Positives

• A 61-year-old patient with new ADHD-like symptoms after COVID who had no prior inattention history was successfully treated with methylphenidate followed by lisdexamfetamine, with the team concluding the presentation reflected post-COVID cognitive dysfunction rather than primary ADHD PMC.
  
  

Negatives

• A documented case report describes a patient who experienced nausea, vomiting, and disturbed sleep on methylphenidate and discontinued the medication PubMed.
  
  

Hurdles & Side Effects

• Because Ritalin is a Schedule II drug, patients have to make frequent in-person visits for paper scripts and cannot get refills automatically; reported side effects include sleep disruption, stomach pain, palpitations and high blood pressure Phoenix Rising.
• One ME/CFS patient on Drugs.com reported the drug worked well for the first six months and then “the artificial, driven energy” wore off, while others on the forum said stimulants worsened their push/crash cycle and left them bedridden the day after dosing Drugs.com.