I was just reading through some of these comments about Ritalin, and I wanted to add my experiences. I was diagnosed with ADD my senior year of college (over 10 years ago) and had been taken Ritalin ever since. I agree with all the comments about experiencing the jitters and how you can operate with little sleep. Despite the side effects, it was a miracle! I had always taken the max dosage 20 ...
ADHDkid | 25-34 | Female | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
8/27/2014
Condition: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Overall rating 2.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
My psychiatrist switched me to Ritalin after I had negative side effects with Adderall and Vyvanse. I took the Ritalin once and knew it wouldn't work. I also have depression, and I had been feeling rather low around the time I started Ritalin. The very first day I took the Ritalin, I knew the moment it wore off. Suddenly, I had no desire to live anymore. I wasn't suicidal; I simply had no energy. None. Not a bit. My lethargy was complete. I found myself standing in the middle of a field, staring, not feeling that I even had the energy to wonder how I had gotten there. Honestly, I would rather be unable to focus than feel that terrible every single time my meds wear off. Read More Read Less
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david | 3-6 | Male | On medication for 1 to less than 2 years | Patient
8/21/2014
Condition: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Overall rating 1.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
I started taking Ritalin at the age of 4 to 6 it got the job done until I reached 7th grade at the age of 14 I started having embarrassing uncontrollable muscle movements ( shaking ) I'm now 19 & still suffing I have now developed insomnia where my sleep patterns are from going to sleep to 3am to waking up at 8am I wake up feeling miserable & unrested. my mental state haven't been the same I have violent thoughts (not suicide) & when I was in school I had problems learning & staying focus .. take it from a former Ritalin user if you was your child to live a normal life I don't recommend giving Ritalin to your kids Read More Read Less
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matt54 | 45-54 | Male | On medication for less than 1 month | Patient
8/14/2014
Condition: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Overall rating 3.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
I will be brief here and will post an update when I start taking this drug again. I was a child in the 60's when I first started yes, there are side effects with the drug, in the 60's this drug was new and little known about I started in 1969-1972, this should be interesting this time around just to see if the still uses the same chemical compounds.
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Chris C | 35-44 | Male | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
8/3/2014
Condition: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Overall rating 2.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
After about 10-12 weeks of prescribed use for ADD at age 25, my sleep cycle became completely random, with awake periods ranging from 12-36 hours and sleep ranging from 6-12 hours. My sleep "tumbled" around the clock like a tennis shoe in a dryer, only somewhat related to day/night. It took about 7 years for the effect to lessen enough where I could manage it, but still 14 years later it requires effort can be annoying to manage. Prior to taking the drug, I did struggle a little bit to get to sleep and to wake up, it had no real impact and no one ever expressed concern that it wasn't normal. After taking the drug; however, I saw year after year go by, unable to work, unable to function in a normal way and take care of myself, and so frequently asleep during the day that I was unable to sustaining an effort to even get help.Read More Read Less
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mee | 45-54 | Male | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
7/19/2014
Condition: Cognitive Impairment following Traumatic Brain Injury
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
i could not think strate before this drug it has improved my balance and attension
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photocatcher | 55-64 | Male | On medication for 10 years or more | Patient
6/26/2014
Condition: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
Ritalin has made my life better. The medication makes me feel like I am not in a foggy cloud. I can better understand what people are saying to me and I can make better decisions in regards to money and finances. My new so called doctor has cut me back from 40mg per day to 20mg per day. I am very depressed and very unhappy. I just can't get my life back as it was before she cut back on the dosage. . She doesn’t like stimulants because she is a LDS member.
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photocatcher | 55-64 | Male | On medication for 10 years or more | Patient
6/25/2014
Condition: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
Ritalin has made my life better. The medication makes me feel like I am not in a foggy cloud. I can better understand what people are saying to me and I can make better decisions in regards to money and finances. My new so called doctor has cut me back from 40mg per day to 20mg per day. I am very depressed and very unhappy. I just can't get my life back as it was before she cut back on the dosage. . She doesn’t like stimulants because she is a LDS member.
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life can be good | 65-74 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
6/20/2014
Condition: Other
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
have had chronic fatigue for years. this is the only drug that gas given me quality of life.
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Anonymous | 35-44 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Caregiver
6/8/2014
Condition: Cognitive Impairment following Traumatic Brain Injury
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
1
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kay | 13-18 | Female | On medication for 6 months to less than 1 year | Patient
5/22/2014
Condition: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Overall rating 3.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
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Anonymous | 35-44 | Male | On medication for 2 to less than 5 years | Caregiver
5/14/2014
Condition: Recurring Sleep Episodes During the Day
Overall rating 3.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
i was diagnosed with excessive daytime sleepiness and narcolepsy. While a Ritalin based drug was useless for that reason. It does however work great for combining in solution with dexamphetamine and injecting IV. Also, shoving a large dose of the liquid concentration up your booty hole is an interesting high. hope that helps the young mothers who have questions.
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Anonymous | 35-44 | Male | On medication for 2 to less than 5 years | Patient
5/1/2014
Condition: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Overall rating 4.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
It is a great drug in the beginning, but eventually (which my doctor has also stated), the effectiveness diminishes.
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unconqueredmind | Male | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
4/23/2014
Condition: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Overall rating 4.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
I'm a 30-yr-old male diagnosed with severe - ADHD aged 29. Ritalin IR was the first ADHD stimulant med that I tried and WOW.. I was totally amazed at how much it improved my 'get up and go' and ability to sustain focus on boring tasks. I titrated up to 20mg x 4 per day from my original 10mg x 3 and even though over time the med decreased in effectiveness it was still highly effective. The trick is to understand that when tolerance kicks in the is still working you just need to work with it rather than let the med do all the work like at the start. Better than Dexedrine IR for lock-on focus but inferior when it comes to improving organisation. Overall though its a highly effective, life-changing med.Read More Read Less
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Jack | 13-18 | Male | On medication for 1 to less than 2 years | Patient
3/13/2014
Condition: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Overall rating 4.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
I'm 17 and currently taking methylphenidate 40 mg and have done so for about 2 years. however I've also been prescribed Aderall and Concerta when i was younger. Adderall restricted my diet, caused minor depression, and even sleeping problems, unlike my concerta and methylphenidate (Ritalin based drugs). To be honest I think its safe to say that Ritalin is a powerful stimulant with a few addictive qualities for teens of my age. Sorry I cant recommend any speciffic ADD/ADHD medication that doesn't have any downsides. Out of those 3 above prescriptions listed, I believe ritalin is the most effective Read More Read Less
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Kate | 55-64 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
1/25/2014
Condition: Cognitive Impairment following Traumatic Brain Injury
Overall rating 5.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
I experienced TBI one year ago and started take this 6 months after the head injury. It enables me to think, talk, and function more normally. Without it I can not stay focused in order to complete even simple tasks, or have a short conversation, and am always fatigued. It somewhat supresses the appetite so I have lost some weight since I eat less now. The only downside is my insurance will not pay for it since my diagnosis is TBI and they only cover it for children with ADHD. Therefore, I have to pay for it myself. I take a 10mg dose at 7am and 12 noon along with a 100mg tablet of amantadine. I have taken the amantadine without this medication with unsatisfactory results. The ritalin makes a big difference.Read More Read Less
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MICHE | 55-64 | Female | On medication for 5 to less than 10 years | Patient
1/24/2014
Condition: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Overall rating 3.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
2
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silva | 65-74 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
1/9/2014
Condition: Depression
Overall rating 1.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
I feel anxious and still have depression.
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ad3y4v | 75 or over | Male | Patient
12/29/2013
Condition: Recurring Sleep Episodes During the Day
Overall rating 4.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
4
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Anonymous | 45-54 | Male | Patient
12/20/2013
Condition: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Overall rating 3.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
I have taking Ritalin for about 9 months and like a lot of the comments I have read it worked good for the first 6 months, after that this drug is not as effective as it was two or three months ago. In my opinion this drug should only be used for a short time, 3-9 months. Of the 50 or so comments I read about this drug, 90 percent of Ritalin's users say that after 6-9 months after starting this drug, it was ineffective and caused major side effects, I'm no doctor but if I were, I would only prescribe this drug for short periods, like 6-12 months. Read More Read Less
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joboy | 19-24 | Male | On medication for 2 to less than 5 years | Patient
11/14/2013
Condition: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Overall rating 4.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
I took it as a child in grade school.. went from d to A student, I take it now in college, and have been for a couple years, should have used it in HS as well, but oh well. However, now I seem to notice a major decline in its effect, maybe with the variable of me bein more highly physical athletically.. I may have developed tolerance build up, all I know is right now I dont even have the drive to produce efficient study habit in Accounting courses as I used to be able.. This resulting in a worse quality of life, and not having the intestinal fortitude it once gave me, leaving me more depressed, sometimes feeling suicdal on a comedown, blaming myself for not being able to produce output in my Homework flow.. I'm falling behind as this whole semester was just dysfunctional beyond anything I've experienced since my HS days without the meds. however I will say I'm stilll rather sharp on them// ..half the timeRead More Read Less
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