Ritalin for ADHD
Ritalin and ADHD Treatment
Ritalin is the most common ADHD drug, and it has been used for the treatment of ADHD for over sixty years. but just the mention of the name "Ritalin" can cause a wide variety of emotional reactions among people. 
Some love Ritalin as an ADHD medication, as they have seen it help a loved one, and will defend it forever. Others hate it, and see it as a part of the plan of evil psychiatrists to try to drug children and take over the world (yes, really!). They will attack it whenever they can.
Most people simply don't know what to think.
Ritalin - Medication for ADHD
Ritalin is a "brand-name" for a medication made from Methylphenidate. Methylphenidate (MPH) is a stimulant used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, in both children and adults.
Ritalin, or one of its Methylphenidate cousins, may also be used to treat symptoms of traumatic brain injury, narcolepsy, and even chronic fatigue syndrome (though many other treatments are far better).
Other Methylphenidate-based medications are also discussed in this section, and they include:
- Concerta
- Focalin
- Metadate
- Daytrana
Ritalin as a "brand-name" medication comes in three forms, and in various doses:
- Ritalin: 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg tablets;
- Ritalin SR: 20 mg tablets;
- Ritalin LA: 10 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, and 40 mg capsules;
Ritalin in the Treatment of ADHD
Stimulants have been around for about 60 years. Overall, they work very well. Ritalin and Dexedrine are moderately beneficial, or very beneficial, for about 70% to 75% of those who try them.
There is an unbelievable amount of research done on children and Ritalin, less with Dexedrine, ADDerall, and Cylert (do not ever take Cylert). We have heard that Ritalin is the most widely studied medication prescribed to children in the world, and we would not dispute that claim. It seems that every doctoral candidate writing his dissertation for psychology does something with Ritalin. Stimulants, whether Ritalin or the amphetamines such as Dexedrine or ADDerall, all have benefits for children and adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADD ADHD.
Ritalin will increase the brain's ability to inhibit itself. This allows the brain to focus on the right thing at the right time, and to be less distracted, and less impulsive. Ritalin will increase the "signal to noise ratio" in the brain.
Ritalin will also increase both gross motor co-ordination and fine motor control. For several years the sales brochure for Ritalin simply had pictures of children's handwriting before Ritalin, and with 10 mg of Ritalin in their system. The changes were dramatic, and physicians wrote a lot of prescriptions for Ritalin.
Ritalin may be "over-prescribed" in America, it may not be. But if it is "over-prescribed" it is because it actually works! If it didn't work, sometimes dramatically, it wouldn't be "over-prescribed."
Are we great advocates for the use of stimulant medications?
No. We would prefer that patients at least try the nutritional medicines like ATTEND and Extress, or EEG Biofeedback training first. However, there is a time and a place for the use of Ritalin. And we want you to have accurate information.
Dr Russel Barkley talks about ADHD and treatment against the problem. Advantages and disadvantages. adhdhistory.com
Getting the Most out of Ritalin
Ritalin is a pretty good medication. We have seen hundreds of kids benefit greatly from Ritalin. But doctors and parents must be observant and conservative.
We have also seen some horror stories with Ritalin, including very serious seizures in children. It must be used carefully, and started slowly and cautiously. It is not a toy.
Ritalin can cause serious side-effects.
We have found that the short-acting pill is better than the timed-release pill. Patients report that the timed-release pill seems to "release" whenever it feels like it, rather then when the patient expects it. So using the short-acting pill gives most patients greater control with the Ritalin.
We have found that the brand name “Ritalin” is much superior to the generic “Methylphenidate.” Generic pills can vary is dosage as much as 20% either way, stronger or weaker. For example, what is a 10 mg Ritalin pill in the generic form may be effectively as little as 8 mg or as much as 12 mg, a 50% potential variation. Always begin your "trial" of medication with the real Ritalin. If that works, then feel free to see if the generic will work as well as the “real stuff.”
Ritalin begins to work in about 15 or 20 minutes. It peaks in effectiveness at 1.5 to 2.5 hours, and lasts for about 3.5 to 4.0 hours.
Some kids have "withdrawals" or a “trough period” from coming off of the dose at about the 4 hour mark. They may "crash" and become irritable, tearful, emotional, or bratty. This lasts for 15 to 30 minutes, and tends to be worse with doses of 15 mg. or more.
The best remedy for this that we've found is a 12 oz. Mountain Dew at about the 3.0 hour mark. The caffeine "deflects" or "flattens out" the angle of withdrawal. This trick works well.
Ritalin Myths
Statements often heard about Ritalin, but are not supported by research, include:
- "Drug treatment should not and need not be indefinite and usually may be discontinued after puberty." Most children with ADD ADHD will still benefit from medications through their teenage years, and more than 50% of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder will still benefit from stimulant medications into adulthood.
- "Start with 5 mg twice daily, before breakfast and lunch." Studies show that the ADHD medications work better if taken with or after meals. Just be consistent as to when you take it.
- "Administration of amphetamines for prolonged periods may lead to drug dependence and must be avoided." While this is one aspect of treatment to be concerned about, another side of this is that studies show, over and over again, that (1) ADD ADHD kids who are never treated will have higher rates of drug use than non-ADHD kids, (2) ADD ADHD kids that ARE treated, whether with medications, or biofeedback, or with anything, will have LOWER rates of drug us than non-ADHD kids. There is no evidence that using stimulant medications increases rates of drug use among adolescents or adults. Rather, the opposite is true.
FDA Hearings and Warnings About Ritalin and ADHD Medications
We have lots of discussion about the recent FDA hearings on Ritalin and other stimulant medications that we want you to read and become familiar with.
We also have the "black box warnings" for you to look over.
It is an issue of "full disclosure" to you. These medications can be very helpful. But we recommend that you try Attend, Extress, and the ADHD diet first. They also work well without the potential side-effects of Ritalin.
Other Opinions on Ritalin
Researchers give Ritalin a clean bill of health - Times LIVE
Times LIVEResearchers give Ritalin a clean bill of healthTimes LIVEParents who rely on the drug Ritalin to stabilise their hyperactive children can breathe a sigh of relief. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has confirmed that ...
Ritalin For 4-Year-Olds? - KRDO
Los Angeles TimesRitalin For 4-Year-Olds?KRDOThe revised guidelines recommend that doctors first prescribe behavior therapy for four and five years old, but say that drugs like Ritalin or Concerta may be prescribed if that doesn't work. The Food and ...
Lawrence Diller, M.D.: The Ritalin Wars: Understanding America's ...
www.huffingtonpost.com9/19/11
Children with extreme degrees of impulsivity, distractibility and hyperactivity are easy to diagnose with ADHD. However because these behaviors vary (from none to many) in a bell shaped distribution curve, most of ADHD ...
This book section: ADHD Medications
Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., MFT is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Tehachapi, CA who has been a counselor to children, teens, and adults helping them to overcome ADHD, find relief for depression or anxiety, and solve other problems in life since 1989. He served on the medical advisory board to the company that makes Attend and Extress from 1997 through 2011, and he is the Editor of the ADHD Information Library online resource at http://newideas.net/. His weekly ADHD Newsletter goes out to 9,500 families. Visit his website at http://DouglasCowan.me for more information on achieving greater health, personal growth, Christ-centered spirituality, stress management, parenting skills, ADHD, working out the stresses of being a care-giver to elderly parents and also being a parent to teenagers, or finding greater meaning in retirement years, Dr. Cowan can be a valuable resource to you.
Counselor counseling Tehachapi for ADHD, depression, anxiety, and more.
Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., MFT
27400 Oakflat Dr.
Tehachapi, CA 93561
(661) 972-5953
Ritalin Side Effects
Ritalin Side Effects : Ritalin (Methylphenidate)
It has been our opinion for years that Ritalin is a good medication. But it can cause problems, sometimes serious side effects, and must be used with caution. Recent FDA warnings are starting to make us wonder about recommending Ritalin these days. The evidence seems to be mounting against it.
Our Clinical Director Dr. Cowan has worked with over 1,000 children and teens with ADHD over the past 30 years, and hundreds of those ADHD patients were treated with Ritalin. For about a third of those patients Ritalin made a "day and night" difference. For another third Ritalin was "helpful." For the rest, Ritalin either didn't help significantly, or it actually caused problems. For a few ADHD kids there were significant side effects ranging from loss of appetite, to seizures.
Most of the Ritalin side effect problems observed over the years were due to physicians not being careful with the prescriptions, and prescribing too much Ritalin per dose, especially when first beginning treatment. Other problems were observed when parents would continue to give the Ritalin to their ADHD kid even when they saw that the medication was causing the child problems. Ritalin is a powerful tool and must be used carefully, if used at all.
Tip for Parents: The short-acting pill is better than the timed-release pill. Also, the brand name "Ritalin" is much superior to the generic "Methylphenidate." Always begin your "trial" of medication with the real stuff. If that works, then feel free to see if the generic will work as well as the "real stuff." Ritalin begins to work in about 15 or 20 minutes. It peaks in effectiveness at 1.5 to 2.5 hours, and lasts for about 3.5 to 4.0 hours.
More Ritalin Side Effects
Some kids have "withdrawals" or a "trough period" from coming off of the Ritalin dose at about the 4 hour mark. They may become irritable, tearful, emotional, or bratty. This lasts for about 15 minutes, and tends to be worse with Ritalin doses of 15 mg. or more. The best remedy for this that we've found is a 12 oz. Mountain Dew at about the 3.0 hour mark. The caffeine "deflects" or "flattens out" the angle of withdrawal. This trick works well.
We have seen hundreds of kids benefit greatly from Ritalin. But doctors and parents must be observant and conservative. We have also seen some horror stories with Ritalin. Start slowly and cautiously. It is not a toy. And remember, there are other things that you can do that work as well as Ritalin, and are healthy for you!
Does Ritalin Have Dangerous Side Effects?
Here is a link to a site that is strongly opposed to Ritalin use, as the author, Mr. Lawrence Smith, states that his child died as the result of its use. He claims that there are about 20 deaths reported each year to the FDA's MedWatch program from Ritalin. Although it is hard to believe everything that is on the internet, I do think that you should at least take a minute to look over his site and consider the information.
Here is a copy of the email that Mr. Smith sent to me in 2002.
The main side effects of Ritalin that we have observed are loss of appetite (feed a protein shake twice a day to help keep weight up), some irritability or anger (as when you have had too much caffeine), possible short term growth inhibition (though long-term this may not be a problem). Remember, every medication has possible bad side effects, so always closely monitor your child when taking medications!
If there is a problem, don't give the next dose, and call your doctor right away.
Other Opinions About Ritalin Side Effects
Prescription Drugs & Side Effects : What Does Ritalin Do?
Ritalin, also known as methylphenidate, is a treatment for both attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder as well as narcolepsy. Find out how Ritalin helps people with ADHD focus and keeps narcolepsy patients stay awake during the day with information...
How Culture Influences Ritalin Abuse | Ritalin Abuse Help
www.ritalinabusehelp.com10/27/11
Ritalin abuse is high among teenagers due to the influence of media, educational peer pressure, and the social standards of today's society.
Ritalin Alternative ADHD : Alternative Treatments to Ritalin
Ritalin Alternative for ADHD
Alternatives to Ritalin for ADHD treatment are available to families seeking to avoid using prescription stimulant medications. Our favorites are based on our own years of clinical experience and research, and they include:
- Our ADHD Diet and Eating Program - easy to do, doesn't cost much, and helps about 25% of those who do just this one intervention;
- Essential Fatty Acid Supplementation - part of our ADHD Diet, but listed separately here. The simplest way to do this is use equal amounts of Flax Seed Oil and Primrose Oil. We no long recommend fish oils.
- Attend, Extress, Memorin, or Deprex from VAXA - these are great nutraceutical medicines that can improve symptoms and can be a good alternative to Ritalin for ADHD. Our own research showed that over 70% of those using these products for 30 days or more benefitted greatly from them. What you take depends on the type of ADHD that you have.
- EEG Biofeedback or Neurofeedback Training - same thing, different names. Very effective intervention for ADHD and other neurological issues too. But can be very costly depending on the provider, and your insurance coverage.
Look at this chart comparing Ritalin to ATTEND and to EEG Biofeedback treatment...
Ritalin is very effective. Ritalin works somewhat differently in the brain than do the amphetamines like Dexedrine or ADDerall. Ritalin seems to primarily impact on longer term vesicular storage of Dopamine, while amphetamines primarily impact the pool of newly synthesized Dopamine. It also has a different effect on Norepinepherine.
Attend is also effective. It has amino acids, essential fatty acids, phospholipids, homeopathic medicines, and more. It is healthy and effective. And it does not require a prescription, and comes with a no-risk trial policy second to none. It either works - or it is free. More information on the natural remedy ATTEND. Here to order ATTEND from VAXA International.
Eating Program (ADD Diet) for Attention Deficit Disorder
Attend Alternative Treatment for ADHD
Attend : Alternative ADHD Treatment - Learn All About Attend for ADHD Here
newideas.net Get the details about ATTEND for ADHD, a natural homeopathic treatment for attention problems, impulsivity, and hyperactivity in children, teens, and adults. Attend is an over-the-counter remedy that is useful with or without other medic...
EEG Biofeedback : an Alternative to Ritalin for Treatment of ADHD
Neurofeedback for ADHD - EEG Info Videos
EEG Feedback for attention deficit disorder
Always consult your physician about alternatives to ritalin for ADHD treatment. The FDA has not approved these statements. These opinions are for educational purposes only and are not intended to replace medical advice.