Methylphenidate and Anger: What Users Say

• Jad...
• June 28, 2019

For ADHD "First off, it was horrible for me. I will never go back to Ritalin ever again. I was on 10mg of Ritalin and it lasted around 2 hours. It was the weirdest experience. I felt simultaneously euphoric, jittery and stimulated, but also lazy and just wanted to sleep (???). It did give me a strong boost of energy which lasted throughout the day. After 2 hours was when things got really bad. I guess this is the 'crash'. It made me horribly depressed, anxious, and filled with rage. The anxiety was so bad that every single thing I set eyes on would trigger me, like looking at the laundry basket filled with laundry. I also felt extremely anti-social and didn't want to talk to anyone, not even my husband. Finally towards the end of the night I would return to my normal self again, but you can imagine the emotional roller-coaster I experienced the entire day. I tried to brush it off and chalked it down to stress. But looking back now, I am 100% certain that it was all due to the Ritalin."

• rai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2025

For ADHD "I want to make sure everyone here gets to see this medication from a teenage girl’s view, that's why I'm writing this. Many parents look pleased with their child obeying them when they started the medication, but they don't know what that child feels inside; let me tell you. They feel nothing. Concerta is a type of drug that helps the brain ignore feelings and focus more. Your child isn't healed; they just don't feel. I have been using this drug for over two months now; I started on 28 mg and now I am taking 36 mg. Yes, it helps improve your classes and other things, but I don't think that matters unless you don't feel anything. I am having horrible side effects like weight loss, aggressiveness, and more. But most importantly for me, I can't eat. I can't eat anything I used to love, and I feel terrible. The drug may work for you, but when your child uses this, I think you should have a talk with them about their feelings; they will tell you if they can find one ;)"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 29, 2013

For ADHD "I'm in my mid 30s & was diagnosed with ADHD approx 4 months ago. I started on 10 mg 2x a day & am currently on 20 mg 3x a day. I tried Daytrana, the Ritalin patch, but it made me aggressive & hungry! In less than a month, I had gained 20 lbs. I'm back on the pill & so far I love it! I wish I had this back in school! Unfortunately, my mom wasn't a believer in ADHD. I am calmer, can think rationally vs. going straight off emotions, the racing thoughts have ceased & I can complete tasks I start now. It's also given me more motivation in my life. Before Ritalin, I was ready to give up on life & did nothing. I can now take care of responsibilities! My mood has even improved & my patience with my children & people in general has vastly improved."

• Wha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 27, 2014

For ADHD "My 13-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter both have been diagnosed with ADHD. I, nor my husband, could wrap our minds around our kids taking medicine, but were forced to give it a try. My son started taking Concerta when he was in 4th grade, and my daughter started taking Vyvanse in the 3rd grade. The results were amazing! Their handwriting went from sloppy to super neat, reading skills increased, grades were mostly A's... and many more great results! The bad part about the pills is that they have so many side effects that were making them seem like totally different people! They were skinny, depressed, had insomnia, headaches, twitching, and were angry. We withdrew both from public school and started homeschool. Now learning at our own pace!"

• Los...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 5, 2017

For ADHD "I have been taking Strattera 60 mg for 6 months and am a male that weighs 185 lbs and is 6 ft 2 in. The ATX (Strattera) was not enough to help my severe unmotivation. I recently added Concerta (Alza 18 mg generic) to my medications, and it has helped dramatically. Like a pair of eyeglasses, I can now 'see' my life in a better light. It will not get your work done for you, nor will it solve all of your issues that you may have, but it will make life a lot easier to live. Instead of always worrying and being behind, I can get what is really important done and get to what is important another day. My mood has not been bad, my driving is less road rageish. I'm a lot less stressed out and anxious. I'm blessed to get help at age 22. I am doing well."

• Sam...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 7, 2014

For ADHD "My son is 11 and has been taking Metadate CD for 4 years. He is now taking 30 mg in the morning. He is very thin and has no appetite during the day, but when his appetite comes back at bedtime, we always let him eat as much as he wants. When he doesn't take this medication, he says he can't do any of his work at school, so we feel it really benefits him. He still has a lot of trouble with disorganization and being moody, and sometimes aggressive, especially in the evenings when he is coming down off the medicine. He also has some headaches still, but not too much trouble sleeping. His behavior and ability to finish his school work all depend on whether he has had his medication though."

• Rod...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 2, 2020

For ADHD "My 8-year-old son was given this med, Quillivant. The longer he took it, the worse he became. He became very aggressive, paranoid, had hallucinations, and was very hard to control. He had to be admitted to a psychiatric unit for 2 weeks, they were unable to get him off that med, and he was put on another med. He became himself again. He's one that does not tolerate stimulant medicines at all, I insisted he be put on non-stimulant, and our problems began to change. Two years later, he's doing much better!"

• Anonymous
• December 15, 2009

For ADHD "I have 9-year-old twins who have ADHD. They've been on Concerta, we are up to 36 mg, and it was doing nothing. When they started having side effects-constant picking of scalp, sniffling, and puckering of the mouth-they were taken off. We then went to Adderall, and they both got very aggressive. We are now on Ritalin 20 mg. One just started today, so I'm not sure how it's going to go with him, but the other has been on it for a while, and he's doing so good. He wants to take it, it makes him happy, he says. Today, when I took them to school, he held his 5-year-old brother's hand when they walked in. For some people, that may not be a big deal, but before, he didn't want anything to do with him. He is very talkative on it but very sweet and helpful."

• nit...
• December 8, 2009

For ADHD "This medication has made a huge improvement for my son. He is doing better in school and has no side effects, which is a major plus to me. No mood swings, fits of rage, or emotional meltdowns. I would recommend trying this medication to anyone."

• kar...
• October 23, 2013

For ADHD "We just picked up the Daytrana patch tonight and plan to try it in the morning. My son is 15 and has been on ADD medications since he was 6. Metidate was awful -- caused anger and dark moods. We switched to Focalin XR twice a day (which I highly recommend for those of you who are still searching for the right medication) and has been absolutely wonderful for the past 6 or 7 years. It made him feel loving and gentle, which is his nature. Just recently, he seemed to outgrow his dosage, and through tests of different dosages, we have reached the max he should take, which, by the way, is usually not what the insurance company limits are, so find a good ADD doctor who knows his stuff. Keep at it until you find the right med and dosage."

• arh...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 17, 2015

For ADHD "I absolutely love this medication for my ADHD and as a mood stabilizer. It works wonders with little to no side effects. Coming down from it in the evenings is another story. My coming down period sucks as I just get consumed with rage."

• A...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 16, 2013

For ADHD "My daughter has A.D.D., so we tried Concerta. At first it was fine, I thought there was hope for my daughter, but after two months, my daughter started to get angry and really bad mood swings-super emotional. She told me when she's at school she wanted to scream and yell. She wanted to throw things. She didn't. My daughter is very quiet and shy and keeps to herself. I am so happy I took her off of it."

• kim...
• March 27, 2013

For ADHD "I had taken every form of Ritalin while in elementary and junior high school. It helped me focus, but I felt like a zombie, and my mom always felt like it was not really me. I was always angry when I would start to come down from it at night, so in high school, I started taking Adderall, and it was such a great change."

• Anonymous
• September 26, 2010

For ADHD "My son was diagnosed with ADHD last week. He has always been super hyper, climbs on furniture, spins, sticks his tongue out, and can't look anyone in the eyes without fidgeting around. I didn't want to believe it, but when my parents and my grandparents, also the dentist, asked about him, I knew things were getting worse. He was seen by three specialists in NH and was given 5 mg of Ritalin, 1/2 morning, 1/2 afternoon. He has already had a profound change in his behavior. He doesn't stick his tongue out of his mouth at all and makes crazy noises. He can sit calmly now and concentrate, he actually played with some of his toys, which he didn't really do before. Only con so far: after 4 hours, he has aggressive behavior and cries over nothing. Just started, maybe that's why."

• fru...
• February 11, 2008

For ADHD "My 6-year-old son was diagnosed with ADHD and is on the Daytrana patch. Although it has helped him tremendously in school, he is having difficulty when we remove the patch. I have watched my happy, sweet, funny little boy turn into an angry, crying, depressed person. About 2 hours after the meds have worn off, we cannot do anything social because he just cannot handle the interaction."

• Ari...
• November 29, 2010

For ADHD "I've been taking stimulants for ADD almost all of my life. Except for high school-man, did I fall apart then. Parents, never take your children off these medicines if they're on them for a reason and doing well. I'd continue the route. This medicine is alright, but I do not like the 'come down' of it at all. Makes me very irritable and angry, then extremely depressed. It does give me a burst of energy, which gets me motivated to start doing things and whatnot-which I like, but just the come down is brutal. I don't like methylphenidate. I want to try Adderall, as I heard it is less intense. Anyway, make sure you drink a lot of water on this medication and try to eat something."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 30, 2013

For ADHD "This was a miracle that at first changed my life. I went from being always late for work, nearly losing my job to super mom! My brain was on 24/7 and never switched off. It helped me come out of my shell and be more social, more verbal at work. Excelled at work, at home I sucked! I lacked emotional judgment, was very aggressive, and easily ticked off. I became obsessive-compulsive, I would lose my mind if anything was out of place. Three years later, I just stopped cold turkey as being a super mom was just not worth it anymore. I quit my job, and my family must just accept me for who I am. I lack focus and daydream and forget to sign kids' homework, but I am me."

• 83n...
• February 28, 2013

For ADHD "First couple of days, it was working well, then I started noticing mood swings, insomnia, anxiety, anger, agitation. On top of that, lack of energy and a sore throat. It's okay, but not worth all these side effects."

• Ang...
• May 9, 2011

For ADHD "My son has been on Concerta for about 4 years now. He started when he was 6 years and will be 11 years in 2 weeks. He was put on this medicine starting with 18 mg. Over time, he was gradually put on a higher dose as his age and weight increased. He is now on 54 mg. Since my son has been on this medicine, he has developed seizures because Concerta lowers the seizure threshold. He was diagnosed last year, 2010. He has paranoia, fearfulness, psychosis, headaches, nervousness, aggression, mood swings, trouble going to sleep, and doesn't want to eat a lot. He has had suicidal thoughts and depression."

• For...
• December 16, 2016

For ADHD "After my 10 years, I tried about every medication. He started Daytrana, it is absolutely the miracle medication. He is in honors classes and is able to tolerate his day-to-day routine. We put it on him before he gets up in the morning. Without the medication or on oral doses, he is very unmanageable and even aggressive at times. We use Ritalin tablets when he does not have school, this helps with his weight, but his behavior is out of control. He really cannot go to school without his patches. We need the Daytrana!!"

• pos...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 28, 2019

For ADHD "I started taking Concerta due to being diagnosed with ADD. I started off at 18 mg, and I could see a bit of a difference when it came to reading, writing, and focusing on what people were saying in conversations. It also helped with some of my impulsivity, like shopping and binge eating. At my next psychiatrist appointment, we upped the dose to 36 mg. BIG MISTAKE. Since I’m bipolar as well, it sent me into a dysphoric hypomanic episode. I would get angry at everything around me and pick things apart that people would say (it’s almost like a bad PMS episode, lol). This med works, just be cautious if you’re bipolar."

• ant...
• November 21, 2009

For ADHD "7-year-old with ADHD, with the HD prevailing. Started 10 mg Metadate CD in the morning and teacher reported a night-and-day difference, but late in the day was nightmarish. Grouchy, no focus, and constantly arguing. Doctor decided that it metabolized quickly and was out of his system too quickly. Started 20 mg in the morning and saw immediate improvement in the afternoons. BUT... vocal and motor tics began, up to 7-10 a minute, and we stopped it right away. Started 0.25 mg Guanfacine to relax the system, up to 3 mg now. Tics have lessened, but still present daily. Tried Adderall, but aggression and moodiness appeared. Back to Metadate CD, paired with Guanfacine, school is better, still some moodiness, but overall an improvement."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 15, 2016

For ADHD "My 4-year-old son has autism, ADHD, and OCD. After coming off of risperidone, my son's neurologist wanted to try my son on Quillivant XR. Our pharmacy had to special order this medication due to there being nobody else in this county that takes it. The first dose of this medication that my son took, he went wild! He got violent with us and just refused to eat anything, he was also up for 22 hours straight! He only had two doses of this medication (day 1 and 2), then I had to call his doctor to have him taken off the medication. We ended up going back on risperidone and guanfacine. Once I stopped giving my son the Quillivant XR medication, he started acting like his old self again."

• Anonymous
• May 27, 2011

For ADHD "My son is 8, and we just started this medication. Started at 10 mg, and it was not enough, so we went up to 20 mg a few days later. His teacher noticed right away that things were better at school, but at home, he was a nightmare. Very emotional when coming off medicines in the afternoon. We got a booster of Ritalin, but now he is not sleeping. I am going to try Concerta again to see if we can get rid of the emotional outbursts."

• Anonymous
• November 14, 2012

For ADHD "I have been taking Concerta for ADHD about 3 months now. The effects have been both positive and negative. I started off with 36 mg, and my grades were increasing rapidly, and I was more focused, but I started to become more antisocial, angry, I didn't have an appetite, I had sleeping problems, and depression. Then, about two weeks ago, I switched to 54 mg due to lack of focus, and my stomach has been troubling me. I'm having twitching problems, and I am hearing voices."