Should I stop taking my medication?

[FabianGarcia]

I was officially diagnosed with ADHD inattentive type two weeks ago, and I started taking 18 milligrams of Concerta every day. It would take 2 hours for me to feel an effect, and as soon as it did I felt like I was brought to life. Not only was I able to finish way before most of my classmates, but I was also able to zone them out when I had to complete a task, and I completed all my work in school instead of procrastinating in class and leaving the work off for home; I was more social because I finally felt like I had things to say, and when I would speak my thoughts would flow out in a coherent and linear way; I was able to talk about the books that I was reading and explain the concepts of the book quite easily; I was able to write my essay faster than usual because my mind wasn't wandering off all of the time, and I was able to be productive the entire day because my brain never got foggy like it usually would by the end of my third period.

However, there were a few side effects. My through felt dry, and I would feel pressure on the sides of my head which would make me feel a bit nauseous at times. All of these are tolerable because of all of the positive effects Concerta was having on my life. The reason I am considering stopping, though, is because I started to feel something weird in my heart: as if there was pressure on it that caused a subtle pain. I remembered reading that since this medication was a stimulant, It could have effects on your heart, so I contacted my doctor right away, and he told me to get off of it until my next appointment.

It has been three days since I have been off my medication, and the first two days were hard. I felt a sense of unexplainable sadness and brain fog which was more than the days before I ever took medication. I searched it up, and I saw that these could be withdrawal symptoms, but I am not sure if you could feel withdrawal symptoms after taking the medication for only 4 days.

In brief, because of the weird pain I felt in my heart and the potential withdrawal symptoms for long-term use, I am not sure what I should do. The benefits I saw from taking the medication were life-changing but I don't want to develop heart problems in the future. What advice could you give me?

[BlessedLady]

Some patients cannot take stimulants. You might be one of them. Usually withdrawals happen after more than four days on a medication. It can be harder to function without medication once you have had it. You need to wait and talk with your doctor. Chances are your doctor will not think it is not worth the risk for you to continue on this medication..

[CatMoose]

Stop your medication. Your doctor would have told you what to look out for if there were things to look out for as a reason to worry about withdrawal or a need to taper off. It is most likely that you are experiencing not being medicated, which is hard and in my experience, usually feels harder after a taste of having your needs met by a medication. You will find something else that meets your needs, and even if you don't, any side effect your doctor tells you to stop over should be taken very seriously.

[wtfadhd]

Hey FabianGarcia,the benefits of stimulants for ADHD can be amazing. everything you described is what healthy non ADHD folks get to experience pretty regularly. when i first got diagnosed, the first med worked perfect for 4 days n then the same thing u described started happening plus my vision got blurry. i freaked out bc im a health nut n never experienced any physical health issues. i stopped taking the meds and went back to my psychiatrist n she put me on a different stimulant and just monitored really close until i was completely on right med n right dose. while waiting for the appointment i got so depressed cuz i thought id never be able to take a stimulant again and i wanted sooo bad to feel like i did those first few days.

moral of story. NOW you know what non ADHD can feel like and if u work close with the right doctor you can find a stimulant to get that same yummy feeling back without the side effects. ❤️