I am curious, does anyone know the difference between the two? or where i can find information concering the topic? Is there a small difference? does one work better when it comes to sleep?? anything??!

The differences in how they work would really depend on the person, as they all affect each person in different ways. For example Adderall makes my anxiety get completely out of control, but Concerta makes it better. There are people here that have had the exact opposite experience between the two. Some people will say that Amphetamine is a driving force, making you want to constantly move and do more and more. While Methylphenidate may not provide as much motivation but gives you energy while allowing you to also relax. Of course that is just speaking in general, and again, everyone responds differently. I slept better then I ever have in my life on 18, 27 and 36mg of Concerta (methylphenidate), but 54mg pushed me back into my regular sleep pattern. So even the same medication at different doses can change things dramatically.

As far as scientific differences, I have no clue:p , but google may have some answers for you :)

I am curious, does anyone know the difference between the two? or where i can find information concering the topic? Is there a small difference? does one work better when it comes to sleep?? anything??!

Good question. There are differences between these drugs, but it depends on who is taking them, so there is not a simple answer to your question. For some the differences are subtle at best, and for others the differences are quite extreme.


Here are a few good links I found that may help get you started in your search to find out more:


This first link is from the Journal of American Academy of Pediatrics.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/4/e43


This second link does a much better job of explaining some of the other forms of amphetamine that are available to treat this dissorder. Unfortunately (which seems to be the norm, even at this site) the drug Desoxyn is left out of the fold. The reason this is so unfortunate is that Desoxyn is a miracle drug for many who have found that none of the other stimulants were able to help them. By leaving it out of the loop which is common place these days, it prevents more people from even knowing it is an available option, and a darn good one at that.
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/106/108111.htm


This last link may also help you to better understand more of the actual chemical differences that exist between these drugs. This link is not peer reviewed like the two prior links, but I find that the information contained within is pretty sound nontheless.
http://www.erowid.org/ask/ask.cgi?ID=2846

The differences in how they work would really depend on the person, as they all affect each person in different ways. For example Adderall makes my anxiety get completely out of control, but Concerta makes it better. There are people here that have had the exact opposite experience between the two. Some people will say that Amphetamine is a driving force, making you want to constantly move and do more and more. While Methylphenidate may not provide as much motivation but gives you energy while allowing you to also relax. Of course that is just speaking in general, and again, everyone responds differently. I slept better then I ever have in my life on 18, 27 and 36mg of Concerta (methylphenidate), but 54mg pushed me back into my regular sleep pattern. So even the same medication at different doses can change things dramatically.

As far as scientific differences, I have no clue:p , but google may have some answers for you :)
Amphetamine improves learning and focus directly by making your brain work harder, Methylphenidate (Ritalin) improves learning and focus indirectly by calming you down and lessening the hunger for stimulation.

Ladym's right, the effects are very diverse among different people.
Ritalin made me apathetic, antisocial, depressed, and very irritable.
Quit taking it after some time, and too much, too much, too much via another way of ingestion. :eek:
Which causes effects opposite of those stated above.
But ehm. It didn't improve my ADHD, although it was very pleasurable.
Too pleasurable.

Dextro-Amphetamine (my current medication, 3 x 10mg) makes me calm and focused (given the fact I sleep well), but worsens anxiety a bit and worsens depression too. I've been more of a melancholic person.
As said in the other topic, I'm working on that.

Ritalin was unpleasent and the ups and downs were harsh, the whole experiance seemed very tense and taxing physically/metally. While adderall feels very mellow amd doesnt feel nearly as harsh.