ritalin????LD?????

[ronni]

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What do you think the percentage of students taking ritalin is??? I am about to fail and advisor has suggested I get tested for learning disabilities. Does that mean that they are inferring I take something to enhance my concentration??? Does it even help if you don't have ld??

 

[Megalofyia]

You don't take ritalin for all learning disabilities. He didn't suggest you get tested for ADD specifically. Maybe he's suggesting a way for you to get extra time on an exam or to get some help with study techniques.

And yes it helps if you don't have ADD, that is until it makes you feel like your having a heart attack.

 

[ronni]

truly, i understand it's not for all learning problems, but at this point in my career i would assume my problem may be one of focus and concentration. i certainly don't want to take any kind of "drug" that's harmful or addictive, but if it's recommended for my learning issues, then what?? Comments??? Does everyone assume that ritalin will help???

 

[Megalofyia]

There are also non pharmacological ways to deal with attention disorders. Behavior modification and such. Also keep in mind that for a diagnoses of ADD the symptoms would have to have been present since before you were 7. Although that isn't necessarily going to stop some doctor from giving it to you if you ask for it.

 

[krabmas]

my brother was on ritalin for ADD. He ran out of his prescription too fast and then started snorting coke to get the effect with out a prescription.

Then he was addicted to coke 😱

Hence - ritalin is not the best idea.

I know there are plenty of people that take it and are fine, but it is best to use drugs as a last resort.

btw- my brother is in law school and doing fine off of drugs 😍

So when he graduates he can be my malpractice attorney

 

[gwyn779]

my brother was on ritalin for ADD. He ran out of his prescription too fast and then started snorting coke to get the effect with out a prescription.

Then he was addicted to coke 😱

Hence - ritalin is not the best idea.

I know there are plenty of people that take it and are fine, but it is best to use drugs as a last resort.

Like you said, there are plenty of people who do fine with it and are on stable doses for years. People with ADD actually have a higher chance of getting addicted to drugs/EtOH than the general population, possibly as an attempt to self-medicate for attention or for the depression that often results from continuously performing below expectations. The really interesting part is that there's evidence that people with ADD who are treated effectively have a decreased risk of addiction.

There are a lot of different options for treating ADD, starting with behavior modification, though that tends to not work as well alone because the people can't pay attention long enough to learn the methods. Overall the best treatment plan tends to be behavior mod while taking meds. As for drugs, there are several options other than stimulants, such as Strattera; the antidepressants Wellbutrin and Effexor have also been used. But I would tend to agree with trying non-medication methods first because no drug is without risks or side effects.

All this is assuming a diagnosis of ADD in the first place, though like Megalofyia said, stimulants often help people without ADD concentrate, etc.

 

[erin682]

As for drugs, there are several options other than stimulants, such as Strattera; the antidepressants Wellbutrin and Effexor have also been used. But I would tend to agree with trying non-medication methods first because no drug is without risks or side effects.

I would steer clear of any type of antidepressants unless you REALLY need them. Trying to get off Effexor put my little sister in the hospital and Wellbutrin made me sick for months. There are countless side effects from these drugs that most doctors aren't aware of and won't recognize if you get them. Antidepressants can be very difficult to get off of. A couple weeks ago I started having high anxiety, depression. nausea, vertigo, extreme fatigue, insomnia, loss of appetite and a host of other symptoms that was making me very sick. I couldn't figure out what the hell was wrong with me until I talked to a doc who had experienced the same set of symptoms. She said that is was likely withdrawal from an SSRI that I had stopped taking. Drugs like Ritalin can be addictive too so be careful. There are other ADD drugs to if you get diagnosed with it that I believe that are supposed to have less side effects. But I guess my point is try anything behavioral before meds. Docs just aren't aware of the potential side effects and the drug companies aren't exactly volunteering the information.

 

[watto]

People with ADD actually have a higher chance of getting addicted to drugs/EtOH than the general population, possibly as an attempt to self-medicate for attention or for the depression that often results from continuously performing below expectations.

There is some debate over whether the high comorbidity between bipolar I (a disorder whose sufferers experience extremely high rates of chemical dependency and addiction) and ADHD is related to similar pathophysiological processes relating to the cortical-limbic-striatal circuit, thought to be involved in the connection between attentional and emotional regulation...really interesting research that might reveal both are part of a spectrum of similar disorders and not as discrete as people currently believe.

Your point about a combo of meds + behavioral therapy is well taken. There is a synergy that exists there that is similar to that in depressive disorders. To split the two out as polar opposites in some zero-sum game is not helpful.

 

[Megalofyia]

Just as a side note: Strattera is actually the first non-stimulant drug designed for ADD. It is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. But it is also not as effective in as many patients as the stimulants are. I think a developmental ped told me that she finds it's only helpful for something like 30% of her adults on it.

 

[donvicious]

Just as a side note: Strattera is actually the first non-stimulant drug designed for ADD. It is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. But it is also not as effective in as many patients as the stimulants are. I think a developmental ped told me that she finds it's only helpful for something like 30% of her adults on it.

Has anybody else heard about the effectiveness of Strattera or Slow Release Ritalin? I'm an MSI with ADD and I take generic Ritalin (methylphenidate). I find that it makes me irritable but it studying is extremely inefficient without it.

 

[Megalofyia]

Has anybody else heard about the effectiveness of Strattera or Slow Release Ritalin? I'm an MSI with ADD and I take generic Ritalin (methylphenidate). I find that it makes me irritable but it studying is extremely inefficient without it.

Have you ever tried Adderall? It tends to have fewer rebound effects and lasts longer than ritalin.

 

[dacaveman]

i started with 18mg Concerta (methylphenidate) 2 months ago and it works, coz now i can sit and do boring stuff for hours.

if you think you have ADD get urself an appointment.

what's your reason for having poor grades anyway?

 

[phoenixsupra]

i started with 18mg Concerta (methylphenidate) 2 months ago and it works, coz now i can sit and do boring stuff for hours.

if you think you have ADD get urself an appointment.

what's your reason for having poor grades anyway?

Yes, get an appointment. I got tested for ADD in medschool. Turned out I didn't have it. I was just completely burned out. Medschool is not a positive learning environment. It's not unusual to get a little shell shocked. And yes, in medschool we're all a bunch of freaks so you're not alone. 😉

 

[donvicious]

Thanks Megalofyia.

I checked out some web sites and it appears that irritability is less of a problem with Adderall.

 

[Dr. Rosenrose]

Has anyone on ritalin ever had it just seem to stop working for them? Then what? Higher dose? Med change?

 

[Megalofyia]

You can try a higher dose.. and a med change.. what really sucks is when you find that all the stimulant drugs from Adderall to Focalin to ritalin all make you feel like your gonna have a heart attack and then you find out that strattera just isn't AS effective as the stimulants were.

 

[Dr. Rosenrose]

So what did you do? Is the feeling of having a heart attack a sign that you are doing damage to your heart or just an annoying side effect that you learn to live with? We dont need no stinking heart attack man! I have taken it in the past and felt flutters in my chest. It also makes you crave nicotine like a MFer. ... After reading my own reply I realize this looks like something you would find in a crack head forum. ....Makeing crack is easy all you need is some coke and baking soda and I think I tasted cinnamon and egg... Tyrome Biggums

 

[Megalofyia]

Oh.. the stimulants had me smoking less.. I don't smoke anymore incidently..
Anyways.. I'm in the process right now of 'what did you do?' Hopefully I'll come up with a workable solution soon! I sure as hell hope it is NOT a sign that I have damaged my heart. But I do know that now i'm hyper sensitive to caffine.. I can't even drink a starbucks frappacino with out feeling funny.