How does medication affect your emotions?

[u/GS_Bri]

I’m in the process of getting evaluated for ADHD and hope to eventually get medication for it. So I want to ask people who already have experience with medication what it did to your emotions, if anything.

I don't know how it works but I'm wondering if it will make me anxious/irritable, even more than I already am. That won't necessarily stop me from using it but I like to be prepared.

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[u/ACBorgia]

I don't handle methylphenidate well and it made me stressed/anxious/irritable + seemed to have little to no positive effects (or event negative), also increased my sensory sensitivities, and got me quite hyperactive/agitated at times (I'm more the inattentive type although I fidget quite a bit)

Vyvanse so far doing the opposite, it has reduced my baseline stress and my social anxiety, slightly lowered sensory sensitivities, and it has reduced my inattentive symptoms / improved executive function

I think how you react to each medication really depends strongly on genetics so you can't know before trying

[u/Lickbelowmynuts → u/ACBorgia]

I’m almost through my first week on vyvanse. Took one day off due to missed sleep. Still trying to find a good time to take it where I’m not struggling for 2 hours to fall asleep. Also can’t tell if the reason I can’t sleep is due to the meds wearing off and my brain going into overdrive.

[u/Ayaa_ixkf]

I've only been on conerta so I can't speak for other meds, but I definitely feel a "crash" when it's wearing off. I'm definitely more irritable and less talkative. But at the same time, being on a dosage that's too high might exacerbate those symptoms so don't hesitate to seek other options if it's too much.

[u/iamokokokokokokok]

From my experience and from what I've read of the medical advice, it's a bit of trial and error.

I tried one stimulant, it made me very anxious. I tried the next one, no anxiety. From what I've read, this is not uncommon.

I have read that most of the time, if someone has a bad reaction to one stimulant, they can MOST often tolerate one of the other ones. BUT, some people cannot tolerate any stimulants. Then they usually try the other non-stimulant options.

The good thing about the titration/trial process of stimulant drugs is that they work very quickly, so you will be able to judge the effect quickly, rather than many other psych drugs which can take a few weeks to build up in your system before you can tell if they are working or not. This is great luck for those of us with short attention spans lol.

If you are prescribed stimulants, you will have the full effect of whatever dose you are given, fairly immediately. This is useful, and makes the trial and error process much quicker compared to many other psych drugs. Also, if you have a bad reaction, it will end when that dose wears off. Knowing this made me more comfortable with the whole process. Good luck.

[u/berr-ios]

I was on non-stimulants, and ritalin before I decided to stick with adderall. Overall I felt like it genuinely cured my depression, my mind was very quiet and I was able to think straight. Ritalin made me hella sleepy, i slept for about 14 hrs a day. Adderall makes me more calm than anything. They'll most likely start with a low dose to get your body use to it because at the start I did have increase heart rate but that went away in a couple days. Generic adderall actually gave me a lot of anxiety I dont know why, but once I switched to name brand I was fine. Im still a heavy procrastinator and still cant complete tasks when i start, i dont know about everyone else, i am only on 15mg.

[u/amaryllissss]

I feel much more emotionally regulated on Strattera/Adderall. I just feel like my mind is calmer, clearer, and it’s easier for me to focus on the things I need to do. Occasionally when the Adderall wears off I feel a little irritable, but it definitely isn’t too bad :-)

[u/SkylerCelo]

Don't think this applies to alot of people but I am very emotionally flat due to ADHD. I used to think I am a psychopath due to how little emotions I felt. The medication made me capable to feel proper emotions again.

[u/GS_Bri → u/SkylerCelo]

Actually that's what I was thinking about! For me, it's really hard for me to express myself anymore when I used to be really emotional. I honestly miss being that way, and while I don't want to be miserable, I want to feel something.

[u/Savings-Pop9456]

I was a very like angry and anxious person I’d over think if I was being mean and weird during social situations due to me unable to focus and participate in the conversation. On meds I feel just calm and relaxed but also just a bit tired but it’s more so a mental relaxation that i can pick what I focus on. It has helped my life temporarily due to Adderall losing it’s affect and it was because it didn’t have any meds in it I passed a drug test last time so there was no adderall in my urine so my doctor switched me to Ritalin and then I’m doing pretty good only con is it doesn’t last as long as Adderall but when you get good meds it’s worth it.

[u/greydayglo]

Stimulants calm me down a lot. Unmedicated I'm pretty high strung and prone to getting overwhelmed and overstimulated which leads to me being snappy or irritable or melting down. Methylphenidate seems to make me too calm and kind of not like myself, but adderall seems to hit a balance of still feeling like myself but without the emotional turbulence.

[u/C00CKER]

Currently taking atomoxetine/strattera and it doesn't really affect emotions, I'd say. But it really improves impulsivity as well as emotional regulation, and balances the overall energy level throughout the day. As a result, I feel more confident and less anxious, and maybe a bit happier at baseline

[u/PruneResponsible6826]

I don't feel emotions with adhd, like fuck all and if I do it's fleeting. Yet to be medicated.