The Ritalin... it does... what?

Lewisham

I recently moved to California from the UK, and I've been seeing a counselor about certain behavioral aspects I have. He has suggested that I might well have ADD, and doing the hypochondriac Googling, I think I would now agree. I've tried coping mechanisms and self-reflection as ways of dealing with various problems related to attention and forgetting things, but that hasn't worked. If I actually do have ADD, then I am eligible for medication. At this point, it seems the logical step is to try this avenue out, to see if it helps.

I am seeing a specialist this week, who I expect will diagnose me and offer me something like Ritalin. Are there any major differences between the different ADD medications? What does it feel like to take them? Do you notice them having an effect, or is it just when you think back at the end of the day and say "Oh hey, I concentrated harder in class today than usual, that's pretty cool".

I know a lot of people here have tried these sorts of things. I also know some of you will remember that I am wary of drugs like this, but if a specialist says I should try them, then I will. At this point, it seems anything to help my attention and memory is worth a shot.

Thanks guys.

Raere

Ritalin is a stimulant, which means that you'll get a high which you may or may not like. You're stimulated, so you can concentrate and be more productive, but it feels very unnatural and when it wears off you feel completely different. There are ADD medications that are not stimulants. They're not as powerful, but they help you concentrate without giving your entire body the high feeling. I would suggest trying non-stimulants first. See what your doc thinks.

SpongeCake

I can't speak from personal experience, but Ritalin is becoming increasingly common among students as a performance enhancing drug.

If you're worried you won't notice any effect, I'd wager that people breaking the law (un-prescribed Ritalin is a Class B I think) to use it would speak pretty highly that it'll have some impact.

Lewisham

SpongeCake wrote: »

I can't speak from personal experience, but Ritalin is becoming increasingly common among students as a performance enhancing drug.

If you're worried you won't notice any effect, I'd wager that people breaking the law (un-prescribed Ritalin is a Class B I think) to use it would speak pretty highly that it'll have some impact.

I'm more worried about me actually feeling effects. I'd rather just not know I'd taken it, but have the benefits, you know?

I don't want to take a pill and get high, I want to take one and do better at the things I do poorly because I can't concentrate.

Jasconius

Ritalin, like people said, is a stimulant. I take it every now and then to help with fatigue.

It will wake you, for about 3-4 hours you will be highly focused, motivated, clear thinking, etc. After 4 hours, not so good. I find the crash is too sucky to warrant taking it more than once or twice a weak (and in very low doses).


It dehydrates you (drink a lot of water during and after), and it makes you feel like you aren't hungry (but you can still eat, you just don't feel like you are hungry).

I couldn't imagine taking it on a daily basis because of the after effects, which boils down to fatigue which will vary based on your metabolism.

Gabriel_Pitt

I took Ritalin daily in college, and when it took effect I felt a little jittery, but I was able to focus on lectures like I had a radar lock-on. The only effects when it wore off were I no longer felt jittery, and my attention started to wander.

Kaoz

Raere wrote: »

Ritalin is a stimulant, which means that you'll get a high which you may or may not like. You're stimulated, so you can concentrate and be more productive, but it feels very unnatural and when it wears off you feel completely different. There are ADD medications that are not stimulants. They're not as powerful, but they help you concentrate without giving your entire body the high feeling. I would suggest trying non-stimulants first. See what your doc thinks.

This is technically true, but affects those with ADD differently. If you don't have ADD see above.

Ritalin composes an alternate effect in ADD people, it centers them and allows for concentration. Same way benadryl has the opposite effect of making little kids sleepy. Give a 4 year old benadryl, and watch out.

Your specialist will have more informative answers, and will definitely take time to speak with you. If they don't find another doc.

Thanatos

If you have ADD, Ritalin will react differently with your brain chemistry than it would with someone who does not have ADD. The best person to talk to about this is your doctor. Psych drugs tend to be very unpredictable, so it usually takes some trial and error to find what works for you at what dosage.

Kaoz

The scumbag has it. It just helps that he lies and malingers.

supabeast

Here’s the fucked up thing about ADD/ADHD: it’s not just one condition. There are different kinds of ADD that require different medications. Plain old Ritalin tends to be used to diagnose ADD or treat people with crappy prescription drug insurance; time-release Concerta tends to be much easier to deal with. But that might not work for you at all; there are a host of other drugs that can be used.

When you’re on ADD meds, you might just interpret your ADD being shut off as a weird side effect and get nervous. So be careful, keep a journal, and make sure that your friends and coworkers know whats going on and are giving you feedback. And discuss it all with your doctor and other people who have been through the same stuff (ask the specialist about group therapy or support groups!).

Capt Howdy

You will know when it's wearing off; the symptoms range from tired, to irritable, to highly fucking emotional. I was on Ritalin for 10 years, coming down was never pleasant.

Yes, you will be focused while it's in your system. Truthfully, you'll be a VERY different person when your taking it. A lot of times, you don't feel like you. (Which makes sense, the drug is designed to make you stop doing what you consider normal)

If the ADD or ADHD is affecting your grades or your job performance, then it's worth trying it. If the Doc just thinks you have ADD, and it's not negativley affecting your life, DON'T TAKE IT.

Best thing to do is find something that you can focus on, and try to figure out why you can. Most the time it's a physical activity that demands your utmost attention. Boxing and MMA helped me, a lot.

Edit:

If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?

Lord Yod

Capt Howdy wrote: »

If the ADD or ADHD is affecting your grades or your job performance, then it's worth trying it. If the Doc just thinks you have ADD, and it's not negativley affecting your life, DON'T TAKE IT.

This is good advice here. I've had minor ADD problems since middle school that never really got in the way of my schoolwork. Tried a number of different medications (including Ritalin and Adderol) and never found anything I could stand. I would suggest not using either of those two if you have an alternative.

poshniallo

Malingering Layabout Scumbag wrote: »

If you have ADD, Ritalin will react differently with your brain chemistry than it would with someone who does not have ADD. The best person to talk to about this is your doctor. Psych drugs tend to be very unpredictable, so it usually takes some trial and error to find what works for you at what dosage.

He's completely right.

Don't assume this is a like a line, with the drug affecting you more or less depending on how ADD you are (or aren't).

Brain chemistry is so complex that different people with different problems react in very different ways. The differences are qualitative not quantitative.

For example, someone close to me was put on Prozac years ago, and I was very worried about the effects (when Prozac was new) so I asked for one and took it. It was horrible for me - like bad speed. However, the person took it and found it very helpful. The depressed person's brain was affected completely differently from mine.

I think this is something only your doctor can help you with.

Lewisham

Thanks a lot for all the advice guys.

I feel much better informed for when I go to the doctor now, and hopefully we can try and find something that works for me.

Cheers everyone

peterdevore

Ritalin doesn't just mess with your hunger, it messes with your sense of taste as well. A friend of mine who has taken Ritalin for a long time notes it as the worst side effect: he could never truly enjoy the taste of food, everything just tasted bland to him.

He stopped taking it because it turned out he hasn't ADHD, but a form of mild Tourettes, which can be very similar. He's on different drugs now and is feeling a lot better because of it.

Shazkar Shadowstorm

Lord Yod wrote: »

Capt Howdy wrote: »

If the ADD or ADHD is affecting your grades or your job performance, then it's worth trying it. If the Doc just thinks you have ADD, and it's not negativley affecting your life, DON'T TAKE IT.

This is good advice here. I've had minor ADD problems since middle school that never really got in the way of my schoolwork. Tried a number of different medications (including Ritalin and Adderol) and never found anything I could stand. I would suggest not using either of those two if you have an alternative.

Same thing, except it was only in elementary school, because whatever drug they gave me killed my appetite... and I've managed to survive without it, even though I have shit ability to concentrate... but unless you feel it is bad enough to warrant medicine, don't take medicine.

Robos A Go Go

How beneficial is Ritalin for helping you retain information?

Gabriel_Pitt

I don't think it does anything. I retained information just as well on it as I did before I was taking it. The problem was keeping my attention focused enough to acquire the information in the first place.

Fandyien

I'd like to point out that no matter where you go with this, if a doctor prescribes you adderall or vyvanse, bear in mind that you are being given incredibly potent, potentially dangerous amphetamines that can potentially give you amphetamine psychosis with long-term usage.

Lord Yod

Robos A Go Go wrote: »

How beneficial is Ritalin for helping you retain information?

I'm one of those people that, when listening to someone, it just goes in one ear and out the other, but if I read something I basically memorize it. Both Ritalin and Adderol helped with that, making it a lot easier to pick things up in class, but the improvement wasn't significant enough to justify the side effects. (To me, at least)

mts

one of the best ways to see if ritalin will work for you is to drink a large cup of coffee. if it focuses you, ritalin will probably work

mimizu

I used to be on a whole lot of diffrent drugs for ADHD, all of which did 3 things:

1) made me not as interesting to talk to,

2) made it far harder to think up witty comebacks and stuff

and 3) Made be lose a ton of weight, which is kinda bad when you're 12 and at the perfect weight for my hight.


What they didn't do was make my grades better (they got worse)

Cojones

Ritalin's primarily a dopamine uptake inhibitor, which puts it in the same general class of drugs as cocaine and methamphetamine. Reports of it greatly improving concentration and causing substantial improvements in academic performance in those who don't have ADHD or similar are for the most part hype and dopamine uptake inhibitors are not to be considered performance enhancing drugs.

Capt Howdy

Gabriel_Pitt wrote: »

I don't think it does anything. I retained information just as well on it as I did before I was taking it. The problem was keeping my attention focused enough to acquire the information in the first place.

It doesn't help your memory, it helps you sit still and listen. And yeah, it killed my appetite too. My folks would take me off of it during the summer so I would grow and gain weight.

Thanatos

mimizu wrote: »

I used to be on a whole lot of diffrent drugs for ADHD, all of which did 3 things:

1) made me not as interesting to talk to,

2) made it far harder to think up witty comebacks and stuff

and 3) Made be lose a ton of weight, which is kinda bad when you're 12 and at the perfect weight for my hight.


What they didn't do was make my grades better (they got worse)

Ritalin affects everyone slightly differently. Again, it may take awhile to find the right drug and the right dose.

Zeromus

Malingering Layabout Scumbag wrote: »

mimizu wrote: »

I used to be on a whole lot of diffrent drugs for ADHD, all of which did 3 things:

1) made me not as interesting to talk to,

2) made it far harder to think up witty comebacks and stuff

and 3) Made be lose a ton of weight, which is kinda bad when you're 12 and at the perfect weight for my hight.


What they didn't do was make my grades better (they got worse)

Ritalin affects everyone slightly differently. Again, it may take awhile to find the right drug and the right dose.

Also, being 12 is a whole different ballpark.

DodgeBlan

Almost everyone I know that has tried ritalin has found it had a positive effect on their ability to concentrate on mundane or challenging tasks for long period of times.

Gihgehls

I used to be on ritalin but these days I take a 5mg dose of Dexedrine as needed instead.

Dog

Ritalin also curbs your appetite, which as a child will in turn stunt your growth.

I can distinctly remember an instance in 4th grade when I forgot to take my medicine, my mind was going about 500 miles a minute and I couldn't sit still let alone process any incoming information. The post-medication crash is not fun at all, especially when you are younger.

And of course there is always the fear of getting the wrong medication. I was given the wrong perscription one time (a much higher dose) which resulted in me being comatose followed by being in the hospital for three days (and much later a lawsuit). I can safely say I was the only 10 year old I'd ever met who had OD'd.

Bad. Bad Ritalin.

Wulf

A little late, but I'm on a 40mg daily dose of Stratera. Its non-stimulant treatment for my ADD, and really works pretty well. There was a bit of an adjustment period where I was nauseated during the mornings, but thats pretty much passed. Never had any issues with food not tasting as good, even when I was younger and on Ritalin, but they all have curbed my appetite, which has actually done me a world of good, as I put on a lot of weight trying to get enough caffein, when the doctors refused to medicate me due to the whole 'false positives on ADD/ADHD' kick that people were on for a while, to be able to stave off the stupor which would hit me whenever I wasn't enthralled with the subject being taught. I don't feel like a different person while on the drugs, just me able to concentrate and actually complete tasks. But I guess that doesn't sound as ominous as "OMG I'm a different person now!" that people like to say

ViolentChemistry

robothero wrote: »

I can distinctly remember an instance in 4th grade when I forgot to take my medicine, my mind was going about 500 miles a minute and I couldn't sit still let alone process any incoming information. The post-medication crash is not fun at all, especially when you are younger.

It's funny because this is what my brain has always been like, except when I was on Ritalin or Adderall. Perhaps because I actually have the condition it is intended to treat.

When I took Ritalin I didn't really feel anything at all, except a strange and unfamiliar compulsion to actually take notes in class and get work done ahead of time rather than at the last second. Didn't really impact my appetite, and honestly it wouldn't keep me awake for shit either (people had told me it would, so I tried using it to stay awake once and promptly fell asleep in ten minutes).

Dog

I think the reason it happened is because, like with all habits/addictions etc. your body trains itself to perform under certain circumstances. I was used to having the drugs in my system, so when they weren't there everything went haywire.

ViolentChemistry

robothero wrote: »

I think the reason it happened is because, like with all habits/addictions etc. your body trains itself to perform under certain circumstances. I was used to having the drugs in my system, so when they weren't there everything went haywire.

I was only on it for about a year and a half, then I didn't have insurance anymore and couldn't afford it. I didn't see any real comedown. I did start smoking more and drinking more espresso about then for a bit, but that's all.

Dixon

I was on something like ritalin in that it was a stimulant and it was weird just being able to sit there and listen without day dreaming or something else popping into my head. My problem was that it made me super irritable. Sometimes just having a conversation would make me angry, luckily I was aware of how it was affecting me and didn't snap any necks. I decided to stop taking and I'm still doing well in school so meh