TL;DR: Maybe your cramps, headaches, and other negative symptoms from amphetamine or methylphenidate are due to electrolyte imbalances. Correcting these imbalances could change your life. Caffeine, energy drinks, and sugar aren't a good idea, as they will worsen the problem over time due to increased urination, etc.

There are actually many people that complain about these kinds of things. So, I know that there are people that suffer from this, but they can't figure out what's going on. They think their medication isn't working any longer, so they up their dose/dosage, just to have the problem seem to be solved for a couple of weeks and then return.

It's so important to understand electrolyte imbalances. They can be caused by so many things, but in this case, definitely because of stimulants.

When you take amphetamine (or methylphenidate) for your ADHD, you might feel great for a while. Then you feel like it doesn't last long anymore. Or maybe you start to get worsening headaches. You might ask to up your dose, as mentioned above. But you might not realize just how much these medications raise your body temperature, causing you to sweat. You also tend to urinate more. All of this is going to lead to the loss of essential electrolytes, such as sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, etc.

Then, say, you find out that you are dehydrated. So you drink more water, leading to increased urination and, thus, an even greater loss of electrolytes.

This is going to make you feel truly horrible. Add on poor sleep and unhealthy eating and it's a recipe for disaster.

I am so glad that I found out about how essential electrolytes are for everyone, but especially when our bodies are taxed by intense sports, sweating, medications, to name a few things.

For one thing, contrary to popular teaching, salt (sodium chloride) is essential for our bodies. When we are dizzy or fatigued (depending on the cause), some salt in water can reenergize us. Magnesium plays hundreds of roles within our bodies, and a depletion can lead to a depletion in potassium and sodium. Funny enough, Gatorade (look at the story of how it started) was on to something; but now it's loaded with sugar and colorings.

At this point, I should add that none of this is medical advice, and it's best to work with your doctor, especially if you have a kidney problem, high blood pressure, and so on. But look into salt and water in electrolytes and do your own research. A good place to start is Dr. James DiNicolantonio. Check him out on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube (he can his own channel and has also given many interviews on other channels). Two good books of his include, "The Salt Fix" and "The Mineral Fix". The first one is amazing. The second is great as well, but as the co-author doesn't have English as his native tongue, there are a number of grammatical and syntactical errors.

Oh, and caffeine, energy drinks, and sugar aren't the best things to consume, with the first two being diuretics (because of the caffeine) and the third leading to insulin resistance, and worse.