TLDR: What is ADHD medication supposed to feel like? Is it supposed to feel like anything at all? Will someone with ADHD feel really gacked out/high? does it change based on food intake or other factors?
So I received an unofficial diagnosis from my AuDHD psychologist a while ago, and then my psychiatrist did a very short written assessment on me and determined a positive diagnosis. I really want to get a full assessment one day, but for now I was prescribed Focalin (dexmethylphenidate). I originally wanted it as a prn.
The first time I took it, I definitely felt “peppy”, needing to stand while gaming, needing to move around more frequently, generally more awake. I didn’t eat breakfast, and had coffee. My blood pressure was also very high. Within a couple of days I took it again, but being good and eating in the morning with no coffee. I couldn’t even tell if it was working. I may have taken it another time soon after and did not notice a difference, so I stopped taking it. I’ve been extremely fatigued and my executive dysfunction has been off the charts so I tried taking it again. Yesterday I didn’t eat right away, and I felt gacked. Tight jaw, jittery, like definitely felt like I was on stimulants. I felt like that today as well; I tried to eat a little something this morning but it didn’t seem to make much of a difference. It kicked in during a client appointment, too. Jaw tight, jittery, making a ton of typing mistakes, my body feeling fuzzy.
So, is it something where you should be able to notice a difference when you take ADHD meds? I’m assuming that I felt it so intensely because I didn’t eat, but when I do it it literally doesn’t feel like anything has changed. I may also not even have ADHD at all and was misdiagnosed (I was informally dx’ed with ADHD, Autism and bipolar disorder).
I don’t feel anything at all, as in like, I don’t feel high, or jittery or anything like that. I feel “normal.” I do, however, feel completely different than when I don’t take it, like, my actual “normal” which is completely lethargic, brainfogged, unable to focus in on something enough to make a decision or complete at task. It doesn’t effect my eating at all, but I basically eat because I enjoy the sensation of eating food, and not because I’m hungry anyways, lol.
It sounds like maybe you are on too high of a dose? Idk though. I’d talk to you psychologist about that.
thanks for the response. I have a friend who says he will feel jacked if he skips days when taking it, but I’m wondering if that depends on the prescription you have?
Probably does, yeah. These meds can effect different people differently, but also there are different ADHD meds that are all a little different. And different doses. I take Adderall. 60mg of extended release in the morning, then 20mg of instant at noon