30 mg Inquiry

I have been taking the Wilshire generic for a year or so now after having many bad experiences with other stimulants (Adderall XR and Concerta made me sedated, Ritalin IR lasts not even an hour, Vyvanse brand was great but is now unaffordable and the generic made me feel drunk). I’m very sensitive to meds and tend to have opposite reactions to some, like how some stims can make me feel intoxicated. I started at 5 mg then worked up to 10 mg three times a day. Sleep disorder with a side of ADHD here, so this is more aimed toward fatigue versus focus. I then moved up to 20 mg twice a day as insurance won’t cover three or more per day. All the while I’ve had a decent experience, no crash like with Adderall, but I realized that even with dosing how I wanted by cutting it and taking more in the am/less in the afternoon, trying to spread 40 mg across a day wasn’t working as well. So we moved to 30 mg twice a day with my intent to be cutting it to 20 mg in the am or maybe taking the full pill upon waking, then the late morning and afternoon doses split into halves or fourths (like 20 mg morning, 20 mg lunch, 10 mg afternoon with half of the med leftover). At any dose up to this point, it tends to wear off fast and having it last five hours is a stretch.

I took one of the 30 mgs on Tuesday for the first time and I could tell about an hour in that it was much stronger. I felt fine at first although it was that uncomfortable speedy feeling where you need to be moving or talking. Then it seemed to calm a bit, more like a wired energy but not the kind where you clean like a madman or do anything productive. Just a weird hyper feeling. I took Hydroxyzine for sleep as I do nightly when needed at a dose of anywhere up to 40 mg. I typically only take 10 mg, which is what I took Tuesday. I wondered if I should take 20 mg Hydroxyzine given the stronger stimulant I’d taken earlier because often 10 mg Hydroxyzine doesn’t help me sleep well regardless of what meds I have or haven’t taken earlier. I just don’t want to be knocked out or hungover, so I suffer with restless sleep as a result. Not only did I never feel the Hydroxyzine kick in at all, about 9 hours in I had a moment where it felt like maybe the Zenzedi was wearing off then suddenly got worse than when I’d first taken it. My head felt like I was upside down, throbbing, my skin was crawling, and I felt my panic disorder being triggered. Typically, stimulants don’t trigger my panic. Odd, I know. I drank some orange juice since I know citric acid can weaken your meds and is sometimes used to avoid the crash.

After about 15 hours had passed since I’d taken the 30 mg, I took a second Hydroxyzine. That finally seemed to do the trick and I was able to sleep but very little. I still felt medicated 24 hours later and every dose since (which has been a half of the 30 mg or less) has packed a punch. Even if it hasn’t been like that 30 mg dose, it’s been much more obvious and uncomfortable than any of the past Wilshire doses. I even looked it up to make sure I hadn’t been given something wrong in error. Nope, yellow pill, not scored. I had done all the usual stuff - eaten right, for example - and yet I had such a terrible reaction. I know that 30 is a jump from 20 mg and am not shocked, but why would any of the doses since feel the way they do? I’m cutting them down to what should be close to 10, 15, or 20 mg doses give or take and they all feel stronger than past doses. No change in other meds, no change in manufacturer. I’m at a loss on why these are so unpleasant and why one pill lasted SO LONG, especially since that would’ve been great to have it last a longer duration as expected had it not been so uncomfortable and upsetting.

If taking a tiny portion that is basically a crumb off of the 30 mg still makes me feel yucky even though I hadn’t experienced that before with smaller doses, what is happening? It’d make more sense if this had been a different generic but, no. So frustrated!