Focalin and Anxiety: What Users Say

• A...
• May 21, 2020

For ADHD "I’m scrolling through reviews, and a lot of what I’ve been feeling recently is starting to make sense. This medicine helps me focus, but I feel weak and awful while on it. It makes me shake, and my anxiety spikes. I’ve also been having some depression issues, my moods stoop to a terrible level, and I’ve been in such a dark place at some points. This medicine makes me feel like a zombie, it makes me shake and feel sick to my stomach. I feel bad for any other kids taking this. It helps me focus, but makes me feel awful. I absolutely DREAD having to take them. I have experienced depersonalization, depression, major mood swings, anxiety, derealization, and suicidal tendencies after getting on this medication. I am not self-diagnosing for anxiety and depression. I strongly advise watching your kids before and after having them take these pills. Make sure your child is safe and happy. I’m sorry for my terrible grammar and typing skills."

• col...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 22, 2018

For ADHD "I am 20 and have been on Focalin since I was about 16. I feel like a robot who cannot socially interact with anyone. Eating food feels unnatural to me. While it is great for focusing on school work, I am anxious about whether I am doing the right thing or not. Talking is a chore. My hands shake when I do homework. It feels like a state of panic with a rapid heartbeat and yet I feel no emotion at all, if that makes sense. I just get from point A to point B. Please make sure this medicine is right for you."

• Gan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 16, 2020

For ADHD "Focalin does what it is supposed to, but this medication makes my heart beat fast and also makes me super nervous and agitated all the time. I hate this medication. It makes me feel like a zombie, and it makes me feel cold all over. The worst part is that I can barely eat without feeling sick and that it makes me constantly shake. This medication also makes my mood stoop to a terrible and very low level. After it wears off, I feel weak, tired, cold, and nauseous."

• kat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 27, 2020

For ADHD "Focalin 40 mg XR. I found that this medication was mostly ineffective. If anything, it has an initial kick and wears off extremely fast. I thought it would be like Adderall XR, which I could feel the effects come and go throughout the day at 30 mg. With Focalin, it's just one burst of euphoria/adrenaline, and then you crash and feel nothing except for the physical side effects like chest pain, rapid heartbeat, muscle tenseness. I took a nap 2.5 hours after taking it, which is ridiculous. It is frustrating because you don't feel the sense of focus that Adderall gives. I only took it for two days before I called it quits because I did not see a benefit and decided to go back to Adderall 20 mg IR. This medication did not suit me as a 27-year-old grad student. I felt anxiety and panic attack symptoms with the second dose I took, and I did not want to continue. It actually had a negative impact on my work input for those two days."

• jan...
• August 27, 2019

For ADHD "For me, Focalin has had way more negative effects than positive. My doc started me off with 10 mg in the morning and then another 10 mg in the afternoon. Now I’m on 20 mg in the morning, 20 mg in the afternoon. It helps my concentration and ADHD issues for maybe the first 2 hours or less after each dose, but then from there, it causes terrible anxiety, depression. It makes things worse than actually helping when it starts wearing off (which is very quickly). Overall, I don't like Focalin at all. It not only comes with mental side effects like I mentioned but also physical side effects as well, such as: shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, constant feeling like I have to urinate but can’t, fatigue, etc. It’s been over 3 months, and it hasn’t helped my ADHD consistently or effectively anywhere close to stabilizing and treating it. Please consider other ADHD meds before going with Focalin for you/your child’s ADHD problems. It certainly hasn’t been the answer for me."

• Swi...
• April 5, 2016

For ADHD "I have been off and on Focalin XR 10 mg, debating whether I like it or not. I HATE IT. It increases my attention by a little bit. I like the loss of appetite because I need to cut down on eating, and this does it for me. But it is not worth it. Seven hours of school (9th grade) the whole day was terrible. I was scared about nothing and constantly had fear throughout the whole day, apparently, feelings of crying are very common. I can't talk to anyone either. I get so scared that I'm gonna mess up somehow talking to someone that I stutter and over-explain, and in the end, just make things more confusing. This is just not for me."

• jai...
• April 9, 2019

For ADHD "We started my son on Focalin once doctors felt his anxiety was under control with Prozac. Big mistake. His grades were great, but anxiety went through the roof. Wish we had never gone down that road, still trying to put him back together and get through this 6 months later."

• pre...
• January 19, 2018

For ADHD "The doctor started me off with 10 mg. It seemed to never 'fully' kick in, I would feel some effects, mostly just staring out into space and daydreaming. I told my doctor this, and he just said I needed to refocus my focus. (He's a hippie, y'all.) Then when I finally convinced him to up it to see if I would actually feel anything more, it just amps my anxiety and makes me extremely tired. You can forget about taking a second extended-release capsule after that one wears off, it just makes you more tired and amps your anxiety more, makes you jittery and really on edge, and also makes your heart beat incredibly fast. Would not recommend."

• pre...
• January 19, 2018

For ADHD "The doctor started me off with 10 mg. It seemed to never 'fully' kick in, I would feel some effects, mostly just staring out into space and daydreaming. I told my doctor this, and he just said I needed to refocus my focus. (He's a hippie, y'all.) Then when I finally convinced him to up it to see if I would actually feel anything more, it just amps my anxiety and makes me extremely tired. You can forget about taking a second extended-release capsule after that one wears off, it just makes you more tired and amps your anxiety more, makes you jittery and really on edge, and also makes your heart beat incredibly fast. Would not recommend."

• pre...
• January 19, 2018

For ADHD "The doctor started me off with 10 mg. It seemed to never 'fully' kick in, I would feel some effects, mostly just staring out into space and daydreaming. I told my doctor this, and he just said I needed to refocus my focus. (He's a hippie, y'all.) Then when I finally convinced him to up it to see if I would actually feel anything more, it just amps my anxiety and makes me extremely tired. You can forget about taking a second extended-release capsule after that one wears off, it just makes you more tired and amps your anxiety more, makes you jittery and really on edge, and also makes your heart beat incredibly fast. Would not recommend."

• Anonymous
• January 28, 2018

For ADHD "My 13-year-old daughter was switched to Focalin. After a few days, the feelings of sadness, anxiety, and sleeplessness caused her not to be able to deal with it, and she tried to commit suicide. If you read up on this medicine, the FDA is asking for that to become one of the side effect warnings for this medication. My daughter was placed in a behavioral center that could help her, and she has not taken any more ADHD medication since that day. She told me (her mom), 'I will never do that again, but that medicine made me feel so sad, and my thoughts weren't my own.' Never again will my daughter take this medication or anything for ADHD!"

• Geo...
• September 26, 2015

For ADHD "I'm a 17-year-old girl, and Focalin was the first medication I ever used to treat my ADHD. It was the worst! Like many others, I felt extremely anxious. I also constantly felt unattached to the world. Even worse, it didn't even help me focus! I was too busy having overwhelming feelings of anxiety to be focused. However, I wouldn't say you shouldn't try this medication, as it seems to work for others. I just know that if you feel any sense of anxiety, it's abnormal. I'm on Vyvanse now, and I have no problems with anxiety. Just a few minor symptoms, but it works great."

• adu...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 8, 2023

For ADHD "Started taking Focalin 18 months ago after being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, and it’s been a miracle. I deal with anxiety, anger, impulsivity, and sensory integration, but it wasn’t obvious because I was a “good kid” with good grades who hid my extreme emotions to avoid criticism. I’m also physically awkward and uncoordinated, so I often get hurt or break and lose objects a lot. In my 30s, I went from a high-functioning overachiever to barely functioning at all. I became edgy and irritable constantly, cried for hours a day from sheer terror or rage over nothing, then felt exhausted and paralyzed. My nervous system was cranked up to 11 and wouldn’t turn off. After taking the first dose of Focalin, I could think more clearly, regulate my emotions, and am much less clumsy. I take Focalin XR 30mg in the morning and regular Focalin 10mg as needed in the afternoon."

• sug...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 8, 2015

For ADHD "I am an 18-year-old female with ADHD, and my doctor just switched me from Vyvanse 30 mg to taking Focalin 10 mg XR, and I absolutely hate it. Vyvanse worked for me but would make me bite my lip often in class, which was very odd, but something I could work with. Focalin makes me socially anxious (keep in mind I am the most social and extroverted girl), jittery, and worry about random things. I am going to the doctor tomorrow after taking it for 2 days and going back to Vyvanse."

• the...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 24, 2021

For ADHD "I have ADHD, and I was prescribed 10 mg, and it's an amazing lifesaver. Man, I'm better at regulating my emotions, I can actually focus now! I developed depression from my ADHD, which isn't uncommon, but I'm really happy, and I feel better now too! The only issue is that sometimes I get really anxious and on edge when it starts to kick in, but that usually dissipates once it kicks in, and it helps to take with food."

• the...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 24, 2021

For ADHD "I have ADHD, and I was prescribed 10 mg, and it's an amazing lifesaver. Man, I'm better at regulating my emotions, I can actually focus now! I developed depression from my ADHD, which isn't uncommon, but I'm really happy, and I feel better now too! The only issue is that sometimes I get really anxious and on edge when it starts to kick in, but that usually dissipates once it kicks in, and it helps to take with food."

• Liz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 1, 2023

For ADHD "I was on 20 mg of Focalin for a while, and it seemed to not work or help my ADHD, so I told my provider and we upped my dose to 30 mg. When I say it made me have a full-blown anxiety attack all day long, talking 12 hours long. The nausea and lump in your throat, like you can’t breathe or swallow while hot and shaky. Threw the whole bottle away that same day."

• Mon...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 13, 2021

For ADHD "I am a college student who has ADHD (inattentive) and have been taking Focalin XR 20 mg, sometimes 30 mg, for about a year now. I'm not going to lie, it 100% has helped me in school. I can finally complete assignments on time and be super focused while doing them. My professors teach super fast, and I am finally able to keep up mentally and take notes quickly due to my increased heart rate. It keeps me physically awake all day, but mentally tired because I can't sleep at night, so I have to take prescribed Clonidine to sleep. My stomach is constantly hurting and has led me to have horrible eating habits, and I'm skinny. I have to force myself to eat and drink water - if I don't, I will shake uncontrollably and have headaches. My heart will race so much, it causes my anxiety to increase, and it makes it difficult to socialize. I can never predict my mood for the day because it is incredibly unstable. This medicine is worth it school-wise, but the side effects are definitely factors to consider."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2017

For ADHD "I'm 22 in college. I've been taking Prozac for anxiety and depression, and it's worked great! I decided to take on my ADHD that I've had my whole life. Since having taken Focalin 20 mg, I have been a mess. Both medicines contradict each other. I have been very anxious taking this. I'm also very jittery, nonstop moving and sweaty. I'm hungry to the point of feeling faint, but can't eat because even the thought of eating makes me want to throw up. Some days my heart feels like it's beating out of my chest. I always wake up at 6 am feeling great and fall back asleep, waking up later feeling like rubbish. I haven't really been able to tell if it has helped me focus on school, but I'll begin focusing on other things like my phone or daydreaming."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2017

For ADHD "I'm 22 in college. I've been taking Prozac for anxiety and depression, and it's worked great! I decided to take on my ADHD that I've had my whole life. Since having taken Focalin 20 mg, I have been a mess. Both medicines contradict each other. I have been very anxious taking this. I'm also very jittery, nonstop moving and sweaty. I'm hungry to the point of feeling faint, but can't eat because even the thought of eating makes me want to throw up. Some days my heart feels like it's beating out of my chest. I always wake up at 6 am feeling great and fall back asleep, waking up later feeling like rubbish. I haven't really been able to tell if it has helped me focus on school, but I'll begin focusing on other things like my phone or daydreaming."

• Faj...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 14, 2021

For ADHD "I was on Focalin when it was in the trial stages many years ago, and I loved it. I finally was able to eat and enjoy eating for the first time since I was diagnosed with ADHD at 5. It then hit the market and wasn’t covered by insurance, so I stopped taking it because I didn’t want my parents to pay the EXTREMELY high monthly payments for the daily dose. I have now been on it for a couple of months again as a 23-year-old adult, and I love it. I feel like I have my life back. My anxiety has decreased. My concentration is amazing, and I feel organized again. My insurance covers the 2x daily dosage."

• adu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 16, 2023

For ADHD "I was just recently (finally!) given an ADHD diagnosis at 27 years of age. After spending a few months trying Adderall, Ritalin, and Concerta with abysmal results, my doctor switched me to 20 mg extended-release Focalin. The first few days, I noticed random bouts of anxiety and nervousness, which was unusual for me as I am not an anxious person. After around a week of being on Focalin, the anxiety went away, and I was actually seeing increasingly positive results at work, school, and home. It does start to wear off on my 16 hr school plus work days, but my doctor gave me 5 mg short-acting doses for the longer days if I need them towards the end, and that helps. As long as I take it and immediately eat breakfast, I don’t feel any appetite suppression like I do when taking it on an empty stomach. My only complaint is that my heartburn is in full force after starting it, but I’m okay with taking antacids until my body gets used to it, as the results have been more than worth it!"

• adu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 16, 2023

For ADHD "I was just recently (finally!) given an ADHD diagnosis at 27 years of age. After spending a few months trying Adderall, Ritalin, and Concerta with abysmal results, my doctor switched me to 20 mg extended-release Focalin. The first few days, I noticed random bouts of anxiety and nervousness, which was unusual for me as I am not an anxious person. After around a week of being on Focalin, the anxiety went away, and I was actually seeing increasingly positive results at work, school, and home. It does start to wear off on my 16 hr school plus work days, but my doctor gave me 5 mg short-acting doses for the longer days if I need them towards the end, and that helps. As long as I take it and immediately eat breakfast, I don’t feel any appetite suppression like I do when taking it on an empty stomach. My only complaint is that my heartburn is in full force after starting it, but I’m okay with taking antacids until my body gets used to it, as the results have been more than worth it!"

• Pan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 22, 2021

For ADHD "Just went on this drug recently, and I have taken other ADHD medication. Focalin makes me feel extremely anxious and weak. I have never experienced this with any other ADHD medication. It makes me feel like I can only sit in one area and do nothing. It doesn’t help my focus ability and ability to complete tasks."

• Rya...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 29, 2020

For ADHD "I'm on Focalin 10 mg twice a day. I'm shaky and cold after I take it, my appetite is down, and my heart is beating way too fast. I feel relatively blank, I'm tired, but have a hard time sleeping. I used to sleep between 9 or 10 pm then wake up around 7-8 am, now if I'm lucky I go to sleep at 11 pm or 12 pm and wake up at 6 am. I rarely sleep through the night, and I'm anxious and agitated all the time. I'm also on Prozac (20 mg), and maybe they're clashing. It does help with paying attention, I can focus on things long enough for them to register, but I feel worse than I did before I started it."