Ritalin side effects

My side effects: Humiliation and Anger.
I take the generic form of Ritalin. I started taking it in 5th grade. Then decided that I was too embarrassed to have to go to the nurse to take my meds at school and stopped. I had a C average and teachers constantly complained of my lack of attention all through my elementary, middle and high school years. My parents allowed me to choose for myself whether I wanted to be medicated or not and I thank them for that. Wanting to ready myself for college and real life I again began taking Ritalin my senior year of High School and achieved my first ever straight A report card. At that time I had a conservative doctor who seemed convinced all I wanted Ritalin for was for recreational use, she was not an ADD specialist and only prescribed it to me after insisting I try various other drugs including Prozac! Eventually she gave in and prescribed it for me since I had been diagnosed by a specialist in the past. She was not happy to help me and I was always made to feel extremely untrustworthy and insignificant by her. Needless to say once I graduated college and got a job with my own health insurance I got my own doctor and haven't had a problem with any of my doctors since her. However, the stigma of taking this drug and the shame which comes with it is something I have never been able to escape. Regardless, I have been taking it ever since my senior year of high school at the same dose. 15mg in the am and 15mg at noon. I am 31 now and the only side effects I have had is a feeling of anger anytime people who don't know what it is like to have ADD voice their "expert" opinion or insinuate that it doesn't exist. I also get frustrated with people who like to say "Oh I am so ADD" after they do something dumb. I am humiliated by these types of people and afraid to let anyone know or see me take my medicine to this day. I understand that the same treatment for every person is never the correct treatment and some people may have negative physical side effects from this drug. For this reason everyone should be treated as an individual and a diagnoses of ADD should not be handed out by anyone but a specialist over a long period of study. My teachers and doctors began taking notice of my problems in Kindergarten and I was sent to many doctors and psychologists before they finally came to a diagnosis in 5th grade. It isn't easy to walk around with your head in the clouds only hearing the random insults tossed your way in moments of painful clarity when your inattention has drawn so much attention. It is equally painful to walk around knowing that in order to perform at the level at which you are expected to you must take a drug so stigmatized that you choke on the bitter pill every time you have to lie and tell some one it is just Claritin, when you would much rather tell the world that what you are really allergic to is their intolerance and insensitivity.

I am 19 and not clinically diagnosed with ADD, but it makes me feel jittery and light-headed. when i first started using this, I needed food in my stomach and not just a caffeinated stimulant (don't just have coffee for breakfast when you take this drug in the morning) because it made me have nausea and vomit.

I was sent to psychologist after psychologist as a child because I couldn't pay attention in grade school. I was finally put on Ritalin. I'm 45 now and a parent myself and suffer from mild, but unexplainable bouts of anger as a result of Ritalin. Here's some of what I've learned through experience: First, 99% of the time, pharmaceuticals are not the answer. They do a good job of masking symptoms and depriving you of quality of life, but not treating the larger problem. Second, public school is no place for intelligent children. The pace is so slow and uninteresting (and I might add un-necessary) that it is easy to diagnose nearly any child as ADD. Home schooling is the best option. Private school is next but really expensive. Second and most important is diet. A diet high in sugar is awful for attention spans. If you send your children to school after a breakfast of sugared toast, or sugared cereal, as mine did, they won't perform well and will "crash" in a couple of hours. Manufactured foods and artificial sweeteners are also part of the problem. Our brains and bodies are not designed to be run on things that are artificial. Last, ALL network TV, and most cable TV is a hopeless, mind-numbing, reprogramming tool. Turn it off and open the books. Enjoy music or the silence of nature. Your kids will be better off for your efforts.
Hope that helps. Rick ******

IS THERE ANY LONG TERM EFFECT'S ON A CHILD TAKING THE RITALIN ? HE'S 7 YEARS OLD AND HE'S VERY SMART AND WE ARE SCARED THAT THIS WILL AFFECT HIM IN SOME WAY OR EVEN MAKE HIM ACT DIFFRENT. HE'S VERY SPEACIAL TO US .WE ARE DEBATING ON EVEN LETTING THR DR. PRESCRIBE THE DRUG TO HIM..WHAT TO DO? SHOULD I WORRY?
THANK YOU
BARBARA

My nephew took Ritalin for years and has now been diagnosed Schizophrenic! I believe it stems from the prolonged use of Ritalin! He is on so much medication now and it is so sad! If only he wasn't so young and could have told someone how it made him feel. He's only 17 now and was diagnosed Schizo @ 15! Ritalin is a schedule II narcotic just like Cocaine which means it is one of the most potent so why in gods name would you give it to a child who's brain has not even fully developed! If anyone suggests your child take Ritalin ignore them or believe me you'll have far more problems!

I was wondering if ritalin could effect fertility?

I noticed nervousness upon first starting, which I was worried about since I also have anxiety with depression, but this nervousness dissapated after a week or two into the drug.

However, one almost indefinately needs to take ritalin with another drug, such as Wellbutrin or Prozac or etc., in order to derive maximum benefits from. Also because I think Ritalin tends to make one too much of something; such as too nervous, stimulated, or angry depending on the individual, and needs to be offset by another drug, especially so or maybe this is only true if there is a disorder in the brain in the first place. I find this is true in myself and need to supplement it with several other meds in order to harness the benefits from Ritalin.

It would be nice if Ritalin came packaged with a med that offsets its negative effects, kind of like how shampoo and conditioner all in one is sometimes packaged in one bottle.

However, the medication is a good one, and has enabled me to function in life. It's wonderful when I'm at work on time or 10 minutes early every day. I love ironing my clothes in the morning for a change and not feeling "lazy", which never was even the case.

I'm no longer described as "spacey" or "stupid" or ditsy like I'd been by many other peers in the past. Now I feel at times intelligent and at least capable and competent or on par with others.

What price can you pay to achieve this?

Highly recommended for sufferers of ADD with or without hyperactivity.

My son was on Ritalin when he was younger and I believe it has had some long term side effects and has a factor in what he is and has been going through these past years. I am considering looking into this and finding out if the problems he is suffering from at this point and in the past is a result from the Ritalin. That is why I am on the site today. To find out any and all the information that I can on this drug.

client used (alot) of ritalin to get high. should she be concerned about cleansing the liver with cranberry juice?

her dr was already notified.

I think it clutter brained me. I think it stopped my body and brain from maturing and developing.
I am considering suing the manufacturers.

Jeremy