Methylphenidate for Narcolepsy User Reviews (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 28, 2012

Methylin (methylphenidate) "I just recently started this medication and so far it has not worked very well for me. My doctor first prescribed me Provigil but my insurance didn't cover enough of it for me to be able to afford it. This worked pretty good for me the 1st day or 2 but now less than a week later I'm back to the way I was dozing off and on all day long. I was so excited to finally have an answer and a treatment that now I'm just frustrated and sad that it's not working and afraid that something that could work for me will end up being too expensive!"

• narco...
• March 24, 2010

Methylin ER (methylphenidate) "I used Methylin ER for 3 months. I used the equivalent of a 90 days prescription (one 20 mg once a day) for 3 months. I did not use the pill every day due to illnesses and migraines. Who wants to be alert for that? When I did take it, it was a different life for me. I could actually plan what task I would complete that day instead of "watch and wait" as it has always been for me with narcolepsy. I am a stay at home mom with a 3 year old and a 14 year old. In result my house was cleaner, I was more predictable energy wise. I did sleep lighter and occasionally woke up at night. It was not bothersome though, not to stop it. Then the unfortunate happened, I became allergic to it ( I am also allergic to Nuvigil and Progvigl)."

• Rick...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 12, 2024

Ritalin (methylphenidate) "I was diagnosed in 1977 at the Mayo Clinic by Dr. Robert E Yoss. It changed my life! No one understood Narcolepsy like Dr. Yoss. He said some doctors will tell you to take a nap around noon for 15 minutes, that's when to look for a new doctor. Dr. Yoss said, 'I don't take my glasses off when I'm in the middle of reading something, so you should not be taking a nap in the middle of the day.' Dr. Yoss retired from the Mayo Clinic and had moved his practice to his home. He would only see people with Narcolepsy. He said most people with Narcolepsy are underdiagnosed and not being treated properly. When he said to take as needed, I asked, 'Well, how much and how often?' He explained that not every day is the same, some days you may be more tired and some days more alert, so take what you need when you need it."

• Sleep...
• March 11, 2016

"I was diagnosed with narcolepsy 2 years ago at the age of 33. I probably suffered for 15 years before diagnoses. Provigil/nivigil is extremely effective for me throughout the day but getting out of bed was still a battle that I often lost. I take my first dose 1 hour before I need to be up and it helped but not enough. My doc prescribed 5mg immediate release concerta 1 hour before I need to be functioning. She called it a chemical launch. It is the cherry on top of my current med and lifestyle changes. I wake up without the narcolepsy fog. I didn't know life could be like this."

• Emah
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 27, 2021

Ritalin (methylphenidate) "In 2017 after years of struggling with sleep issues I got myself a sleep study. It turned out I had Narcolepsy without cataplexy after a full night time study and MSLT. At first I was taking 10mg of Ritalin 2x a day, that wasn't working so she switched me to 10mg of Ritalin 4x daily. I was finding that I'd get terrible headaches from it so she tried me on Provigil 200mg. That alone wasn't working as your body adjusts to it. I started supplementing with 10mg of Ritalin 1x a day. That also wasn't working. I now take Provigil 200mg at 5am and supplement that with 20mg of Ritalin at noon and move on to another 10mg of Ritalin around 4pm and I'm getting through my 12 hour work days, plus still have energy when I get home! It's absolutely wonderful to feel like a normal functioning human being again. No headaches, no anxiety, concentration is perfect and I feel like me again. Adjust your meds if it's not working, fight to feel better."

• Short...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2018

Ritalin (methylphenidate) "Had Narcolepsy from age 5 due to brain swelling. Ritalin has definitely helped. I can do a lot of things other than sleeping when I am on it.... When I am on it sometimes I Hyperventilate however. I take in everything around me (sounds, sights, smells). And I do worry sometime does it overload my brain and in long term would that end up making more problems down the road? Also because I need to be put on a higher does because my body becomes use to it. Pupils are always big on these meds (so I wear sunglasses to look after my eyes when I am out. Heart rate resting sits around 130bpm and goes up when going to the gym or working out. And cannot do long distances running. My hands shake a lot often need help from husband to drink tea as it can be difficult. All in all I guess it does sound bad my side effects but it gives me my life back. I gives me time were I am not tired so I will do it."

• Amy
• July 26, 2020

Ritalin (methylphenidate) "This drug killed my creative spirit. I began taking it 1.5 years ago for excessive sleepiness. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and got a CPAP, but in the meantime I was on this. It kept me awake, but after I got the CPAP, it became my morning boost. I write romance novels, and around the time I went on this I began struggling to write. I went from producing a book every 2-3 months to producing NOTHING for over a year. I got a therapist to discuss my problems writing. One day, I succeeded in telling her exactly what the problem was. "It's like everyday life, and dishes and children and laundry are all the crazy waves on the top of the ocean, and in order to write, I need to sink down deep into the sea. Not only do I have no desire to go there, I actively avoid it." As soon as I heard myself, I realized, IT'S THE RITALIN. I stopped taking it and saw a huge change. Within a month, my creative life returned to normal. This can be an amazing drug, but proceed with caution!"

• JAS
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 13, 2021

"Diagnosed with Narcolepsy and Cataplexy at the age of 17. Prescribed Ritalin 10mg 5TD, and years later Methylphenidate, same strength and dosage. I’ve been taking same strength and dosage for 61 years."

• onit
• November 28, 2013

"Works great. Took a long time to get it right. I use Nuvigil daily and Ritalin 20mg three times a day. It is sad and depressing but with the right dose and proper nutrition. Things can get better. Bad part is and it's hard to do....stop driving! I can't believe I drove! I am thankful I did not kill someone falling asleep. How could my loved ones let me drive? Don't drive until you are confident your meds are straight consistently."

• happy...
• September 25, 2015

"Have taken methylphenidate for narcolepsy for over 15 years with positive results and no adverse effects to date. My dosage has increased from 10mg 3x daily (1999) to 40mg 4x daily (2004) with the desired effects received, and none of the adverse effects."

• Anonymous
• August 20, 2019

Methylin (methylphenidate) "For Narcolepsy I take haven taken this Methylin for years. Recently Walmart changed to another manufacturer (CAM) and I can no longer stay awake. Feel exhausted and tired. Will change pharmacies if i can not get this brand."

• sleep...
• February 6, 2017

Ritalin (methylphenidate) "Hi I was Diagnosed when I was 6 years old and I am now 25 years old. I have taken Provigil, Adderall, Nuvigil, Ritalin, and now methylphenidate ER. I could not take the recent medication due the side effect I use to get all the time and it wasn't until I started taking folican xr that my life had change . I felt like I was never diagnose at all . I started taking folican when I was maybe in middle school up until a year ago . I was put on another medication which is methylphenidate which seem to make me more tired . The things I could do as a person without narcolepsy I can no longer do them . Emotion that by itself put strain on me . This by itself seem to do nothing . 10mg 1-2 a day . When I was on folican I took 15 mg 3 times"

• Amir
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 7, 2021

Concerta (methylphenidate) "I have both mixed sleep apnea and narcolepsy, I have been taking 18mg Concerta pill each morning for 6 days now. From day 1 the continual tiredness and falling asleep has stopped, I am able to concentrate and focus at work for prolonged periods of time, where as before I would take a break wash my face every 30 minutes to try to avoid feeling sleepy. Now I am sleeping better ( using CPAP machine) and awake as normal during the day…really happy with the results…. Also so far I have had no side effects other than on day 3 my vision was a bit weird for about an hour then returned to normal…. Overall a positive experience"

• fuzzy
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 30, 2020

Concerta (methylphenidate) "I take this med Concerta for narcolepsy - 36 mg 2 times daily and it works ok - the side effects are troubling. Mood swings, irritability, foggy brain, memory issues. The good and the bad are an even balance at this point."

• agmag
• September 18, 2014

"I am 30. I have narcolepsy, fibromyalgia and severe rheumatoid arthritis that is also in my organs. I take 20mg every 4 hours up to 4 times a day. It takes 30min to kick in, and wears off in 2 hours. Without it, I felt like I had to curl up on ground wherever I was at or I wouldn't "make it." With the medicine, I feel totally exhausted, but it takes the edge off the urgency to lay down. I have been on it for 2 1/2 years. Docs wan't me off it (since it's a stimulant) and wants me on Nuvigil. I took one pill 150mg with Ritalin, seemed to help but it's been one day (tapering off Ritalin). Ued to fall asleep driving every day working full time. Now work part time and take methylphenidate and don't fall asleep driving (that I know of)."

• Squisha
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 3, 2016

"I treated narcolepsy first with Nuvigil then Provigil. Having Lyme disease compounds fatigue and pain on top of sleepiness. I maxed out at 200 mg provigil bid and it became ineffective. I take Ritalin 20 mg TID. I am no longer fatigued, in pain or sleepy. I have a high tolerance to drugs and not anxious to up my dose, but really need 4 times a day. My only side effects are compulsively picking the skin around my fingers and compulsively drinking chocolate milk. But I no longer feel a wet, wool blanket of fatigue, pain and sleepiness over me. I also tend to hyper focus. I'm a natural scholar so that's ok by me, but I will study one topic for 8 hours compulsively. Yeah, compulsion is the only issue I have with it."

• Omtc
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 26, 2016

Concerta (methylphenidate) "This med is not good. It doesn't work it only last 7 hours I'm taking ritalin also 10mg, and 54mg of concerta. I will not recomemnd it ialso take ritalin for 3 years and it does not last long no good ."

• mY NI...
• July 13, 2015

"I was diagnosed with Narcolepsy w/ cataplexy in 2009. I self drugged with energy drinks and coffee until I got my insurance back. I was on Provigil up until our insurance changed. My doctor switched me to Methlyphenidate 20mg 4x/day. If I am up and moving around it seems to work pretty good. But at work, I work a desk job and there are days that my head is bouncing off the desk from nodding. I do like this med better than provigil as it doesnt give me a headache I just wished it worked as well sitting down as standing up. Also when I get to hour 4-6 I can really feel myself slipping. Not fun."

• DaniHM
• May 5, 2018

"I was “diagnosed” with narcolepsy about 5 years ago. I use quotations because my sleep specialist said he couldn’t give me an official diagnosis because I was on an SNRI and that I needed to be off that to be diagnosed officially. But he said he had no doubt. He surprisingly prescribed nothing. My psychiatrist prescribed me 27mg of Concerta for my chronic fatigue (to put it lightly) and life changed. I didn’t have to spend my entire days laying down or rushing home to take a nap. I’m awake to spend more time with my children and I feel more energized to do the things that my mind wants to do but my body wouldn’t allow. The only gripe I have is that I still feel the need to take a short nap every day but Concerta keeps my mind too active to relax. Then my anxiety about sleep kicks in and keeps me from taking that much needed nap. So I do spend some time very tired but very wired."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 13, 2012

"Ritalin LA: I have taken this (10mg) along with "normal" release methylphenidate/Ritalin to treat narcolepsy for about 4 years. The LA does not give me the jittery feeling of the short acting Ritalin. I only supplement the LA with the short acting because the LA keeps me awake (or at least doesn't offer restful sleep) for about 8 hours, while the short acting version lasts about 4 hours. Without these medications, particularly Ritalin LA, I would not be able to maintain any job that requires its employees to stay awake...which is pretty much all of them! The only downside is the excessive cost. Without insurance, about 10% of my gross salary would go to pay for this ONE prescription."

• profe...
• April 17, 2023

Ritalin (methylphenidate) "I suffer from bipolar disease and my depressive episodes are just living hell. I literally can't get out of bed and talk to others. I also suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness. Ritalin made me a little ,I wouldn't say happier just more jazzed up. After 2 to 3 hours the comedown and crash happened and it made me going through a depressive episode. I stopped taking it and again changed to Modafinil. It doesn't have any crash or comedown. My problem was that its effects weren't strong enough for me and I witnessed that at least in my case and many other people's experiences, Modafinil is way more effective and a lot of safer than Ritalin. Once I worked on Modafinil for 11 or 12 hours straight without any pause at all. However, on Ritalin after 2 hours and something I became too exhausted. These stimulant meds aren't effective enough for a person who really suffers from a mental condition."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 5, 2023

Ritalin (methylphenidate) "I have to take medication to sleep which makes me groggy in the morning and I was falling asleep at the wheel. I used to take geodon, also for schizoaffective disorder. Was prescribed Ritalin and it did help me wake up and it was easy to get to work on time. However it made my paranoia and anxiety so much worse. Everyone was out to get me, plotting against me, etc. Had awful anxiety 24/7. Quit Geodon and now I’m on trazodone and seroquel, without them I can’t sleep but again it’s hard to wake up in the morning. I miss being able to wake up easily with Ritalin but I don’t miss the paranoia and anxiety."

• Lully...
• February 21, 2021

Concerta (methylphenidate) "I took this medication along with another narcolepsy medication for about 3 months. At first, I was taking Armodafinil 250mg and Concerta 36mg ER every morning. I became extremely anxious and paranoid about irrational things. I also became very OCD as well, which is not normal for me. After explaining that to my doctor, I ended up reducing Armodafinil to 150mg and continued the Concerta 36mg ER. I did this for about a month but I didn’t feel like the medication was benefiting me enough to continue taking it. I also had dry mouth when on the medication and I was physically unable to yell. My mouth and throat felt like sandpaper. Personally I didn’t think the meds were helping me enough with attention span and alertness. I quit Concerta 36mg ER and went back to just taking Armodafinil 250mg. I have been focusing a lot on my diet and exercise which I felt has made a huge difference. Also prioritizing my mental health. But everyone with narcolepsy is different!"

• airbu...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 7, 2024

Concerta (methylphenidate) "I feel like this is a good short-term solution, but is ultimately like putting lipstick on the pig. Can it help you stay awake? Yes, it can. Will you still be constantly sleep deprived just not able to feel it? Also, yes. It doesn't help with nighttime sleep at all, which I find frustrating. I’ll be moving to something stronger as soon as I can."

• Geoff...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 26, 2015

Ritalin (methylphenidate) "Absolutely awesome. I was suffering from Narcolepsy. Now, I am able to do anything that I want. Quite amazing. I feel that I was always only able to achieve about 25%. Now I am around 100%."