Spasms & AD(H)D stimulants - anyone else with bad experiences?
Hi everyone,
I’m curious if there are people with spasms and are on AD(H)D medication that share my experience or have good advice for my situation:
I’ve had ADD since I was 14 and have used Ritalin off and on since. It has always worked very well for me. Since my last relapse a year ago, my spasticity (constant muscle tension) has increased a lot. I've recently discovered a frustrating link between these MS symptoms and my ADHD medication.
When I started using Ritalin again, after being off it during my relapse, it not only stopped helping me cognitively (I suspect this has to do with a bad interaction with Tysabri, but that’s a whole different story), but it also triggered intense muscle pain and spasms. It was truly unbearable at times. I was maxing out Baclofen just to manage because I thought it was just my MS getting worse. After stopping Ritalin because of other reasons, a big chunk of the pain went away and I realized it was actually a side effect of the medication. It was truly lifechanging and frustrating at the same time.
I am now trying out Dexamfetamine. While it works great cognitively (unlike the Ritalin), it is unfortunately having the same physical impact. I’m experiencing extra spasms and strange "buzzing" pains in muscle groups that usually don't bother me.
Has anyone else dealt with this?
• Do stimulants (Ritalin, Dex, etc.) flare up your spasms or cause muscle pains?
• If you need ADHD meds but struggle with spasticity, have you found a specific medication or trick that gives you the focus without the physical misery?