I just wanted to post here about my experience with stimulants. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in the summer of 2015, with my major complaint being the constant fatigue. I had an excellent doctor at the time who explored the cause of my symptoms from all angles...tests ruling out lyme, referrals to a rheumatologist who prescribed gabapentin, a neurologist who has done extensive research on disordered sleep patterns in fibro patients, leading me to do a sleep study and treatment by a "sleep dentist" who prescribed a mandibular advancement device (for slight airway obstruction). None of it helped with the fatigue. Frustrated at my continued complaints, the sleep dentist said (no lie) "well, have you tried drinking coffee?". I mean, I give up.
I had my DNA tested and discovered I have the mthfr gene which prevents absorption of regular b12 and folic acid, actually taking these supplements can make a person feel worse as the folic acid builds up in ones system. So I switched to a specially formulated vitamin. (As an aside, I recommend everyone have this testing done. I used 23andme and ran my raw data through a website that gave me a full report on my genetic makeup..fascinating). So fast forward to when I had to change doctors, and was taking ambien hoping that more restful sleep would be the answer (it wasnt), tramadol and gabapentin (neurontin) for pain, and of course our beloved effexor.
This doctor was as frustrated with me as the sleep dentist. "Have you tried drinking coffee?". Seriously??? Do these doctors have stock in coffee beans?
Isn't it funny how it always has to be the patient that suggests something to the doctor? Years ago there was a new drug on the market for narcolepsy, called provigil. I was a massage therapist at the time working in a psychiatric office. We all (the staff) thought it would be a great experiment to try it and see if we were any more productive that day..all in the name of medicine of course. Well I remember that day all these years later. It had surely worked for alertness. So I told the doctor about that and asked about the possibility of being prescribed it. He said that it was difficult to get insurance to approve it and that it was very expensive, and he said that he could give me adderall instead. When I said I didn't think I had adhd, he replied, "if you take it and you DON'T have adhd, you'll feel like you're on speed, so either way should work". (Yes, insert incredulous patient face emoji here).
So adderall it was and not only did I not feel like I was on speed, I was definitely able to focus more. As far as energy levels went, I still felt the need to nap. But I was more productive. I started researching ADHD and went back to the neurologist who had ordered my sleep study, asked him what he thought about the adderall and would he recommend taking it or anything else, and should I be tested for ADHD. He asked if the adderall helped my concentration. I said yes. He said, "well then why would you even want a test? You must have it." Lol. I took the test anyway and came up as slow processing. So I just kept taking the adderall. I have read a lot about adhd and it was recommended to take breaks from the medication so here and there I would take a day off.
Ok, here's where it gets interesting..if you've read this far. I always time my tapers to coincide with visiting my parents, I'm very active at their house and my mind has little time to wander and ruminate on withdrawal, even though I still experience the fatigue. So I would rarely take the adderall. In March when I returned home I didn't resume it, I wanted to start seeing what my baseline was without it. Now my effexor dose had decreased dramatically, that's the only tlothrr thing that changed, and I was very surprised to realize that my level of fatigue is much lower. Now I'm off effexor completely (and off ambien as well) and my energy levels have increased. This makes me believe that the effexor was at least contributing to my fatigue if not being caused by it.
My point being that maybe after the effexor is gone, your energy level may improve without a stimulant. The downside is that I've gained almost 20 pounds (slowly since my effexor taper started in Sept 2018). I dont know if effexor was keeping me from gaining weight all these years but I suspect so. I've never had a problem with weight gain before.
I'm not against stimulants, although if you have a tendency toward HTN you'll want to keep an eye on your blood pressure. I am taking it again on the days that I have a fuller work schedule as it seems to allow me to have more focus. But I'm not needing naps, even without the adderall, so I am pretty sure effexor was the culprit. Just add that to the list of all the other shitty things it has done. Unbelievable that I was SO stupid and desperate that I never considered it to be a problem or considered that it was not even helping me. Even as a nurse. I'm thinking more clearly now and feel like I am waking up. And boy, am I angry!! Angry but also grateful. I'm looking forward to a very full life for the rest of the years I have on this earth. (Of course, ask me next week, or the next, lol, since I'm sure there are members here that are waiting for my other shoe to drop, so to speak).
Keep fighting the good fight. Research everything you can and find the combination of things that work for your own recovery. Thanks for reading. This forum is so cathartic for me.
@brightwings where have you been?