Thirty years ago I was into recreational drugs and was especially fond of substances that enhanced sex. Two months into Ritalin, which has helped me a great deal, I notice that above a certain dose threshold I become distracted a little by increased libido. Very similar to cocaine. Not as if it's some big surprise, if you are aware of the close correlation between sex drive and dopamine levels in the brain. Anyway I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience, and whether it's a positive or negative. Like most things that "feel too good," the positive can become a negative. I'm over 50 and it's sorta nice to feel horny, but at the same time it can be a distraction that has nowhere to go, and has that definite mental or emotional "contour" that foreshadows obsessive behavior on the horizon.

I haven't heard that Ritalin affects sex drive one way or the other. Doesn't have the effect you describe on any of us, and we're pretty sensitive to what we put in our bodies.

It does have a hellacious effect on distractibility, just what it's intended to do. And that can change the way you interact with your moment-to-moment situation, alright.

We take Adderall and Ritalin, and there is a distinct difference between the two. Adderall just takes hold and works, without much thought or effort on our part. But Ritalin is more like a little ally with an attitude that sits on your shoulder, a bit wild and with a sharp sense of humor. He wouldn't help you out in a bar fight if you didn't think to ask.

And that's the point: you have to use Ritalin in a conscious way, aware of how it's helping. It doesn't sink into the background like Adderall, so it's a better drug for those that like to keep tabs on what it's doing to them.

We understand the 'feel good' action of Ritalin, but we think it's more of a personal reaction to having someone (or something) to back you up. Sort of a 'been down so long looks like up to me' thing.

--Tom and Kay

Gives me wacky tendencies sometimes too. I have heard of people saying that it gave them bizarre sex cravings. You can counteract it with SSRIs if it's a problem. Obviously bring it up with your MD first.

I take Dexedrine now and went through a similar experience, but now that I've gotten used to being medicated in general, that's all settled down. What I noticed mainly is that with these meds you feel a "tickle" run through you, and sometimes you might increase the dose into the "high" territory, but the sexual enhancement is mostly illusion because it will actually block the ability to orgasm.