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 | Major Depression | Fast heartbeat, tolerance, crash after it wears off | I read so much about how stimulants like Ritalin could help with anhedonic symptoms of depression (apathy, emotional numbness, lack of drive, inability to feel pleasure, etc.) because of their action with catecholamines (dopamine, norepinepherine, epinepherine). Well, as it turned out, it has been the ONLY med that has had a noticeable effect on my depression out of wellbutrin, effexor, abilify, and desipramine. At first, as I was titrating up I felt absolutely no different. Once I hit 15mg 2x daily I started feeling a small effect. When I hit 20-30mg, I hit the peak of what the drug had to offer, because it started forming a tolerance, and soon, the only effect I felt from the Ritalin was an increased heart rate. When it was working I started notice it working 20 minutes after intake, and then the effect would increase for an hour, peak for 20 minutes, then decrease for an hour, culminating in a crash. I was so disappointed and desperate that I increased the dose again and again on my own still without the initial effects that it had on my mood. I reached 65mg in one dose and my heartbeat hit 190bpm and I had to go to the ER because I was losing consciousness and feeling numb at my extremities. Still, it has been the most effective treatment yet, and maybe if nothing else works I will return to it taking it only once or twice a week. It would give me something to look forward to at least in this blank empty apathetic anhedonic zombielike state. | M | 20 | 3 weeks 30mg 2X day | 9/16/2012 | 2 | ADD, fatigue | Made me a little tired and jittery, nothing terrible | the drug just diddnt work for me. it diddnt do much of anything, i in creased my dose and it just made me more jittery | M | 20 | 2 weeks ? 2X day | 11/29/2011 | 2 | Traumatic brain injury | Heart Pain, wild heartbeats, mood swings, anxiety, extreme urge to fall asleep | I have been stuck on this drug for 4 years now... at first it was very effective but only higher dosages work for me now. However the higher dosage I receive the worse the side effects have been. I've never ever had problems with anxiety before but when I take this I become terrified and incredibly nervous. To the point where I'm constantly terrified of everything and feel like I'm going to be sick. Please do not continue to put your child on this if they don't want to continue taking it. My parents, mainly my mother, has kept me on this drug because it has helped me focus. Before it improved my focus but now my focus is the same as it was before I took the drug. When I don't take it I can barely get any thoughts across my head. Reading is incredibly hard and doing much of anything that day is unlikely. (However my heart will feel FANTASITC!). This drug has really messed me up in the long run. My parents only can see what's going on on the outside, me working hard, always focused, and quiet and obident. However on the inside its been horrible... I'm not even the same person anymore, it feels weird to say it but the old me is dead. I'm no longer happy and confident. I constantly have the shakes, heart Pain, anxiety, moodswings, etc. If I could go back and fight as hard as I can to not allow my parents to take this drug I would. I certainly can't stop now... :( | M | 20 | 4 years 28mg | 10/16/2016 | 5 | ADD | fast heartbeat | AMAZING DIFFERENCE made me capable of concentraiting | F | 21 | 5 years | 5/13/2009 | 5 | ADD, Fadigue caused by depression | Tolerance and Addiction. But all this can be avoided with a little caution. | This drug is PERFECT. When I take it, I get into a machine-like state of mind that I can do things with extreme efficiency. It helps into study, work and even social meetings or internet trollings. It also can help one to stay awake in the night. It also sometimes left myself a little cold and harsh. It's only important to see that it's not a cure. It's a stimulant that give you a rush. It's necessary to take it only when needed. Not only the abuse potential is high, but also de tolerance and addiction also. I recommend to sometimes don't use it to get the brain recover itself to avoid tolerance and addiction. | M | 21 | 6 months 10mg 3X day | 1/29/2012 | 4 | adhd | n/a | no appetite, immediate focus, constant masturbation, and tobacco smoking (or bud when the cum-down comes)...beats eating...and the "smoke/stimulant" combo is orgasmic in itself...wow! | M | 21 | 2 years 20 mg 2X day | 4/9/2010 | 4 | ADHD | I noticed Ritalin side effect were not very bad, sometimes i would get tired. | I really think Ritalin helps ADHD ALOT!! I can actually focus. One bad thing i noticed about Ritalin is when it wears off i am really hyper, and want to do to many things at once. | F | 21 | 5 months | 12/9/2004 | 3 | Adult ADHD | Extreme nausea (sometimes leading to vomitting), high irritability, anger, depression, fatigue, headaches, loss of sex drive | My insurance only makes the generic form of Ritalin (Methylphenidate) affordable to me. I have been struggling with it for the last two years. When on breaks from school I will not take it. The nausea is the worst for me, as well as the feeling of being "stuck inside my head" like a zombie. The irritability, anger, and loss of sex drive are effecting my boyfriend the most, they're not so bad to where I'm getting complaints from work or friends, only when I'm at home. If you are able to take something else, I would. It is a daily battle for me to choose between not accomplishing any tasks due to my ADHD or to literally feel like s**t all day. It makes me feel like an angry, hungover drone all day and then come night, I am not able to relax. I look forward to days where I have no schoolwork so I can feel like myself again/ | F | 21 | 2 years 20mg XR 1X day | 5/2/2011 | 3 | Narcolepsy | Irritable and agitated when it wears off, increased heart rate but not to a dangerous level | Ritalin helps me stay awake most of the time. But I'm a college student and it tends to wear off when I'm trying to do homework, which is bad because I get both tired and upset/panic-y. The daily ups (when it's working) and downs (when it wears off) are annoying. | F | 21 | 3 months 10 MG 2X day | 5/31/2011 | 1 | Bipolar, ADHD | Twitching, Involuntary Muscle spasms, Drowsiness, Loss of appetite, Confusion, Blurred Vision | I was on Ritalin for two years, and for me, it wasn't worth it. I did not concentrate any better, I believe the only reason I stayed in my seat during class hours was because I was extremely tired after an hour of taking it. I constantly fell asleep on the drug. | F | 21 | 2 years 40mg 2X day | 10/4/2011 | 1 | ADD | Caused me to get sezuires at age 16. Which continues on until this day. | M | 21 | 8 years 20 MG 1X day | 8/25/2012 | 5 | ADHD | Vasoconstriction, loss of appetite | Works perfect. Finally I can function without using calendars, multiple lists and reminders. My social anxiety faded away when I finally was able to hold conversations without forgetting what we are talking about every 5 sec. Would be a hard time to chase education and my dreams without. Eating is easy. Just eat inbetween doses. | M | 22 | 2 years 10mg 6X day | 4/3/2013 | 5 | ADD | No side effects. Possibly some heart racing, but felt the same as if I had drank a red bull, was not a debilitating feeling. Helps with concentration and fatigue. I switched to the non-generic and works better than generic. Ritalin LA works even better (slow release formula, gives you two doses, one upon taking, one 4 hours later, so that you do not get such an up and down high). | F | 22 | 3 years | 7/28/2009 | 4 | ADD | Loss of appetite (even now), dry mouth (no more), occasionnal headaches and occasionnal dizziness (even now) (sorry 4 my mistakes) | This medicine is no miracle, and no killer addictive drug if your using it correctly and for the right problem (add, adhd, narcolepsy, bipolarity, etc). Personnally i noticed a LOT of improvement. I had HUGE anxiety disorders (panic attacks and constant fear and pain in my chest), and 95% of the time i was in a clearly depressive mood. Everything in my life was affected by this trouble (school exams, performances, relationships, everyday things to do and thoughts). Since i take this medication.. i have time notion, i am no more (or max 10 min) late, i can think before i react to different situations and i feel no more anxiety (just normal stress, i am free!!!). I am just.. normal!!! No more in a spiral, i can control my life because i can control myself and my thoughts. I would say the only thing that makes me euphoric these days is that i never felt so released of all my life, i have no anxiety and this was a very heavy weight on my shoulders. I can think about my future positively and i finally ''forgot'' my past. I'm no more caught in present, i can enjoy life.. Dont forget this medication is just a helper, this will not change your life dramatically; i personnally still have work to do to have peace of mind, and i hope someday i will get rid of the medication and be able to live on my own. | F | 22 | 8 days 10mg SR 1X day | 7/21/2010 | 3 | Severe ADHD (combined-type) | Nothing adverse, other than extremely quick onset...feeling of effectiveness...and extremely short period before come down (the worst kind of come down I have experienced from any ADHD Stimulant med.) | I took as much as 60 mg, at least once a day, and found that the anxious and depressed side effects outweighed the genuine (2 hour long and then another 3 for come down) benefits. Other ADHD meds have been and are MUCH more tolerated as far as I go. | M | 22 | 1 months | 1/8/2006 | 2 | ADD | Insomnia, Skin rash, cephalgia, cold feet and hands, heartrace, shivers, dry eyes, dry mouth, diarrhoea, impatience, dilated pupils, difficulties of elocution | First time I took Ritalin, it felt totally the same if I had taken speed! It finally got better after about a week, but still, the first half hour after taking it was always very uncomfortable. My heart was going at 180 even if I was sitting down! 20 at this time, 160 pounds with 10mg twice a day. I just can't imagine a 40 pounds, 8yo taking this med. It must be hard for them to understand why they feel so bad. HOWEVER, the medication is VERY efficient. It totally changed my life. I strongly suggest you to take, or give your child CONCERTA instead of ritalin. It is exactly the same molecule (methylphenidate). The difference is the caplet. The CONCERTA caplet is NOT digested by the organism. It is in fact a water-permeable plastic capsule with a tiny laser drilled hole, recovered by a digestible layer. When you take the pill, the first layer disappears, opening the tiny hole, and uncovering the water-permeable capsule. This capsule contains three things : 2 drugs compartments with Methylphenidate inside, and a tiny compressed sponge. As the water present in your organism slowly goes throughout the capsule, the sponge gets bigger and pushes the medication outside the capsule in a 12 hours lap. 22% of the medication is released immediately when you take the pill, the rest is slowly released. Notice that 10% of the med stays inside the capsule, so this is why CONCERTA dosages are always higher than your usual daily Ritalin dosage. So if you can afford it (98$ a month for me) it i | M | 22 | 3 months | 5/8/2009 | 2 | ADHD | anxiety | lasts far too quickly...almost makes me bipolar...one moment euphoric...the next I am crying and anxious...unless you pop 10 mg every hour+ it is ineffective and more trouble than it's worth | M | 22 | 2 weeks | 11/27/2009 | 5 | ADHD | Loss of Appetite, Dry Mouth, Stomach Pain, Nausea, Sleep problems, Weight loss | I was recently diagnosed with ADHD. I have been on it for a week now and after the first dose my focus was improving. My Doctor started me off with this 5mgs 2 times a day. I upped it to 3 times on the days I work because it wears off at 5pm and I want to be able to concentrate on things at night. So far this week has been great. I have been able to concentrate at work, Ive been losing weight which is a great thing because I am over weight. The loss of appetite is great because I used to over eat a lot. So far its been a miracle drug. I'd be lost without it. I'll update more when I have been on it longer. | F | 23 | 7 days | 10/6/2009 | 5 | ADHD | Relaxed and at ease. | I don't blurt out things as I did before Ritalin. Everything feels "Normal" now and I actually do what I have planned for every day. I take the Watson generic and experience a smooth up and a smooth down. Avoid the Methylin generic...it's like a rollercoaster. | M | 23 | 2 months 5mg 3X day | 12/21/2010 | 4 | Adult ADD | I started on Ritalin about 5 weeks ago and I have been taking the time release form of ritalin (40mg over about 9-11 hours) for about 3 weeks now because I could never remember to dose 3 times a day. Overall the function of the drug has been great and the side effects have been nill, the problem has come when the time release wears off and I take a 10mg tablet of the regular form for a focus boost if I need one to get me through the rest of the evening. This is when I get the | M | 23 | 5 weeks | 11/21/2004 |