So I have ADHD and I’m prescribed Concerta. Usually I take it when I need to focus, but last night I thought it’d be a smart idea to use it to stay up all night with my friend.
We wanted to pull an all-nighter — just hang out, talk, play games, whatever. So I took it around 11PM.
Except… I took too much.
At first it was fine. I was super awake, everything was funny. Then my friend fell asleep around 3–4AM and I started slowly losing my mind.
It’s now 7AM. I haven’t slept at all and i have a unbearable amount of tics. I can’t stop moving my eyebrows for some reason. I keep staring at random corners of the ceiling. My body feels like it ran a marathon, but I’ve just been sitting here, trying not to explode.
I feel like I’m trapped in my own body while my brain goes “what the hell are we doing” and my nervous system is like “vibe check: FAILED.”
Anyway, don’t do what I did. ADHD meds are not Red Bull. I’m just trying to survive until this wears off.
Any advice? lol
TL;DR: took too much Concerta to stay up with my friend. Didn’t sleep. Now I’m stuck in my own personal tic horror movie and my eyebrows won’t chill.
Comments
Don’t do it again. Many people start their druggie journey by first taking ADHD meds. In the mean time, you just need to drink more water and do something to sweat, so hope the med being washed out of your body.
Drink some hot tea and try to rest babydoll. It’ll be over soon enough.
Would a hot shower or bath help?
You just have to ride it out man. Sounds like a total pain in the ass though. Take this as a lesson!
Don’t abuse your meds
Orange juice or grapefruit juice. The vitamin C makes it clear your system faster. Might be a little intense first.
we’ve all been there. just ride it out bestie. have something substantial to eat even if you don’t feel hungry. drink water. move your body if you can, or at least talk to someone to keep your mind occupied. if you can’t do any of those, listen to stray kids or some other type of noise music that will scratch your brain. you got this!
for some reason, or at least in my experience, it’s a complete disaster when i try to override my circadian rhythm with stimulants. i would do what you did and then not sleep correctly for the following three days. i have found success with forcing myself to go to bed early (by taking a sleeping pill or having exceptional sleep hygiene) and using my stimulants to wake up very early in the morning. not as fun for a sleepover vibe, but useful for studying right before the test.
Got any L Theanine?
It helps to take the edge of the meds, helps the jittery feeling.
It’s very good for adhd in general and especially when the pills start to wear off.
Ooh, yeah. As someone with ADHD- do not take your meds past 6 PM. You WILL NOT be able to sleep.
Also breathing or meditation, lots of good guided ones on YouTube.
Used to snort Ritalin when I was younger, lots of restless nights. I definitely know how you feel, but it will pass soon enough.
As someone who abused ADHD meds for a couple years, you might be at the beginning of a very dark path. Be careful
The main thing with any bad drugs time that you’re having is: it is temporary. And it might suck for a bit, but it is temporary.
Put some tv or some music on – whatever you find relaxing.
I use to take my ADHD meds and literally stay up 4 day* four days no sleep. You can lay down and close your eyes listening to something interesting on YouTube or take a bath to soothe you
I took it around 11PM, i don’t remember the dose though, but i’m sure it was bigger than my usual one.