Stimulants I was just prescribed Methylphenidate SR 20 MGs

[JayDale11]

Soo, I'll be clean from Heroin and Meth on December 7th for two years. I entered treatment via a Methadone Clinic to help with my addicted to Opiates two years on 12-12-12. I was on 85 MGs of Methadone for 8 months and 18 MGs of Subutex for 3 months. I'll be clean from Methadone and Subutex for a year on November 11th. I've battled with bipolar depression and ADHD my entire life (I'm 24 now), but after detoxing out the clinic and becoming completely sober, my depression and ADHD went through the roof. I also became diagnosed with restless leg syndrome after detox and have neuropathic pain through out different places in my body.

So I am currently prescribed:
Depakote 250 MG (Delayed Release) - Twice a day (For Bipolar Depression)
Gabapentin 300MG (5 Capsules 2 hours before bed time) - (For restless leg, nerve pain and sleep)
Buspirone 10mg (Up to 3 times a day, as needed) - (For Anxiety)

But today my doctor prescribed me Methylphenidate SR 20 MGs for ADHD. Methylphenidate is basically Ritalin, Concerta, or Metadate ER.

I got my prescription filled about 1:00p.m today and took my first dose shortly after. It's now 5:30p.m and I keep getting the effects of the medicine in waves. I understand that this is a extended release tablet and it is gradually released over a certain amount of time. But one minute I don't feel the effects of it, and the next minute I'm cracked out of my mind. Like I said above I've been clean from all types of stimulants and opiates for almost 2 years so I have no tolerance what so ever built up. I kind of excepted to be completely faded from taking the medicine, but I'm definitely not.

So my question is, does anyone else have experience with the ER or SR versions of this medicine? What were you're feelings, thoughts, and did you ever feel "high" at all?

I definitely can tell I've taking it, but not like I would have liked to. Would a simple increase in MGs fix that or is it simply because it's a extended release?

Thanks guys!!

 

[Erikmen]

Congrats for quitting heroin.
You´ve mentioned Methadone AND Subutex. Were you on both meds?
I know people stay on methadone but lately have heard that Suboxone is much better. Didn´t know you could have both though.
I don´t know about Gabapentin. Is it like Seroquel?

 

[JayDale11]

Hi Erikman,

Thanks so much! It was quite the experience. I actually started treatment with Methadone first. I worked my way up from 25MGs to 95MGs over about three months. I was on Methadone for 8 months and was experiencing a lot of strange side effects so I requested the clinic switch me to Subutex (Which is Suboxone without the naloxone). In my experience Methadone helped more with the "craving" of opiates, but it was extremely difficult to detox off of. In order for me to switch from Methadone to Subutex, the doctor had my dose of Methadone decreased 5 MGs a day over a 7 day period, then I was cold turkey for 4 days, then I started Subutex. For some reason they required me to be in withdrawals before I could switch to Subutex. It was a nightmare. But the subutex was MUCH easier to detox off of. There was still really intense withdrawal symptoms, but not as bad as Methadone. Methadone was worse than Heroin for me. But that is just my personal experience. I'm sure it's different for everyone.

Gabapentin is generic for Neurontin. I'm on kind of a high dose, but it works wonders for my restless leg and as a sleep aid.

 

[MakaveliTheDon]

thats how the ER tabs work, they release the amount of ritalin in the pill in small amounts throughout what is supposed to be 12 hours, so that it remains active in your system the whole time, and its not very fun swallowing them whole if you are looking to get really wired. i find the best way to take them is to take a knife and peel off the coating and wax, eat the coating and throw out the wax. depending on the brand you have, the inside of the pill could either be a consistent color or 3 different colors. if it is all one color, then you probably have 'M' type concerta and these are very good for snorting. i believe the only ER type that has multiple colors inside the pill are the 'Alza' pills, these pills will not grind up as fine as the 'M' type pills and the active parts of the pill are waxy, what i suggest you do with these pills is to cut off the grayish part of the pill and throw it out, it is the ER mechanism and doesnt contain any MPH. from there, just attempt to crush the rest of the pill the best you can and parachute it , or take it sublingually. or you can just bite the pills in half before swallowing them to bypass the ER mechanism.
Note that by doing that, the high will only last for 2-4 hours.

 

[Sprout]

ER Ritalin never felt comfortable to me, the 'high' was a 3/10 but the eventual comedown was like a 5 day bender!
I never found it therapeutic, instead: finding IR capsules, crushing the beads and railing the MPH became my first taste of a drug problem (250mg every Friday, without fail, again on Saturday, and then craving all week).

 

[Erikmen]

Hi Erikman,

Thanks so much! It was quite the experience. I actually started treatment with Methadone first. I worked my way up from 25MGs to 95MGs over about three months. I was on Methadone for 8 months and was experiencing a lot of strange side effects so I requested the clinic switch me to Subutex (Which is Suboxone without the naloxone). In my experience Methadone helped more with the "craving" of opiates, but it was extremely difficult to detox off of. In order for me to switch from Methadone to Subutex, the doctor had my dose of Methadone decreased 5 MGs a day over a 7 day period, then I was cold turkey for 4 days, then I started Subutex. For some reason they required me to be in withdrawals before I could switch to Subutex. It was a nightmare. But the subutex was MUCH easier to detox off of. There was still really intense withdrawal symptoms, but not as bad as Methadone. Methadone was worse than Heroin for me. But that is just my personal experience. I'm sure it's different for everyone.

Gabapentin is generic for Neurontin. I'm on kind of a high dose, but it works wonders for my restless leg and as a sleep aid.

I´m glad it´s working for you JayDale! Indeed methadone´s withdraw is pretty bad, even worse than heroin.

 

[Kilfer]

ER Ritalin never felt comfortable to me, the 'high' was a 3/10 but the eventual comedown was like a 5 day bender!
I never found it therapeutic, instead: finding IR capsules, crushing the beads and railing the MPH became my first taste of a drug problem (250mg every Friday, without fail, again on Saturday, and then craving all week).

IIRC it's Ritalin LA that comes with the easy-to-circumvent beads half of which are IR and the other half ER that one renders IR via mastication. Haven't seen those around lately but in their popular day they made both physicians and patients happy. The docs enjoyed peace from DEA sanctimony because the meds were initially touted as "fool-proof". Touching naivete on the part of the DEA that their wording conveyed the notion that the ER and Concerta systems would only be challenged by idiots.

 

[f33lg00d]

I requested the clinic switch me to Subutex (Which is Suboxone without the naloxone)... For some reason they required me to be in withdrawals before I could switch to Subutex. It was a nightmare.

Funny you requested subutex, suboxone has the same subjective effects it just builds tolerance slower. If you didn't wait to be in withdrawal you would have had to face the dreaded "precipitated withdrawals", I can't believe they never told you about them that's pretty negligent on your doctors part.


I could never tolerate methylphendate well the crash was never worth it and worse then most stims.