How To Take Ritalin Correctly
I've written three textbook chapters and a couple of articles on stimulants, and I may or may not have taken them at one time or another, so I'm an expert.
Because I work in a university hospital, and because I'm, well, different, I get approached by college or med students at least once a week for Ritalin or amphetamine prescriptions. Every one claims to have "ADD." (NB: I don't give them out.)
They want the Ritalin to help them study. I get it. I'm not advocating it, but if you are going to use Ritalin you should probably do it intelligently, to maximize the gains.
First, a disclaimer: you should only get Ritalin for indicated disorders by prescription from a physician. Ok? Because the doctor will rigorously apply artificial and unreliable diagnostic categories backed up by invalid and arbitrary screens and queries to make a diagnosis. So after this completely subjective and near useless evaluation is completed, your doctor should be able to exercise prudent clinical judgment to decide if Ritalin could be of benefit. In other words, he will ultimately decide based on little else but his own prejudices and/or consult the Magic 8 Ball. That'll be $250, please. Cash appreciated.
That said, the key to amphetamines and Ritalin is to stop thinking of them as stimulants, and to think of them as reinforcers.
Let's conceptualize how these drugs work. Imagine getting a brain scan while you are performing a task. The parts of your brain you are using for the task will light up, brighter than those you aren't using.
Now you drink coffee (1). The whole brain lights up brighter, proportionally.
Now you take amphetamines. The parts of your brain that you are using light up brighter, but the parts you aren't using go darker. Get it? Caffeine is a global brain stimulant, while amphetamines focus your attention, reducing distraction.
This is entirely selective and controlled by you. You have to decide what you want to focus your attention on. If it's reading, the reading parts of your brain will be brighter. But if you stop reading and decide to talk to your friend on the phone, you know, the hot one with the hotter roommate, then you'll be more focused on that (obviously). Attention is always decreased when it is split among several tasks. In other words, you can only concentrate on one thing at a time, even though it may feel like you are doing two things at once.
While amphetamines and Ritalin do stimulate you and keep you awake, using them to pull an all nighter completely subverts their awesome power. If you want a stimulant, drink coffee or Red Bull. Amphetamines should be saved for reinforcement.
You want to set up a study situation that as closely as possible resembles your testing context. Do you take tests in the middle of the night? Using multicolored highlighters? With The Daily Show on in the background and eating Doritos? Then you're a pig, and you deserve to fail. You're dead to me.
You should study in the morning, at a desk, under the same "fed" conditions as on test day. (So you would have eaten before taking the test, not snacking at the test.) Quiet room, no distractions. Remember, attention is decreased with multiple stimuli in normal conditions, but on amphetamines, this will be be greatly magnified. Studying while talking to your friend means your "talking to friend" parts of the brain are brighter while your ""studying" parts of the brain are darker. Same thing with listening to music and studying.
Take the amphetamine (takes about 30 minutes to "kick in.") Study, straight, with no distractions or interruptions, for about four hours. Quit. You're done. Amphetamines give you about 4 hours tops of great concentration. Go to lunch, the gym, watch a movie, etc.
The power of amphetamines is this: you take them again, in the same dose, 30 minutes before your test.
In a metaphoric sense, taking the amphetamines during the test, under the same circumstances as you had been previously studying, will "remind" the brain of that context. If you see a question that "resembles" something you studied, your mind will be primed to recall it better.
Remember I said you can only concentrate on one thing at a time, that attention decreases when it is split? The trick here is to make everything about studying into one large "thing."
Here's an example: if you listen to a symphony, you will hear music. Musicians, however, hear both the music and every single instrument. They can attend to each instrument individually and simultaneously hear how each instrument fits into the larger context. A non-musician can't do that. If he's concentrating on the oboe, he doesn't "hear" the violas.
Studying has to become a large symphony, everything doing its part correctly, expectedly. So on performance day (testing) you play the same symphony. You're not trying to concentrate on each part, if you've practiced enough it should be second nature. The amphetamine helps facilitate this.
Addicts can get physical feelings of withdrawal or "high" simply by being presented with the cues-- the environment-- of their drug use. And they key into these cues much faster than non-drug related cues. That's what you're looking for here. The amphetamine feeling "reminds" you of what you studied.
For example, what you don't want to do is NOT take amphetamines at testing if you had used them to study; or take them at testing if you didn't use them to study. Or change the dosage, or change anything else you eat. (2)
Similarly, you should only be taking one pill a day. Don't take amphetamines to study AND later to do other things (like go out at night.) You are destroying the context specific reinforcement. Additionally, tolerance to amphetamines happens pretty quickly-- if you take them every day, you're going to need higher doses as time goes on. Ideally, you'd use them only for the last stretch of time before the test. For example, maybe you'd take them only the last week or so before the test, when you are studying from back tests as opposed to a textbook. (See the context?) And you'd stop using them after the test, give yourself a break, etc.
As a public service announcement, don't worry too much about grades. This is America, not Germany, where success is determined by the solidity of your goal and the amount you are willing to work. I know you don't believe it now, but it's true. Go have a drink.
IF YOU LIKE IT, DIGG IT AND MAKE A DONATION
and hey, what gives with the trilogy The Most Important Article on Psychiatry You Will Ever Read? It's funny, dammit, so digg it!
---
1. What is the best and healthiest coffee to drink?
2. NB: diet and amphetamines are powerfully interactive. Acidic foods/beverages will rapidly accelarate the clearance of amphetamines. In other words, dexedrine + orange juice = a lot less dexedrine. (BTW, does anyone have any idea how to make footnotes with Moveable Type?)
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August 14, 2007 5:09 PM | Posted by : | Reply
You nailed the process of diagnosing ADD. Be still my heart!
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
August 14, 2007 7:30 PM | Posted by : | Reply
You are a god amongst mere mortals psychiatrists. This has quickly become one of my favorite blogs and I would like to thank you for your amazing talent, wit, and knowledge.
I'm sure you already know this but it is ridiculously easy to be diagnosed with ADD and be handed several months of Adderall after 5 minutes with a psychiatrist if you know what to say...do you ever see a change in the field of psychiatry in regards to the casual attitude many of your colleagues take to handing out pills?
Alone's response: this isn't meant as a joke: not while it costs $250.
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August 14, 2007 9:40 PM | Posted by : | Reply
On footnotes...are you asking about making a link from the somewhere in the article to a particular footnote?
I don't know Moveable Type so I can't give any help there specifically, but I do know how to do it via html code. This Yahoo tutorial gives pretty good directions:
http://help.yahoo.com/help/ca/geo/ghtml/ghtml-14.html
I hope this helps!
Alone's response: What the hell is html?
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August 15, 2007 1:00 AM | Posted by : | Reply
What the hell is html?
You're much better off not knowing. Seriously. It takes a lot of time and frustrating experience to understand the tool and learn to use it safely, and going through all that would distract you from doing what you want to (and we want you to) do, which is blog about drugs. Er, psychiatry. Blog about psychiatry.
Incidentally, the ads under the first couple of articles, which I didn't notice until I turned Adblock Plus off, aren't labeled as ads, either, though the formatting makes their advert nature more obvious than those ones in the sidebar. The under-article-ads also get cut off by the CSS-based formatting, but a) I might as well be speaking in tongues at this point, and b) nobody cares if they can't read your dumb ads.
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August 15, 2007 6:31 AM | Posted by : | Reply
Alone's response: What the hell is html?
Er... html is the computer language web pages are made of.
Alone's response: computers? Is that on the internet?
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August 15, 2007 12:39 PM | Posted by : | Reply
HTML could be another psych med, but apparently it's what your comment box says we can use "for style".
I think your blog should look the way it does, as a doc who appears to "get it" and appear human as in "sitting at the bar drunk". If I wanted to read intueri I'd go there.
cheers.
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August 15, 2007 1:07 PM | Posted by : | Reply
As a current medical student, now I know how other baseball players feel about Barry Bonds.
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August 15, 2007 3:36 PM | Posted by : | Reply
But there are some people who have legit ADHD, right? I mean, I'm a doctor and I know of a few in my own family! I agree that the diagnostic assessment for ADHD is ridiculous.
Alone's response: what's "legit?" As defined by "could benefit from ritalin" a lot of people have ADHD. As defined by the DSM, less people have it, but it carries no useful treatment implications (i.e. doesn't mean ADHD patients would respond better to ritalin than people who don't "have" ADHD. If you think of ritalin less as a treatment, and more as a performance enhancing drug, my meaning becomes clearer. Some people will get more out of it than others. But does that make it a treatment? Or: how is it different than steroids for baseball players?
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August 16, 2007 8:28 AM | Posted by : | Reply
Last Psychiatrist refers to 'context dependent' learning.
Decades ago, when I was an undergraduate, the texts we were given referred to this same thing as 'state-dependent' learning.
So if anyone wants to search the med psych databases, search both 'context*dependent' and 'state*dependent'
Hmm. It almost seems to me that anyone who is well organized enough to follow LP's detailed and precise recommendations would, if that person did *NOT* have ADD, do pretty well without taking the Ritalin.
Question too is, if we have legions of people, with and without ADD, who are using Ritalin to function in school and at work, what will this do to their sense of personal agency/internal locus of control?
Its nice to get all A's and make Phi Beta Kappa, but what does it do to self concept, if deep down, you fear that you needed medication to do it?
Its one thing to have a very clear DX of ADD--I know people for whom the right drug was sanity saving. Ditto for something like diabetes or bipolar or schizophrenia--those require medical follow up.
But..I know a family where the parents are in conflict and covering it up, and dont know how to provide structure for the children. The younger boy has a prescription for an ADD drug.
Maybe he has ADD. But no one is addresssing family context. The household is so noisy and chaotic that even a non ADD kid would have difficulty learning to pay focused attention.
And the culture is getting more and more supportive of multi-tasking and split attention. This too may be causing more and more people to think they need medication who do not have the actual neurological configuaration for ADD.
Every time they invent a new gadget such as an IPOD or a Blackberry or a Bluetooth, that may generate more scrips for Big Pharma
Alone's response: my feeling is that ADD is an environmental phenomenon. The internet encourages it, actually refines it. So the ADD isn't the relevant issue in this post. I'm emphasizing how a ritalin acts as a reinforcer-- this would occur in pretty much anybody, at the right dose, ADD or not. The reinforcer itself isn't doing anything in itself-- the ritalin doesn't improve your memory-- but it does make the whole context that much more... interesting and reliveable. And yes-- state dependent.
Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
August 17, 2007 12:01 AM | Posted by : | Reply
I've taken Dexedrine ever day for nearly ten years. During that time i've had to increase the dose due to tolerance maybe once. I've found that while the physical effects wane in time, at the correct dose the cognitive effects are there to stay.
Do keep in mind that severe ADD can be just as disabling as bipolar. It's not just that it's unsafe for me to operate a motor vehicle and I occasionally forget to wash the conditioner out of my hair before getting out of the shower. I impulsively do things that are dangerous and socially unacceptable. I really think it's more accurate to think of ADD as an executive functioning disorder than anything else. Impulse control is at the heart of it. Procrastinating, switching tasks, and getting stuck on a task once it's started are huge problems. I'll stay up all night working on something pointless just because I get sucked in and stuck on it. The attentional problems stem from the fact that I tend to impulsively think about all kinds of random crap when I'm trying to focus on just one thing.
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
August 18, 2007 4:24 PM | Posted by : | Reply
I don't want to sound maudlin and whine here, but usage of amphetamines gave me Chronic Motor Tic Disorder 15 years ago. Side-effects are no laughing matter. My experience is not typical, but then side-effects are a problem for a small percentage of the population - though I suspect Big Pharma downplays the numbers. At any rate, for myself and others
amphetamines are dangerous.
I understand your academic interest in helping people use amphetamines with efficacy, but don't you think you should have taken some space to warn people of the hazardous and potential side-effects? Just because your summary of the assessment process was spot on (Darkly humorous, but spot on) doesn't mean that academic amphetamine usage is therefore hazard-free. My life is irrecoverably impacted by vocal, facial, and various physical tics. I'd hate to see others suffer the same.
I expect a cheeky response from you because that's the nature of this blog, and I won't be offended. I'd rather take my chances and voice my concern than be silent and safe from reprisal.
Douglas Cootey
☆ The Splintered Mind
Alone's response:No, you are right about the toxic effects of amphetamines, and perhaps I should have emphasized them. The perspective of this post was that since people are going to take them anyway-- I doubt anyone is seriously considering amphetamines based on the ravings of a rum soaked pirate-- that they should take them to maximize the reward/risk ratio. Additionally, you will notice the potentially sneaky way I influenced the use of the meds, by suggesting that you only take one pill (and not TID dosing), etc. But you're right, I should have done more warning. I'll just add here that this blog isn't HIPAA compliant, either.
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August 20, 2007 9:01 PM | Posted by : | Reply
" based on the ravings of a rum soaked pirate", God don't tell me you wear eyeliner and talk science.
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August 21, 2007 4:53 PM | Posted by : | Reply
What if you want to be perpetually in the zone? Will Wellbutrin do the trick? I can get that from my GP for a $10 copay.
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August 23, 2007 9:55 AM | Posted by : | Reply
If LP is a guy (LP definitely writes like a guy), its pretty unlikely he wears eyeliner, unless he's a pirate who operates from the Johnny Depp archetype.
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August 23, 2007 7:32 PM | Posted by : | Reply
Or is in a band, or just plain hot.
Alone's response: hey, I resemble that remark!
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August 26, 2007 3:20 PM | Posted by : | Reply
No, Welbutrin won't help you stay "in the zone." It's good for reducing depression, and it's good for libido (that's not something your doctor is likely to tell you), which in turn is probably also reducing depression, but better sex probably won't help you focus on schoolwork or anything else unrelated to sex or your partner(s).
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September 24, 2007 9:01 PM | Posted by : | Reply
Just wanted to say:
1)This site is wonderful, and
2)How would this relate to the military use of amphetamines? I've read a personal account of special forces in Laos using them just before conducting an elaborate nighttime raid on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The author said it was to keep the team alert during the overnight, but it seems they could have improved their performance if they had used amphetamines during their practice runs for the raid. Should I alert the Green Berets?
Alone's response: depends on what the point of the amphetamines was. If you were looking simlpy to stay awake, you wouldn't want too much prior exposure (because of tolerance.) If the goal was better performance in a task, then yes, you'd want to practice on the Ritalin. As an aside, amphetamines are still used but Provigil is getting much more play-- and Provigil would not have this task-specific enhancing effect. It only keeps you awake.
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September 25, 2007 6:57 PM | Posted by : | Reply
Hmmm, does this mean I should be doing more than watching The Price Is Right after my morning dose of dexedrine? On the bright side I now know a crappy cereal dispenser is $40...
If amphetamines, essentially, amplify the areas of the brain that are focusing in on one specific task while quieting down everything else, would it vary in effectiveness if you were already pretty alert as opposed to being zombie-like?
Also, my doc gives me the dexedrine to work in conjunction with zoloft. I never quite grasped why. He told me, but it didn't register. Any idea?
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
October 13, 2007 1:50 AM | Posted by : | Reply
Hi, I have a question. I have ADHD, or as they would call it out of the types, the "Ring of Fire". And I was wondering, I wanted to ask for Adderall, because honestly, this is affecting my life in more ways than one. And I wanted to know what procedure you had to go through to be prescribed Adderall? Like can I just ask for it and they do a lil test and that's it? I doubt it's that simple but oh do I hope lol. Or do they go through a more complex procedure? And also, does free Medical insurance cover Adderall expenses? If not how much would it normally cost? Please I need answers people! lol
Thank you so much :)
Alone's response: getting a script for Adderall is, unfortunately or fortunately, a relatively trivial exercise: you go to a doctor, you cite some ADHD symptoms, mention you've failed other meds but did well on Adderall and have no hx/fam hx of drug abuse, and boom. There's no test. Insurance covers it, mostly, though you can take dexedrine (d-amphetamine) which is essentially half of the ingredients in Adderall (IMO, the relevant one) and is generic.
But Amen's "ring of fire" subtype includes, essentially, a hostility component. Angry/aggressive/impatient/insensitive etc. Without debating whether these formally belong in ADHD, BAD, or anything else, you should try to understand _why_ you have this hostility. In other words, don't simply attribute it to an organic cause, or link it to ADHD-- find out why you are angry, _exactly._ It might not even be a psychodynamic reason, it could be as "simple" as too much coffee.
Here's my point, and its the same as the argument against SSRIs. Even if the med helps, unless there is learning going on as well, then you set yourself up for disaster, because you have not learned to cope with the emotions.
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
October 26, 2007 11:01 AM | Posted by : | Reply
Here's my Ritalin question:
I am on prozac & buspar for depression & anxiety and my doc prescribed Ritalin for lack of libido, to be taken daily. But I keep hearing all these awful things about Ritalin. Will I become a horrible junkie? What can I expect when I start taking it? Will I crash in between doses? Also, how easy is it to take for a few months and then ween myself off of (with doctor's help?) Thanks.
NG
Alone's reponse: I can't answer any of these questions, not least because there are lawyers afoot :-) But I can say that, in general, the effects of Ritalin get weaker over time, but at least not stronger over time (vs. say, Prozac over the first two months.) Addiction is fairly uncommon, as defined as a desire to do more and more with less and less efficacy. And, most people I recommend it to (i.e. people I actually think will benefit) I recommend as prn. But the internet is full of information...
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January 17, 2008 10:48 AM | Posted by : | Reply
Hello,
I've been seeing a Psychiatrist for depression over the last 4 months or so and she has recently diagnosed me as having ADD. I'd been using Vicodin at night (partly pain management .... partly not) and told her that it tended to "perk me up" a little and clear my head, which she thought was counter to what most people might experience. Also when I drink any more then a small cup of coffee I get sleepy. This also runs counter to the "norm" (I guess). So based an a few more questions, a couple of questionairs, and notes from previous meetings, I am now taking Amphetamine Salts twice a day. I admit that it does appear to quiet the stampede and allow me to focus more efficiently on a single thing, but if it does that for everybody, how do I know that I've really got this thing? If I read some of the symptoms of Adult ADD I think - oh yeah, that's me alright. But couldn't almost everybody say that when looking at lists like this ......
Procrastination
disorganization
inability to prioritize
Zoning out
etc.
I mean, don't we all experience this at various times? The answer would be yes of course, but it all depends on excessive tendencies. So my question would be - if you're experiencing (and analyzing) your own symptoms through the lens of your own perspective, how do you know if it's out of whack - what yardstick do you use? It's tricky.
PT
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February 12, 2008 7:00 AM | Posted by : | Reply
How to take caffeine properly:
http://scienceblogs.com/developingintelligence/2008/02/optimally_wired_a_caffeine_use.php
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
April 11, 2008 11:08 PM | Posted by : | Reply
Interesting article! I found it while googling "how to take Ritalin". My psychiatrist recently prescribed the long acting formula. I guess everyone experiences different effects from it. I endured strange headaches and the feeling of hot spears being punched through my orbitals.
GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY! After enduring all that for a good 5 or 6 hours, I can't imagine why anyone would willingly take the stuff if they didn't have a debilitating condition. I was just wondering what kind of effect it had on those individuals that take it recreationally.
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
April 11, 2008 11:09 PM | Posted by : | Reply
Interesting article! I found it while googling "how to take Ritalin". My psychiatrist recently prescribed the long acting formula. I guess everyone experiences different effects from it. I endured strange headaches and the feeling of hot spears being punched through my orbitals.
GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY! After enduring all that for a good 5 or 6 hours, I can't imagine why anyone would willingly take the stuff if they didn't have a debilitating condition. I was just wondering what kind of effect it had on those individuals that take it recreationally.
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
April 23, 2008 1:53 AM | Posted by : | Reply
Hi Sir!!!
A Wonderful Blog you have rite here!!!Its contented and compiled nice with a great deal of knowledge while congradulating on your successful work...i would like to ask you on the dosage of Ritalin per day if you are planing to study for a quite a long period when the exams are around 3 weeks ahead!!should i take 10mg per day? or could you please tell me a correct dosage to study more effectivly and for longer hours...Thanks Alot
Really learnt a great deal from your Blog!!!
Regards!!!
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May 29, 2008 3:29 PM | Posted by : | Reply
Never used to but last year or 2, I get very erotic, insatiable desires on ritalin and sometime "enjoy myself" for up to 10 hours. my ex- liked it, but I am wasting time and it sees to be chemical - not some deep horribble thing - justenjoyable - but to time consuming and hard to find a partner of similialat tensions for 2-3 days a month (it mellows then) not totally bad, but hard to control. I would think 10 hours of play would be fun, and normal (none med sex) tends to be 5 min and not nearlt enjoyable, and almost a nuisance - I don't feel bad, other than the time and I amsingle (ok too) is it dopamine or serotoning, habit how do i restrain myself? is it impulse control? is it unusual? what combo of chemicals could cause it? A perverted partner is probably my best bet, (no dogs, children or pain and a few other things. I am not the only one, and mostly it is males, tho 1/2 are females. anybody else have this? did you change meds? is there a way to get the benefits without the nastiness? I am totally earnest feel free to e-mail - I am mostly a jam band musician and work on web servers. Am I too bored? upset? what am I missing, as I am pretty sure nobody else goes on 10 hr fantasys, that are enjoyable, but causing other things to not get done. better than tv, acceptable witha mate, but jeez, i did not expect this, at the same time it is probably healty.
no jive - probably won't matter, but there is to much massage oil on my bed and I am obsessed- only with ritalin, dextro keeps me alert and I breathe harder, but thoughts don't turn intowarped/kinky fantasy. is this like meth and ice(coke or meth smoked, not sure) I won't die and worst case scenerio is.... any info is appreciated, but I am interested in if it is just me, or if this happens to others. I have not done anything I regret- all in the mind - but I am curious whatI am lacking that is oversupplied for 2 days. I am devolving otherwise and am thinking all life is chemical, 13 yr old are always horny - it's the nature of the programming, or interest the primate has that is to survive.
Any info, or insite is welcome, I am not a crackpoy, really - I have tried dex and rit, I like the rit better, but afraid, in the long run, I will be in porn (if I ain't to old) not kidding, hope this 20 min at least gives you all a laugh - I know it has to do with balane in all sytsems, and will and other things that seem to make sense. No jesus or guilt or any jive please. I just want to know jcongdon@hotmail.com
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July 5, 2008 7:10 AM | Posted by : | Reply
I am with VelvetElvis every step of the way. Over the years, impulsivity has nearly got me killed on multiple occasions. I once walked onto a motorway on-ramp to get to what appeared to be a wounded cormorant. It didn't occur to me that perhaps this wasn't such a good idea until the bird had flown away and I was stuck on the soft shoulder. And before you ask, I was in my mid-twenties by then, diagnosed with everything from possible cyclothymia to bullying-induced PTSD, none of which accounted for what I'd been like pretty much from birth.
The recreational or casual use of methylphenidate trivialises something that many people refuse to see as a disorder anyway. This saddens and angers me. I have always been a straight-A student, but the sheer effort and levels of stress that come with every test or deadline interfere with my health, both mentally and physically.
I appreciated your entries on caffeine. I have pretty much been running on coffee from the age of three, though of course I had no idea I was self-medicating. The above entry was a huge disappointment, to say the least. I suppose one could argue that since I am obviously not among "those for whom it was written," I should simply ignore it, but the fact that there is a group of people to whom it would apply is enough of an issue for me as it is.
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September 19, 2008 9:17 AM | Posted by : | Reply
I'm preparing for my SATs, SAT IIs and the AP exams to be taken in April 2009. I realize that it is way too early to be taking ritalin to enhance my results.... but I was wondering if you could tell me the best way to create "test-like" conditions. Should I only take ritalin when doing the practice exam? or should I take it when simply studying/ reading the material? Also, I am currently enrolled in an SAT prep course which includes discussions on strategy and such... should I take a dose before my prep class or would that weaken the effects?
Alone's response: my opinion (not advice) is that "test conditions" means everything should be as close to the same as possible. In other words, if you do take Ritalin on test day, say, 45 minutes before the exam, then you would want to practice the test the same way. Disclaimer: I am not your doctor, you shouldn't take Ritalin without a license, substantial penalty for early withdrawal, hablamos espanol, if it ain't broke don't break it.
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October 25, 2008 4:49 PM | Posted by : | Reply
Honestly, that was simply great and clever. You motivated me to motivate you, keep doing what you do because your good, very good trust me!
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October 26, 2008 3:15 AM | Posted, in reply to , by : | Reply
wow this shits got u my freind. only someone on this shit can write up a long ass comment like that one that has no structured sentence or emaning, i mean your sentences are a couple words long btut hey still dont end and you jump from one thing to another and then back. ur fucked
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
October 26, 2008 2:32 PM | Posted by : | Reply
I'm not really thrilled with the idea of people taking Ritalin to enhance their test results but, if you're going to do that, you might want to test drive it beforehand. The one time I took Adderall (also a stimulant) I became sleepy and depressed for hours. No way would that have improved my test scores or concentration.
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December 6, 2008 5:39 PM | Posted by : | Reply
My name is Nathan Finch and i would like to show you my personal experience with Ritalin.
I am 32 years old. Have been on Ritalin for 2 years now. This drug has saved my life. I have seen drastic differences between times in my life when I was taking it and when I was not. I failed out of one school and graduated top of my class in the next. Floated from job to job and then became very successful. I don't like the way I feel when I am taking it (I'm boring -- no personality) so, I time my doses to help me in the office or when I have to focus on mundane task's at home like paying bills, taxes etc. and then go without it when I'm recreating.
I have experienced some of these side effects-
Initially some apatite suppression, insomnia and slight gitters. This was corrected by reducing my afternoon dose.
I hope this information will be useful to others,
Nathan Finch
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
January 14, 2009 8:47 AM | Posted by : | Reply
Don't have time to write a good and comprehensive comment...!!!
I have one of the worst type of the ADHD and i am extremely Hyperactive ( hyper kinetic to be more polite ehem!! ehem!! )! and the first thing everybody notice about me is that I am abnormal hyperactive person!!!
I havd also a severe case of ACADEMIC PROCRASTINATION BEHAVIOR ! [search about procrastination in wikipedia if you have adhd ... it can help you to become familiar and became aware of your problems]
doctor gave me the prescription for ritalin 10 years ago when i was 15... i didn't take it religously...i just take it for exams...!!!
until i was 20 and i had a very very bad condition in university as an engineering student...!!! all of my grades were around 10~12 from 20!!!
then i remembered about ritalin....and in the next two years all of my grades became 16~18 and occasionally 19.5 20!
but i took it only near the midterm exams & final exams for studying with better performance.!
and after i finished the bachelor of science...it was the time that i should prepare myself for Master enterence exam!
you can read here about it how much difficult is to be accepted in universities in Iran...
http://officiallyme.blogspot.com/2008/06/iran-university-entrance-exam.html
the funny thing is that i just took 4 x 2.5 mg of ritalin a day every 3 hours! and with a very good incentive i studied for 5 months!!! i cut the pills in to quarter!!and start taking them at 11 am...and i studied without ritalin from 8am till 11am...
and to everybody's surprise my rank was 7th in the country!!!
every year there are around 1.2 million to 1.8 million students taking the exam for BS
and 0.6~0.8 million students taking exam for MS!
and i was the 7th!!!and i was accepted in the best uni in Iran !
it helped me alot...!!! i should say Ritalin became 7th!!!
my next goal is acing GRE test...;)
but please remember....that you should sit down in a quiet place ...start studying...15 minutes after studying and after you became familiar and relax with the place you are studying take the pill...and continue...don't go out...don't call anybody!!!!!because it will cause a catastrophe to happen....it happened to me alot...4 hours chattering with friends with 1 pill!!!
and also it is funny that i took the pill 1.5 hour ago and i wanted to check my email...and now i am here typing for you...
also remember there are lots of side effects with ritalin...
take it only if you have exams....it is my suggestion...long term isn't a good idea...
and remember it isn't a good idea too take it after 6 pm...! because maybe you can not sleep very good...!!!
my record for being awake was around 50 hours...with ritalin taken like 2.5 mg multiple doses and then 5mg and then 10
do not exceed 50 mg a day!!! please ....because i did and it was wrong!!!!
it also give me a very bad dry mouth!! and also lots of sweating under arm!
also i am in a Spiritual way that deals a lot with Dreams and i should write my dreams and also interpret them with regards my older dreams...
when i take it my dreaming process speeds up...from average of 3dreams/day to 10dreams or more/day
but after exams time that i don't take it my dreams are gone for 2 weeks....!!!!!
i believe it can affect the poor astral body very badly!!!
good luck!!
listen to your doctor! dont abuse!! it worked for me...but maybe don't work for you!
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April 15, 2009 7:14 PM | Posted by : | Reply
I'd also like to see:
How to Take Speed Correctly
How to Take Bennies Correctly
How to Take Cocaine Correctly
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April 24, 2009 7:07 AM | Posted by : | Reply
Great post, very interesting.
I hate drugs and have no respect for junkies,
but if there is a medication that I will not
bash on if used illegally, is adderall and ritalin,
if used by people like college students and people
who actually want to do work. I still think drug abuse
is wrong, and I think it was extremely thoughtful of you
to create this blog entry, even though I might be a little
bit late with my response lol
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April 24, 2009 8:42 PM | Posted by : | Reply
Loved the post, got me thinking :)
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April 29, 2009 4:24 PM | Posted by : | Reply
I am a 33 year old that was diagnosed with ADD quite a few years ago, and my doc put me on everything else but stimulants...which are supposed to be the best remedy for ADD. He tried me on antidepressents, anti-psychotics, and valium. These medications did help with some of my other problems like depression and anxiety, but my ADD still went strong. I could not focus at all and it affected my personal life as well as my life at work. I lost quite a few jobs from not paying attention and not finishing tasks and starting too many things at once. A year or two after my late diagnosis the ADD seemed to be settling down and I didn't notice the symptoms as much. I figured that as I got older, I was growing out of it, like many people do. Life went well for about ten years...until it started back up again. It hit me one day ten times worse than when I was originally diagnosed. I chalked it up to a bad, restless day, but then each day after was the same. I finally went to my doc, which was a different doctor than the one that originally diagnosed me. He was much more understanding of the effects of ADD. It was the same office as my previous doc, so they had all the records of when I was diagnosed and the meds I was on. He called my old doc about twenty things that I can't begin to write, even as bad as my mouth is. He thought the meds I was on was absolutely friggin ridiculous. He took me off the anti-depressent and anti-psychotic, but left me on the valium for my anxiety and I was finally prescribed a stimulant. Yeay!!!!! I have tried Adderall recreationally a few years ago and it seemed to do wonders, I was focused, my concentration was awesome, and I was completely mellowed out...while everybody around me was clenching their jaws and racing around like crazy. I didn't really get as speedy as everybody else and I told my doctor this...while reassuring him that I absolutely had no drug problems whatsoever. No addictive personality. Anyway, at 32, six months ago, he prescribed me Methylin (ritalin) and it worked well for a few weeks but started to wear off too early in the day. So, the next visit he tried me on Concerta (extended release Ritalin), and that worked alright for a while, but then it too had started wearing off too early in the day also. We were searching for the best time-release medication that would work well throughout the day, as my job requires a lot of concentration and paperwork. Finally, at 33, a few months ago, he put me on Focalin XR 20mg (dexmethylphenidate). It is basically the same active ingredient as Ritalin (methylphenidate), but a stronger form. He said the medication seems to work more on adult ADD than child ADHD and he was right. It is the best medication that we have tried so far. I really wanted to be put on an amphetamine like Adderall because of what it did when I tried it recreationally, but he wanted to use amphetamines as a last resort...the Focalin being the second to last resort. But, the Focalin is working great, and you almost can't tell the difference between Focalin XR and Adderall XR. It works well throughout the day, even when I take it as early as five or six in the morning. I do get insomnia, loss of appetite, the palms of my hands sweat, my senses seem heightened, my pupils widened, clenched jaws, blurred vision...things like that, but I am very mellow when on it and I can concentrate extremely well. I was just amazed at how well it works and how long it works. It's a great drug. I let a friend that doesn't have ADD try it (just to see what would happen...it was his idea) and he described the feeling like being on ecstasy. He felt euphoric, speedy but relaxed, zoned, in a great mood, and he was wide awake. He loved it. I know there is nothing on focalin on this blog so I figured I would add one. Focalin is a fairly new ritalin-stimulant that is stronger than regular Ritalin, but I can say that it does work wonders. On top of focus and concentration, it does have other enjoyable effects like euphoria and positive sexual side-effects(easily aroused and better performance)...but I think that is the same as with any stimulant medication. For anyone that has failed on regular ritalin, I highly recommend that you talk to your doctor about Focalin. If anyone has anything to say about Focalin, I would love to hear it as there is not a whole lot of info on the internet about it yet. I would love to hear your experience with it. This is the last step before Adderall. I can say that as long as it works this well, I will stick with it. If it stops working as well for me, then on to the Adderall. We'll see what happens. But so far so good. I would love any input. Thanks.
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May 5, 2009 9:25 AM | Posted by : | Reply
hi...
i know its bad, but i really need understand how to take ritalin………… only worry is i might take the wrong dose...
pls pls my exams start in one months time.
tel me how to take the medicine. i have already got 50 tablets of 10mg ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride)
(i live in pakistan, and they cost me 9 US $ here for the 50 tablets)
pls pls pls. am really desperate. have to increase my grades...
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May 6, 2009 6:21 PM | Posted by : | Reply
Can you believe I actually made it through medical school with ADHD? But, boy, did I suffer. For cardiology exams, I would try to read half of Braunwald's. At dissection, I got lost in a very thorough facial dissection, etc, etc. A myriad examples of lost focus and being all over the place.
After graduating, I got involved with Math. It was then that the ADHD really showed up. I needed twice the focus, long hours digesting tough theorems, a gigantic volume of homework. I couldn't handle and kept failing. Throughout college, teachers kept saying I was smart but that I needed "focus." I needed a diagnosis, that's what!
I've started Ritalin, we'll see how it goes...You blog seems excelent, I've enjoyed your explanations.
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May 16, 2009 8:29 AM | Posted by : | Reply
Ritalin is known to increase IQ and concentration and hence the perfect medicine for brainy works (like software algorithms or mathematics). But, any individual should exercise restraint in taking methylphenidate when using it for brain doping. Dont have it regularly. DO NOT SNORT IT EVER!. Give breaks of at least a 2 months between usage. The more you use it everyday, the higher will be the dose required as time goes on, eventually turning you into a dependent. Those who take dex-methylphenidate, remember, 10 mg of dextro methylphenidate is equivalent to 20 mg of racemic methylphenidate, ie, 10mg Focalin is the same as 20mg of Ritalin. And please, dont use it for recreation.
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May 22, 2009 3:40 PM | Posted by : | Reply
Hm. This is very informational and yet has a sense of humor in it. I've taken Ritalin a couple of times but I feel more calm then i feel more focused...which is weird because Ritalin is a stimulant. Well, for now i'm going to study the old fashioned way, but perhaps before i start reading my bio text book i will use 5 mg of ritalin. What do people say is a good dosage to stay awake and focused for about 5 hours?
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May 24, 2009 11:35 AM | Posted, in reply to , by : | Reply
Hey
Email me and i will tell you about ritalin... sanjuro222@yahoo.co.uk
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May 29, 2009 9:36 PM | Posted by : | Reply
What future ramifications (if any) will there be with having taken this drug on your record? What exactly does it mean to have this on your record? Will The consequences be the same if you only have one refill?
Thanks & great blog
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June 2, 2009 11:30 PM | Posted by : | Reply
I take ritalin to get high. some friends and i smoke it and snort it. soooooooo good
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June 12, 2009 8:09 AM | Posted by : | Reply
you suggest that taking ritalin in the right way to maximise its benefits and that makes total sense. But, isnt there one inherent problem with taking ritalin to learn things since we cannot take the drug continuously on a daily basis. Therefore, wont some of the things you learn on ritalin be inaccessible?
hope you understand my point.
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June 19, 2009 2:38 PM | Posted by : | Reply
Hi.
I have an Actuarial exam in about two and a half weeks.
Would you recommend using it now for my final studying and going over past papers. Or just the week before when I go through past papers having already done a few?
I've taken this once to study a couple of days ago to see how it works and did about 3-4 hours non-stop. Have not tried it since.
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July 6, 2009 10:43 AM | Posted by : | Reply
I have been prescribed Strattera for ADD. Ive noticed that it does help my symptoms , but it makes me angry. I lash out, and I am unbelievably annoyed easily. Is there a reason for this ?
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July 29, 2009 3:13 AM | Posted by : | Reply
I am 29 Years old and have had ADHD since age 5. Almost 1 yr ago I was envolved with a clinical trial at USC for a study on "ADHD" but was rejected b/c of my Gastric Bypass Surgury...
After my dismissal I got to keep the Psychological eval and diagnosis letter of ADHD which was awesome! Then I took that letter to a Psychiatrist and then I started medication, "ADDERALL XR20MG 1 per day." after one month of use I was amazed at the difference of concentration I was able to have in all aspects of my life!!!
The ADDERALL was only effective for about 3-4 sometimes 5 hours b/c of my gastric bypass surgury. So we went to 20MG two times daily. Then that allowed me to focus ALL DAY which enabled me to complete eveything, everytime!!!
6 mnths after being on it, I noticed I was not able to concentrate enough while studying for school, which was wierd b/c it's derived from 7 types of amphetameins... Then we switched to RITALIN 35mg 3times daily and since then, I read about 2-3 new books(300-500) pages a week... So RITALIN for me, gave me MY LIFE BACK!!! And BTW, GENERIC is not even close to the same as BRAND NAME people, do some CHEMISTRY research, not BLOGS... ::))))
Any feedback to my above written would be appreciated...
rps91011@gmail.com
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August 3, 2009 7:58 AM | Posted by : | Reply
Hi...
I am writing 11 exams over a period of a month, wanna try take some ritalin to help...should i take everyday during the whole period or should i take breaks on days that i dont have exams?
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August 7, 2009 9:16 PM | Posted, in reply to , by : | Reply
I respectfully disagree with two of the things you said: (1) That Ritalin is less effective with time, unlike Prozac which takes weeks to show it's effect, and (2) that Ritalin is best given prn.
In my own personal experience, I think Ritalin worked better after I had been on it for a couple of months. After only a few weeks I stopped "feeling it" - i.e., I wasn't getting high off of it anymore. Unfortunately. :(
However, by helping to control my impulsiveness and allowing me to make better decisions about my life (i.e., improving executive function), I progressively stopped smoking weed, got on a regular sleep schedule, and made better friends who have direction in their life. I don't think ADHD is just a learning disorder but a lifestyle disorder.
Which brings me to my second point of disagreement - administering it prn (I had to look that one up: Pro re nata, Latin meaning "for the thing born," commonly used in medicine to mean "as needed"). Perhaps for some people ADHD is just a learning disorder, and they only need Ritalin to help them study. For others, our ADHD symptoms affect our interpersonal relationships, jobs, sleep cycle, eating habits, risk taking, etc.
Judging from my family history, if I weren't on Ritalin ALL DAY I would probably be self-medicating my symptoms right now with the help of tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, benedryl, weed, junkfood, or - worst of all - Dr. Phil's words of wisdom. It's all too horrifying to think about...
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October 15, 2009 12:36 PM | Posted by : | Reply
"success is determined by the solidity of your goal and the amount you're willing to work"
Can anyone comment on if this is still true? Was he being sarcastic? I am a sophomore in college trying to decide what to study and this is of great concern to me.
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October 15, 2009 12:47 PM | Posted, in reply to , by : | Reply
Of course not! Nothing you learn on ritalin would be inaccessible. The point of studying and taking the drug under the testing conditions is only for the couple of weeks prior, so that you will be primed to recall the information quickly under pressure. It's just a studying tip, on top of information on how/when to dose. ritalin isn't like alcohol where you forget everything that happened. You'll still remember as much as or more than you would have otherwise, say a few weeks after you finish studying. My 6 year old niece even understood that. She is probably a lot smarter than you, which is saying a lot because as I write this she is trying a jelly bean up her nose. you should probably just forget about the ritalin and get a job at a gas station or something, idk.
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October 15, 2009 1:15 PM | Posted, in reply to , by : | Reply
you smoke ritalin? that would be the most retarded thing I've ever heard, if this was the first time I heard it. A bunch of my sister's freshman friends do it too I guess, and believe me, those kids are unbelievably stupid. I've got an idea, if you're dumb enough to smoke it, why don't you try sticking it up your ass? hell people shoot meth up their assholes, and ritalin is basically just a weak serving of the same stuff. while you're at it, why don't you smoke a bowl of acid and shrooms, mainline a bottle of cough syrup and bump a few lines of pixie dust? Bet it'll get you totaaally fadeedddd broooo.
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October 15, 2009 3:51 PM | Posted by : | Reply
I started taking ritalin two semesters ago. Started taking it a lot (especially during tests/finals) last semester. I swear it changed my brain chemistry. I am a much better student now (though I don't take it).
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November 9, 2009 9:37 AM | Posted by : | Reply
How does modafinil compare to the aforementioned drugs in terms of a brain stimulant?
Is its affect localised or 'global' ?
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December 1, 2009 11:09 PM | Posted, in reply to , by : | Reply
What dosage did and did not work.
To the author of the blog. Does body weight play into the dosage requirements?
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March 26, 2010 3:42 AM | Posted by : | Reply
Earn Online Degree
One of the many great things about earning online degrees is that you can do the work from the comfort of your own home. This means that you don’t have to be in class at a certain time, disrupting your home or work schedule. Instead, you can do homework or take tests whenever you have the time during the day. That could be early in the morning, late at night or somewhere in between-whatever is optimal for you and your lifestyle………….
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April 15, 2010 7:18 PM | Posted by : | Reply
Wow. Awesome, thanks a lot!
I do have a question though, I'm 15 and I just moved to Turkey, where the school system is pretty damn tough and I was wondering if you thought that taking ritalin at this age is unhealthy.. Thank you!
Best regards,
Bob.
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April 18, 2010 1:12 PM | Posted by : | Reply
Awsome, awsome article! I decided to try Ritalin for the last week of studying before my exams and this helped a lot...now I know that I should take Ritalin when writing my tests to maximize the effect. Thanks!
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May 18, 2010 4:17 PM | Posted by : | Reply
If I could, I would take Ritalin... only problem is it is near impossible for me to get hold of it since it is illegal in UK without prescription. That coupled with the fact that I know of no one who is prescribed it means that I am left with no real options... :-(
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May 18, 2010 4:58 PM | Posted, in reply to , by : | Reply
There's always weed. Except that it's just as illegal in your country as it is here. Procede with caution, however, and above all know your own proper medical dose. There's really, really no need to excede it.
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June 11, 2010 9:28 AM | Posted, in reply to , by : | Reply
Excellent post.
You suggest taking one dose in the morning 30 min before starting to study to get 4 hours of concentration, but what’s the correct dose? 20 mg? 10 mg?
What if I want to study 4 hours in the morning, and then again 4 hours in the afternoon/night? Do I take one full dose 30 minutes before each study section? Or do I take half the dose each time in order to amount to the full dose for the day.
I have 20 mg pills. Do I take 10 mg in the morning and 10 mg in the afternoon? Or 5 mg each like the recommended dose for children with ADHD according to the instructions?
If you would be so kind to help me I would be forever grateful.
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July 14, 2010 7:56 PM | Posted by : | Reply
If one studies for a test on caffeine, should they drink coffee before the test too then?
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