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friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

First few days on Elvanse and wow! This stuff is honestly astonishing.

If you’re seeing this on Bluesky it’s auto cross posted from fedi. Breaks might be in odd places.

It’s essentially created two versions of me. There is medicated me who is a competent adult and can Just Do Stuff and unmedicated me who is mot, and cannot (but who is fun and lovely and is the version writing this).

On the way up the transition between the two is smooth and continuous.

On the way down it is not. I can feel it starting to fade over above half and hour then it reaches some critical level and o spend 10-15 minutes just crashing.

And then I’m the person writing this again, but a bit dazed and bewildered.

I’m hoping this will get smoother. At the moment it leads to almost a discontinuity in personality, but only on the way down, where afterwards I simply cannot conceive of being the person I just was.

I think I need to get into the habit, before it wears off, of leaving myself something nice for just after the crash.

in reply to Sarah Brown

Llwynog
mastodon - Link to source
Llwynog
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I am glad Elvanse seems to be helping! The nicest thing about meds is knowing that you were never to blame for previous difficulties concentrating (I used to blame myself for that all the time).
in reply to Llwynog

Llwynog
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Llwynog
• •
I'm on methylphenidate and I don't have the "crash" effect. I am much more focused when I'm on the drug and end up wasting less time online, but I do notice it the next day when I haven't (yet) taken my meds. There isn't a "crash" as you're describing; it's more of a gradual feeling of the drug wearing off. If the "downwards transition" becomes unbearable, maybe ask your doctor if you could try methylphenidate?
in reply to Llwynog

Sarah Brown
friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
Sarah Brown
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@Llwynog I would except other than for about 10 minutes as it wears off it’s working fantastically well for me.

And the crash is getting easier each time.

@Llwynog
in reply to Llwynog

Sarah Brown
friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
Sarah Brown
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@Llwynog Same. I now know to just not do stuff in the base state and leave it for when they next kick in. It’s absurd how much easier it is to just do stuff.
@Llwynog
in reply to Sarah Brown

Llwynog
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Llwynog
• •
I am in my mid-30s and I've done OK academically and career-wise - mostly because I have compensated for difficulties concentrating by being bright. On meds, I am far more able to gain knowledge and, as you say, "do stuff". I grieve for all the skills I haven't been able to gain, and the time I have wasted, due to leaving this condition untreated until now. At least now I know I wasn't lazy previously (as everyone assumed); just handicapped by a medical condition.
in reply to Llwynog

Sarah Brown
friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
Sarah Brown
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@Llwynog Yeah. Like, they were so bloody horrible to me for not doing the stuff that was literally viscerally painful because to them, they literally got a dopamine headset for doing it.
@Llwynog
in reply to Sarah Brown

Llwynog
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Llwynog
• •
Do you mean things like attending loud concerts? What gets to me is *excessive* small talk (a little bit is OK) - especially in the workplace. It drains my energy because I'm required to concentrate on a non-productive conversation that doesn't even lead to friendship or other social benefits. I used to get criticised for disliking excessive small talk, but I've turned it into a strength by working hard and being efficient whilst everyone else is chatting.
in reply to Llwynog

Llwynog
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Llwynog
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Years ago, people would have described my aversion to small talk as "autistic". But this implies lacking the skills to make small talk. I avert it due to it requiring me to concentrate (on something that wastes time); it has nothing to do with an inability to schmooze, otherwise I would not have reached where I have in my nursing career. Understanding this, instead of lazily describing it as "autistic", has helped me gain a greater understanding of my life.
in reply to Sarah Brown

Momo
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Momo
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When I started with Medikinet (which starts fast but has a half time of 20min), I learned that doing sports when it wears off masks the crash a bit. Experiment a bit with stuff that focusses you, you will surely know something that could work for you.
in reply to Momo

Sarah Brown
friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
Sarah Brown
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@Momo Thanks. I’m only on 30mg Elvanse at the moment, so I get 4 good hours and they’re very precious to me so fitting in everything I need to do can be tough. Moving up to 50mg in a few days. That should give me more time.
@Momo
in reply to Sarah Brown

Momo
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Momo
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Would it make sense to stay in 30mg and just add a second 20mg dosage later, maybe 1h before the first one ends? That depends on how fast your body deconstructs the Lisdexamfetamin to Dexamfetamin. For my son it was about one hour.

I'm on Medikinet, which is based in Methylphenidat. It works good and kicks in very fast after 15-30min but even as a retarded Multi-dosage-pill it only works for 3h. Which means I have to tightly schedule multiple intakes over the day to roughly cover from 8am to 3pm. MPHs half-time in the bloodstream is about 20min, LDX works way longer than that.

in reply to Momo

Sarah Brown
friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
Sarah Brown
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@Momo Dunno. I know a lot of people end up doing a 40/30 split long term but this is not my wheelhouse. I know about HRT but I do not know about this, so I’m just going to do as I’m told and take what they tell me to take while titration happens.
@Momo
in reply to Momo

Sarah Brown
friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
Sarah Brown
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@Momo Update to this. Was out for a walk today when it wore off and felt so much better. Could be that, or could be just that I'm getting used to it.
@Momo
in reply to Sarah Brown

Momo
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Momo
• •
It's called a rebound and you will getting used to it. After about a week you won't feel it anymore. But until then tricks like that help you adjusting faster.
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