I know I should be asking my doctor, but even though getting an appointment with a neurologist is free, it takes months where I live.
My problem is that I sometimes have severe pain in the stomach and abdomen. I have had acute Pancreatitis in the past and I fear it might become chronic (pancreas digesting itself).
Is this just a coincidence or does Methylphenidate damage my pancreas further?
Additional info:
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I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 6
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This is the first time I am taking medication
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Daily Dose is 30mg total (extended release 15mg and 15mg)
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I am not on any other medication
It doesn’t specifically list pancreatitis (it does list GI discomfort).
Talk to your GP asap. You don’t need a neurologist in the first instance.
Alright, will do. I’m a bit worried that my GP will just stop prescribing me a refill, but it’s better than losing my pancreas, I guess.
They’ll only stop prescribing it if they (and you) think the risks outweigh the benefits. It might be something much less serious and you would be much better off knowing either way.
Finding the right meds can be a long old haul. Good luck.
Thank you.
They’ll only stop prescribing it if they (and you) think the risks outweigh the benefits. It might be something much less serious and you would be much better off knowing either way.
Yep. Also, it may be something totally different, like trapped wind/constipation, and have an easy fix.
Or you may do better on a different type of stimulant. Lots of options
Update: My GP put me on a strict diet (no cheese, eggs, saturated fats, fiber, …), basically anything that is hard to digest. Took my regular dose today. No pain yet (4 hours in). So fingers crossed. Also a big thank you to everyone for caring :)
Good luck 🤞
Thanks for the update! Hope everything goes well
Stomach pain can be normal at the start, but severe pain needs to be raised with your doctor asap.
I found I had a slightly upset stomach when starting, but it cleared after a few days and then had no issues at all.
I had practically zero side effects in the first week. Unfortunately the pain is so severe that I have to lay down, drenched in cold sweat.
You should see your GP asap, and probably stop taking the medication until you’ve spoken to them or a medical professional.
If you’re in the UK then call 111 if it happens again, if you’re in another country then get an emergency appointment or even maybe A&E.
That level of pain is absolutely not normal.
Thanks. The pain is completely gone after about 2 hours. I will stop taking it for now, since I have only been taking it for about two weeks I shouldn’t need to taper down. Finally had some hope and now this. Great.
Don’t stop taking it. Yes, you are having adverse side effects, but some meds are real hard to go cold turkey with them. It sucks, but stick with it until you can see your GP (gonna agree with everyone here saying see your GP instead of waiting for a psych, your gp may not be an expert in this field, but they’re gonna be able to at least get you through this til you can see a psychiatrist etc).
There’s no real physical reliance for ADHD meds, it’s used to treat symptoms of ADHD on an adhoc basis. You stop taking the meds, you instantly go back to the way you were before.
When I spoke to the psychiatrist they actually recommended I skip doses if I ever felt I didn’t need it that day. My GP also told me to stop taking the meds immediately when I had high BP.
If OP is suffering from severe pain then they should stop taking it, and at least speak to a pharmacist to get their opinion if getting a doctor’s appointment is going to take a while.
I just want to clarify that this may be true for amphetamine based adhd meds specifically. Non-amphetamine adhd meds sometimes require that you don’t go off them cold turkey because of risk to your liver.
I just had a week without meds and it was horrible, but it’s just because I had forgotten how bad it was without meds
I know the feeling, I had to stop taking it due to high blood pressure and felt like the rug had been pulled from under me.
I imagine they’ll be able to find an alternative ADHD med that’s right for you if it even comes to that. Especially early on it’s all about finding what works for each individual with dosage and type of medication.
In that case, go to whichever doctor will see you first.
You can also call pharmacies to find out if your medication can have side effects like this.
Might it be triggering your vagus nerve? Sometimes I have issues with that with BMs and I get the same cold sweat issues.
You should go see a doctor no matter whether the pain is related to the meds or not. The pancreatitis might have come back (even for other reasons than the meds) and it’s important to have it treated.
I started developing stomach issues after some time when starting to take Methylphenidat (diagnosed and started to take medication with 30, 30mg total). I then switched to Lisdexamphetamin which helps me the same way without sideeffects. Additionally I have less of a crash when the medication wears off.
At the beginning I through you said methamphetamine
Nah insurance doesn’t cover that one
Hilariously, sometimes they do, but only after you’ve tried everything else. Also, Adderall is about 25% meth.
So if you take 4 you have 100% meth? Wow
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@ProcurementCat @adhd Wait, is this a thing?
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