Focalin Experiences PLEASE?!?

Question by Cavin G: Focalin Experiences PLEASE?!?
I posted a different post, with a different title. But I’ve not gotten an answer. Neither did I get one with my other posts about Focalin a few days ago, so I’ll repost this and maybe with the more generalized title, I’ll get lucky and actually have someone answer for once:

Okay. So, after a long wait for the Cardiologist’s approval, I’m finally back on a stimulant for my severe ADHD (inattentive, impulsive, and hyperactive combined type). The worst part of my ADHD is my lack of ability to concentrate on things that don’t totally just interest me to the fullest. So, that means I’m failing British Lit. because I HATE all of it. Although, I’m great at English…

So, today, I started Focalin. I’ve always been pretty tolerant to stimulants. Too-low-a-dose anything leaves me restless and irritable and feeling icky in general. I was put on 20mg XR Focalin in the morning and 5mg IR in the afternoon. And I had that restless feeling again. But much MUCH worse than ever before. It was so intolerable, I wanted to just scream. I didn’t feel like talking to anyone. It barely helped my concentration… But the biggest problem was the awful feeling it left me with.

I’ve never tried Focalin before, so I assumed I’d be much less tolerant to it than I am Amphetamines. I can’t take regular Ritalin because it precipitates my anxiety and panic so badly. But either that wasn’t so, and the dose is too low, or maybe I just can’t tolerate this drug since it’s so closely related to Ritalin, or what my doctor says is right. She said that I need to take it a few days and the feeling will go away. That in fact, the feeling I got was because she put me on a higher-than-normal starting dose because of how desperately I needed it. I’m going to try it once more tomorrow, and if it doesn’t get at least slightly better, I will discontinue it.

Has anyone else had an experience like this? Is the doctor possibly right about this one? If you’d had this feeling at first, too, did it disappear within a few days?

I’m feeling really hopeless and let down right now. I do hope that she’s right. But I just really doubt it. Maybe someone around here will enlighten me.

History: Up to 60mg XR Adderall [mixed Amphetamine salts] daily (stopped working as well because of an event I’d rather not discuss, but was not in any way intentional substance abuse). Up to 70mg Vyvanse [converts to Dextroamphetamine] daily (same experience as above except much MUCH less intense). Up to 54mg Concerta [regular Ritalin, or Methylphenidate] (extreme panic reactions)

By the way: I am still feeling this way because the meds are still in my system. That’s probably the reason I’ve managed to say so much. Don’t let that fool you: this was a hard task, but once I got started, couldn’t really stop. It’s hard to talk to anyone at all, much less an entire community while feeling this way.

I still feel like hell. <---- Complete and utter understatement. Wish I didn't take my afternoon dose... Best answer:

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