[limericklad2]

please can anybody share experiences with ritalin
is it the right drug to give a little boy of 8....
i think my nephew is going to be diagnosed as having ADAH
SOMEBODY MUST HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY

thanks
mike from ireland

[l3abyblueyez]

I have custody of my 13 year old brother since he was 9 he was on ritalin when he came, he was not himself, my mother overdosed him to "control"him and he was like a zombie, straterra he lost weight and had awful mood swings, right now he is on concerta and it has saved his life, he is toleratable and is doing fine in school I suggest concerta if anything...

[limericklad2]

hi abyblueyez,

thank you for replying to this message, i cant beleive only 1 person out of 40+ people who have read this only answered ? whats going on people ?
can anybody else share any experiences with RITALIN
again thanks abyblueyez, iv e taken in what you have said,
take care

[Lesliekay]

I have taken Ritalin as an adult for ADHD and it made an enormous difference in my life. But I have to say that if one of my children were diagnosed with it I would try EVERYTHING else before resorting to Ritalin (or any other drugs, for that matter). The drugs they give for ADHD are very powerful. Because I live in California my prescription was on a special DEA form in triplicate, which indicates the concern for abuse. I have also tried dexedrine and Wellbutrin for ADHD but Ritalin was truly the magic bullet. I can't tell you how much of a difference it made, it was like a miracle drug for me. But again, I would hesitate to give it to a child except as a last resort. In case you're wondering, I stopped taking the medications to get pregnant, and after two children my symptoms are greatly reduced. I don't know if it's age, or hormones, or just being forced to focus more now that I'm a mom. But there is hope, and most people outgrow it after childhood.

One very interesting thing about Ritalin and ADHD is that, although it is a highly addictive drug to most people, if you have ADHD you do not become addicted. I took it for two years, and often I would run out of medicine and procrastinate on getting more pills, sometimes going days without taking it, but I never had any sort of withdrawal.

Good luck with your nephew. There is a ton of info on the internet about ADD and ADHD. Your best medicine is to become well educated.

[l3abyblueyez]

Side Effects of Ritalin!
Insomnia Nervousness Insomnia Skin Rash
Hypersensitivity anorexia Nausea Dizziness
Palpitations Headache Dyskinesia Drowsiness
Blood Pressure Pulse Changes Tachycardia Weight Loss
Angina Cardiac Arrhythmia abdominal pain And More

The following side effects have also been reported in patients taking this drug:
Instances of abnormal liver function ranging from transaminase elevation to hepatic coma.
Isolated cases of cerebral arteritis and/or occlusion; leukopenia and/or anemia.
Transient depressed mood
And a few instances of scalp hair loss.
In children, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, weight loss during prolonged therapy, insomnia, and tachycardia may occur more frequently; however, any of the other adverse reactions listed above may also occur.
There have been reports of Tourette's syndrome.
Toxic psychosis has also been reported.

[limericklad2]

thank you , leslie and aby

mike 4m ireland

[limericklad2]

anymore info?

[limericklad2]

quote:Originally posted by limericklad2

anymore info?

[mgrnjr]

I was on ritalin for 10 years. I started it when I was 14 and I am now 25 so I have been off of it for a little over a year since I graduated. NO NO NO!!! If you want my advice do not get him started on it. I became so mentally dependent on it I felt like I could do nothing without it.. I didn't even want to go to the grocery store without taking it. I was up to taking 14 pills a day (10mg)until my perscription ran out in a week, then I would just count down the days until I could get my next perscription. Although I was not buying it off the street, it scared the hell out me and I was terribly depressed! I am sure people have had wonderful experiences with it, however I did not and would not recommend it!!

[Miles]

Re Ritalin:

Ritalin is methylphenidate. Methylphenidate affects the brain in precisely the same way as cocaine. With a similar degree of potency, they both block a molecule that is involved in the reuptake of dopamine. One difference is whether one snorts it or ingests it in pill form. That partly changes its rate of metabolism, but it still affects the brain in the same fashion.

Methylphenidate was used in research studies to deliberately stir psychosis in schizophrenics. This was done because researchers could take an individual with a tendency towards psychosis, give him/her methylphenidate, and cause psychosis. Researchers also knew that amphetamines, like methylphenidate, could cause psychosis in persons who never before had been psychotic.

Think about this! We are giving a drug to children that is known to have the possibility of stirring psychosis. The odd thing about methylphenidate and amphetamines is that, in children, they have a counterintuitive effect. In adults, speed makes them more jittery and hyperactive. For unknown reasons, amphetamines in children still their movements – it actually keeps them in their chairs at school and helps them to become more focused.

We are robbing children of their right to be children, their right to grow and experience the world in all its richness. It is criminal! Millions of children have been affected. At some universities, as many as 40-50 percent of freshmen arrive with a psychiatric prescription!

It is a means of social control. Children are given Ritalin and antidepressants to subdue them and force them into conformity. It also has a huge marketing payoff, creating customers, hopefully lifelong customers. Before long, these children are on three or four drugs. From a capitalist point of view, the strategy of the drug manufacturers (most notably, Eli Lilly) is brilliant.

Who really benefits? It is the drug companies, the psychiatrists, the researchers, the advertising agencies. In the meantime, children are drugged out of their minds and damaged for life. In spite of the proliferation of psychiatric drugs in the US, no one asserts that the mental health of the American public is improving. Instead, there is a hullabaloo over the increasing mental health “problem.” The stresses of modern life or something equally inane is blamed – are we not creating mental illness?

Miles

[Meghen]

I'm a teenager/young adult with ADHD, and I believe a better choice would be Adderall, specifically Adderall XR, as it is long-lasting and only needs to be given once a day. One source I consulted said "Adderall is consistently longer-acting than Ritalin 20 SR (Sustained-Release), and much more predictable since it is more completely absorbed. (over 90% fully absorbed, compared to 30-60% Ritalin absorbtion)." It went on to say that sadly, Ritalin is still prescribed more frequently than Adderall, not due to its effectiveness, but because doctors are more familiar with it. For more information on this, go to http:[u]www.addresources.org/article_adderall.php</u>

ADD/ADHD is over diagnosed, but that does not mean it doesn't exist. For those who do have it, the amphetamines alleviate the fog in their brain, allowing them to think more clearly. For those taking Adderall, Ritalin, or Dexedrine without actually having this disorder, the medication gives them a speed-like high. There is much to learn about this disorder, and it is very misunderstood by the general public. Until then, if the medication improves a person's quality of life, and the government permits its perscription, then who is to say that it's wrong?

[Meghen]

Oh yes, I forgot to add this in my post:

Miles, you are a radical idiot. Once again you are talking out of your ass. I take prescribed amphetamines and I don't consider myself "damaged for life" as you so dramatically put it. I don't understand what you are doing on a DRUG FORUM if you believe that all perscription drugs are a way to normalize citizens into conformity in a Gestapo-like fashion.

[resist0r]

Don't use ritalin, its a mental rollercoaster. Use concerta, adderall xr or cylert. These long lasting medications are milder in onset, have less side effects and minimal rebound. Dexedrine spansules are also good but I find you need them twice a day, when some docters say once. Dosages: start small. Eating: take the medication right before a big meal, it will supress appitite after it kicks in.

My favorite is adderall xr out of the ones I have tried, smooth, minimal side effects and best overall results! I do 30mg, but I'd say an 8 year old needs maybe 10mg. I am 27 and have been on add meds since being a teen, about 12 years.

Thats my experince in a nutshell. I hope it helps, and feel free to email me at biz_neur@yahoo.ca

Ireland! Nice place, I'm just across the ocean in east cost canada. Always wanted to see Ireland...

ANyhow. Try long acting formula. Best for me

later

[alan1]

My elder brother tried it and he had symptoms like disturbed sleep and loss of appetite. He also used to get irritable often while on this drug. Apart from this, the drug was for him.