• Effectiveness

  None (for fatigue)
• Side effects

  None (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Usually
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Cost: < $25 monthly

• Effectiveness

  Major (for Idiopathic hypersomnia)
• Side effects

  Mild (for Overall) (anxious mood)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: As needed

Advice & Tips: taking ritallin has improved my FM symptoms dramatically! The short term dosage is a supplment to the SR dosage.

Side effects: anxious mood, anxious mood

• Effectiveness

  Major (for Idiopathic hypersomnia)
• Side effects

  Mild (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 20 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: you will need to take a "vacation" from the drug for a week or so to manage the increased anxiety that is a side effect of long term use of Ritalin. But, this is minor trade off for how much better the FM sypmtoms while I'm on the drug.

Side effects: anxious mood, anxious mood

• Effectiveness

  Can't tell (for fatigue)
• Side effects

  None (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Sometimes
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: As needed

• Effectiveness

  Slight (for fatigue)
• Side effects

  None (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 10 mg Daily

Cost: $25-49 monthly

• Effectiveness

  Slight (for forgetting words)
• Effectiveness

  Moderate (for forgetfulness)
• Effectiveness

  Moderate (for problems concentrating)
• Side effects

  None (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 18 mg/24 hr Daily

• Effectiveness

  Moderate (for fatigue)
• Side effects

  Mild (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Usually
• Burden

  A little hard to take

Dosage: 40 mg Daily

Cost: $25-49 monthly

• Effectiveness

  Moderate (for attention deficit disorder)
• Effectiveness

  Slight (for depressed mood)
• Side effects

  None (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 10 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: I feel that this med (Ritalin, aka methylin) works moderately well in treating my ADD. I take one 10mg tab when I wake up & one 5mg tab around noon. I do feel that I wake up easier & faster when taking this, which was unexpected. This is positive for me as I have always had a very hard time waking up in the morning no matter how much sleep I've had. Anything that makes it easier for me to wake up is a good thing for me! I say the Ritalin has helped moderately because when I first started taking it the difference was remarkable! I felt almost normal, like I could sort out my thoughts a bit more coherently. Unfortunately, this didn't last long - my body seems to adjust to meds VERY fast (always has w/every med I've taken). At first I was taking 5mg in the am & another 5mg at noon. The noon dose made me sleepy if that makes any sense! So, I started taking both in the am. After talking to my pdoc, she decided to increase my dose to what I take now. I do feel that it works, but just not enough. It's like there's these steps in my brain, and the ritalin bumps me up the step, but just not quite enough. I can feel it, like it's just not quite there, not quite right yet... don't know if that makes any sense! Anyway, I'm babbling!!

Cost: < $25 monthly

• Effectiveness

  Major (for Increase effect of another treatment)
• Side effects

  Mild (for Overall) (nausea if taken on empty stomach)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 2 x 36 mg/24 hr Daily

Advice & Tips: Anyone who is looking to make their anti-depression meds work better should talk to their doc about starting on a low dose of concerta. I've found that it makes my SSRI more noticeable. I would say that if you have ever had a problem with any kind of drug addiction, legal or not, you should not take this. If you do take it, make sure to take it in the AM. When you first start it you may feel really sick, but it gets better. Taking this med has really helped me be functional so that I can take my mental health to the next level of adequate counceling.

Cost: $25-49 monthly

Side effects: nausea if taken on empty stomach

• Effectiveness

  Major (for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder)
• Effectiveness

  Major (for fatigue)
• Side effects

  Severe (for Overall)
• Adherence

  Always
• Burden

  Not at all hard to take

Dosage: 60 mg Daily

Advice & Tips: This caused me extreme stomach problems

Cost: < $25 monthly