I just started meds for the first time (Focalin XR). I’m on day 2 and it has been great so far as while I am on them I can actually choose what I want to focus on.
It is a total game changer - stressed about stuff that I have to do in 3 days and feeling like I’m going to spiral out of control into a pit of anxiety and misery? Nope, I’ll just focus on what I’m doing today and know that I can take care of that when it is time to do so. I was even able to go to multiple stores and places that would normally overstimulate me and stress me out without any issues.
The first downside I have noticed happened today - when I get hungry I get REALLY hungry and really irritated - extreme hangry. I had read that stimulants normally suppress appetite but that when you come off of them the appetite catches up and you can get really hungry. Apparently that happens to me so I’m going to have to be careful about that and maybe make sure I have a meal planned around the time that they will wear off.
Anybody else have that experience? Or any other interesting experiences about being on meds?
I’m on vyvanse, and I’ll frequently forget to eat. Setting reminders or alarms really helps. I outsource a lot of my memory to my phone and smartwatch. Sometimes I will just have nothing but a couple of lattes and then notice it’s 10pm and I haven’t eaten a proper meal. At least theres energy there from the full cream milk, but still, not good…
Just don’t forget how effective the meds are, especially if you’re prone to depression. I once stopped taking them when I was majorly depressed, and sometime after that I was helping my dad at his workplace, digitising records for him. I found some of my old Ritalin (not expired yet) and decided to try it again, and the difference in how many records I got to was like night and day, it was seriously like 5× the amount. Since then I’ve bounced around a few different meds and dosages before recently settling on vyvanse, which has the strongest effect but least side effects of them all for me. Ritalin was probably the strongest but had the most unpleasant side effects for me.
Came here to say basically this. Vyvanse destroys my apatite! Without it I’m a snack fiend. It’s the only real “downside” and not an awful one at that.
I did learn the hard way that it does not mix with stuff like Dayquil. If you don’t wait an hour between each you’ll make yourself super sick and are 100% going to projectile vomit minutes after taking it.