What are the negative (if any) effects of the ADHD medication Ritalin?

Question

I have been taking ritalin since my freshman year in high school and it seems whenever it wears off i get really depressed. is that a permanent side effect and what other types of effects should i look for and be aware of? any help with this would be great because now im a college freshman and in one of my roommates told me in his Psych class they said ritalin can do actual damage to your brain.

Answer 1

I think you should ask a good pharmacist, hopefully one you trust, about long term effects. It is a stimulant, so when you stop it is normal to have depression. It may take some time to get out of your system. If you choose to stop taking it, taper it very slowly for less problems.

Answer 2

Scientific data on the long-term effects of Ritalin therapy is rather
scarce. The studies that enjoy the most exposure are the positive ones, which is perhaps a testament to the clout of the pharmaceutical industry and of its close allies in the psycho pharmacological profession. Rats exposed to Ritalin as juveniles showed large increases in learned-helplessness behaviour during adulthood, suggesting a tendency toward depression. So, I can understand your depression which seems to be the most prominent long term side effect. Any drug is bound to have some kind of long term effect, however, is living without the drug an option.

Answer 3

My pal grew to become into on Ritalin for ADHD, it made her moody, she ate better and grew to become into as without postpone as very unhappy and much less arranged approximately each and every ingredient ( she replaced into as quickly as 12 on the time, she died some years interior the previous... dedicated suicide...). constructive area impacts could perhaps be a calmer guy or lady... She stopped taking the Ritalin without her mothers and dads competencies in undemanding words some months after her first dose. It replaced her and didnt like the suitable way the pills made her have faith.

Answer 4

Difficulty sleeping (which can lead in turn to other problems); loss of appetite (thus its use as an appetite suppressant); irritability; nervousness; stomach aches; headaches; dry mouth; blurry vision; nausea; dizziness; drowsiness; motor tics or tremors. Up to 5% of children experience disturbing hallucinations often involving worms, snakes, or insects.

Less common side effects are: hypersensitivity; anorexia; palpitations; blood pressure and pulse changes; cardiac arrhythmia; anemia; scalp hair loss; toxic psychosis.

There have also been reports of: abnormal liver function; cerebral arteritis; leukopenia; death. There have been at least 19 cases of sudden death in children taking methylphenidate, leading to calls by the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee to the FDA to require the most serious type of health warning on the label, but this advice was rejected.