Which is better: adderall or ritalin?

Hi, Can anyone explain me what is better Adderall or Ritalin? I heard that adderall has less side effects.

Hi, I have been using Adderall for treatment of ADD for some time. The most important thing is whether you react to certain drug or not. In my experience Adderall has been a little bit more effective than Ritalin. But there are many people who respond positively to Ritalin and not Adderall. It is said that Ritalin’s action abrupt suddenly and Adderall interferes with sleep. . Adderall has a longer period of action than Ritalin, even if you take the long acting Ritalin. The higher the dose of Adderall you take, the longer is the action. Some people take Adderall in the morning and afternoon. For Ritalin suggested time for applying it is the late afternoon or early evening.

This is a question that should be explored with a physician who has prescribing experience in your condition and familiarity with your history. If you aren't satisfied with the treatment you are receiving, you have options. Discuss them with your physician and, if necessary, consult other specialists.

All you'll find here are anecdotes about how different drugs worked for different people, none of whom is identical to you. The reason there are so many different medications being prescribed for this condition is that the effectiveness of different drugs, as well as their side-effects, varies profoundly among different individuals, as do the manifestations of ADD itself. As a very broad generalization, amphetamines are generally better for treating adult ADD while methylphenidate is usually better for children. Take that with a large grain of salt.

Personally, I felt no affect from Concerta (a formulation of methylphenidate, similar to Ritalin but with a unique osmotic release mechanism) or Wellbutrin (or bupropion, an antidepressant often used in ADD treatment). Adderall produced very satisfactory results, but I gradually developed a tolerance, and soon the maximum safe dose became somewhat less than adequate.

You are correct. While there are certain things you can do to manipulate the bioavailability of a drug (i.e. enhance absorption or accelerate excretion) you can't deviate more than around 20% from the average half-life. While it is true that you will be found more Adderall circulating in your blood the next day if you take 60 mg the day before than if you took 20, a person who is prescribed 60 mg/d won't notice a longer lasting effect than someone who is prescribed 20 mg/d (assuming both prescriptions are correct) because it takes three times as much to achieve the same effect (due to body mass, tolerance, etc.) in the former.

Upton O'Goode wrote:

You are correct. While there are certain things you can do to manipulate the bioavailability of a drug (i.e. enhance absorption or accelerate excretion) you can't deviate more than around 20% from the average half-life. While it is true that you will be found more Adderall circulating in your blood the next day if you take 60 mg the day before than if you took 20, a person who is prescribed 60 mg/d won't notice a longer lasting effect than someone who is prescribed 20 mg/d (assuming both prescriptions are correct) because it takes three times as much to achieve the same effect (due to body mass, tolerance, etc.) in the former.

I must give credit when credit is due. You obviously possess an extensive and thorough degree of knowledge in these particular areas of discussion, and it gives you much credibility. We need more people like you one here. By sharing your knowledge with others, as you are, you are helping others who may be in need of such information. Excellent work, IMHO. Keep those informative posts coming, OK?

Thank you for your kind words. Ordinarily I'd be a little embarrassed by this sort of personal attention, but since this is anonymous... what the heck.

I do try to be accurate in everything I put down here and research anything I'm unclear about, but it's important to restate that nothing that I or anyone else says here should be accepted as authoritative. I say it all the time, but it bears repeating: important health questions should be discussed with a physician. If you don't get the answers you want or have other concerns, get a second opinion.

ayars wrote:

Hi, Can anyone explain me what is better Adderall or Ritalin? I heard that adderall has less side effects.

In my experience adderall is better. I am 26 years old and I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child. The doctors presecribed ritalin and I was on the medicine for 2 1/2 years. My parents took me off the medicine because of the side effects. I was like a zomby, I was not eating, and I would just sit their in a daze. A few months ago I wanted to be diagnosed again for testing purposes but the doctors placed me back on medicine. This time they prescribed adderall. I like the way I feel on this medicine. I can consintrate better, I can focus on things much better, and I stay on task. I suggest adderall over ritalin. (in my opinion)

does any one have any kids in this age group i am looking for feed back on how to handle my son how is now 5 and has just been put on adderall and is freaking out trying to get a handle on him any suggestions

Guest wrote:

does any one have any kids in this age group i am looking for feed back on how to handle my son how is now 5 and has just been put on adderall and is freaking out trying to get a handle on him any suggestions

My daughter has been on adderall for almost a year now. I have found that it works better than the dexadrine. Adderall is a time released version of dexadrine. The dexadrine made her moody. Her sleep has never been good. Her psychiatrist suggested clonidine. If you child is anxious or has a hard time getting to sleep it will help dramatically. It has changed our lives. Take care and I hope this helped.

I was on Dexedrine (also dextroamphetamine) when I was in grade 6, my psychiatrist combined this with with a daily low dose (.25) mg of risperdal. I became depressed/borderline suicidal with violent outbursts, and otherwise zombified. methylphenidate over the years has permanently impaired my natural appetite, which can is the primary cause of my stomach and esophagus ulcers and my inability to maintain a healthy weight. I am a 19 year old male in my 4th year of highschool and I've been on several different medications to treat my adhd since 4th grade and ocd since 10th. I believe the potential for causeing anxiety which accompanies these medications combined with side effects form long term use has contributed to my anxiety disorder and ocd symtpoms. I might try adderall again soon (without the risperdal co-administration) and see if it's any better now with age.

The only better for either Adderall or Ritalin is going to be in terms of what works best with you. While it is true that Adderall has had better efficacy with more people, it does not meant necessarily that you will have better results with it than Ritalin. What is best is to go through your doctor and work with him/her to ensure that you are getting the best possible treatment. I hope that this is helpful, although I know it may not be what you are looking for.
_________________
Have you read health related news today at
SteadyHealth News?

Hey, in responce to your 5 year old son , i would recomend ritalin, it much less overwelming. Also give your child constructive things to do, once you catch his attention he will be set untill he completes the task. so keep him busy and he will amaze you with the things hes really capable of doing.

Cheers, Blake[/quote]

The active ingredients, amphetamine and methylphenidate, work almost the same, though amphetamine is 1.5x to 2x as potent per milligram, so the dose you'd take is different. For some people, one will work better than the other, but for most they're interchangeable. There are many different brands and formulations that all release at different rates.

Both drugs are available in long- and instant-releasing versions. I find long-acting formulations work better for me, because there's a less intense high and low, and I don't have to remember to take it 2-3x per day. When instant release versions wear off, especially after a few months of use, they can cause a very unpleasant "rebound" of worsened symptoms... basically a mini-withdrawal.

Some people use a combination of long- and instant-release versions... a long-release pill in the morning and an instant version at lunch or early afternoon, so it remains potent all day.

Amphetamine wears off at about 5% per hour, and methylphenidate wears off at about 10% per hour. You want a system that provides a fairly level amount during "work" hours (say 8am to 7pm... beginning of school to end of homework) and then is low enough that it doesn't interfere with sleep.

I was looking through these articles for opinions on side effects of these medications. My daughter has taken Focalin. She took it for about 6 or 7 months, until the original dose was no longer effective. She seemed moody time to time but I attributed that to her age. When the doctor increased her dose she seemed to go crazy. She became extremely moody, irritable, almost violent...getting mad too easy, throwing things, hitting other kids that aggravated her. Her med was changed to Metadate CD (long acting Ritalin-type). The biggest change I noticed, aside of acting like a normal nice kid again, is that she went from eating like a horse to not eating at all. Her weight is already to low, so the doc added a med called Periactin. It is an antihistamine also used to increase appetite. Some of you that mention not eating may want to ask for it. My daughter still doesn't eat much, but when she doesn't take it she won't eat all day long. I've also met adults that use it. It seems to work, but it makes her very drowsy. That helps alot with the sleeping problems that these meds cause, too.
I took Dexedrine when I was in high school. It worked great for school, but I often couldn't sleep for a couple days at a time. When I didn't take it on the weekends I would sleep the entire weekend, day and night. That may be a concern for those taking Adderall/Dexedrine.

As a physician with ADHD, i strongly recommend you work closely with a "qualified" ADHD / ADD specialist AND your regular practitioner.