Posted by fachad on July 20, 2002, at 1:43:15
In reply to Philosophy, Chalmers, Consciousness - Fachad, posted by BekkaH on July 19, 2002, at 20:53:19
> Regarding methylphenidate versus dexedrine, now that you've tried both, do you have a preference?
It's a very close call, and there are several factors that come into play.
Based solely on effect, I definitely prefer methylphenidate. It has far less physical effects for me than Dex, and it also has a "brighter" and "warmer" effect on mood.
But...it wears off so quickly. Is there a Latin abbreviation (like bid or tid) for "take this med every f***ing 2 hours that your are awake"? And if, God forbid, it wears off, then I get a sour mood.
Then there's Concerta. The effects are steady, smooth, and the wear off is very gentle. The only problem is that it only lasts 8 - 10 hrs and my waking day is longer than that.
If I could have two (2) 36mg Concerta tablets, one every morning and one at noon, I think I'd be totally happy. But my insurance will only pay for one Concerta tablet per day, period. And the self pay price of Concerta is very expensive.
Dex, on the other hand, has some somatic side effects like jitters, racing heartbeat, dry mouth. But they are not TOO bad. And for me even the immediate release el cheapo generic Dex lasts 6 - 8 hrs. It doesn't feel as warm and fuzzy as MPH, but when it wears off it doesn’t feel as sour, either.
Well, no things being equal, I'm taking Dex. It is VERY cheap with my insurance, and it lasts long enough that 2 or 3 times a day dosing is fine.
So to give a simple answer to your question, I prefer methylphenidate, but Dexedrine is almost as good and far more convenient than immediate release MPH and far less expensive than Concerta (even with insurance).
poster:fachad
thread:112614
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020718/msgs/112993.html