Need Ritalin Advice

[Anonymous]

I have been taking Ritalin for 2 days at 20 mg twice a day. I am getting no reaction. Don’t feel any different. On the first day I took 20 mg and got no response, so in the afternoon I took 40mg, still no response, so I am back to 20 mg twice a day. My doctor said if it doesn’t work to double the dose. Well I tried that on the first day and it didn’t work. I am wondering if I should do 20 mg twice a day for a week, then do 40 mg twice a day for the next week, and if that doesn’t work see my doctor. Should I wait that long before seeing my doctor? I am worried that nothing will work for me. This is a powerful drug that I am taking on a high dose. If this doesn’t work for me what will? I am also wondering that maybe I don’t have ADD, maybe I got something else, but I did take a battery of tests and the doctor said I definitely have ADD. This is the first time I have taken medication for ADD and I am disappointed with the results. Has anybody had this experience with Ritalin and if so what medication did work for you? Hey maybe the pharmacy gave me the wrong pills.

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[Anonymous]

Shoe, I’m a teacher who worked with spec ed kids who were identified due to extreme behaviour issues. ADD was the least of their worries! (although having that too sure wasn’t a great treat for them) What I noticed over the years working with them was that some of them took ritalin on their first ‘trial’of meds and it had no effect. I had to track all the behaviours/improvements/side effects on tracking sheets provided by their doctors so I was paying close attention. After the trial period, if there was no beneficial effects, their pediatriacian or psychiatrist would switch them to a new med (dexedrine). Some of them would have a cmplete turn around! They had found their med!

Then there were the kids that would be started on dexedrine and that trial would be a total flop! That child’s doctor would try a new med (ritalin) and WOW! The nail was hit on the head for them.

What I’m saying is don’t give up if you don’t find the answer immediately. Take the meds at the exact dose your doctor has prescribed and increase them at the rate he has recommended. Believe me, he’s had a whole lot more experience at knowing how quickly to change things around. We tend to want instant results, don’t we? LOL Remember, it’s only a few weeks and you’ll have your answer. In the grand scheme of thngs, it is only a very short period of time. If the ritalin doesn’t work after a few weeks (if your doc gets you through the dosage trials), he/she will switch you to one of the other types of drugs out there which may be just be the one that you need. You can’t change the doses too quickly because in the course of a week so many things affect our ‘regular’ day and that affects how our bodies process the drugs.

Good luck and don’t give up. Many people go through a couple of months of trying out meds and dosages before their ‘puzzle’ is solved. Oh, and the meds only assist in helping us solve our issues with ADD. They give us what educators call ‘think’ time- a bit of extra time to process our thoughts (and hopefully make better decisions while we doing the thinking).

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[Anonymous]

Hey shoe….. I’m no Doc so I’m not sure how to respond. I’ll help out best I can with me……I don’t take meds anymore but when I did it was 10mg in the AM……they usually would last the best part of a work day… usually…..sometimes I would take another 10mg at mid afternoon. I’m not sure what your expecting to feel…some people say it has a dramatic affect, others may feel a little speedy??? I didn’t get any real noticeable effects…… maybe a little speedy (energetic) at times but that was about it. If I took more then I would be buzzing about. Golly I don’t know what else to tell you. Strange you don’t get any response at all at 40mg… or maybe it’s not??? Like I said I’m not a Doc.

Maybe Doc J will respond???? Sorry Shoe…..that’s all I got.

toofat

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[Anonymous]

zsazsa & toofat thanks for your support. If the Ritalin doesn’t work out I will definitely mention the dexedrine to my doctor. I was wondering if other people were having the same reaction. Now I know. Thanks for telling me about those kids. It sounds like you are a good teacher who has compassion for your students.

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[Anonymous]

I’ve got to ask, what were your expectations? If you don’t know what you expected, how can you decide if its working? I’ll offer my experience with methylphenidate (generic Ritalin): I did “feel” different within about 15 minutes. The difference is tough to describe. Like there was suddenly a filter in place between me and all the stuff that typically dragged my focus this way and that.

So, I put it to the test… I sat down and wrote checks (paid household bills). I was able to get through the whole pile in one sitting, with my children awake and puttering about. Prior to that, I could not do this task if anyone was in the house. and still I’d have to take several breaks to get done.

Try doing a task that you would normally have to struggle to do and see how (or if) the Ritalin is helping. Keep in mind that Ritalin may not be the formulation for you. Don’t give up. There are other stimulant options and one will mesh with your chemistry for the desired effect.

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[Anonymous]

The only effect I got was that I felt more little more drowsy than usual, other than that nothing different. My concentration was as bad as it ever was. I noticed that I was taking the generic brand so maybe that may have something to do with the results. Don’t really know, but some people say it makes a difference. I made an appointment with my doctor next week, and I will ask him if I can try dexedrine. I am no longer taking Ritalin because it is doing nothing for me. Yesterday as an experiment I tried a one time 60 mg dose, and still no results. In the meantime I think I will take the pills back to the pharmacy and ask them if they gave the right pills.

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[Anonymous]

Hi Shoe – The exact same thing happened with me. My first trial was with Ritalin and it had zero effect. For all I could tell I could’ve been taking sugar pills. I took as much as 30mg twice a day, four hours apart, and nothin’. I didn’t take anymore after several days. Today was my follow-up appointment and my Dr had the following to say 1) “You’re quirky”…knew that, thank you for the compliment 2) “Tell me about your history with pain medication – such as at the Dentist or following surgery – does it take a lot for you to feel results?” The answer was “yes!”. I also mentioned that I have to take a very large dose of antibiotics and for at least 10 days anytime I’m sick. From there he determined that I metabolize medicines very quickly and I evidently metabolized the Ritalin long before it had any effect. Today I started my next test week and with Dextrostat. Evidently it is on back-order at the manufacturer so I got the generic form – I have no idea if there’s a significant difference with this drug, however he specifically told me to get the name brand for Ritalin. So, we’ll see. I took 10mg of Dextrostat today and could tell I’d taken something – I felt slightly more ‘zoned’ in to what I was doing this afternoon. Four hours later I took 10mg again. Still I can tell a difference. It’s not huge but it’s a difference and I can appreciate that! Tomorrow I’ll take 20mg three times a day and at least 4 hours apart. Next week’s trial is with Adderall. The following week we’ll review what worked best, if anything, and I’ll start taking the extended release version. I don’t know if this method is typical or not, I’m new to this too. What I do know is that I have a severe case of ADHD Inattentive Type, 34 yrs old and just diagnosed – therefore, I’m freaking exhausted and my brain feels like it’s been in overdrive my entire life. Anything to help slow down the constant inner monologue so I can focus, if only for a few hours, will be much appreciated I hope this helps or makes you feel a little better about your process. I’ll be interested to read what your Dr does for you. If medicine is the route you want to take, I hope you hang in there and give it time to work out.

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[Anonymous]

Hello MyInattentiveADHD: I guess I am quirky too. Thanks for telling me about this. Much appreciated. Now I have 2 medications that I can present to my doctor. Hope he doesn’t get up tight, as some doctors feel you are telling them what to do, and they get quite annoyed. I will have to be careful how I word it. I also have inattentive ADD type. I will be seeing my doctor next week. I will keep you informed as soon I get any results. Probably next week.

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[Anonymous]

shoe: Quirky is good

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[Anonymous]

My son has to take the name brand always because the generic just did not work! I take the generic, but there was one that did not work, so I have to make sure I get the same generics now. Hang in there, and keep in close touch with your doc., something will work!

PS–The pharmacy won’t take back the meds you have, sorry. You may have some friends/family who can take it and it will save them some money–just don’t tell the doc or pharmacy unless you want to hear the “never share meds with anyone” lecture. My shrink has no idea what meds cost without insurance–most of them don’t! Good luck!

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[Anonymous]

While you’re still figuring out which med will work, see if the Dr will write a scrip for 10 days rather than 30 days. Will save wasted money on excess pills. My very first trial was for 5 days worth of meds, as I recall.

P

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