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"I'm the one who knocks." Let's talk Amphetamines!

Posted by sanDGuy @sandguy, May 27 11:56pm

I've had LC for about a year, in my case (fortunately) pretty much confined to chronic fatigue, although that's pretty disabling in itself. I'm strongly considering asking my PCP to prescribe some kind of stimulant, in lieu of drinking several espressos a day, which is my current, only partially successful, approach.
There are scattered comments here and there on this board where people mention using assorted stimulants, but could we please have a more in-depth, on-topic discussion of what people's experiences have been with them and to what extent they're helpful? I know that this is, in effect, just treating the symptom instead of the disease, but as far as I can tell the symptom pretty much IS the disease in my case (and besides, the disease doesn't yet seem to be particularly "treatable", IMHO)
I'm talking here such things as Adderall, Ritalin, Dexmethylphenidate,
Guanfacine, Dextroamphetamine, Vyvanse, and heck, I dunno, Bennies, Dexies, whatever the cool kids are calling them these days...
I mean heck, I'm tempted to just go down to the SE side here where I could easily score some crystal meth and a pipe, but, being so near to Tijuana, it would likely be cut with Fentanyl, which is definitely not my drug of choice.
(I'm sorry, don't mean to be silly which is my tendency...)
My PCP is pretty sympathetic and didn't hesitat to prescribe low dose naltraxone (which didn't do NADA), so maybe I can persuade her.

So seriously, what have people found to be helpful in this drug category, please?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 Support Group.

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roadog66 | @roadog66 | Jul 8 10:27am
In reply to @mclelland1958 "I am ADD and have been on several stimulants for 30 years. I take Dextroamphetamine 15mg...." + (show)
Profile picture for mclelland1958 @mclelland1958

I am ADD and have been on several stimulants for 30 years. I take Dextroamphetamine 15mg. 3x daily. Since I have taken this drug pre- and post-covid, I can tell you that long covid does not change the effectiveness.
But I caution those who are considering a prescription Dex., remember that it should not replace rest. I take a holiday day each month and it isn’t comfortable. I also strongly suggest that while you are starting this drug, be sure that you take the dose as prescribed. It is easy to build a tolerance. I am
certain that Dex. has enabled me to do more and think better. I pray that it helps some of you who struggle with fatigue.

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I envy you. Is this stuff addictive and does it raise your blood pressure any other effects? Do you sleep at night?

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sanDGuy | @sandguy | Jul 8 12:54pm
In reply to @roadog66 "In my 20s I used it very occasionally to study and for a long drive. I..." + (show)
Profile picture for roadog66 @roadog66

In my 20s I used it very occasionally to study and for a long drive. I never felt I had to have it. I also used amphetamines to study but those had hard crashes. I have started using creatine which gives me energy for half a day and the results have been dramatic. I am 73 no longer a student.

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That's interesting about creatine, I would have tried it had I known. I always associated it with weight lifters and the like, but I see that it is indeed also helpful for fatigue!
I've been taking NAD+ as well as L-methylfolate, and they are a bit helpful too, but now that I'm trying the Ritalin, I'm doing much better for now (only been a few days).

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mclelland1958 | @mclelland1958 | Jul 9 10:07am
In reply to @roadog66 "I envy you. Is this stuff addictive and does it raise your blood pressure any other..." + (show)
Profile picture for roadog66 @roadog66

I envy you. Is this stuff addictive and does it raise your blood pressure any other effects? Do you sleep at night?

Jump to this post

Dextroamphetamine Sulfate is one of the strongest stimulants. The maximum dosage is considered 45 mg. daily. I like instant release as you can control when you take your med. Addictive, yeah. When I take a day or two off, I crash. I feel intense fatigue and I am completely unmotivated. I have managed to keep Dextroamphetamine just under the max with mild tolerance issues. I have also used Ritalin for 20 years. I switched to Dex. to give me a break. For me, my only side effect is poor appetite. This can be a problem. I am 5’5” and weigh 100. My last dose is around 12:00-1:00 PM. I can go to bed at 6:30 without having any sleeping issues. My blood pressure, heart rate, CO2 are in normal limits. Obviously, my weight impacts my numbers. Does it affect fatigue? Most definitely. I get about 2 1/2-3 hours out of a dose. I try to conserve energy after I take a 15 mg. dose. For me, stimulants can trick you into thinking you don’t need rest. You still need to refrain from overdoing it. Otherwise, you will feel fatigue and need more for the same effect. Don’t go that route. If you stay true to your prescription, you should be OK.

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