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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Ritalin - Confused, Need Help

S

SPC123

Bluelighter
Joined
Apr 7, 2009
Messages
640
I will skip the backstory. Bottom line: I am prescribed 20mg ritalin twice a day. I have never used a stimulant before other than nicotine, and I haven't smoked in a couple of years. I don't drink coffee, and don't consume a whole lot of soda.

I filled my first scrip today. The literature from the pharmacy said to take it 45 minutes before eating. I took it right after I ate (before I read the pharmacy lit)My experience is as follows:

1) I felt kind of dizzy, a little out of it. I was able to function fine, but I kinda got that feeling like you are inside your own head looking out.

2) I felt nausea. I didn't actually vomit, but I felt like it. After maybe an hour of feeling like this I thought that I might feel better if I had a snack, so I ate a small bag of doritos and drank a pepsi. It did not help, and maybe made it worse.

3) I felt hot. I was sweating quite a bit.

What I did NOT feel was anything that I expected. I did not feel sped up at all. I got no eurphoria. Also, if anything it clouded my brain rather than making things clearer. Futher I suffer from anxiety and I figured it would affect that. It did not. I wasn't anxious in the least.

It kinda felt like I was on codeine. Very much a depressant rather than a stimulant effect. Certainly not recreational at all, and not clincally helpful either.

Is this normal for some people, particularly the first time they take ritalin? Anyone feel the same way with ritalin or know of someone who felt this way? Should I have taken it before eating as the pharmacy said? Would that make a huge difference? I am at a loss here, and would appreciate any help or advice.
 
I take my 20mgs first thing in the morning, and typically dont eat until the afternoon. I sometimes get the first and third symptoms, but never nauseaous. I drink ALOT of soda so maybe thats why. Maybe it was something you ate?

And yes, its perfectly normal for some people to react to a stimulant as a depressant.
 
I used to be prescribed to a time release ritalin Metadate CR i think and it was like 40mg or 50mg twice a day (or whatever the highest dosage of that pill is ,don't remember) and I never felt a speedy effect except for the first hour or two after taking each capsule(One in the morning and one in the afternoon) and if I ate after taking it it seemed to kill whatever speedy effect it had.But everyone is different,it actually made me sleepy after a few hours,so know I am on Vyvanse which is an amphetamine-time released pill and it lasts about 12 to 13 hours and it makes me feel very speedy,but of course I am taking the highest dosage of Vyvanse they make 70mg....anyway Ritalin was not very good compared to a actual form of amphetamine,Vyvanse,Adderall,etc.
 
Well I doubt it was anything I ate, because all I had that day was a spicy chicken sandwich and fries at Wendy's, and I eat that meal once or twice a week and it never upsets my stomach. The thing that really threw me is that I was expecting something positive. Maybe some mild euphoria or a speedy feeling. There was none of that. If someone asked me if ritalin was recreational based on my experiance, I would tell them absolutely not at all. There was nothing about it that made me want to do it again, other than maybe the hope that things will improve and it'll help me with school and work.
 
Its not that recreational for me either. Little euphoria and i actually managed to take a nap a couple hours after taking 40mg once... As for school work and such i usually rail a tab before doing homework or something else requiring focus. i redose about every hour and a half if i need to
 
SPC123 said:
I will skip the backstory. Bottom line: I am prescribed 20mg ritalin twice a day. I have never used a stimulant before other than nicotine, and I haven't smoked in a couple of years. I don't drink coffee, and don't consume a whole lot of soda.

I filled my first scrip today. The literature from the pharmacy said to take it 45 minutes before eating. I took it right after I ate (before I read the pharmacy lit)My experience is as follows:

1) I felt kind of dizzy, a little out of it. I was able to function fine, but I kinda got that feeling like you are inside your own head looking out.

2) I felt nausea. I didn't actually vomit, but I felt like it. After maybe an hour of feeling like this I thought that I might feel better if I had a snack, so I ate a small bag of doritos and drank a pepsi. It did not help, and maybe made it worse.

3) I felt hot. I was sweating quite a bit.

What I did NOT feel was anything that I expected. I did not feel sped up at all. I got no eurphoria. Also, if anything it clouded my brain rather than making things clearer. Futher I suffer from anxiety and I figured it would affect that. It did not. I wasn't anxious in the least.

It kinda felt like I was on codeine. Very much a depressant rather than a stimulant effect. Certainly not recreational at all, and not clincally helpful either.

Is this normal for some people, particularly the first time they take ritalin? Anyone feel the same way with ritalin or know of someone who felt this way? Should I have taken it before eating as the pharmacy said? Would that make a huge difference? I am at a loss here, and would appreciate any help or advice.
Click to expand...

1)
Lack of food/water/sleep

2)
Lack of food/water

3)
Lack of food/water/sleep and don't drink caffeine


Take a protein supplement, take multivitamins, stay away from caffeine/soda, drink plenty of water AND EAT EAT EAT.
 
lol. I guess we're both doing it wrong. I get very little of those three things, and about 6 cans of soda a day
 
Yeah, dopamine is tied with insulin production.
Stimulants will cause a blood sugar crash, which partly attributes to the crash from stimulants.
So it's good to intake sugar throughout the day (don't go overboard though)

Food, I cannot emphasize how important this is while on stimulants.
You will eventually lose all effectiveness if you don't eat (and will be zombified), healthy for that matter.

Water is extremely important, at least 10 glasses a day, if not more... You should drink as much water as you can handle even if you don't want to.

Caffeine will intensify sweating, anxiety/panic and general feeling like shit.

Amphetamines/Ritalin eventually will lose the physical rush aspect (but the being awake factor does not diminish.) however they are still effective mentally (you shouldnt feel euphoria)

People on dexedrine have been able to stay on let's say 10 mg's a DAY for YEARS without the need to an increase of dose.
 
It seemed to dull me mentally. I got a good nights sleep last night, and today I had the afternoon shift, so I didn't have to be up early. I'd say definately a solid 7 hours, with another hour of relaxation. I ate right before I took the pills, and then ate and drank more about an hour later.

I guess more than anything, it was the lack of any positive feelings that got me. I didn't FEEL any sharper or better focused, nor did I feel speedy in any way. I know this drug is abused, and I can't imagine that every person who gets high on Ritalin is sticking to a regime consisting of plenty of sleep, good hydration and a well balanced diet.
 
Why don't you take a protein supplement, take vitamins, protein supplement, oh did i mention protein?


You very very well could be on too high of a dose, I take vyvanse now 70mg/day and it works wonders aside from evening flexibility and it taking forever to kick in.


Protein is essential, i felt like complete garbage on it until i started a daily dose of 70grams of protein (enhanced with extra amino acids) 3x a day

now i feel spectacular!

I'd love a morning and late evening booster because of my job i work 12-16 hour shifts but hey i'll talk to him next time i see him
 
20mg 2x daily is your starting dose?

Just side effects of a chemical your system is not yet accustomed to.
 
Before eating? What, is it to be used as an appetite supressant (because it is!)?

Methylphenidate is weird starting out, but it's one of the few stims safe enough to be taken daily without much concern of neurotoxicity or habituation -- as long as you always take it orally, that is. I took it from when I was 8 until I was 15 and it worked very well for me (though I have extreme ADD so YMMV). Ritalin is primarily abused, though, by college kids looking to improve grades. The high from snorting large amounts is rather dysphoric.
 
Yeah, it says before eating. From drugs.com:

Take Ritalin at least 30 minutes before a meal. The extended-release forms of methylphenidate (Ritalin-SR) can be taken with or without food.

http://www.drugs.com/ritalin.html

I am going to try 10mg when I get up tomorrow, 10 more at lunch, and see how it goes.
 
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