Ritalin

[Anonymous]

Hello all! I’m new here so I figured i would dig right in… I was prescribed Ritalin about 4 years ago when I was diagnosed ‘again’ as an adult. My GP referred me to his child psychologist friend who was very well informed… did 80% of the test before he said nvm, you have ADD! He asked what I wanted to do and I told him I wanted to give drugs a try. He explained the different types of medications but suggested that Ritalin would probably suit my symptoms / personality best. He wrote me a prescription for 10mg tabs and told me to start off with 5mg, wait 1/2 hr if I didn’t notice anything and keep upping it till I felt ‘right’. He basically told me to experiment and have fun but to not exceed 25mg a day. After a bit of experimentation I found 15mg works well for about 5 hrs, which does me great at work when I get fidgety and bored around 1pm (20mg made me feel high) I don’t take it every day or even every week or month. Winter is worse because I spend more time at the computer. Effects-wise it enables me to clear my desk and delve deeply into tough challenges while being a highly motivated employee. I cherish deep and interesting conversation during these times and am virtually unstoppable. Only side effect is dry mouth, which is probably a good thing because then I drink lots of water and I tend to dehydrate myself normally. Love the stuff, love life, understand me more now, my wife is much more tolerant, and I don’t beat myself up for having 327 partially developed hobbies.

Great site!

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[Bettyboo]

Rick you are right about the A&&hole comment…I’m realizing today that there are some people that I don’t know why I’ve kept them in my life…they are a&& holes. I can actually hear what they are saying and their intent before I used to say oh it’s just them and laugh…now I’m realizing it’s not funny and not nice. They are toxic people and I have slowly removed them. The medication has enhanced my already good social skills to the point that I’m able to focus on one person and find out more about them then telling them all about me…much better. I find I actually am having more intelligent, focused conversation with people and then deciding whether I agree or disagree instead of blurting…I do/don’t agree within seconds or even interupting. Like it myself much better – foot hasn’t been in my mouth as often…thank God for that!!

As for Dig4dave, I guess I wonder if you feel great when you take the meds is there a reason why you don’t take them everyday so that you feel great everyday. My understanding of the brain chemistry is that it never changes so when you take the meds it allows the neurotransmitter to connect properly and do what it is supposed to. It doesn’t change your personality it enhances your capibilites of that already wonderful personality. So with no meds the brain goes back to misfiring with the neurotransmitters so I’m no doctor but I wonder if your doctor has explained how the brain works with our without meds. Or, maybe what your doing just works for you and if it does…beautiful keep what your doing.

Just a thought, Elizabeth

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[Anonymous]

I suppose the way I look at is is a bit different… I guess I have made my environment suit me rather than trying to make me suit my environment. I don’t believe that there is anything ‘wrong’ with me, rather that the world I live in doesn’t always fit the way my mind works. I am a true believer in the hunter gene premise, and the idea that ADD’ers are simply a throwback to the paleolithic hunter / gatherer hard wiring system and the world is now run by farmers. (including the educational system) I don’t have a disease and I don’t have a disorder. My problem is that I live in a monetary society that requires / expects me to have a family and a mortgage and responsibilities and therefore a job. And because of these expectations I need to do things I don’t like or am unable to do easily and so I find medication makes me able to sit in front of a screen for 8 hours. Normally my job enables me to engineer and problem solve and meet new people and travel a lot and tinker. Its just that sometimes it can get a bit boring. I love my family and my home and especially my workshop where I ‘live’ sometimes because as my wife tells people, it resembles my brain in there… I can’t imagine life as a farmer, coming home from an accounting job and eating dinner at the table and watching the game and the news and going to bed, only to get up the next day and do it again. I have gathered the materials for a rope bridge across the creek out back, and this next fort in the woods will be even better… But it’ll have to wait until I come back from the road trip to James Bay where my two ADD brothers and I will take a dip no matter if we have to cut a hole in the ice… I am well familiar with how my brain works without meds, and I much prefer it over any altered state, but hey, you do what you gotta do.

Love, Dave

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[Anonymous]

When I was diagnosed with having ADD I was treated with ritalin. When I took the first dose of this drug it helped me clear my mind for the first time in my life. My doctor discovered I had a chemical defiiciency in my brain. I am not sure if I understand it but the missing chemical had sometihing to do with the ability to concentrate. The main ingredient of ritatin fill this gap and allow me to concentrate and focus. I am still hyperactive at times but this medication allow me to have some control of it. I am still trying to get my life into order. I have the feeling it will take a life time to do that.

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[gforcewarp9]

I was thinking about starting a new topic somewhere about my recent ritalin experience, but Ill start here to see if I can get some feedback.

In the past I have been on adderall, but I always had a hard time adjusting to the feeling. Everthing would slow down so much, that I just didnt feel like myself. So, years later of not being on meds, I decided to try again because being a full time stay at home mom who is responsible for the care and feeding of a very rambunctious 3 year old boy, and the orginazation of the houshold, the meals and the finanances (!) has me feeling stressed and overwhelmed daily. We live on an island and I dont have a regular doctor here because they are not taking new patients–anyhoo, I got into see a doctor here on a temporary basis, and she prescribed my 10 mil. of ritalan, because I wanted to try an alternative to the adderall. Well, I took the 10 mil, almost against my better judgement–I had been on 5 of adderall–and I spent the next 6 hours feeling like I just horfed a line of blow at a party, which might have been o.k if I had actually been at a party, and not home with my family in the middle of the day! Not that I do that kind of partying anymore, and dont every one here tell me that they dont know what Im talking about! But I digress, as usual. The feeling was so intense but very paradoxical. On one hand I felt very calm and slowed down. My husband and I had a two hour conversation, and I was able to listen, and I really noticed that I was so much less reactionary--we were having one of of THOSE talks, if you know what I mean. Im sure most can relate, but I go to the emotional red zone really easily, and this makes dealing with my son difficult as well, because he has mommas number, and Ive had to work very hard med free on controlling my anger. On the other hand, it was way, way to intense, and I didnt like the intense peak and valley of the drug. It felt like a real roller coaster ride. I dont remember adderal being quite so intense. Wondering if I should just try taking 5 and seeing how that feels, but I feel a little trepidatious after yesterdays wild journey. I want to feel better, I dont want to be so impatient and frustrated and irritated at everything all day long, but I dont want to feel like I just took a recreational drug in the middle of the day! In case anybody is wondering why I dont go back to the adderall, I felt like it took away my spark, you know, the life of the party stand-up comedian spark. Anyone out there with any ideas, Id love to hear`em.

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[Scattybird]

Hi guys – I have just (last week) formally been diagnosed with AD/HD but my psychiatrist thinks I am predominantly inattentive. However, I do get pretty hyper sometimes but she thinks it might just be anxiety caused by the ADD. She prescribed a low dose of MPH fast release, 3 times a day (not the real stuff, Ritalin) and suggested increasing the dose if it didn’t work.

I was a bit scared of taking it at first but I did and what an emotional experience. It was like suddenly being able to see the world in focus and in colour instead of fighting through fog. I didn’t feel the need to fidget, I didn’t even kick the photocopier when it jammed like I usually do. So it was emotional because I just thought what life could have been like if I’d done this earlier.

Anyway, my question is about the Ritalin (methylwhatever). It seems to work for me – I get an effect with 10 mg and I’ll try 15 mg tomorrow just to see. BUT I just saw a video on YouTube that said that Ritalin and equivalent doesn’t work on the inattentive subtype because it just makes them even slower. Is that true in your experience? Is anyone out there who’s inattentive and been prescribed Ritalin and find it works?

If the YouTube video was right then I have some hyper-stuff going on too?

Thanks.

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[caper]

If you were serious about kicking the photocopier, then I’d say you have the emotional impulse control issues of ADHD. Controlling my temper is the main reason I take methylphenidate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cw8jHUkHiA

I take a 20mg SR in the am, and another after lunch. Cheap and the effect lasts 15-16hrs.

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[Scattybird]

Thank you caper. That’s useful. I was serious about kicking the photocopier unfortunately ….and more too if I am honest. Sometimes it’s temper but often just an emotional outburst that is perceived by others as temper. I have noticed that the methylphenidate makes me calmer but also more controlled in my responses to people and emails when they annoy me. I’ll stick with it then. I need to report back to my psych so will ask to try the SR. I get quite irritable for a little while when it wears off (mine lasts about 3 hours) and I either have to remember to take another does in advance or be somewhere where it doesn’t matter. This is a real journey.

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[caper]

I find the “calmness” comes from the improved emotional control; i.e. things still annoy me, but the meds give me that fraction of a second to decide to take a deep breath instead of yelling at someone/something.

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[Scattybird]

Yes I think you’re right caper. I hadn’t realised quite how much I overreact until I experienced the emotional regulation I seem to get with the meds. So I can compare the ‘real me’ with the ‘calm me’. I also realise that people I work with kind of throw me a metaphorical biscuit before they tell me something they think will annoy me. Like throwing a dog a bone in the hope it doesn’t chew off your ankle. I also notice a difference when I’m driving. I don’t yell at other drivers as much or drive like a maniac when I take MPH. How could I go through life and not realise what a mess-up I am/was? Anyway, emotional control is fab. I too still get irritated, but that slowed reaction time to allow me to think really is the key. It’s odd though because people around me obviously think I overreact, but it was your post and the meds that made me really see it.

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[caper]

@Scattybird: It felt like a jab in the gut when I read “How could I go through life and not realise what a mess-up I am/was?”. I hate hearing people beat themselves up over the past. You can’t change it, however you can learn from it so you can improve your future.

“You are not responsible for the background and circumstances that may have influenced who you are, but you are responsible for who you become. “

I’m not sure where the quote comes from, but I like it.

Take a minute (literally 57 seconds) to watch this video. Once you believe it yourself then send it to your close family & friends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiGsGJaxaEM

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[caper]

This shows the effect of 40mg SR taken in the am followed by 20mg 4 & 7h later:

http://addralph.blogspot.com/2011/09/drug-dosing.html

Given that you find the 10mg works (the ~3hr duration is pretty normal), I think the 20mg SR 2x daily would be great for you. After taking it for a few days you should be able to figure out the right time to take the 2nd dose. My guess is ~6hrs would be best for you, with the total effect of the 2 pills lasting 12-14hrs.

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[Scattybird]

caper – thank you! You have been really very helpful – your advice in all your posts here is great, insightful and actually you know what you’re talking about. Thank you for spending the time to guide me with the meds AND with my attitude. I like the quote too.

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[Scattybird]

caper – The quote seems to come from Timothy Gwinn, but he could have got it from somewhere else.

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Gwinn1.html

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[Scattybird]

caper (and anyone else interested in emotional regulation) – have you seen this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTItzKrNX68

It isn’t about AD/HD as such, but it’s interesting anyway.

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[Author]

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