Has anyone use Ritalin for daytime sleepiness?

[oldfart59]

So I met with a new doctor, he looked at my ASV results from my machine, and indicated that I am doing well, its around 2.0 AHI on average, and I should not get hung up on tweaking it. (BTW, the settings I am using was values from this forum, not what the original prescription was). I indicated that I am still tired during the day, and finding myself getting 'heavy eye lids' and closing my eyes/ getting tired when I sit in meetings. That's not good when you need to be alert.

So he prescribed me Ritalin ( Generic form) 10mg  to try for 1 month and see how it goes, I am to report back in 2 weeks, he may have to up the dose.  I take 2 pills a day, one in the morning, one at noon. Today was my first day. One thing I noticed is that I am more thirsty.  While it is too early to really tell, I wonder what others have experienced with this.

And NO I do not have ADD.

[paulag1955]

Did the doctor say what condition he was treating by prescribing Ritalin? Does he know of an underlying condition, or is he just treating the symptom of sleepiness without knowing what might be causing it?

[holden4th]

You can take this as a plus or a minus but ritalin (or any of it's derivatives such as concerta) significantly reduces your appetite and, as you mentioned, makes you thirsty.

[HalfAsleep]

I’ve never tried that, but it doesn’t sound as though it would be a bad idea to try it out, especially since the doc has a tight control on the experiment. In a couple of weeks, evidently you’ll know!

Have you explored all the possibilities of sleeping more hours, timing your sleep, etc.? Have you explored the possibility that you’re having a “sugar crash” or getting dehydrated at work? Sometimes even a change in diet or what you eat when can make a difference. There xan be vitamin deficiencies, etc etc.

How long have you been on the ASV?

[oldfart59]

You can take this as a plus or a minus but ritalin (or any of it's derivatives such as concerta) significantly reduces your appetite and, as you mentioned, makes you thirsty.

OK, so my wife said I don't drink enough, so that's a good side effect to have. 

I've been on a CPAP since 2006, changed to a Bi-pap as it was not helping with the daytime sleepiness, had that procedure where they widen your throat, in 2010 still not help, Been on this ASV for almost a year now. This new doctor says the only thing left is Meds. 

This will be the 3rd med I tired, first one did nothing at all ( forget what it was called) the 2nd one ( I have a thread somewhere on here with the name). gave me bad headaches, so I stopped that, now we are on this one. This is only my 2nd day, so can't say  how it is doing so far. I was told it will take 2 weeks before seeing anything. 

My family doctor said to do more exercise, But I am still sleepy, even during or after working out at the gym. 

This doctor said there is no cure for my condition, just need to find the right drug and dosage. I hope to hear from someone taking this to get their story on its success.

I want to get to a point where I can get success and tell my journey on the success stories thread on this site also.

[HalfAsleep]

The problem with meds, as I see it, is that they all have pros and cons. You can't get the pros without the cons. I guess I'd do anything possible to avoid psychotropic meds until I'd tried every option.

In my experience, PCP's can be overly enthusiastic about psychotropic meds without having a whole lot of training in prescribing them, evaluating the underlying disorder, dosage, etc.

There are so many conditions that could cause sleepiness that aren't about sleeping....

I feel like I'm being a wet blanket, but that's my opinion.

Could you be on a different med that's making you sleepy as a side effect?

[Shin Ryoku]

Are you taking any medications which can cause sleepiness?

Eg:
Benzodiazepines
Nonbenzodiazepine sedatives
Antipsychotics
Opioid analgesics
Lipophilic beta-blockers
Barbiturates
Antihistamines
Anticonvulsants
Sedative antidepressants

[kiwii]

...This doctor said there is no cure for my condition, just need to find the right drug and dosage...

It might be time to consult a naturopathic physician, or find a mainstream doctor that is focused on preventative medicine and wellness, as their focus is on underlying causes rather than pharmaceuticals to 'cure' superficial symptoms.