning, and I can quite easily eat without feeling nausea. Weight loss is noticeable but at a good stable rate. Many people have to give Concerta a chance."

• Anonymous
• November 6, 2009

Methylphenidate for ADHD "I was diagnosed a few months ago (I'm 19) with ADD. The first-and only-medicine I have tried thus far is Concerta (27 and 36 mg). Not only has my ADD not gotten any better, but I feel I have anxiety, mood swings, restlessness, and insomnia. I've used it for several weeks, adjusted my dose, and minimized any external stress, and it's not any better."

• Eri...
• February 10, 2010

Methylphenidate for ADHD "I am a 22-year-old female. Hated the significant side effects of Vyvanse 60 mg. Hated Intuniv. Love the patch. Allows me to control the medication. I usually take it off about 7 hours after putting it on. This allows me to sleep at night. I can focus at work very well and no significant drop. I realized I cannot blow dry my hair or go tanning with it on or I would get a big burst of medication! Sometimes have a hard time sleeping if I don't take it off early!"

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 1, 2022

Methylphenidate for ADHD "I’m a 19-year-old. I have always been a straight A student in high school. During the pandemic, I started to have depressive thoughts, and I failed multiple classes. I have been taking Concerta for approximately 2 weeks now, and I feel motivated and focused. I am able to clear my thoughts and be more positive. I am slowly getting back on track with my studies. I don’t forget appointments and lose things anymore. I feel happier and more optimistic about the future. However, I experience small side effects, such as weight loss and trouble falling asleep."

• Mik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2018

Methylphenidate for ADHD "I think it's a very good medication, and it can help a lot! I have been taking this drug since I was 14-15 years old, and at the beginning it worked well, but then, because I took a high dosage of Ritalin (around 60-80 mg daily), I experienced a few side effects (just like increased heart rate, weight loss, and insomnia). So I stopped taking this drug, and after that, I took Strattera (atomoxetine) for a year, but that was terrible. I had insomnia so bad I couldn't sleep for 36-60 hours, maybe twice a week, and besides that, I usually slept 3-4 hours. I also had increased heart rate (maybe 100-130 in the morning), increased blood pressure (100/190), headache, and stomach problems. So I stopped taking this medication too. Now I am 18 years old and started to take Ritalin, but not every day-only when I have to learn a lot, and just 10 mg twice a day. I think it works very well and has no side effects. So I think it's a very good and useful medication, just the 'normal' dosage is very important!"

• Geo...
• February 9, 2011

Methylphenidate for ADHD "I am an 18-year-old male. While I was in school, I struggled with subjects that involve high levels of focus to succeed in, e.g., Math, Chem, Physics, English (all of the important ones). In grade 12, I decided to try Concerta after a bad experience with Ritalin (night terrors). I only take it on days I will need it, which I think makes you not need to go up in dosage. It worked so well it is hard to explain what happens exactly, but it just makes you focus and understand what the teacher is talking about. My marks instantly went up. The only side effects I get are I feel warm, and sometimes if I take it too late in the day, I have trouble falling asleep. This medicine is a miracle, I wish I had it earlier on in school because it helps so much."

• Top...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 28, 2018

Methylphenidate for ADHD "Concerta works very well in the first years. Gradually, I started showing many signs they have here, headache, flu-like symptoms, I cannot sleep, outburst of excitement, changes in personality, nausea, and skin rash and skin splitting. I am going to change to another product that does not have all these symptoms."

• nar...
• March 24, 2010

Methylphenidate for Narcolepsy "I used Methylin ER for 3 months. I used the equivalent of a 90-day prescription (one 20 mg once a day) for 3 months. I did not use the pill every day due to illnesses and migraines. Who wants to be alert for that? When I did take it, it was a different life for me. I could actually plan what task I would complete that day instead of 'watch and wait' as it has always been for me with narcolepsy. I am a stay-at-home mom with a 3-year-old and a 14-year-old. As a result, my house was cleaner, I was more predictable energy-wise. I did sleep lighter and occasionally woke up at night. It was not bothersome, though not enough to stop it. Then the unfortunate happened: I became allergic to it (I am also allergic to Nuvigil and Provigil)."

• CDa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 3, 2019

Methylphenidate for ADHD "Trialed Ritalin dosages of 10/20/30 mg LA over the course of 4-5 months after trying various doses of IR. Preferred that it was less extreme than IR in terms of ups and downs and increased energy, but sadly, it negatively impacted sleep, heart rate, anxiety, and worst of all, I had less tolerance for people and conversation. Would only take this as a last resort as the cons outweighed the pros, but appreciate everyone has different chemistry."

• Mar...
• May 29, 2015

Methylphenidate for ADHD "I've started taking Concerta because of ADD when I was 21. I went to see my doctor, I was explaining to him that I had difficulty keeping up at school since I was a kid, but the only reason I'm in university was because I was in art school. He prescribed me Concerta. If anyone took speed before, it's exactly the same effect. You do get a down. You are more focused. You lose weight. However, you can go to sleep at night. The problem is, I don't take it every day, I think it's a little bit too harsh for me. I'll go see him again, maybe I have psychological issues. It did help with my sleeping: I always fell asleep in the afternoon, it took everything I had to stay awake (at school, at home, at a friend's house). I was known as the sleeper."

• ali...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 19, 2017

Methylphenidate for ADHD "I started taking Ritalin recently, and it has already dramatically changed my life. I was diagnosed with nervous depression last year and prescribed Zoloft, which significantly drew me out of my depression. But Ritalin made me understand what it is like to be highly functioning. I cried after the first day I took it out of pure elation. I was able to stay awake at school the whole day (a huge personal rarity for me), and I stayed on topic and could hold conversations way easier after the first week. I stopped being so scatterbrained. My only complaint would be slight nausea and insomnia. I just wish it helped with my hyperspaces, as I am still jittery, but I am on a low dose."

• Anonymous
• May 27, 2011

Methylphenidate for ADHD "My son is 8, and we just started this medication. Started at 10 mg, and it was not enough, so we went up to 20 mg a few days later. His teacher noticed right away that things were better at school, but at home, he was a nightmare. Very emotional when coming off medicines in the afternoon. We got a booster of Ritalin, but now he is not sleeping. I am going to try Concerta again to see if we can get rid of the emotional outbursts."

• Pet...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 23, 2018

Methylphenidate for ADHD "I'm 41 years old and just started Ritalin extended release three weeks ago. I have sleep apnea and have a lifelong history of daytime fatigue that wasn't being helped by the CPAP. After talking to my doctor about that and other symptoms, I began treatment for ADHD. The first week, I had some insomnia but noticed immediately that I was more awake during the day and getting a lot more done. I still felt tired at times, but nothing like before, where I was literally ready to collapse by mid-afternoon. It also suppressed my appetite a bit, which I need. I'm only taking 18 mg in the morning. Week 3, I don't feel it's working quite as well, and insomnia has subsided. Pretty sure we need to tweak the dosage."

• Lov...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 3, 2019

Methylphenidate for ADHD "This drug is atrocious, especially if you also suffer from bipolar disorder with psychotic features. I have increased anxiety, hallucinations, paranoia, and mood swings from this drug. In the meantime, it has done some things for my severe attention deficit disorder symptoms. Nevertheless, the side effects are horrible. I am cold, constipated, yet sweaty. I am in pain. I have extreme bloating whenever I am late by a few hours for my dose. The insomnia is unfathomably severe. I have undergone rapid weight loss on this drug. I have no appetite and must force-feed myself despite also being on antipsychotics. Do not even use methylphenidate stimulants if you have psychosis."

• Sta...
• June 22, 2016

Methylphenidate for ADHD "Do yourself a favor and stay away from this drug. After being on this medication for about a month, I began to experience auditory and visual hallucinations, appetite loss, insomnia, and heart palpitations. It did nothing to relieve my ADHD either. Doc tried lowering the dosage and changing what time I would take it, but it made little difference. I flushed the rest down the toilet and stopped taking it after 6 months."

• Whi...
• December 3, 2016

Methylphenidate for ADHD "When I was 9, my grades dropped and remained at a C-B average compared to my usual A. It became harder to socialize, and eventually, I started skipping school 3-4 days out of the week. I had anxiety problems and was on the verge of depression. At the age of 12, my mom, in a last-ditch effort, put me on Concerta, which did not magically fix anything, but within the next 2 years, I was attending school regularly and my grades got better. (From an Asian family, grades are everything.) I have to say I'm much better, but I took an 8-month break and returned to a 36 dosage, which makes me sick all day, headaches, and problems sleeping. I can barely eat half a meal without having to force it down."

• Anonymous
• November 14, 2012

Methylphenidate for ADHD "I have been taking Concerta for ADHD about 3 months now. The effects have been both positive and negative. I started off with 36 mg, and my grades were increasing rapidly, and I was more focused, but I started to become more antisocial, angry, I didn't have an appetite, I had sleeping problems, and depression. Then, about two weeks ago, I switched to 54 mg due to lack of focus, and my stomach has been troubling me. I'm having twitching problems, and I am hearing voices."

• Kic...
• August 4, 2009

Methylphenidate for ADHD "My son is 8 and started taking this med 8 weeks ago. We took him off. He looked like he had black eyes from not sleeping and wouldn't eat. He also developed tics and reported stomach and chest pain. He did okay on Ritalin. We switched him onto Concerta because of the once-a-day dose."

• Anonymous
• April 15, 2009

Methylphenidate for ADHD "My son is now 13 and has been using Concerta the past 2 years. Was working great, went from doing homework until 12-1:00 am to finishing before I got home from work. Concentrated more and was overall happier with himself and his achievements. Around November he had started having trouble sleeping and eating and was acting different. I guess since he turned 13 and puberty is starting to set in, it wasn't working for him anymore, so we are changing medications. I do recommend this medicine, though, while it worked, it was great."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 13, 2019

Methylphenidate for ADHD "Concerta has worked for me. Started when I was young, and then I had some bad side effects, but that was because the dosage was too high. But even with those side effects of extreme anxiety, hard to fall asleep, feeling unsafe and insecure, still, Concerta has helped me so, so much, and my teachers were really understanding as well. This was a vital part of my education during the early years in school. I can safely say that I have learned/gained experience from this medicine as well, it really helped me out. The positives outweigh the negatives in my experience, but we are all different, and you should really speak with the doctors and try to figure out which medicine is best in your case. And the cost of my medicine varies from month to month, it works like a circle. At the start, it is expensive, and then it gets less expensive. Then the circle restarts, and it goes from expensive to less expensive once again. Hope it works out well for you. And you can find the help you need."

• Iti...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 30, 2017

For ADHD "Age 33, male. I have ADHD and high-functioning autism. Unmedicated, I am lazy, forgetful, unorganized, cluttered, messy home. Insomnia every other year (up to 72 hours). Medicated, I have photographic memory, grab life by the horns, organized, clean. Insomnia is the same as long as I take 10 mg melatonin daily. My side effects: dry mouth and insomnia. Overall: I'm continuing to take medication like methylphenidate. BTW, think about what you're writing as a review before you call something awful and horrible. Chemotherapy wrecks the body, but sometimes medication's side effects aren't cared about for what they accomplish. I was told to stay away from Concerta, and in the end, it's one of the better medications for me. Vyvanse for me = no side effects."

• Anonymous
• December 9, 2011

Methylphenidate for ADHD "I am a college student and found that for the first two months, Concerta worked wonders. It improved my mood, attention, and energy. It even helped with headaches. However, as I write this at 3 am, the side effect of sleep disruption has become unbearable. I either don't sleep for days or sleep for 20 hours a day for a week. Don't write it off, though. It is definitely effective, and adjusting the dose may do the trick."