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Ritalin (Methylphenidate) - Reviews, Ratings, Comments by Patients

 
 



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Below are Ritalin (Methylphenidate) reviews, ratings, comments submitted by patients and caregivers. Based on a total of 11 ratings/reviews, Ritalin has an overall score of 8.09. The effectiveness score is 8.55 and the side effect score is 7.82. The scores are on ten point scale: 10 - best, 1 - worst. This information is not vetted and should not be cosidered as clinical evidence.
 

Ritalin review by 52 year old female patient

  Rating
Overall rating:  
Effectiveness:   Highly Effective
Side effects:   Mild Side Effects
  
Treatment Info
Condition / reason:   fibromyalgia
Dosage & duration:   30 mg taken twice a day for the period of ongoing
Other conditions:   fuzzy mental focus and low energy from the fibromyalgia
Other drugs taken:   wellbutrin, allegra, buspar
  
Reported Results
Benefits:   I now have more energy, better focus, better weight control, less hypglycemia, feel more upbeat, less prone to depression. I can work more efficiently now, can get through my day without feeling like I need to lie down on the floor and sleep!
Side effects:   I notice that if I drink caffeinated beverages I get way too jittery, whereas I used to use coffee and diet caffeinated drinks to keep my energy level up and they wouldn't bother me by making me too hyper. So I have to stay away from those. Also, if I take a dose too late in the day, I stay up too late!
Comments:   I have fibromyalgia, and was having a hard time with the high fatigue levels and difficulty concentrating. At first I just took Wellbutrin to help with these things, but a doctor suggested trying Ritalin for better results. It does work much better than the Wellbutrin for these symptoms.

 

Ritalin review by 21 year old male patient

  Rating
Overall rating:  
Effectiveness:   Moderately Effective
Side effects:   Mild Side Effects
  
Treatment Info
Condition / reason:   ADHD
Dosage & duration:   10 mg taken 1/day for the period of 3 years
Other conditions:   depression
Other drugs taken:   Zoloft
  
Reported Results
Benefits:   marked improvement in behavior
Side effects:   weight loss, jittery feeling, insomnia, withdrawal, isolation
Comments:   I began taking ritalin and zoloft almost three years ago to treat ADHD and depression. I also began seeing a therapist once a week. I saw improvement, but it was slow and graduate at first, particularly with the regard to the Zoloft. I saw immediate improvement with the ritalin. It changed my daily life. It keeps me calm; i am able to focus better and for longer. I am no longer seeing the therapist nor am i taking the zoloft and today i feel great.

 

Ritalin review by 59 year old female patient

  Rating
Overall rating:  
Effectiveness:   Highly Effective
Side effects:   No Side Effects
  
Treatment Info
Condition / reason:   fibromyalgia
Dosage & duration:   10 mg taken 3 times a day for the period of 10+ years
Other conditions:   migraine, ibs, dry eye syndrome
Other drugs taken:   synthroid, norvasc
  
Reported Results
Benefits:   was placed on ritalin due to extreme fatigue assosicated with fibromyalgia. medication highly effective in overcoming lack of energy and the tiredness that would never seem to go away. the fatigue was worse than the physical pain associated with fibromyalgia.
Side effects:   well tolerated--none
Comments:   i take 15 mgs in am and noon and 10 mg late afternoon. this medication has given me a life back and am forever grateful to be on it. this medication sometimes gets a bad rap and does not appear to be used widely for the treatment of fibromyalgia, but for me it is a true, true positive medication with no side effects.

 

Ritalin review by care giver of 13 year old male patient

  Rating
Overall rating:  
Effectiveness:   Considerably Effective
Side effects:   No Side Effects
  
Treatment Info
Condition / reason:   ADHD
Dosage & duration:   10mg taken daily for the period of several years
Other conditions:   Celiac
Other drugs taken:   Zoloft
  
Reported Results
Benefits:   Primarily, my son was much better able to focus, control his impulsivity and, as a result, did better in school. Our house became a much more peaceful place once he was better able to control his temper, which largely came from his frustration in knowing he was not doing as well as he could.
Side effects:   Initially, he experienced some sleepiness, but he adjusted to the medication and no longer has this problem.
Comments:   We were initially reluctant to treat an otherwise healthy boy for what some describe as "boy" behavior, but he was increasingly frustrated with his inability to get along with siblings and classmates. However, seeing now how much it has helped him - without making him into a different person -- we're glad we did.

 

Ritalin review by 46 year old female patient

  Rating
Overall rating:  
Effectiveness:   Highly Effective
Side effects:   Mild Side Effects
  
Treatment Info
Condition / reason:   adult add
Dosage & duration:   20mg taken 3 x day for the period of > 10 yrs
Other conditions:   mild depression, but only when out of ritalin
Other drugs taken:   none
  
Reported Results
Benefits:   allowed me to focus on the tasks at hand, run a business and get things accomplished
Side effects:   tolerance builds up to point where drug looses effectiveness. higher doses needed to function, but dr declines to increase dosage
Comments:   before ritalin, artificial stimulants were required to be effective, withour stimulants I was unable to motivate myself to do the things that needed to be done & was very ineffective. Cocaine got me through grad school & my thesis, but ritalin allows me to function with out illegal stimulants -- problem is finding a doctor who will write rx for the dosage that is most effective (i.e. 20 mg 5x / day). I am interested in a study that monitors efficacy / tolerance in patients who need / take high dosage on a long term basis.

 

Ritalin review by 51 year old female patient

  Rating
Overall rating:  
Effectiveness:   Considerably Effective
Side effects:   Mild Side Effects
  
Treatment Info
Condition / reason:   ADD
Dosage & duration:   20mg SR x 2 + 5mg daily taken 2-3 times per day for the period of 1.5 years
Other conditions:   none
Other drugs taken:   estrace
  
Reported Results
Benefits:   Ability to focus. Able to answer questions and engage in coversation. Increased organizational ability. Increased ability to attend to particular tasks without constantly moving towards another task. Ability to prioritize and to remember what original intentions were after beginning a task.
Side effects:   If next dose not taken in a timely manner, effects wear off very quickly and suddenly very tired. Small bubbling in head at times. If dosage even slightly too high, then noticable heart palpitations present along with increased heart rate. Active dreaming if taken late in the day.
Comments:   It took a very long time to find the best medication and the best dosage. Over a year of trials. Medication is taken along with proper diet and increased physical activity. Omega 3 supplementation also added to routine. Important to note that nicotene is also taken regularly in the form of nicorette gum. All information above is based on the two together as complete treatment. Either on it's own is not enough.

 

Ritalin review by 48 year old female patient

  Rating
Overall rating:  
Effectiveness:   Moderately Effective
Side effects:   Mild Side Effects
  
Treatment Info
Condition / reason:   depression
Dosage & duration:   20 mg/day taken daily for the period of began six months ago
Other conditions:   cancer, high cholesterol
Other drugs taken:   Tamoxifen, Cymbalta, Zyprexa, Lipitor, Valtrex, Cilicaine VX
  
Reported Results
Benefits:   When I first began taking the Ritalin, I noticed a dramatic effect on my mood. I felt wonderful! I was energetic and positive and I felt that I could handle anything that came my way. I don't want to sound as though I felt euphoric or manic - I just felt really GOOD about life. However, after only a few days, that sense of confident well-being drained away.
Side effects:   Initially, the medication kept me awake all night but that only happened for a night or two. I take them on an empty stomach in the morning and sometimes my hands shake very slightly for a while but it's not enough to cause any problems.
Comments:   My psychiatrist put me on it to 'give a boost' to my other antidepressant. He says I am taking a miniscule amount, and that I could increase the dosage if I wished but I have been reluctant to do so. Perhaps I should - I may not be taking enough to be effective but I am on three different antidepressants and I feel uneasy about sharply increasing the Ritalin dose. In short, initially, I felt GREAT but now I feel just the same as ever - struggling with the thoughts that cause lack of energy & enjoyment in many spheres of life.

 

Ritalin review by 59 year old female patient

  Rating
Overall rating:  
Effectiveness:   Highly Effective
Side effects:   No Side Effects
  
Treatment Info
Condition / reason:   ADD
Dosage & duration:   10mg x3 taken everyday for the period of still taking it
Other conditions:   none
Other drugs taken:   none
  
Reported Results
Benefits:   Ritalin has saved my life from lethargy and procastination. I can now focus and be productive. I am participating in life now ... I wish I would have discovered this sooner. But later is better than never, I am very grateful this drug exists. It is not an amphetamine (which is good because I could get addicted to speed too easily), this does not amp me up, it makes me calm and inspired and focused, a HUGE change in my life. I am actually enjoying being alive (which is saying a lot compared to where I was at before taking Ritalin)
Side effects:   absolutely none.
Comments:   I started with 2.5 mg 3x a day and gradually increased the dosage, then to 5mg 3 x a day and now I am doing the best at 10 mg. 3 x a day. I will stay here at 30mg. total for the day. They say no more than 60mg. a day but I am happy with 30mg for now.

 

Ritalin review by 45 year old female patient

  Rating
Overall rating:  
Effectiveness:   Considerably Effective
Side effects:   Severe Side Effects
  
Treatment Info
Condition / reason:   ADHD, inattentive type
Dosage & duration:   5 - 20mg taken up to 3x daily for the period of 10 yrs
Other conditions:   depressive disorder
Other drugs taken:   Celexa
  
Reported Results
Benefits:   improved concentration, increased productivity, decrease in impulsivity, decrease in distractibilty, increased libido
Side effects:   significant increase in anxiety, esp during times of stress, increased libido, increased anger, increased sweating, visible nervousness, increased emotional reactivity, short temper.
Comments:   I seemed to metabolized the drug quickly. Onset was rapid and anxiety producing. The extended release did not work for me. I was tried on a variety of doses, from several small doses through out the day, with minimal effectiveness, to several higher doses per day, up to 20mg 3x a day in combination with Xanax to decrease the anxiety. I was not prescribed Xanax prior to the higher doses of Ritalin. That combination worked better than the previous, but I felt drugged out a lot. So my doctor put me on 20 mg at 6am, and noon, with a small 5-10mg dose in the evening, and Xanax only as needed. I learned to live with the anxiety and work around it. I planned my doses where the onset(1 hour) would occur when I was alone or in only with a small group of people. I had to plan everything around the Ritalin to survive with the anxiety, but it was very difficult. But it was the only way I could keep a job. Without the Ritalin I was unable to concentrate enough at work to remain employed. Eventually my doctor retired, and I went to a psychiatrist who has ADHD himself, and he prescribes Adderall, 20mg early morning and noon, and 10 mg mid afternoon. The sustained release doesn't work well overall for me. My focus isn't as strong as it was on Ritalin, but there is no problem with anxiety, and I don't need the Xanax.

 

Ritalin review by 28 year old female patient

  Rating
Overall rating:  
Effectiveness:   Considerably Effective
Side effects:   Moderate Side Effects
  
Treatment Info
Condition / reason:   ADD
Dosage & duration:   20mg taken twice a day for the period of 2 months
Other conditions:   none
Other drugs taken:   none
  
Reported Results
Benefits:   While i take this drug, i feel very well, happy, I can concentrate in my activities. It helps me to make decisions, I can complete activities, i talk a lot, i stay in a good mood, but just while is during the effects.
Side effects:   My heart beats faster and i feel its not in a constant rhythm. My mouth is dry and I feel extremely anxious, and because of this, very clumsy.
Comments:   My diagnostic of ADD was not really accurate. A did just some practical test but no brain exam. The doctor prescribe ritalin as a test, but because of the side effects I had to stop. I did psychotherapy during the treatment. The ritalin helped me but,of course, didn't stop my problems. I feel really better now, but i didn't find yet a drug to help instead of ritalin.

 

Ritalin review by 54 year old female patient

  Rating
Overall rating:  
Effectiveness:   Highly Effective
Side effects:   Moderate Side Effects
  
Treatment Info
Condition / reason:   narcolepsy
Dosage & duration:   20 mg slow release taken 2x daily for the period of 10 years
Other conditions:   depression, hypothyroid, fibromyalgia
Other drugs taken:   paxil, synthroid, flexeril
  
Reported Results
Benefits:   No longer fell asleep at inappropriate and dangerous times. For the first time in my adult life I was able to concentrate. I was able to effectively work and study.
Side effects:   Extreme fatigue when not taking ritalin such as on the weekend. Sometimes I was so fatigued, taking ritalin was unable to keep me awake. When I used ritalin during the day at work, it reduced my inhibitions in social and business situations and I would blurt out things before I had the chance to internally filter them. Experienced periods of sleeplesness at night.
Comments:   I would set the alarm for 6am, take ritalin, go back to sleep until 7am. This gave the ritalin time to kick in so I could feel awake when I arose. Just after lunch I would take a 2nd dose of ritalin 20mg SR to keep me awake and able to concentrate through the afternoon.
 


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