Effectiveness of methylphenidate in long term amphetamine users

[pr0d1gy]

Perhaps this is the wrong forum for this question, but it seemed to fit as it was more theoretical and pharmacological in nature.

I've been on various formulations of amphetamine for 10+ years. Unfortunately, being a broke college student in the US, I can no longer afford the ridiculous pricetag that even generic amphetamine IR carries, not to mention it is impossible to find. I told this to my psych and after giving me her best "boo hoo poor peasant" look, she wrote me a script for methylphenidate. Even taking 60mg of methylphenidate a day, I am without doubt feeling the effects of withdrawal, granted not as bad as it would be otherwise.

On to my question. Obviously methylphenidate and amphetamine are very similar in effect, but quite different in terms of how they elicit it. I was initially skeptical of methylphenidate's effectiveness in users who have been on amphetamine for long periods of time. Since amphetamine releases dopamine, wouldn't the amount released be lower in the absence of amphetamine? If this is the case, would not a re-uptake inhibitor such as methylphenidate be less effective in individuals who have used amphetamine chronically and ceased use very suddenly?

Naturally, the doctor I was seeing poo poo'd this suggestion, but I'd be interested in what others with likely more knowledge think of this.

 

[endotropic]

Some people will have a good response to methylphenidate but not amphetamine, so it's not always the case that the stronger medicine is more effective.

You can find a number of studies where they give a patient either amphetamine or methylphenidate, then switch them to the other. For most people both drugs are effective.

 

[SONN]

since abusing the shit out of Methylphenidate, both it's effects and cocaine's are mainly characterized by awful vasoconstriction and side effects. However after taking amphetamine for the first time in a year I found it to be a very effective, clean feeling, and euphoric ADD treatment. A year prior I would have said amph was awful and made me feel like shit every time I took it. However, that was at the end of a decent period of abuse and all nighters helping me complete my work. A decent dose of methylphenidate will make anyone hyper stimulated IMHO

 

[ebola?]

Heavier use of monoaminergic releasers over a long period tends to cause longer lasting neural adaptation than the 'equivalent' use of reuptake inhibitors, and this can lead to attenuated responsiveness to reuptake inhibitors (particularly in terms of effects on mood). Then again, some people experience only partial cross-tolerance between the two classes of compounds; it's a bit idiosyncratic.

ebola