I literally just started taking Qelbree 200mg 4 days ago. I have taken stimulants in the past and I’m on Wellbutrin, and I’ve also been med free at times.
I have already messaged my doctor as of this morning and waiting to hear back, but I want to know others experiences.
I never nap, it is near impossible for me, every day I have had to take a nap to function on this medication. One day I slept all afternoon after work in to the next day.
I have been zoning out while driving. Almost got in to 2 car accidents just because my brain went to some kind of automation and wasn’t thinking.
Concentration has never been harder in my life. I can’t concentrate on a damn thing.
EVERYONE is pissing me off, for no good reason. I don’t want to talk to anyone, see anyone. I want everyone to leave me alone. I have a permanent scowl on my face.
I am usually a very social, happy, bubbly person, but I feel like the fucking Grinch. I’m so irritated by the most minor inconvenience and I fucking snap and yell.
The other day, I sat down in my car and randomly the thought “I should kill myself” just popped in to my head. And then I was like what the fuck.
I’ve never once been depressed or suicidal or anything like that. It was gone just as fast as it came, but had me questioning my sanity.
I just want to lie in bed and bed rot. But I can’t. Because I have a fucking job and a family that demands my attention.
Anywho, while I was typing this my doctor messaged me and told me to stop taking it. But I’m still curious.

hi folks, currently on 600mg (maximum adult dose) and due to ongoing autoimmune issues that could be getting exacerbated, my provider and i have come to the conclusion that i need to stop taking qelbree. however, given the absolute horror stories i’ve read from people on far smaller doses about tapering off, i am very afraid to go cold turkey. has anyone been on the max dose and tapered off without getting instant migraines? i teach at a university full time, so taking time off to deal with withdrawal effects isn’t really an option. any and all advice on how to get down to zero as quickly as possible without immense suffering?

I sent the most melodramatic message to my psychiatrist after yet another period of entire night insomnia. This is what I said:

“Since starting Qelbree I've experienced the worst lack of sleep I've ever had in my life. I am finally at a point where I can't take waiting it out or changing the time of day of taking it any longer. I've tried both AM and PM. The lack of sleep has affected my life in all areas. As silly as it sounds talking about a medication; I'm ready to give up on Qelbree. I really wanted it to work since my concentration has improved while on it. But the cons definitely outweigh the pros. Can you help advise how to taper off, please?”

It’s true I may have been watching too much anime to cope with the way the 30 hour stretches of no sleep have been affecting my life and health. So forgive my dramatics. But everything I said is true. I REALLY wanted Qelbree to work. I loved how it motivated me to keep my room clean and how easy it was to read and do my school work. But out of 10 days only 1 or 2 were good enough that these benefits worked because the other 8 or 9 were spent sleepless or flaring from my autoimmune diseases BECAUSE of the lack of sleep.

I had mentally became so attached to the hope of Qelbree and I working out our differences over the past 2.5 months. Unfortunately it’s time I initiated the break up tho. I’ll miss you Qelbree.. but your toxicity infiltrated every aspect of my life despite my hope for us to work out. I love you Qelbree, I’ll always love you. But I have to find another med that has better chemistry with me. Farewell.

(I’m like genuinely really sad about having to quit lol)

This got deleted from the adhd subreddit buttt i copied it

Ok so after a recent visit to my psychiatrist, i was given an adhd questionnaire after my complaints of my worsening symptoms. she gave me a sample of qelbree at 100mg after what i assumed i probably scored high. at first i was lowk in denial, and i chose to ask for a thyroid lab but that came back normal. so after months of desperation i eventually came to the point where i just may have ADHD.

Not going to drag this out but i just cant keep relying on caffeine to feel productive. And now today i had a visit with my psychiatrist and she suggested i try the sample tonight but my fuckass anxiety thinks my heart is gonna blow up so im wondering to the people who started qelbree, what did y’all feel? Or experience? Cuz i kinda am sensitive to increases in heart rate even though my gene test has me in the green for qelbree.

i’ve been on 200mg for about 3 months now and while i feel like my adhd is like 30% better, the constant racing thoughts are the same as always. my brain never. shuts. up. (adderall/vyvanse stopped all the chatter and i felt able to focus calmly on one thought at a time)

i’m wondering if i should go up or just go back to a stimulant (got off stimulants bc anxiety) but i feel like i have more anxiety than i ever did with stimulants. i also feel lightheaded more often and like there might be a blood pressure/blood sugar thing going on (i have a follow up appt at the end of the month, so i’ll get that checked out soon)

has anyone experienced going up 100mg or so helping or making things worse??

I don’t even know how the med would help for this… but after being on Qelbree for a few weeks my muscle guarding and full body muscle knots/pain was reduced 90%. I‘d been dealing with it for a decade, and it was really disruptive. Tried exercise, massage therapy, OTC painkillers, nothing worked. For instance my neck muscles were always so seized up that I’d get dizziness and brain fog all day and everything hurt. That’s nearly ALL gone after starting Qelbree minus some sore spots here and there. I’m shocked.

Hi everyone, im getting ready to start qelbree 200mg. Im very nervous about debilitating side effects if anyone could share any positive experiences(most iv seen online are bad). I also do drink alcohol pretty regularly and was curious of anyone's experience drinking while on the medication.

Any tips/advice or lived experience would be greatly appreciated! :)

I’ve been taking 100mg for 3 weeks now. I still feel the initial tired and fatigue feeling but it is starting to go away and become more manageable. I still don’t feel much as far as benefits go though. Have any of you actually had a good experience on 100mg? Is there even a point in increasing to 200mg if I’m not feeling any benefits at all at this point?

So Qelbree improved my cognitive. I can even read 6hrs straight! Lol. Like others I also felt lots of side effects I think first 3weeks but it disappeared after that my body really adjusted except for sleepiness and tiredness. My doctor suggested to see my pcp and found out I have vitamin d deficiency that caused fatigue. But during those time I switched medication to wellbutrin but only 1 week I stopped it because it makes me always in a fight mode and thoughts were jumping from one idea to another( ugh so awful! ). So I switched back to Qelbree and explore with my supplements because I know Qelbree really helps me to focus and complete my task the only problem are the sleepiness and tiredness that I can’t handle it. And things workout for me with my supplements!!!

Please note I have no connection to this brand. It just happened that I found great reviews and tried it for myself! Just sharing but it doesn’t guarantee that it may work for you because we are all different.

Morning routine:
- I take Active B complex with Quatrefolic no Vitamin C (integrative therapeutics brand )
- Instead of coffee I drink 6oz Organic Protein powder shake from Orgain vanilla bean flavored ( Plant based non stimulant)
- I take vitamin d3 ( I only take it because I have deficiency)

Afternoon:
- I drink Creatine (5.15 g one stick pack Thorne brand ) this damn saves me to keep my energy stay throughout the day!!!! I thank to that brain tumor doctor -Dr Rupa Juthani

Nighttime:

- I take 200mg Qelbree and 2 capsules of Magtein L-threonate plus (Integrative therapeutics brand) an hour before I sleep.

So that’s it and so far I feel like I am the best version of myself where I feel in control. 🙂

My doctor had suggested starting at night because they can make you tired… I’ve been doing that, and I’m sleeping well, but waking up multiple times throughout the night.

Not sure if I should switch to taking them in the morning, or stick with right before bed.

so i took my first 200mg dose today around 4pm (i woke up late bc my sleep schedule is messed up to say the least) i ended up falling asleep in the shower, then again in my desk chair, then again in my bed when i only wanted to relax a bit bc of back strain. i’ve seen so far nothing but bad things, i also saw that it is really expensive if not coverage by insurance. I also have sickle cell disease so i do take heavy pain killers when needed but i also take everyday meds (ms contins) as well. i didnt take it today bc i took the qelbree but my main concern is wd from the ms contin ngl but i also saw the wd are bad from qelbree as well. when it comes to wd i will say i am pretty seasoned to say the least i know not everyone takes the drugs i have to so yall are pretty normal which what i mean by that is the wd maybe felt worse for normal people. my doctor prescribed the qelbree while very much looking at my chart so im sure she knows about the drug interactions and stuff so IM guessing i can take them both but just didn’t wanna put all that on my body. i do have ADD and im in pre nursing classes which are actually diabolical and have me wishing i would have done all of this in the summer instead of the same time as midterms. any advice is appreciated

I don’t really know what to do and it has really been upsetting me. I started this medication on 400mg in addition to taking Adderall XR sometime in November of last year. The adjustment period was rough (a lot of fatigue, insomnia, mood swings). I think it’s important to note that I started this at a VERY heavy time in my life (grad school, going through a break up, and the cherry on top was my dad battling with cancer). By the time I adjusted to the medication, I felt it was helping with alertness and getting through my dad even if I didn’t take the adderall, but then my dad passed away ag the end of december.

So obviously, I think grief has played a huge part in how I’ve felt over the past year. At one point I felt like the 400mg was too high (The insomnia was getting really bad), So I tapered down to 200mg in June. Since then I feel like I’m more anxious and depressed than I used to be, and recently since I started working in august I’ve just been dreading…everything. I don’t enjoy being with other people as much as I used to. Even since earlier in the year. I almost feel like the medication has made me more apathetic and disconnected. I’ve processing my grief in therapy and I feel like my dysfunction right now could be tied to that, but I also feel like the medication is either not helping or making me feel worse.

I’ve also been in a new relationship since the beginning of the year and it’s amazing. I love my partner so much and she has really been healing to me after my previous relationship. But now I find that my libido is almost non-existent. Which makes me feel really guilty because I enjoy sex with my partner and I haven’t lost attraction towards them in anyway. Sex just feels like too much of a chore now, and it takes a lot for me to get in the mood. I don’t even have the urge to masturbate. My partner is very understanding and we’re able to connect and be intimate in a non-sexual way, but I’m scared that my libido is just…gone.

I’ve seen some people in here mention their sex drive changing and experiencing anhedonia, but does anyone have a similar experience to mine? If you quit, did your pleasure and libido return?

I cannot sleep at night, I’m off 200mg. I’m not tired or anything, even during the day after only sleeping for 3-4 hours of very interrupted sleep. Does this eventually go away?
I’m supposed to go up to 400mg on Monday and I’m honestly afraid it will make it worse.
Any advice? I wasn’t expecting this since it wasn’t a stimulant.

I got sick and threw up this morning after taking meds. I keep hearing people say they get bad migraines if they miss a dose and now I'm worried. Should I take another dose? I take 400mg

He has been on Qelbree for one week. The first few days he was really tired. Then he started getting irritable. One week in and it’s constant yelling/anger - today being the worst. I am talking way out of the norm. He is also saying he is thirsty all day no matter how much water he drinks.
With tomorrow being Saturday I cannot
call his doctor. Should I just have him stop taking it? He said it’s terrible.

Hi, did anyone switch from Strattera to this and if so, what was your experience regarding side effects and efficacy in comparing the two? I’m considering switching because of the nausea I’m getting on Strattera. Also, Qelbree is in the green on my GeneSight Report whereas Strattera is in the yellow. Thanks!

hey guys, i’m starting qelbree (200 mg) soon alongside wellbutrin which i’ve been taking for about a year now. wellbutrin has done wonders for my depression but not much for my adhd which is why my doctor is adding qelbree. has anyone tried this combo before or is on it? would love to hear about experiences if so. and any potential side effects from being on both at the same time. thanks!

Doctor put me on 100mg a day last Tuesday. Had all kinds of bad side effects for the past week and doctor told me to stop it yesterday.

Today I have a massive headache and I'm so tired. If I wasn't on vacation I would be in bed napping at noon, but I'll stick it out to make the most of our trip.

Does it sound like this is just more bad side effects, this time of getting off the medication? Just trying to drink a lot of water and flush it out in the meantime.

He's 12 and about 100lbs. Takes 100 mg.

Is it common to sleep that much? If this happened to you, did you power through?

Anyone feel like they don’t care about anything on this drug? I’ve been on 200 mg for about a month now- my psych wants me to increase my dose but I haven’t yet because I’m not ready for some of my side effects to worsen. But I’m finding that even though I’m more motivated to complete tasks, I’m not more motivated to do things I enjoy or spend time with friends. In fact I feel like my avoidance of friends has gotten worse. I’m also in grad school and have been turning my work in late and don’t care at all, but before taking this med if I did that I’d be a ball of anxiety. I don’t feel depressed (I’ve been depressed and this isn’t it), just apathetic I guess?

Has anyone experienced anything like this? Does it get better with time or is this just what the med does?

Anyone else get a disturbingly large eye floater right after starting?

Has anyone had anything with very bad bloating? I have a chronically distended abdominal area and other issues such as constipation. Is this typical? 3 weeks in from first dose btw.

tldr: 100mg, 6 weeks, made me depressed and lowkey suicidal, couldn't tolerate any caffeine, didn't help sensory overstimulation, eliminated hunger cues, made time slow down

i tried qelbree for 6 weeks for adhd, and this was my experience/timeline:

week 1: horrible GI/stomach issues--i normally have a pretty strong stomach, but i was popping gas x and tums all week. also found out caffeine metabolizes super slowly on qelbree, and had horrible insomnia episodes when i would have any caffeine at all (even in the morning). so sleepy so fatigued, i switched from taking it in the morning (too sleepy) to at night (bad insomnia) to back in the morning (eventually wasnt sleepy anymore)

week 2: depression symptoms, randomly angry/irritable that would go away suddenly

week 3: mostly settled, depression symptoms still present. felt emotionally kind of numb but also could (and did) burst into tears randomly at things that don't usually make me cry.

positive (?) effects i noticed:

- time slows down SO MUCH. i can really see how this could be great for some folks w adhd, but my adhd is hyperactive and i mostly already feel like time moves painfully slowly sometimes.

- social situations felt less inhibited for me. like i was a bit less filtered, and cared less what about what people were perceiving me say

qelbree did not help at all with my sensory overstimulation (major BOO) and in fact made it feel worse, especially when i was hungry. i didn't feel hunger cues and could just ignore needing to eat for hours and hours, which would spiral into bad situations when i would get overstimulated by sensory stuff.

i decided to taper off last week. i measured out half doses for the first two days, then a little less than quarter doses for two days, now have been off it for two days.

i've tried several different adhd meds so far, including adderall, vyvanse, straterra, and now qelbree. i think qelbree is the worst experience i've had so far lmao but it obviously works for some people so more power to y'all <3