I’m trying to figure out, if stopping the daily dose of ritalin has more negative or beneficial results.
Could someone function without ritalin normally? Lets say you give them a few weeks to get used to not taking it? What would the results be? The person isn’t going to start flipping out, will they? They won’t become violent, or crazy? Does anyone have any experience in this area? Please provide me with some answers, thanks…
Also, what if someone takes ritalin while they are pregnant?
I would assume, any prolong pharmaceutical usage is never any good for a person, since it’s a man main substance any they might get addicted to it? Thanks to anyone that has useful feedback…
Moved to IMHO from Great Debates. Here is some information about Ritalin. That should answer a few of your questions. But if you’re talking about going on or off prescription medication, what you should actually be doing is talking to your doctor, not asking the Internet.
Since Marley has left the thread open, I’ll post my experience with the usual caveats (I’m not a doctor, it is legally and legitimately prescribed to me, others’ mileage may vary, etc.).
I’ve been taking 120mgs/daily of the regular (non-slow release) version (the only version available where I am) for at least 6 years, for ADD. It is a mild stimulant, but I find that it helps me concentrate. When I first began taking it, the appetite-suppressant effect led to me losing a ton of weight. I’ve since gained it back, with interest.
The amount I take is very high, and usually not recommended. I take frequent holidays from it, and aside from some difficulty concentrating, have no problems whatsoever with withdrawal.
If it were to suddenly become unavailable I would be bummed, but I’d be okay. As far as I know, it is only used to treat ADD and narcolepsy (here in Japan, it used to be indicated as an adjunct to anti-depressant meds and to treat ADD, but this was changed and now the only on-label use is for narcolepsy).
To the best of my knowledge, it isn’t going to curb your violent impulses if you have any, so going off it shouldn’t result in your becoming violent. It does seem to have a reputation for psychological dependence, which is why I take deliberate holidays.
Stimulants should not be taken during pregnancy. When long term stimulants are stopped, you can expect to feel tired for a few days and appetite may increase. Also, a study done in Japan suggests that it takes about 16 weeks for the brain chemistry to retuen to normal. During that time you may experience anhedonia (inability to experience pleasure) which some people experience as depression. Of course, if you have been using Ritalin to treat ADD, the symptoms of ADD will return as soon as the drug leaves your system. However, perhaps you have other ways to cope with these now or ability to concentrate is not as critical (no longer in school e.g.). In any case, nothing dangerous or dramatic happens when you stop and taking a drug holiday during pregnancy would be the safe thing to do.
Thanks for the feedback, I’ve been always interested in knowing what might happen, when the drug is no longer taken. But, I had always assumed the results were as mentioned above…