mcdow
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Joined: 12 Jul 2005
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 Posted: 09/14/05 - 09:49 Post subject: |
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Hello!
Ritalin is stimulant, methylphenidate, and it is not amphetamine, as Dexedrine or Adderall, fro example. The stimulants are used for treating AD/HD and other conditions. These medications have some dramatic reports. Despite them hey have fairly good safety records. As any other medication, they also have some side effects. One of common side effects is reduced appetite, which is very expressive with young patients. Usually appetite improves after several weeks or months, but if not, then dosage must be reduced. Appetite suppression is more common with amphetamine compounds.
If side effect is gastrointestinal nature, patient should take medication with meals and also eat smaller meals.
Some patients experience headache. If headaches don’t improve over time, it can be dealt with smaller dose or switching to another medication.
Others experience jittery feeling, that is why caffeine must be eliminated; beta blockers help.
Some patients experience irritability or depression for an hour as the stimulant wears off. This is common with short acting medications, so one can avoid this by spacing the doses closer together, giving a smaller dose after the final larger dose, or by switching to a longer acting stimulant. Sometimes depression and rebound is worse than the individual’s behavior before the medication was started.
Some patients experience sleep difficulties during AD/HD, and not medication, some patients experience anxiety, others experience psychosis and paranoia, which is less common. These side effects are occuring with patients that are prone to bipolar disorder or when they overdose.
Ridilin can cause increases in blood pressure or pulse, but this is more common with individuals with very high doses. Sometimes high blood pressure medications can be added.
If person has diabetes mellitus or borderline glucose tolerance, she or he may experience a rise in blood sugar. They need closer monitoring for sugar control.
Ridilin patients also rarely report tics and stereotyped and repetitive movements.
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