Anyone else have palpitations? | ADHD Information

Thanks for the reply, vickie  

I'd never heard of Focalin before, so thanks for mentioning that.  I'll see what my doctor thinks about it.  There's a possibility the cardiologist is going to put me on a beta blocker, and if so, I'd rather not take more meds than the beta blocker and one add med.  I'm really not a big fan of pills.  If I can't find a good solution, though, I'll also mention the idea of combining an add med and an antidepressant and see what my doctor says.

I get increased palpitations anytime I drink coffee, too, so I'm guessing that any stimulant is going to increase them - the real issue is just finding what helps me focus the best.  In your signature it says your daughter has inattentive ADHD and is on Focalin - has she tried Adderall, too?  I'd love to know how Focalin compares to Adderall regarding focus and concentration.
I've had an arrhythmia my whole life (premature atrial contractions), but it's been totally checked out by various tests and is benign.  My heart function and structure are normal.  I started taking 15mg Adderall XR last year, and it was a complete wonder drug for my inattentive ADD - I was able to concentrate and focus better than I've ever been able to, and school wasn't a constant struggle.

Unfortunately it increased the frequency of my palpitations.  It didn't do anything else bad - no chest pain, shortness of breath, etc - but I got scared and stopped taking the medication.  Since then I've tried Strattera (all it did was make me sleepy), and Concerta (didn't work as well and gave me more palpitations).  I REALLY want to go back on Adderall, because it worked so well, and I feel like the non-stimulants just won't have the same effect, given my experience with Strattera.  I've got an appointment set up with a Cardiologist for next week, so hopefully I'll find out then whether it's okay, but I'm curious...

Does anyone here have palpitations?  If so, how've you been treating your ADD/ADHD?

Have you considered focalin? It is the dex isomer of methylphenidate and seems to have less side effects than the usual mixed isomer forms of methylphenidate (like concerta).

Another option might be to use a lower dose of adderall and augment it with something like an antidepressant, or tenex/clonidine med.

Just some thoughts to discuss with the doc.