Ritalin and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• Beb...
• March 12, 2021

For ADHD "39-year-old female that was first diagnosed in my early 20s, but I'd been being treated for anxiety for so long that I assumed it was a misdiagnosis. After a slew of failed benzos, every class of reuptake inhibitor, and a horrible experience with a low-dose antipsychotic, I accepted the ADHD diagnosis, and Ritalin is nothing like I feared it might be. 10mg 2x/daily doesn't give me energy or euphoria, it simply makes me more aware. I have better comprehension skills, move more deliberately, and I don't talk over people. I pay closer attention while driving, haven't even been pulled over for speeding since starting this medication (previously an almost monthly occurrence), I'm patient, and I sleep better. The only side effect I've experienced is drowsiness when it wears off, which is extremely inconvenient mid-day, but that's what calendar reminders are for. Combined with therapy, proper diet, and exercise, it allows me to be authentic with myself and others."

• FIR...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 18, 2019

For ADHD "Went on Ritalin for the first time today, and I hated it. Took 5 mg at 8:30 a.m. and then another 5 mg at 12:30 p.m. Within an hour of taking both times, I was falling asleep at my desk and had to follow up with a coffee to stay awake. I didn’t feel as though it made me any more alert or focused. The second pill I took after an hour and a half, I felt hot and my heart rate increased. I did notice it suppressed my appetite for 3 hours. In the afternoon, I suffered severe irritability, to the point where I was yelling at colleagues, then suffered what I believe was a panic attack. Felt not in control, was crying uncontrollably. I forced myself to work out so I could work the Ritalin out of my system. Horrible :("

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 25, 2013

For ADHD "I've been taking it for 7 years, and it turned my life around. I am severely dyslexic and have ADD and am on 30 mg to 40 mg a day. However, as of recent, it has started making me slightly disoriented and even slightly sleepy, and my thoughts come faster than I speak (used to happen before I started taking Ritalin with my dyslexia), but it feels worse. I just started interning at an ad company, so not the best of times!"

• Anonymous
• October 18, 2009

For ADHD "I felt very groggy and out of it for a while on this drug. I felt like I could barely form a thought and had great difficulty interacting with people while on it. I had no feelings, no emotions, it felt like if I had to choose an emotion, it would be disoriented."

• Sle...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 29, 2018

For Narcolepsy "I have narcolepsy with cataplexy and was prescribed Ritalin. Doc started me on a low dose to be taken twice a day. The first two days I felt awake and alert, didn’t nap till 4:30 pm. After that, I just got sleepy. Never had that get-up-and-go like those first few days. Now after being on it for over a month, about 15 minutes after dosing I’m falling asleep. Literally head bobbing. I nap off and on all day long like before I was on Ritalin, or I feel sick. I also notice that my chronic pain is heightened. Everything seems magnified on live wire. My eyes hurt, I’m more sensitive to light and have daily headaches on top of my chronic migraines. I finally see my neurologist tomorrow and hopefully, he’ll have an alternative plan for me."

• Nol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 15, 2024

For ADHD "No longer fidgety and hyper, I’m feeling less restless and more focused on my work now. I was prescribed 20mg generic Ritalin and now I fidget less, get distracted less, have less crowded thoughts, I can get all of my work done in one day instead of task switching every 5 minutes. I still feel a little sleepy but I’m thankful for any good effects at all."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 5, 2023

For Narcolepsy "I have to take medication to sleep, which makes me groggy in the morning, and I was falling asleep at the wheel. I used to take Geodon, also for schizoaffective disorder. Was prescribed Ritalin, and it did help me wake up, and it was easy to get to work on time. However, it made my paranoia and anxiety so much worse. Everyone was out to get me, plotting against me, etc. Had awful anxiety 24/7. Quit Geodon, and now I’m on trazodone and Seroquel, without them, I can’t sleep, but again it’s hard to wake up in the morning. I miss being able to wake up easily with Ritalin, but I don’t miss the paranoia and anxiety."