# anyone on a stimulant?



## goldengirlz (Sep 16, 2008)

Hi I'm new here and believe I have been suffering from derealization for over 10 years.

I've recently been diagnosed with ADHD Inattentive. I'm a 34 year old woman.

I started taking ritalin and it makes me SO TIRED. So this makes my doc think that I DO have ADHD.

However, one of my biggest symptoms is living in a fog, like the world is flat, 1 dimensional, I'm void of any real feeling, I can't really "see" the world around me. I read the book "feeling unreal" and it really spoke to me.

I noticed in the section of treatment, the author mentions taking stimulants. Has anyone here tried stimulants to medicate DP or DR?

I think I need to get off of ritalin and try something else, but my question is, should I try another stimulant and just let my doc go down the ADHD route and see what happens?

Or should I tell my doc I think I might have DR and see if there's another/better route to try medically.

I don't want to waste anymore time. I've lost enough of it already and am SO amazed to find there's a real name for what I've been experiencing.


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## Mark (Jul 21, 2008)

I don't think many people take stimulants for dr or dp.
I think lots of us would like to.
I read that many years ago they tried stimulants but that they basically burnt people out.
Strange that they make you tired.
Comfortablynumb should answer this question.


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## voidvoid (Sep 5, 2008)

I really want to know this aswell, stimulants like medical amphetamines that are used to treat ADHD etc could maybe help DP. Man why didnt i ask my Doctor about this today.


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## Absentis (Jul 10, 2007)

I take methylphenidate (Ritalin) to treat derealization. (I experience DR more than DP.) It helps not only with the visual disturbance, but also with managing "brain fog", fatigue, and a poor short term memory.


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## Mark (Jul 21, 2008)

Absentis said:


> I take methylphenidate (Ritalin) to treat derealization. (I experience DR more than DP.) It helps not only with the visual disturbance, but also with managing "brain fog", fatigue, and a poor short term memory.


Does it cause sleeping problems and do people say you talk too much and stuff like that?


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## voidvoid (Sep 5, 2008)

Absentis said:


> I take methylphenidate (Ritalin) to treat derealization. (I experience DR more than DP.) It helps not only with the visual disturbance, but also with managing "brain fog", fatigue, and a poor short term memory.


If this can be combined with benzo?s/antidepressants, i do want.

Because not to sound like a crackhead or something, but i know that alot of people that are into hard drugs combine "uppers" with "downers" for a good combo.

In this case the stimulants would be the "uppers" and the benzos (xanax, clonazepam etc) would be the "downers".


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## hurricane12 (May 22, 2008)

crack and alcohol 
is a good upper and downer combination too :wink:


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## Mark (Jul 21, 2008)

Inzom said:


> Absentis said:
> 
> 
> > I take methylphenidate (Ritalin) to treat derealization. (I experience DR more than DP.) It helps not only with the visual disturbance, but also with managing "brain fog", fatigue, and a poor short term memory.
> ...


I am with you. Why not.


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## Willshesaveme (Jul 7, 2008)

Im on the new liquid SAM-E , comes in a little bottle form and its the worlds first liquid sam-e it works really good however its farely expensive, costs me about 80 dollars.


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## Mark (Jul 21, 2008)

Willshesaveme said:


> Im on the new liquid SAM-E , comes in a little bottle form and its the worlds first liquid sam-e it works really good however its farely expensive, costs me about 80 dollars.


I just looked it up.
Is this effective? 
Is it a stimulant for you?
Does it make dp better?
Who told you about it?
Why do I ask so many questions?
Do you know anyone else who takes it?
If you take more do you feel ?more? better.
If I drank 5 gallons could I fly?


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## optimusrhyme (Aug 24, 2004)

I am also ADHD and I've been on ritalin & dexedrine both are very good for the brain fog but they come with huge side effects. you loose your apetite almost completely, you start to have stomach problems and its very very hard to get to sleep at nightime. My doctor is currently working on treating my ADHD with a newer non-stimulant called "Stratera" which pretty much does all the same things as stimulants only it dosent have the nasty side effects to go with it. When I start the drug i'll let you all know how it is affecting my DP/DR /Brain Fog.

-optimusrhyme


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## goldengirlz (Sep 16, 2008)

So those of you who have been treating with Ritalin for the brain fog symptoms, do they go away completely? Do you feel like you've "popped out" of your DR? I've had moments where I've noticed the world around me better, like going to my doctor's office that I've been going to for years, I saw some nice new paintings hanging behind the receptionist. "Beautiful paintings." I said, "Are they new?"

The receptionist looked at me like I was an idiot, "No, they've been hear for about a year now."

So I thought I was on to something and stayed on the drug, despite the fact that I was TIRED and STONED out of my mind by it. But nothing more has happened like that.

Just wondering if anyone has actually experienced a complete removal of the fog, veil, feeling that you are behind glass, etc. My doc seems to think that these symptoms sound like ADD, like I'm so much in my head, spinning, spinning, spinning with thoughts that I don't "see the world in front of me." But I come to this board and feel like I can really relate to your symptoms...


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## Absentis (Jul 10, 2007)

Mark said:


> Absentis said:
> 
> 
> > I take methylphenidate (Ritalin) to treat derealization. (I experience DR more than DP.) It helps not only with the visual disturbance, but also with managing "brain fog", fatigue, and a poor short term memory.
> ...


Ironically, I found that I immediately began to have a better quality of sleep (length and restfulness) when I began to take Ritalin on a regular basis. I not only stopped my regular naps (which interfere with falling asleep), but I was able to be more active during the day which allowed me to be more tired when appropriate (at night, instead of all the time.)

I've never been diagnosed with ADHD, nor do I think I have any of the symptoms. In fact, before my dp/dr onset I was pretty much the exact opposite of ADHD. Still, I've been able to find a balanced dose that helps alleviate symptoms without acting like I'm high on speed.



Inzom said:


> Absentis said:
> 
> 
> > I take methylphenidate (Ritalin) to treat derealization. (I experience DR more than DP.) It helps not only with the visual disturbance, but also with managing "brain fog", fatigue, and a poor short term memory.
> ...


I take citalopram and clonazepam at night, and temazepam if I can't sleep. Ritalin is taken, of course, in the morning. So at least my psychiatrist thinks they can be combined.



goldengirlz said:


> So those of you who have been treating with Ritalin for the brain fog symptoms, do they go away completely? Do you feel like you've "popped out" of your DR?


In my case, whenever I take Ritalin I notice my derealization minimizing over the course of the next hour as the drug begins to kick in. It doesn't go away completely, unfortunately, but it diminishes along a continuum towards a bearable state.

---

Lastly, before I make anyone believe that Ritalin is my panacea, I must mention that I take in as part of a combination of drugs. As well, I have a good therapeutic relationship with my psychiatrist who understands and accepts that I know a lot about medications, therapy, and disorders because I'm almost finished an honours Psychology degree and will continue with graduate work. For example, I've met doctors who would be upset that I know the difference between citalopram and escitalopram, yet I can have an amicable discussion with my psychiatrist about chirality instead. I also have a good circle of friends, I force myself to be a full time student (even though I'd rather lay around all day snorting oxy), and manage to have decent nutrition on a student's budget.


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## Dreamland (Jun 1, 2005)

I heard that Provigil works wonders for brain fog and attention deficit related disorders but I've never tried it myself. I'm not a proponent for popping pills because I'm of the belief that your body, or your genetic predisposition, will eventually negate the efficacy of meds., since your body will get used to them and will revert back to its old self. Have you ever noticed that people who take psychotropic drugs often switch from one drug to another, almost like an endless journey to find that magical elixir, but you can't fight genetics. I'm not trying to sound negative because medications serve a purpose in order to get back on the road to recovery....just don't rely on them long term.


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## Kelsey (Nov 4, 2010)

I am not *on* a stimulant. I have tried it before. I know someone who takes Adderall for ADD and I tried one of her Adderalls once. And oh my goodness guys, it literally did make me "pop" right out of my derealization. I could see the world. Because I wasn't focused on simply focusing itself, I was able to focus on everything around me. Suddenly I saw people more fully, knew them more fully, and--most delightfully of all--I was able to do the things that I previously loved to do. I really do think that psychiatrists and researchers need to explore this avenue of treatment. Think about it...maybe instead of having ADD in the sense of reading and studying and such (the typical idea of ADD, although I know very well that it varies), maybe we're all have LIFE ADD. What about that?


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## Kelsey (Nov 4, 2010)

Oh, also, I'm on Provigil to get rid of the brain fog, but it totally does NOT work enough and not in quite the same way. Sure, it works some, but the way it works is not very significant. It's designed to fight sleepiness, so rather than clearing my mind, it just sort of wakes me up a little more. For example, if I forget to take my medicine, I notice that a day on Provigil is to a day with a very good sleep as a day without Provigil (missed dose) is to a day with a few hours of missed sleep the night before. I plan to go see my psychiatrist soon and inform him of this. As based on my experience and on a good amount of neurological research, I would have to say that Provigil is not the right treatment for us.


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## Swiss262 (Jul 24, 2013)

Been taking adderall for about a year. It definitely gives me a at least part of the day where symptoms are minimized and I feel somewhat "normal". Just tried Nuvigil for a few days. I noticed nothing.


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