Methylphenidate and Mood Swings: What Users Say (Page 2)

• 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
• 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."

• lad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 9, 2016

Methylphenidate for ADHD "Yes, it helped a lot, and I love the fact that I can concentrate now because before, I couldn't concentrate at all. The thing is that after a few hours, I start to feel really depressed and really emotional, but I love the fact that I can express myself better now."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 3, 2012

Methylphenidate for ADHD "I'm 18 and I've been on Concerta for years. All the bad side effects I have, so I tried other medications, but nothing worked, so I went back to Concerta. I love it. It makes me focus and not annoy people, but it makes me have mood swings and go into phases where I'll just not talk, not eat, just watch movies all day (not depression)."

• Stl...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 19, 2017

Methylphenidate for ADHD "Both my daughters are on Aptensio. My 12-year-old is on 50 mg and my 9-year-old is on 20 mg. My 12-year-old is 4'11", 80 pounds. She eats and eats and eats all day. She's constantly hungry and still having problems in school! Also, I notice she has mood swings and gets mad more easily! I feel it helps the hyper part, but not fully helping with focusing, she's been on it over a year now! My 9-year-old eats, I would say, normal! It helps her with focus and hyperactivity. So I would say it definitely helps her."

• Ric...
• May 5, 2017

Methylphenidate for ADHD "Had ADHD symptoms growing up, due to cultural reasons and beliefs, family always dismissed it. In 2nd year of law school at the moment, had to work 5x harder than others. Started living away from family and finally got an ADHD diagnosis done. Was prescribed Concerta. I was 154 cm tall and 47 kg before Concerta. Titration period - 18 mg 1 week, 27 mg 1 week, 36 mg 3 weeks, and 54 mg 8 weeks. 18-27 mg at first was amazing. No side effects, brimming with motivation, but wore off in 4 hours. 36 mg was okay but wasn't as great as the initial effect, wore off after 4 hours. 54 mg, developed an uncontrollable cough, mood swings, dry mouth, anxiety. Lost 5 kg weight. Now on Vyvanse. Cough took 2+ weeks since quitting Concerta to stop. Advice - if side effects are bad & last 1 week or more, change meds!"

• 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."

• Gri...
• February 20, 2017

Methylphenidate for ADHD "My son is currently on 20 mg once a day. Diagnosed and medicated September 2016. We noticed he does this blank stare where his eyes roll up and makes a tasting motion with his mouth. I notified the doctor and he had an EEG done. Turns out they were seizures. He is doing super well in school, a complete 180, but I don't think it's worth it. He's now on liquid Keppra. I feel like it has just been going downhill. Super irritable, mood swings, which they said was a side effect of being on both. Very disheartening. Waiting for the MD to call back to change his medication to a non-stimulant."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 30, 2017

Methylphenidate for ADHD "I’m a 19-year-old athletic kid, and when I was prescribed this 3 years ago, it did wonders. It was my junior year of high school, and I was prescribed 10 mg twice a day, once in the morning and once at lunch, with an optional one in the afternoon if I had a lot of homework or studying. My grades were much better, and it didn’t have any side effects. Now, 3 years later, I have a bad tolerance, and I had to up my dosage to 20 mg three times a day. I now take it to even make it to class, and if I don’t take it, I can barely stay awake. Like many people said, it makes you feel extremely sluggish, like a zombie, and it’s an absolutely awful feeling. I lose emotions, have mood swings, and even my sex drive with my girlfriend is completely destroyed."

• des...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 19, 2018

For Depression "In the beginning, this med was great, got me to do stuff and enjoy life again at 30 mg XR, but lately, the improvement it used to do to my mood is not that great anymore, plus it gets me anxious and unstable, maybe I will stick to fluoxetine/escitalopram/olanzapine combo. Or try it with clonazepam through the day :("

• Che...
• September 23, 2011

Methylphenidate for ADHD "I was put on Concerta when I was in grade 9 because I was struggling to pay attention in class and just didn't have any desire to be in school. After starting to take it, my marks in school jumped way up because I was able to focus in school and pay attention. The only thing I find I don't like about it would be the side effects, like the hot flashes, mood swings, and whenever I miss it, I just feel weird and have hot flashes, and headaches is another big thing I get really bad with this medicine. But it has certainly helped me with schooling and just things in general. But it has certainly changed the ways of my everyday life."

• fuz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 30, 2020

Methylphenidate for Narcolepsy "I take this med, Concerta, for narcolepsy - 36 mg, 2 times daily, and it works okay - the side effects are troubling. Mood swings, irritability, foggy brain, memory issues. The good and the bad are an even balance at this point."

• INO...
• January 11, 2017

Methylphenidate for ADHD "Personally, I hated it. During my time on ADHD medication, I was almost always in trouble at school, failing classes, suffered from mood swings, from the first grade to the end of the ninth grade, and also looked anorexic during that time. Once I got off the medication, I could finally feel like a human being and was happy, but I gained a surprising amount of weight that (5'9" and 110 lbs to 5'9" and 162 lbs). I have spent the next three, almost four years trying to replace the fat with muscle. Getting off the medication was the best thing to happen to me, as I could actually pass my classes and graduate high school."

• bri...
• September 28, 2019

Methylphenidate for ADHD "Concerta was a total rip-off. I was doing fine on 50 mg of Vyvanse. I started becoming more independent, more academically inclined, and more proactive. But I switched to Concerta after discovering the detrimental effects that Vyvanse had on personality and my social abilities. I continued taking Concerta 36 mg for weeks, not realizing I wasn’t improving on my academics at all. I actually got worse. I had started procrastinating again as well as getting more and more temperamental. Even after switching back to Vyvanse, it hasn’t worked the same ever since. My suggestion is, stick to the medication that works for you and try your best to ignore the side effects!"

• Lin...
• July 7, 2011

For ADHD "I've been taking methylphenidate for about 9 months now, and I couldn't be happier. I was originally diagnosed with depression, and by the time I stopped taking those medicines, I was on 80 mg fluoxetine/day, and it was horrible. I finally found someone that listened, and I'm up to 80 mg of methylphenidate/day, and I can finally focus. The only downside is when it wears off towards the end of the day, and I'm a little cranky. Otherwise, I love it."

• Mit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2022

Methylphenidate for ADHD "This drug was prescribed to me in my senior year of college to help with my ADD and depression. I started with 18 mg and worked up to 54 mg. It was great at first because it got me out of bed. I had been staying in bed for almost 8 hours a day and neglecting all my responsibilities before I started on this medication. Unfortunately, Concerta increased my anxiety and had me experiencing mood swings and suicidal ideation. I definitely think that my brain chemistry is not compatible with it."

• Con...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 5, 2021

For ADHD "My son is six and struggled for some time with ADHD, although he’s bright and gifted. However, once he began school, the problems started right away. Jornay PM XR felt like that amazing pill that my little man needed; but soon after, about two months, he started acting out violently, punching, mood swings, emotional, and even had penis erections! I took the time to read the side effects of Jornay and found, in small tiny writing of course, that this is a normal but “abnormal” side effect that should be looked into immediately. To say the least, I will be discontinuing this medication. There is no reason why my six-year-old should be self-pleasuring himself on an ADHD medication-it's absolutely crazy, and I just wanted to advise all parents to be watchful and forewarned prior to giving their child this medication."

• Con...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 5, 2021

For ADHD "My son is six and struggled for some time with ADHD, although he’s bright and gifted. However, once he began school, the problems started right away. Jornay PM XR felt like that amazing pill that my little man needed; but soon after, about two months, he started acting out violently, punching, mood swings, emotional, and even had penis erections! I took the time to read the side effects of Jornay and found, in small tiny writing of course, that this is a normal but “abnormal” side effect that should be looked into immediately. To say the least, I will be discontinuing this medication. There is no reason why my six-year-old should be self-pleasuring himself on an ADHD medication-it's absolutely crazy, and I just wanted to advise all parents to be watchful and forewarned prior to giving their child this medication."

• Anonymous
• August 31, 2011

Methylphenidate for ADHD "It helps me stay focused. All the other ADHD medicines they tried me on did not help, only made me have horrible mood swings."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 16, 2021

Methylphenidate for Narcolepsy "Concerta ER helped some with my narcolepsy, but caused me to be highly irritable. I am bipolar, which could have exacerbated and contributed to the mood swings. I have decided to try other meds."

• Lol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 20, 2021

For ADHD "Horrible mood swings, inability to concentrate, and terrible comedowns. Honestly, this drug cannot be abused, it can only abuse you. Its mechanism is also asking for trouble."