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 Date added. 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 |
| 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 | 5 | Adult ADD and Narcolepsy | Loss of apetite/weight...which is a good thing in my case. | I am taking what my doctor calls the "kid's dose" of 5 mg/3x a day. It has done wonders for my narcolepsy. I used to yawn non-stop, all day long and my attention span was very, very limited. I can now read dry, technical documents once and get the meaning instantly, instead of having to re-read multiple times. I have no trouble staying awake during the day. I can also listen to music and read at the same time which is something I've never been able to do before. I used to have chronic neck and back pain—they're gone now. I actually have energy to do physical activity, whereas before I would have to guilt myself into doing any physical work. For me this medication has been nothing short of miraculous. | F | 36 | 60 days | 3/11/2008 | 1 | Depressionand depersonalization | Glossy eyes, loss of appetite, addiction!!! Loss of interest in life, just pills. | My pdoc told me it was to help the SSRI for my depression/anxiety. Was at 20 mg a day, now at 60-70. I felt not depersonalzed the first hour, it was a miracle, I was finally not depressed, proactive. So I began to tak it. Then it crashed. I began to feel isolated, more dp/dr, anxious, and confused. I also became hooked. How to taper off? Please conact me | F | 33 | 5 months | 3/4/2008 | 4 | ADD | down sides:sleepiness, irritability,Loss of appetite,rebound,light flashes, jittery, anxiety,urge to urinate up sides : Concentration, better focused thinking, better to express my self, less speeding tickets, better interaction with people. | Diagnosed after 43 years with ADD, puts allot off childhood and later on actions and decisions in perspective. It helps me allot. Side effects are livable. | M | 44 | 8 months | 1/13/2008 | 2 | ADHD | none | I heard that most people with ADD/ADHD are either 'Ritalin people' or 'Adderall people'. I read that Ritalin works better with ADHD (motor-mouth hyperactive-types) and Adderall does better with ADD Non-Attentive types. I'm the Non-Attentive type and I did better on Adderall.Ritalin made me feel like i just smoked a joint and took a valium. | F | 34 | 7 days | 12/17/2007 | 2 | ADD | dry eyes, sore stomach, loose bowels, anxiety, depression | My Dr put me on 10 mg 3 times a day for ADD and despite the rave reviews from others, it did not agree with me. I did feel more focused but the side effects did not make that worth it. | F | 30 | 4 months | 12/11/2007 | 4 | ADHD | Loss of appetite, weight loss and increased tics from Tourette's (fixed with other meds) | This medicine has been the only thing to help my son. We have tried Focalin, Adderall, Daytrana and Concerta among others, but this is the one that does it for him.. combined with Lamictal and Risperdal it works wonders for us. | M | 7 | 10 months | 11/13/2007 | 1 | Narcolepsy, ADHD (combined type) | Extreme sleepiness, irritability, depression, fatigue | Although counterintuitive, Ritalin actually made my narcolepsy WORSE. I had previously been on Adderall XR as well as its short-release counterpart and had switched to Ritalin due to cost issues. In order to combat both ADHD and narcolepsy, I am prescribed very high doses of these drugs. When switching from 120mg/day of Adderall to 120mg/day of Ritalin, I was astonished by how different the two drugs were. Even though both drugs are part of the amphetamine family, their effects are quite different. I experience no irritability, excitability or sleepiness on Adderall, but I can barely function on Ritalin. Even though patients who TRULY have ADHD/ADD are not supposed to be "hyped-up" or have increased energy while taking these types of drugs, I was amazed by how much Ritalin actually leaned towards the polar opposite end of the spectrum. The fatigue, sleepiness and mood disturbances I experienced while taking the drug were actually comparable to the effects of Ambien (a | F | 29 | 5 days | 10/10/2007 | 5 | ADHD | Very rare eye focusing side effect (minimal inconvenience), minor tremors, extrasystoles (already present but aggrivated by ritalin, solved with atenolol beta blocker). Fixed my grades, my memory. I dont delay doing things forever anymore. More order in my life. Most of the side effects such as reduced appetite, anxiety (thnx to extrasystoles) dissapeared after 2-3 weeks | Wont work for everyone but for those it does its the best thing that could happen | M | 18 | 2 years | 9/26/2007 | 5 | Adult ADD | None | I take 20mg of Ritalin in the morning and 20 later in the day when I want to focus on a particular task or interaction or social occasion, etc. The Ritalin enables me to organize, prioritize and read and respond to social cues in a way that is comfortable for me. I am able to think more clearly in general... including problem solve personal issues more effectively than ever before. In general, social anxiety has diminished. I experience a clarity that has transformed my daily life. I began taking it in September 2004, when I was overcome with anxiety upon losing my job and with a child to support. I couldn't concentrate on the essential, that is, finding a job. Within the first day the change was dramatic; I became calm and focused. I had resisted when my psychotherapist had encouraged me to investigate Adult ADD and finally did when I was desperate. (I didn't investigate because I always did well in school and have two graduate degrees, including having been a CPA, so ADD seemed an od | F | 64 | 3 years | 9/13/2007 | 5 | ADHD | Loss of appetite some days | This medication has been a godsend! This is our third try with ADHD meds -- two did nothing and one had creepy side effects (Adderall). Ritalin allows our son to focus, not bounce off the walls and reduces his aggression. He smiles more than we've ever seen. Still full of energy and spunk, but well directed and not overboard. Just wish it lasted longer. Evenings when he's off of it are rough. | M | 4 | 1 weeks | 7/10/2007 | 5 | adult adhd | CONCERTA prescribed. It has changed my life. I am focused, forward-looking. Before Concerta, I felt something like a Ferrari with a bad clutch -- this constant slipping, with the power of the engine, for all its whirring, never quite finding its way to the drive wheels. No more. For the first time in my life, I'm able to take a project to its conclusion. That may not sound like much to most people, but there it is. My ability to concentrate is nothing short of ferocious. I am happy. I'm 46 years old and my life has finally begun. Oh, yes, one other thing -- I have experienced no side effects, save for a desired weight reduction of about 30 pounds (down to 160 from 190). Sounds like science fiction? Too good to be true? Perhaps, but what can I say? I could not be more grateful. | M | 46 | 14 months | 6/16/2007 | 2 | Adult ADD | dry mouth, anxiety | I took this drug for about three days and hated the anxiety that it caused. It made me very nervous and I was way anxious! What an awful feeling to have! As soon as I stopped taking it - the anxiety and nervousness - completely gone. | F | 34 | 3 days | 6/8/2007 | 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 | 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 | ADD | Initially some apatite suppression, insomnia and slight gitters. This was corrected by reducing my afternoon dose. | This drug has saved my life. I have seen drastic differences between times in my life when I was taking it and when I was not. I failed out of one school and graduated top of my class in the next. Floated from job to job and then became very successful. I don't like the way I feel when I am taking it (I'm boring -- no personality) so, I time my doses to help me in the office or when I have to focus on mundane task's at home like paying bills, taxes etc. and then go without it when I'm recreating. When I was on the Ritalin I built my first home by age 21 and had a career in the New York State Senate by age 23 (not a senator). I then thought I could manage without it. Within a year of discontinuing use at age 26 I had lost my job, sold my house and moved away to follow a wim to live as a ski bum in Vermont. At first, things were great I owned a beautiful house (30 acres, views, apple orchard, spring fed swimming pond etc.) and played all the time. In the end I lost it all because I coul | M | 32 | 22 years | 2/28/2007 | 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 | 5 | concentration | none | M | 30 | | 1/5/2007 | 5 | add | weight loss, sometimes more creative sometimes less creative, stomache pains, jittery, anxiety | it helped me alot, i used to get d's and f's in math now im an a student =] im doing so much better in school ive lost around 20 poundsbut i have to get that checked every time i need a refill :/ ..im alittle worried about the stomache pains too , but if i dont eat than it dosent bother me | F | 14 | 11 months | 12/20/2006 | 5 | reduce fatigue & improve cognition | occaisional increased thirst, does increase my libido-not complaining there, takes a couple of nights to re-regulate sleeping like one should | I'm not ADD or ADHD-I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. I only take Ritalin when I am in relapse mode(meaning symptoms last longer than 5 days and prevent me from funtioning normally)and dosage varies from 10 mg. 1 to 2 times per day(depending on level of fatigue and decreased cognition). I taper off as soon as I know my relapse is over. This drug could be easily abused-just be aware of that. I've not ever stayed on Ritalin over 90 days. | F | 42 | 90 days | 12/10/2006 |