Ritalin...

[dikaia880]

I've been seeing a sleep doctor the past month or so to figure out why I'm always feeling like taking a nap or falling alseep when i shouldn't be...

 

They ruled out sleep apnea, and say I have a compelling case for mild Narcolepsy, or idiopathic hypersomnia (idiopathic means unknown...so they say we don't know why your tired when they say that basically)

 

Well they put me on Ritalin yesterday, it's a central nervous system stimulant, but other than that I always thought it was just for ADHD and I am wondering more about Ritalin...

 

Has anyone been on it, what dose, side effects? anything you know about it would be helpful...my doctor wasn't answering my questions very well yesterday so i gave up and figured I'd find some people out here...Thanks!

[lunatic]

First off,

 

If your doctor can't answer your questions then it is time to get another opinion. I have Sleep Apnia and when I went to my doctor he answered all my questions. I never heard of anyone on Ritalin for this type of sleep disorder. I can only tell you that Ritalin usually is given to kids that can't sit still. I dont understand why you would be put on something that will calm you down.

 

Do yourself a favor and get a second opinion!

 

Hubman 8)

[WishMistress]

Ritalin is a stimulant that corrects the chemical pathways in the brain. My son has very severe ADHD and he took ritalin, but takes Concerta. Yes, it is a stimulant but to correct the chemical messages that are put out by the brain. Some of the side affects in children are: crying, appetite suppression, and sleep disturbances. I don't know about adult side affects. However these kinds of medications alter the brain for life when given to children and can cause depression when they reach adulthood. For some children like my son they are absolutely necessary for normal functioning in society.

[dikaia880]

Well Apnea is not my condition...Most likely Mild Narcolepsy, which is where the mind's sleep state and wakeful state intereput each other when it should be sleep state at night, wake state at day...but mine mix and match causing me strong urges to fall asleep...

 

I worry about Ritalin, because I've heard it causes depression,

I also don't like being on drugs...I'm wide awake right now becuase of the ritalin, but I feel like I'm cheating or something...

[lunatic]

I realize that apnea is not the problem that is my problem. You should really get a second opinion from another doctor. I don't like the fact your PC doctor cannot answer your questions. Get another opinion please talk to another doctor. Ask your dr for a sleep specialist and have him refer you to that dr if your insurance requires that. PM me if you want a link to a sleep disorder forum like Enotalone. I have found a lot of useful information located there.

 

 

Hubman 8)

[CherryGrl]

Just to clarify, you say you always feel like taking a nap or falling asleep when you shouldn't. Doyou have these episodes even though you get enough sleep at appropriate times? That's what happens with narcolepsy, which is a neurological disorder in which REM (dreaming) sleep intrudes into a person's awake cycle.

 

Doctors do prescribe various central nervous system stimulants like Ritalin for narcolepsy. It can be very dangerous to just nod off like this, like if you're driving, or engaged in any number of other activities, and so prescribing stimulants is often considered necessary and worth the risk. What's the risk? Well, these drugs can be highly addictive, for one thing, so most doctors are very reluctant to prescribe them unless they are sure they are necessary.

 

Is your doctor a specialist? Has he or she questioned you carefully about the sleep problem you are having? If the doctor thinks you have a form of narcolepsy, have any tests been run to confirm this?

 

Your doctor should be able to answer your questions regarding your treatment, including why you are taking Ritalin, how long he forsees you taking this medication, whether he thinks there might be dangerous side effects, if you should expect that the dosage you need to take will increase with time, etc. The web is also a great source for information on the drug itself, but can't substitute for your doctor's input.

[CherryGrl]

Pardon me, in rereading your original post I see that you do say he is a sleep doctor, so presumably a specialist. So if that's the case and you have been worked up and diagnosed with this condition, then read all you can find on Ritalin on the web and then talk with your doctor. He should be able to answer your questions. If not and you feel uncomfortable with the treatment, then a second opinion is certainly an option.

[dikaia880]

I Suppose I should clarify,

 

The doctor I am talking about is a sleep specialist, at one of the top sleep center in the US. The head doctor, who always comes in before i leave, is one of the most respected sleep specialists in the world, the problem is I never felt like I had enough time with him, just the other doctors who are young and seem to want to get through things as quick as possible. I've been through all the testing for apnea, and all the rest. For Narcolepsy they run "nap tests" these tests came back negative (but ro positively negative) The problems I experience are nodding off in meetings, strong urges to sleep when driving, sitting at my desk, classes, things like that...

 

I asked abotu side effects, he was sort of short with me on the answer, I think that is what i was most wondering about...

For the next couple weeks I call in once a week and they determine if I'm getting enough dosage. once an adequate dosage is determined that will be my prescription. The doctor said they encourage patients to vary the dosage depending on need, for example if I have a day full of meetings, take an extra dose, if I'm going to be outside and active all day, don't take any at all...

It's frustrating at the very least...There is a drug called Provigil (modanafil) that is one pill a day, and highly effective...I asked him about that and he sort of said we don't prescribe that much...

Do I have a right to ask for such a drug instead of ritalin? I'm am worried that ritalin is addictive (I've heard that) provigil is supposed to not be addictive...

I will be on some sort of medication for the rest of my life...

I move in saturday to a different state and they have given me the name a of a doctor there that actually trained where I was. I will see him sometime in the next week or two.

[Nifty_Swifty1]

I say you need to find another doctor. Putting you on a shelf three narcotic (along with things like morphine) seems a little strange, and the fact that he isn't telling you anything about the drug really has me worried. I would go see someone else as soon as possible.

[CherryGrl]

You say you will be seeing a new doctor in a week or two. You might see what happens with this doctor. Bring up your concerns to him, see if he can answer your questions and if he is open to trying another treatment (or if he is at least willing to discuss why he thinks the other treatment is not appropriate for you.)

 

Seeing a top specialist CAN be very frustrating, because they tend to be so busy they don't give patients enough time to ask questions. I worked with one of the country's top spine specialists for several years, and although he was a terrific surgeon his patients frequently complained they didn't get enough time to talk with him, only his assistants. I've seen this with many other specialists as well.

 

It could be that you are on the best treatment for you, but you should feel comfortable with this treatment. Do you have a history of substance abuse? Does your family have a history of alcohol or other substance abuse? Did your doctor ask you these questions before prescribing Ritalin?

 

If you have no history of substance abuse, you're not all that likely to become addicted to Ritalin, but it isn't a guarantee. You're addicted if you're using the medication in increasing amounts for purposes other than what it was prescribed for. For instance, if the medication keeps you from falling asleep at inappropriate times at a relatively small dosage, but you find yourself taking larger doses because you like the kick you get from the stimulant, be very careful because that's starting to sound like addiction.

 

Good luck to you. I hope the new doctor is more helpful in providing you with the information you need.

[dikaia880]

There is a background of alcoholism on my father's side of the family...

I'm a smoker, and have had a very hard time quitting...but alcohol is not an addiction of mine, though I do drink.

 

Thats sort of what I'm worried about, being put on something that makes me feel great and then not being able to get on without it... I mean Ive made it almost 25 yrs not being on something. Right now I've had three of the pills today, I'm supposed to have three to four daily and was told not to take it after 6 pm...I probably should have waited longer to take the third. I'm really afraid of getting addicted to this stuff. Not to mention I hate the "fake" feeling of being awake, no matter how good and awake it may or may not make me feel, I'll still feel like I rely on the drug to feel that way...I suppose if I have to be on it for life, theres no real addiction problem, but what if I've been misdiagnosed?

[CherryGrl]

"I suppose if I have to be on it for life, there's no real addiction problem."

 

Well, not necessarily...you have to be able to control your intake of this medication. You're supposed to take 3-4 pills a day. So say you start taking 4 every day, then on one day you take 5, thinking it's OK, I'll just take 3 tomorrow. But you don't, you take 4 or 5 tomorrow, and so on. You start having a hard time staying within the limits of your prescription and the next thing you know you are making up excuses to your doctor to explain why you need more pills.

 

Not saying this will happen to you, not at all. I'm just saying this is the pattern I've seen in working with many patients who are on long-term drug therapy with drugs that can be abused. I've also worked with patients who take these drugs just as they are prescribed for years and have no problem with them.

 

The only reason I'm bringing this up is to say, be careful. Watch yourself with this stuff, and be honest with yourself. If you do stay on this medication, pay close attention to the number of pills you take. At the first sign that you are tempted to take more than you should, realize you are having a problem and take steps to deal with it.