Ritalin and Increased Heart Rate: What Users Say

• She...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 22, 2019

For ADHD "30, female, ADD, 95 lbs. Just to share what I have experienced for starting on Ritalin (5 mg) today for the very first time. I did not feel anything on the first pill (at 1:10 pm) and I took the second one around 7 hours later (around 7:50 pm). The second one kicked in around 2 hours later. I was alert and could stay patient at one task before jumping onto the next one. I also felt talkative, so I responded to a couple of emails efficiently (it usually takes me a while to draft an email) and got on social media to greet friends (I do not chat on social media much, I am never good at keeping in touch with people). It was until 4 am and I felt my body needed rest, but my brain was still alert. I put myself to sleep, but then I woke up with a fast heart rate just 1 hour and 10 minutes later. At this moment, I finally feel it is wearing off as I am typing. I know this because it has taken me 20 minutes so far to write this comment - I am reverting to the attention-deficient and anxious myself."

• Old...
• March 1, 2020

For ADHD "I'm a 56-year-old male. 87 kg. Recently diagnosed with ADHD as I'm easily distracted & can't concentrate easily. I'm in good health and successful & don't get depressed. Unfortunately, Ritalin has NO effect on me at all. I have no feeling of it coming on or wearing off. All I get is a dry mouth at higher doses. I began fast release 10 mg @ 8 am & 10 mg @ 1 pm. Then upped to 20 mg am & 20 mg pm. Then 30 & 30. Nothing. No effect or change in how I feel. Then tried slow release SR 40 mg am & 40 mg arvo. Still nothing. Then tried 20 mg fast with 40 mg SR in the morning. But was distracted on the phone & mistakenly took the same dose 15 min later. So 120 mg in one hit. I expected to have heart racing & some sort of 'buzz', but NOTHING. Very disappointing. Would like to try Adderall or similar."

• 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
• November 18, 2008

For ADHD "Racing heart and head rushes when you first start taking the medicine. It was my lifesaver for high school and college and even now through life. I can actually accomplish things in an orderly fashion."

• Sky...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 19, 2022

For ADHD "Just got diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed Ritalin (10 mg 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. I called my doctor today and am waiting for him to call back so I can speak to him about it."

• Ros...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 15, 2021

For ADHD "I am a 20-year-old woman, 145 pounds, and have been diagnosed with ADD since I was 8. I had tried numerous medications to try and help over the last 12 years, but it always seemed the side effects outweighed the good it was doing. I wouldn’t eat and felt depressed/zombie-like on other medications. I take Ritalin 10 mg twice daily. It usually lasts around 3-4 hours. I have to stop and tell myself to eat something sometimes, and my heart rate becomes faster, but other than that, those are my only side effects. I feel great at the end of the day and am very productive during those hours. Ritalin is the first one that works for me, and the side effects don’t outweigh the good it’s doing for me."

• elv...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 23, 2022

For ADHD "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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 3, 2017

For ADHD "There are some things I love about this medicine, like my ability to focus and get things done. But I really hate the side effect of having no appetite because I'm skinny to begin with. It also increases my heart rate, which can make me feel anxious. It also gives me diarrhea, which my doctor said does happen to some people. It's super effective, but I wish I could get rid of those side effects. It may be better for people who do not need to focus 12 hours a day like I do because I require 3 doses a day."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 3, 2017

For ADHD "I have only been on Ritalin for a couple of days now, and the results are great. My concentration and focus have improved, I can get more things done, and I feel more motivated and self-assured. My social life is better, and I can keep a conversation going. The downsides for me were a fast heart rate, which made me feel anxious, a bad headache when I first took it, and a decrease in appetite. Overall, this is working for me so far, and I would say to not abuse this drug, combine it with alcohol or anything else, and to eat well before taking medicine. Hope this helps."

• Mik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2018

For ADHD "I think it's a very good medication, and it can help a lot! I have been taking this drug since I was 14-15 years old, and at the beginning it worked well, but then, because I took a high dosage of Ritalin (around 60-80 mg daily), I experienced a few side effects (just like increased heart rate, weight loss, and insomnia). So I stopped taking this drug, and after that, I took Strattera (atomoxetine) for a year, but that was terrible. I had insomnia so bad I couldn't sleep for 36-60 hours, maybe twice a week, and besides that, I usually slept 3-4 hours. I also had increased heart rate (maybe 100-130 in the morning), increased blood pressure (100/190), headache, and stomach problems. So I stopped taking this medication too. Now I am 18 years old and started to take Ritalin, but not every day-only when I have to learn a lot, and just 10 mg twice a day. I think it works very well and has no side effects. So I think it's a very good and useful medication, just the 'normal' dosage is very important!"

• Sle...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 2, 2021

For ADHD "I switched from Modafinil to Ritalin this year. Every time I take this medicine in the morning, I stay awake. But with a lot of side effects. Fast heartbeat, morning sickness/nausea, dizziness, exhausted, trouble sleeping during the night, anxiety, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, often migraines or headaches. I try to avoid the medicine if I can. I like Modasomil more."

• And...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 22, 2021

For ADHD "I had a horrible experience with Ritalin. At first, it was fine when it was initially prescribed. I only took it during the weekdays or on some weekends when I had grad or teacher work to do. I was prescribed 5 mg. After a few months of taking it, I noticed my heart was racing; I would initially ignore it. But then it started to get worse, and I would get a little more concerned. I also noticed I was super irritable and would get frustrated easily. Finally, after taking it 3 days in a row, coupled with being super stressed about being quarantined and teaching from home, my heart raced super fast. My anxiety was also worse because I was freaking out about my heart rate. I ended up calling 911, and the paramedics wanted to take me to the ER to get further testing done. After a few tests, the cardiology team wanted me to stay overnight. They wanted to check if I had a heart attack at the age of 32; it was negative. I am a healthy female and always have been. That was scary and not worth it."

• Sho...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2018

For Narcolepsy "Had narcolepsy from age 5 due to brain swelling. Ritalin has definitely helped. I can do a lot of things other than sleeping when I am on it. When I am on it, sometimes I hyperventilate, however. I take in everything around me (sounds, sights, smells). And I do worry sometimes, does it overload my brain, and in the long term, would that end up making more problems down the road? Also, because I need to be put on a higher dose because my body becomes used to it. Pupils are always big on these meds (so I wear sunglasses to look after my eyes when I am out). Heart rate resting sits around 130 bpm and goes up when going to the gym or working out. And I cannot do long-distance running. My hands shake a lot, I often need help from my husband to drink tea as it can be difficult. All in all, I guess it does sound bad, my side effects, but it gives me my life back. It gives me time when I am not tired, so I will do it."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 16, 2016

For ADHD "I took 15 mg instant release Ritalin for ADHD, to combat daytime sleepiness and focus on med school studies. I have mixed feelings about this medication. It improved my focus a lot, but it also had some negative effects. I was very nauseous after taking the pill and would sometimes gag. Nausea was absent on days I didn't take it. I had no appetite, so I wasn't eating enough, which isn't ideal because I am already thin and not looking to lose weight. I would try to eat before taking the pill, but I did notice either a decreased efficacy of the drug. It also increased my heart rate to about 120 beats per min (I am normally about 75). This did help me feel motivated and get work done, I just wish I didn't experience these side effects."