Callista wrote:
Sometimes it does take a few weeks to figure out if you're more efficient on the meds; but really, stimulants do have their effect pretty much immediately, within a few hours. If they were SSRIs, I'd say give it a few weeks; but stimulants, you can tell right away. Won't be a magical "now I can do anything" effect, though. More like, it's just a bit easier to regulate yourself, organize things, get things done than it used to be. It gives you an edge, that's all. You'll probably recognize that the first day, or else after the initial side effects go away. (Some people get headaches and appetite loss. You have to wait a week for those to fade.) If the effect is more subtle, then you're probably going to hear it first from other people--your teachers might comment on how you've been better organized; or your spouse might notice how much better you're keeping your house clean.
What if it's an extended release?
And you know you can't just take a pill and actually feel like you're more regulated with focus and motivation. I've taken my medication and it doesn't kick in until I actually go do those tasks. I feel like I need to intellectually stimulate myself in order for my stimulants to work. Sometimes mental arithmetic is enough.
Even though I've been taking my medication for over a year I still have to direct my focus otherwise I can over focus on less productive things.
20 Nov 2011, 1:07 pm
