anyone on amphetamine or methylphenidate?

[cainer]

   i have tried provigil  2  much  money- and samples of nuvigil  -  provigil 4  me worked the best- but now financialy

need 2  ask about one of these others?  which one  or  r  they the same??   (alot cheaper) got a  flyer    from  medicare

or  aarp  tellin  me  this -that  they  r  cheaper..    thanks  anybody!!!    tick

[Nancy T]

Tick, no, you certainly didn't offend me in any way! :)

Ritalin is mostly known as an attention-deficit disorder (ADD) drug for kids--but adults can have it too. BUT--it has other legitimate uses as well, against fatigue, concentration/attention deficits, etc.

If your family doctor refuses to prescribe it without a good reason, I would maybe try a new doctor!! Good reasons for not prescribing it might be if the person has poorly controlled high blood pressure or a history of substance abuse. Otherwise, I don't see why any doctor couldn't prescribe it for you.

Nancy

[cainer]

  yes  u   r  right  because  he  went  on  2  tell  me that  it  is  tracked
on  how many  u   r  perscribed.    

  but  it  isnt  right  cause  it  might  of  helped alot  cheaper-  and  he  was  n  control  of  it!?
   so really   its  a   silly  notion  not  2   give it  a  try-  i  sure  hope  i  didnt offend  u   n   any  way..  i  post  on  here  be4    and  hardley  get  a  answer.  i  app.  u  takin  the  time!!

i  might  ask  my  family dr.  he  is  set  n  his  ways  too  though!!
       but  they  can  give  it  2  kids--  that  blowed  me  away--   LOL!!
                             HUGS!!  TICK

[Nancy T]

If your neuro won't prescribe it, maybe your regular doctor will. Ritalin is a legitimate drug. True, it's a form of "speed," but so what? If you take it properly, there's no problem.

It IS a controlled substance, and therefore you will have to get a new prescription for each refill. Maybe your neuro just doesn't want to be bothered with that hassle.

My neuro prescribed it initially and then said my PCP could continue the Rx, which my PCP was fine with. He had me sign a kind of contract about not misusing the drug, not getting it elsewhere, etc., like they do for pain patients on narcotics, and then he would just give me three prescriptions dated a month apart so that I didn't have to call them every month. No problems whatsoever.

After a couple years (not daily usage), I found the Ritalin didn't seem to work so well anymore--sometimes seeming to have the opposite effect. I switched to Strattera (for attention/concentration problems due to the dizziness) and have been taking it for five years with NO problems.

See if your PCP will let you try Ritalin. It's nonsense that it's not prescribed for adults--it certainly is. My guess is that your neuro just doesn't want to bother.

[Fluffysmom]

I was prescribed generic Ritalin by my PCP when I couldn't afford Provigil.  She had no problem with prescribing it, as she had watched me grow more fatigued over the years, saw how much Provigil helped me, and was willing to try another medication.  Oh, my neuro at that time had suggested Ritalin if Provigil failed or I was unable to afford it.

I found that 5 mg. twice a day even was not tolerable for me.  It gave me heart palpitations, facial tics, irritability, etc.  Also, the second dose of the day didn't seem to wake me up at all.

I think that different doctors have different ideas about prescribing such a medication, and different people react differently to it.  

I think it was a little rude of your neuro to make you feel like you were asking for some speed or something.

BTW, I had a similar reaction to Nuvigil as I did to Ritalin, though it lasted all day long and kept me awake a long time.  It also re-activated my tremors.  Another case of how people can react differently to the same medication.

I'm hoping my new neuro and his wonderful nurse will be able to get me approval for Provigil, because that's the med I've found so far that helps my fatigue and brain fog without awful side effects.

wishing you the best of luck,

Kathy

[cainer]

t  O.M.G. !!    
      I   didnt  know it was  well  , very ,  well  like dope-  LOL!!

It does help  some people do take it  and it helps some  thats great-
my  neuro.  made me want the chair 2  swallow  me  -  whole!

so  anyway  get this  they will give it 2  kids-   but not us-
i  lost it  -what !!  they  do that 2 kids  and  not adults!!??

   well  im on  nuvigil   - guess us  adults cant  handle the  stronger stuff

we need  2  write a story on this-- i had no  idea  -  i  hope  i  help someone-  dumb  --like  me--lol!    tick

[cainer]

BUMP

[cainer]

thanks!!  i  looked on net  and  still didnt tell me much- i  c  neour  2 day

   hopefuly he will let me  triy it!- i could  stand the cheerfulness 4  sure!
         tick

[Nancy T]

I think that methylphenidate (Ritalin) is simply one form of amphetamine.

I took Provigil occasionally for a year, then it seemed to stop working so well. I then took Ritalin, which is different but worked very well for me.

The reason I was taking it was for "attention and concentration deficits related to chronic dizziness," as my neuro put it. Ritalin totally lifted the veil of "fog" and allowed me to concentrate, think, be productive, and carry on a conversation. (It also made me type faster, talk more, and feel quite cheerful!)

Try it, starting at a low dose. Can't hurt. The only problem is that the effect is temporary--it doesn't last as long as Provigil. I took 10 mg of Ritalin twice a day (a small dose), though only on days that I needed it. Had no side effects (except for the fast typing and cheerfulness thing).

Good luck!