RITALIN Reviews (METHYLPHENIDATE HYDROCHLORIDE)Average Rating: 3.4 (214 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare RITALIN with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Age from youngest to oldest (reviews with no age reported listed first). Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
More on RITALIN: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR RITALIN | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 3 | daytime sleepiness | none | have not been taking it long enough to form an oppion | F | 47 | 1 days | 6/20/2003 | 2 | Adult ADD | some appetite reduction; initial weight loss of about 5 lbs | At first it was a miracle. Everything slowed down and almost nothing distracted or confused me. Then, after a few months, its effects WORE OFF. I am now so sad to be back to my ADD-confused self. I am going to try another ADD drug, I believe, perhaps Adderall. | F | 47 | 3 months | 4/13/2004 | 2 | anxiety | made anxiety worse | amphetamine. why, anyone! would need amphetamine is a mystery to me. i had to take a sedative after taking it, to calm myself back down. any! drug that amps you up is bad for the cns. and imo adderal, ritalin etc.. should not be used, by anyone, and should not be prescribed. bad. bad... bad! | M | 48 | 1 days 1X day | 12/14/2017 | 5 | Depression- eating disorder | Worked Wonders - Has helped me control my appetite- improves my mood and abilty to function and has given me a new enthusiasm for my life.. There are periods of ups and downs during the day tho' when the dose starts to wear down and I'm sometimes tempted to increase the dose on my own and this concerns me - dont want to be come an abuser. | F | 50 | 4 months 10 mg 2X day | 11/17/2011 | 4 | BD/Chronic Fatigue/Fibromyalgia | First week: loss of appetite, burst of energy, little nausea, upset stomach for a few days. | I feel like I have found a cure! Have been on SSDis x4 years for PD/CFS/Fibromyalgia. I have energy. My sleep cycle is "normal," and NO PAIN. I have suffered for over 20 years with chronic pain and depression. I do have an autoimmune disorder that causes me to have chronic sinusitis and infections, and seasonal allergies. I am able to focus more. I am interested in doing more "fun" things, and I can get out of bed feeling energized. I do not understand how it works. I just know that for me it is working. After three weeks, I have monitored the affects of the Ritalin. For me, the affect lasts for about 4 hours, 6 hours max. If I don't need the benefit of it in the late afternoon, there is no need to take it. On Sundays, I don't take it at all if I am not going to be involved in any activities. I like the fact that I don't "HAVE TO" take it all the time. I am not sure if it is affecting my blood pressure or organs.....but I feel better. It is amazing how you can try so many other medications and then......RITALIN just works for you. I know it raises a lot of eyebrows but I am only concerned about how it affects me and if it works or not. I hope it works for others too. | F | 50 | 3 weeks 20 2X day | 9/16/2010 | 5 | ADHD, inability to focus | First noticed some palpitations, but was being monitored by heart doctor. Palpitations have since ceased. A little jittery at first, but not in a bad way .. it made me move, which helped me accomplish more! | Wonderful. I can remember being out in the garden trimming hedges and thinking, "This is the way I want to feel!" Not stoned or hyped, just happy to be doing what I was doing and not totally tired or distracted as usual. In recovery 9 years, I won't abuse Ritalin - or anything else - I had problems at first with taking a mood-altering substance, but worked it out through a therapist. Now see it as similar to insulin for a diabetic. It has definitely worked for me and, as a bonus, has reduced my social anxiety ... instead of trying to get out of social situations, I actually don't resist them at all and enjoy them while there! Wow! After three months, I'm finding that I might be developing a tolerance as the effects are not as strong, but am working through it with my psych to tweak the amounts. | F | 51 | 3 months | 6/14/2006 | 2 | ADD | none | Totally bummed that no ADD med I've taken so far as made a dent in my ADD symptoms. This one is no different. | F | 51 | 1 years | 12/30/2005 | 1 | depression/weight loss | very irritable when it wears off; sometimes difficult to fall asleep, memory loss, hear music in my head that won't stop. | I have been taking the generic form of Ritalin for 9 years. I began taking it for depression after my marriage ended, and also in a misguided attempt to lose weight! I lost about 15 pounds at the beginning, had tons of energy, felt great...but the weight loss stopped within a few months.. I currently feel focused and motivated after I take it and am able to get a lot done. As well as the generic ritalin, I take 6 - 12 Tylenol 1 tablets a day. I know how bad this is, but can't seem to stop for more than a few days. The last nine years seem to be a blur...it's like I have lost those years....I hardly remember anything about them. I find this sad and frightening. I take what my doctor prescribed: three 10mg. tablets a day. I have tried many times to completely get off this drug but I now realize that I am truly addicted to it. If I stop taking it for more than one day I become extremely depressed and have very negative, hopeless thoughts and ideas. In addition to this, I very often hea | F | 51 | 9 years | 3/21/2007 | 5 | Mild Narcolepsy | none | It is giving me the desired amount of alertness and no more daytime sleepiness! I have been taking it for over 8 years, after trying all the others CNS meds, and this one works for me. My concern is the tolerance level that I now have for the drug. Initially, I was taking 5mg 3x/day, then 10mg 3x/day, then 20mg 3x/day, then 20mg 4x/day, then 40mg 3x/day and then 40mg 4x/day, now I'm up to 40mg 5x/day!(yes, that is 200mg/day or over 3 times the max!) I don't have any adverse side effects and my Dr. monitors my cardiac and liver functions regularly, and I do take drug holidays routinely. But I just may be the test subject to see what the real max dosage limits are, since all the stuff I read says '60mg/day' is the max adult dosage. | M | 53 | 8 years | 3/24/2008 | 5 | inability to concentrate, focus | Weight loss | I have been diagnosed with depression since 1993 and treated with anti-depressants. I don't quite meet criteria for the diagnosis of ADD, but have many of the symptoms. The combination of anti-depressants and Ritalin is very effective for me. My brain is quiet and I am able to think clearly, doing things in a orderly rather than chaotic way. For me, the primary reason for weight loss is impulse control. I used to eat everything in sight (office). Now I eat small-moderate healthy meals (protein, small amount of starch, fruits, vegetables), enjoy my food, but don't eat much outside meals. I eat much less sugar. It addition, i have much less fatigue. Within a few days, I was able to complete a workout at the gym. I am enjoying exercise on a regular basis. If the drug helps you regulate your behavior so that you can make healthy choices, it is beneficial. If you expect this drug to solve your problems, it becomes a problem. This drug is not for everyone. When I see the varied comments, it is plain to me that for some people this drug is a nightmare and for others it is very beneficial. Much more research needs to be done. | M | 53 | 6 days 10mg 2X day | 10/24/2010 | 5 | ADDHD Adult | I had to write, because I think that anyone who has actually suffered with ADD or related conditions, knows that we are not looking to be addicted to anything. I am so sick of reading about how everyone abuses ritalin. and we are all just a bunch of druggies who just want to feel sorry for ourselves. For almost 50 years I refused to admit to ADD, from the old school, I did not believe there was anything "like that". If I only prayed harder or stopped feeling sorry for myself, it would get better, soon always soon. Until I started taking Ritalin, I was just a mess, that is all I can say. Low self-esteem, always wishing I was dead, never sticking with anything, never having a focus, always feeling like I could not think straight, and feeling guilty because I felt that way, why was I lazy, why didn't I try harder, why do I ruin everything, why am I a failure. After Ritalin, things just don't seem so overwhelming, I feel like a person who can do at least something, I feel | 53 | 1 years 10 1X day | 6/2/2011 | 2 | fatigue | When I first started taking it I had lots of energy. Now I take it and I nod out plus I could eat a truck load of food. | My medications for my degenerative disk disease and 9 neck and back surgeries had left me sleeping up to 20 hrs a day. My Dr. put me on 10 mg. 2x day Ritalin - at first it was great. For the past 2 months, I have no energy no matter if I take 1 or 2 extra a day. I seriously nod right out and fall asleep after I take my medicine. I eat non stop. I'm back to sleeping 20 hours a day. I have read that most Dr.'s don't know what to do about this situation because they haven't heard about it happening. | F | 53 | 1 years 10 mg 2X day | 6/29/2012 | 1 | My son was diagnosed with ADD | He became a zombie. Never smiled. His concentration was better but, he went from happy to nothing. | He is now 28 yrs old. He's ALWAYS angry. He has a hard time showing any emotion but the anger. Even when he is happy he acts angry. His temper is extremely short. I wish I had NEVER put him on this. He's been angry ever since he was taken off. It's so hard for him and others around him because of the anger issues and mood swings. I blame the Ritalin because he was never like this before taking it. But, at least he's no longer a zombie as he was when he was on it. | F | 53 | 2 years 10 MG 2X day | 10/22/2012 | 5 | adult adhd | none. this drug basically saved me...... | 30 years ago, I was the typical impulsive adhd kid whom nobody including my loving parents understood......my life was a wreck...luckily after HS, I met a psychiatrist who asked me: "why are you flunking college courses but qualifying to enter the USAF Academy"?...good question, at age 18 I was a disaster...but she convinced me to take Ritalin...fast forward 30 years..I completer several advanced degrees, retired from the USAF reserves as an O6 and flew jets for over 4,000 hours (cheated on the drug tests)...and now at age 56, I have a family, financial security and the "good life"...all because of a few cents of a stimulant (ritalin) per day | M | 55 | 30 years 10 4X day | 5/9/2011 | 5 | Mild Narcolepsy | none, (except major daytime sleepiness when taking a drug holiday) | Like another older male who posted here, I also may be a 'test subject' for what the real 'max' dose for adults really is. Over a 10 year period my dosage has gradually increased to 2x 20mg (40mg) six times a day. That is right, 240mg daily, has been for over 3 years now, with no adverse affects and no need for increase in dosage. Annual exams, blood tests, liver function etc. all within normal limits. So it appears there is a wide range of what dose is the 'safe effective amount' than what is generally prescribed. Works for me! (retired, 55 y.o. male, 200 lbs.) | M | 55 | 10 years 40 mg 6X day | 10/4/2010 | 5 | Adult Attention Disorder | Slower breathing and heart rate. Had more of an appetite for food initialy. | Felt "normal" for the first time in some 40+ years Stop my propensity speak inappropriately / as in Butting into conversations. Also gave me a buffer in not becoming aggressive to others and situations. Found I was able to begin to do detail carpentry work with out wanting to throw my tool at a wall. Taking things less personally, in societal situations. Negative life experiences don't have the knee jerk reaction to explode. But also before I started taking ritalin I was making progress with My Life in becoming a really Wonderful person through exploring "Love" as a force of Change. Love first ritilan made life even better. | M | 55 | 4 days | 3/22/2008 | 3 | ADD | Dehydration, stiff neck, headaches, hair loss, insomnia, plateletts dropped to the point of causing thrombocytopenia. | I became addicted to this drug. I took it for 10 years but though it didn't help my ADD it gave me stamina I'd never had.I was grainding it up and snorting it...I fianlly flushed it and asked my doctor not to prescribe it. Now that I'mm withdrawing from it I have symptoms of nausea, fatigue, and weight gain (I eat to try to stave off the nausea). | F | 55 | 10 years | 1/26/2007 | 1 | narcolepsy | I took my first dose of Ritalin last Tuesday morning. Within 15 minutes I was a Zombi. It wasn't a feeling of dizziness.... I was totally stoned !! Couldn't think or move for almost 2 hours at which time these horrible effects began to subside. | I can't describe how disappointed I was with my reaction to Ritalin. I was so looking forward to being able to stay awake and actually being able to concentrate and focus. My Doctor then changed my prescription to Provigil. Although I wasn't as bad, it still had a sedative effect on me. My Psychiatrist said she has never heard of anyone having this effect on Ritalin. I wish somewould could explain it to me. | F | 55 | 1 days | 11/14/2004 | 5 | Narcolepsy | rebound effect when dosage wears off | I have taken Ritalin for 30 years. I have been diagnosed with a mild form of narcolepsy. I use 4 (10 MG ) pills per day. The drug ahs worked wonders and eliminated the drowsiness and sleep attacks. My concern now is the length of time I have been on it. When taking a "drug holiday" it seems like my symptoms are worse. | M | 56 | 30 years | 5/1/2007 | 5 | Daytime sleepiness | I am 56 and have a problem with sleepiness and concentration. I take 10mg in the morning and 10mg 4 hours later. It has made a world of difference. Finally I feel like my self again. | Also I have low T and it has made me horny again. This has been a miracle for me. | M | 56 | 0 months 10+ 10 | 5/23/2020 |