Stims stopped working?

[wblastyn]

I was diagnosed with ADHD in March and prescribed Methylphenidate IR, which worked really well for my symptoms, even though I was only on a tiny dose of 3x5mg per day. Recently, though, it has stopped working altogether - I only feel a slight energy increase and some anxiety.

Obviously, I thought it was tolerance at first, so I tried increasing the dosage to 3x10mg and 3x15mg per day. However, this made no difference and, if anything, made me feel worse!

The meds stopped working around about the same time I started messing with my anti-depressants. I switched from venlafaxine (Effexor) to mirtazapine (Remeron), then to sertaline (zoloft) and finally back to venlafaxine. The problem is, I'd been on venlafaxine for about 2 years when I first went on the MPH IR, and it worked brilliantly then!

I've tried taking a break from the MPH and I've even tried taking some dexedrine, which also worked before but not as well as the MPH, but it also stopped working.

Is it possible that withdrawing from an AD, then going back on it, could mess with my brain chemistry enough to stop my stims from working? If so, could tapering off the AD make a difference?

 

[Alex000]

Well, most stims used to treat "ADHD" do tend to stop working as well as they do in the beginning.

 

[FlippingTop]

l-tyrosing does wonders for me for general dopamine release and tollerance

 

[wblastyn]

I know they stop working as well, but surely tolerance is a gradual thing, whereas this was like "working brilliantly" -> "nothing". Also, taking a med break and increasing the dose didn't help, whereas I imagine it would if it were tolerance.

I've tried supplementing with tyrosine and magnesium, neither of them made a difference.

I'm currently weaning myself off the venlafaxine, as I'm convinced/hoping the problems started with this, so if I come off it, the stims will work again.

 

[wblastyn]

No one?

 

[hightimes223]

if you take a week or so break from stims I bet you will be fine. I'm going on vacation for a week over the holidays- no stims allowed! And I will be high as a kite by the time I get back to my meds

 

[hightimes223]

i just had this problem today. let me know if you figured out what was up. I figured out the '50mg' of 'adderall' i was taking was actually 50mg of vyvanse.. UGH. so it takes a lot more to get high on vyvanse. and to be honest, ive done it so much im used to the high i can barely notice it nowadays. Happy I have a family vacation and will be forced to stop. Peace

 

[wblastyn]

Interestingly, I've felt GREAT over the past few days since cutting down the Effexor. I feel unfocused BUT I also have tons of energy, almost like I'm on stims, which I haven't taken in a few days. After doing some reading online, I discovered that SSRI withdrawal can sometimes cause "dopamine rebound", which is probably why I feel so good.

Basically, SSRI's can interfere with dopamine activity (bad for ADHD), so after stopping them your dopamine levels spring back, causing some interesting side effects (hyper sexuality, hypomania, et).

I think this may support my hypothesis that the venlafaxine was interfering with the MPH, since the dopamine rebound suggests ven was suppressing dopamine activity, which would block the effect of the MPH.