Any advice for getting through Concerta withdrawal after long-term use?
I stopped Concerta immediately after discussing it with my doctor (no taper). The timing worked out because I had just finished my current bottle, and we agreed it was a good point to stop rather than start another one. I’d been taking it for about 5 years with almost no breaks. My dose and formulation changed a lot over the years, but it eventually stopped helping. My final dose was 72 mg/day (2*36 mg). I also recently reached 100 mg atomoxetine, which made stopping feasible.
This wasn’t an easy decision. I’d tried to stop methylphenidate before and the withdrawal was bad enough that I always went back. It also took me a long time to accept that, despite how much it had helped in the past, it had gradually become more of a hindrance than a benefit.
The withdrawal has been much harder than I expected. I have constant physical and mental discomfort, feel very restless, and I sleep throughout the day if I don’t consume caffeine. Caffeine helps a lot, but not nearly enough, and too much of it starts affecting my breathing.
One thing I’ve noticed is that Concerta consistently made mornings feel especially motivating, regardless of the dose, and I think I became psychologically dependent on that feeling over the years.
Has anyone experienced something similar after stopping after such long-term use? Did anything besides time make the transition easier, especially for the sleepiness, restlessness, and overall discomfort?