Ritalin for ADHD User Reviews (Page 5)

• Skye
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 19, 2022

"Just got diagnosed ADHD and prescribed Ritalin (10mg 3 times a day, starting with 1 and increasing it every few days). It’s my 6th day taking it and it feels like it’s doing the complete opposite of what it should be doing. It’s worsened my anxiety and depression, I feel robotic and numb, my moods fluctuate more than usual, I can’t focus, I feel tired and lethargic, irritable, nauseous, dizzy, racing heart, and none of my usual coping mechanisms that I had before I started meds are helping at all. It’s helped so little and made me feel so much worse. I've started dreading having to take them. Called my Dr today and waiting for him to call back so I can speak to him about it."

• Anonymous
• December 16, 2011

"I am a 20 year old man, going to university and had or still have troubles concentrating with my ADHD, mostly staying on one subject. Started taking Dexedrine, first it made me restless and gave lots of anxiety. Could not hold up a normal conversation or sit still, it made me feel uncomfortable. Then tried Concerta it was effective somewhat but did not help as much as I had hoped, could not notice much of a effect. Ritalin gives me the concentration when I need it most. "

• Lilac_P
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 8, 2023

"I’m in Australia and was diagnosed 4 years ago with high-functioning autism and depression (53 years old). Antidepressants have never really worked for me - I have tried many different brands over 15 years. However, since taking Ritalin, I feel more in control of my responses, even during stressful times at work and socializing with family (which I always dread due to noise and conversations I need to keep up with). I feel more confident. 30mg slow release is fantastic! I love it so much. However, my heart beat can be erratic so I also take metoprolol (half tablet) morning and evening which is perfect for me. When it wears off by mid-afternoon I take a quick release of 10mg. However, I’d really like to increase the dose. It doesn’t affect my sleep (I’ve never been a good sleeper anyway). If Ritalin doesn’t work for you (even after increasing the dose) I’d suggest seeing your doctor for another diagnosis. It definitely works for those who need it - I can promise that."

• Polly...
• May 29, 2016

"COULD NOT STOP EATING! After taking Ritalin for about 1 month, I noticed a strong desire to snack. Just munch on anything; crackers, peanut butter, carrots. Whatever was around. It was like the constant munchies. Then the snacking turned into constant eating after another month. A constant desire to eat in order to feel good. It was as if I didn't feel well, and only eating would take the edge off. So about 2 months and 10 pounds later, I switched to Adderall. Why this made me eat like mad I'll never know..."

• zzara
• December 20, 2017

"I'm 18 years old & just got prescribed ritalin for ADD. The first day I was studying for 5 hours and then felt completley drained mentally. In general I can do a lot more then before but I feel like its losing effect very quickly, as I can't feel it anymore so I don't take it when I don't have to study(so i don't get too high of a tolerance) I started on 10mg once a day and after a week I upped to 10mg 3x a day. I drink a lot of coffee, guarana and stuff so the effect are better. If I finish high school it will because of ritalin"

• Sebas...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 27, 2022

"I was first diagnosed at 8 years old. I was prescribed ritalin and it helped me focus and be calm, but I’ve always remembered myself as the boring uninteresting guy, and when I turned 16 I decided to quit. The first few weeks of quitting felt as if I was taking a happy pill. I was so much more energetic, happy, interested in stuff and I was gaining passion for music and art. I feel like this drug has stolen waaay to many years of my life, sure it helped me when I was younger and I couldn’t manage my focus or hyperactivity, but I think after like 12-13 years I should have been put off it. I rate it 4 cuz the drug for me took away happiness and a lot of years. The drug made me passive"

• caduh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 17, 2017

"I was prescribed the 10mg IR Ritalin, to be taken three times a day a few weeks ago. To say the least, I have developed a tolerance to the drug. It has a bad comedown 2-3 hours after I take the drug. But it has done wonders for my depression and ADHD symptoms. The only downside I found is that it makes me feel like a zombie, too focused, much nervous and has a nasty after-effects. But so far it has been a revolutionary step in my life. I will try switching to the LA version though."

• volynn
• May 14, 2011

"I've been taking Ritalin (extended release) at 20mg for almost a year now. I take it for ADHD. (I also have bipolar disorder type I.) This medication doesn't help with me when it comes to being hyper and full of energy all the time, but it does help with concentration. The only side effect I have experienced so far is loss of appetite, but not significantly."

• ali
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 19, 2017

"I started taking Ritalin recently and it has already dramatically changed my life. I was diagnosed with nervous depression last year and prescribed Zoloft, which significantly drew me out of my depression. But Ritalin made me understand what it is like to be highly functioning. I cried after the first day I took it out of pure elation. I was able to stay awake at school the whole day (a huge personal rarity for me) and I stayed on topic and could hold conversations way easier after the first week. I stopped being so scatter brained. My only complaint would be slight nausea and insomnia. I just wish it helped with my hyperspaces, as i am still jittery, but I am on a low dose."

• Ashley...
• April 7, 2016

"I take the generic form of Ritalin. I have actually lost weight and appetite with this medication. I also have Bipolar Depression, PTSD,social anxiety, and Borderline/Mild General Learning Disability(formerly called or known as intellectual disability or mental retardation: I use a much more updated suitable labelling of disability. I am actually too advanced and higher functioning. In some cases GLD is more proper or acceptable for me.) My medication does in fact help. I also take Vistaril. I actually had ADD/ADHD symptoms as child growing up that might have caused G.L.D., linking it to a chemical imbalance of the brain equals intellectual disturbance. So people maybe undersigned for certain conditions."

• Huron
• April 11, 2018

"Ritalin works well for ADHD. It is not a long lasting medication. Most of the the time it’s given in tablet form and does only last about 3-4 hours. So you will need to take it a couple of times throughout the day. I have been on vayvanse and adderall as well. Adderall works best for me. Vayvanse also works well but it lasts for so long, 12 hours or more. I can still eat and have appetite on adderall and Ritalin but with vayvanse I could go all day without eating. Ritalin is a good medication when taken correctly that will help with adhd."

• msluc...
• April 10, 2016

"I am an adult female. I was prescribed 10 mg once a day. My counselor advised my Behavioral Health MD to treat me for possible ADD/ADHD. I'm also taking clonopin and Ambien, which might account for my reaction- Ritalin made me sleepy and kind of depressed! I was really surprised, as I'd never heard of that reaction. Also taking Lamictal and Trileptal for bipolar. Hm.... I sure would like to know if others have this reaction, or if upping the dose would possibly make me not so depressed."

• wanna...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 19, 2016

"I take 10 mg generic Ritalin as needed. It gets me moving and I can focus a little better. I already have hair thinning and the doc warned me that this is a known side effect for some. However, I don't know if the Ritalin contributes to my hair loss or not. For me, I need to take it about 2 hours after breakfast for it to work. Then it lasts about 4 hours. I probably need a script to take this twice a day instead of once."

• Petunia
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 23, 2018

"I'm 41 years old and just started Ritalin extended release 3 weeks ago. I have Sleep Apnea and have a lifelong history of daytime fatigue that wasn't being helped by the CPAP. After talking to my doctor about that and other symptoms I began treatment for ADHD. The first week I had some insomnia but noticed immediately that I was more awake during the day and getting a lot more done. I still felt tired at times but nothing like before where I was literally ready to collapse by mid afternoon. It also suppressed my appetite a bit which I need. I'm only taking 18mg in the morning. Week 3 I don't feel it's working quite as well and insomnia has subsided. Pretty sure we need to tweak the dosage."

• Rachel
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 14, 2022

"I have to say it has been absolutely life changing. I’m only on 10mg of methylphenidate and a weight has been lifted. I’m no longer exhausted, and I don't get painfully starving like I used to, I can happily make the dinner. I won't be coming off of it. Life changing. No side effects, but I am aware that I’m on a low dose, will soon be going up to 15mg."

• Nolly
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 15, 2022

"I suspect I've had ADHD since childhood. Wasn't formally diagnosed until 5 years ago at 43. Was given 18mg Concerta and, while it did help, it lasted far too long and made me irritable. I switched to 10mg Ritalin and it's different. I have no idea why as they're the same drug but I feel calm and alert. Just as I feel I should be. I can read books again, complete tasks & my depression has lifted for the first time in over a decade. I was diagnosed with a panic disorder and my Dr was concerned that it might trigger it, but I feel very much the opposite of anxious when taking this. I LOVE LIFE AGAIN. The past 2 decades have been a downward spiral for me mentally. More and more antidepressants and mood stabilizers. I'd feel ok for a month or 2 but then slip right back into depression. I haven't experienced any negative effects though it has decreased my appetite quite a bit so I'll have to keep an eye on that. (ADHD often makes me forget to eat and stay hydrated). Other than that, I'm happy again!"

• Carlo...
• February 13, 2018

"I've been ritalin for a little over a week now and I have noticed that the mornings in first period are much easier to get through, but throughout the day when I'm on it I'll experience these low points of depression where I'm literaly just sitting at my desk and not be able to do anything. It works for calming me and I'm a lot less restless but once it wears off it feels like a wave of ADHD hits me and I start running around out of control doing things like yelling and jumping."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 30, 2017

"I’m a 19 year old athletic kid, and when I was prescribed this 3 years ago it did wonders. It was my junior year of high school and I was prescribed 10mg twice a day, once in the morning and once at lunch, with an optional one in the afternoon if I had a lot of homework or studying. My grades were much better and it didn’t have any side effects. Now, 3 years later I have a bad tolerance and I had to up my dosage to 20mg three times a day. I now take it to even make it to class and if I don’t take it I can barely stay awake. Like many people said it makes you feel extremely sluggish like a zombie, and it’s an absolutely awful feeling. I lose emotions, have mood swings and even my sex drive with my girlfriend is completely destroyed."

• texas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 20, 2023

"My son took this for one day and it made him miserable. We were seeing if it might be a better fit in terms of his overall disposition than the previous medication he was taking. It took literally one day to find out that it made him just put his head down and want to do absolutely nothing. He has Inattentive ADHD (ADD) for reference."

• CHuck
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 24, 2015

"I took it for a week. The first time I took it, I fell asleep. But it helps me with focus and thinking clearly. Still, I would go on the Adderall because it lasted longer in my system and I wasn't so sleepy."

• Nickn...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 18, 2018

"It's something that is useful. It helps me focus and gives me energy to help get my day started. The only thing that bugs me is a suppressed appetite and at times makes my depression worse until it wears off also makes my have to urinate more frequently"

• elvayun
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 23, 2022

"I took Ritalin and I got sick for 2 days, took it again thinking it may have just been a coincidence and it made my heart beat so fast I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I switched to Focalin and it was even worse."

• Shayl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 22, 2016

"I've been taking Ritalin for about 4 months now and it has helped me immensely. I'm a college student and suffer from ADD, Major Depressive Disorder and OCD. I was put on this during a hospitalization because in the past I was on Concerta and it worked wonders. So being on this medication I have been able to concentrate better on my schooling and other tasks. The downfall with this med is that it lasts for about 5 hours before it wears off. The other downfall is that I am recovering from an eating disorder and the loss of appetite makes it hard to want to eat."

• Nlsr
• July 23, 2021

"Recently diagnosed with ADHD. Also suffer anxiety and depression as well. Was a nice start. My mind was calmed. I have bad social anxiety I was able to have a conversation with the barber without all of the intrusive thoughts. Which was just amazing for me. But that’s all the good that came from it. By that evening it was clearly worn off. I have sensory processing disorder too and when this wore off it felt like my senses came back with a crash. Everything was way too much. My anxiety was horrible. I called a friend around to come get me cause I was having the worse panic attack ever. And on top of that I kept humming and rocking. I couldn’t seem to control it. I felt absolutely crazy. I took an extra xanax and was able to relax and calm enough to not feel panicked. So disappointing cause it started out so good. Hopefully I can find something that quiets my mind without the horrible come down. But I would never take Ritalin again. Absolute nightmare"

• JRand...
• May 31, 2010

"Took Ritalin when I was first diagnosed with ADHD. Because I was older (20's) and taking such a high dosage (60 mg morning, 60 mg afternoon, 20 mg late day) they changed me to a more sustained release drug. "