Ive been taking Ritalin La for almost 3 weeks and im not noticing the same feeling i had before when i first took it,i dont feel as alert.Now that im away from home and in college i cant really se a doctor until my insurance card is sent to me so i dont really have working meds, and with classes already started i being to worry about it a little more than usual.

I don't know what college you are at in particular, but they should allow you to visit without your insurance card. If they don't, instead of waiting for it in the mail, call home and ask for your member number and plan number. You can use that in place of the card until it gets there.

Now, for the Ritalin: Are you taking Sudafed, Tylenol, Allegra-D, or any other drugs with Pseudoephedrine? I noticed when I first got to school and started taking those things again, it counteracted my Ritalin. I verified with a Pharmacist, and Pseudoephedrine and Ritalin don't play well together.

If you are taking any other drugs, it's possible that you're counteracting the Ritalin with them. If not, perhaps dietary issues, or the fact that in high-stress, high-anxiety conditions not even Ritalin can keep us focused sometimes. When things calm down, it should start working better again.

It's just very rare that Ritalin would work, and then stop working after 2-3 weeks. We don't build tolerances _that_ fast, heh.