I am a 27- year-old female with ADHD (also diagnosed with depression). I have suffered with depression my whole life, and was not diagnosed with ADHD until the beginning of college. I have been on antidepressants since 13, and have done well. When I was diagnosed with ADHD, I was prescribed Ritalin, and slowly began to abuse it. I switched medications and have taken Concerta, Adderall, you name it, and every medication I slowly increased my dosage until I was taking 2-3 times what I was prescribed. This went on for about 3 years, until it made me sick. I began to retain water, had severe swelling in my extremities, heart palpitations, and very strange skin symptoms- I actually had deposits of some kind coming out of my skin. I went to a doctor (at this time I was still in denial that I was an addict), adn showed him what had come out of my skin, and he asked me if I had ever heard voices. Convinced that I was crazy and my health going downhill, I stopped taking my medication cold turkey right after college and stayed off of it for several years. I told my parents and close friends that I had stopped taking it because I didn't need it anymore, too ashamed to tell them I was addicted to it and afraid that they would think I was crazy if I told them about the strange symptoms I was having. Years later, I informed my psychiatrist about my previous addiction and I had started to go back to school, and she just gave me the Daytrana patch so that I could not alter the dosage. I have been on it for a week, and the strange symptoms are slowly beginning to come back- the swelling, and now joint pain. My question is- has anyone ever experienced symptoms like this from methylphenidate, and why would I tolerate it so well for years and all of a sudden it is making me ill, especially now that I am on the correct dosage. I am going to quit using it but would still like to know how it is affecting my body and what about the medication would cause these strange symptoms.