does anyone else get severe headaches when they take Ritalin??


i never get headaches, but Ritalin seems to give me serious migraines. i don't know what else could be causing it.. because it only happens on the days that i take the medication.
it's like my head feels really "heavy" and painful... and it can't be alleviated with a painkiller or any other headache remedies. :(


am i the only one this happens to..?

I haven't taken Ritalin, but take Adderall and have migraines. Funny thing is, I don't have any migraines on Adderall. However, the first couple weeks I was on it, I would get a very quick headache about 30 mins after taking a dose and the headache would be gone in about 30 seconds. Been on a drug holiday the past week and a half and have had two severe migraines, the later lasting 3 days...

Yup. I quit it b/c of the painful headrushes and headaches!

On any other meds TOO?

Ritalin mixes very poorly with some other drugs. (e.g. Caffeine; antidepressants, etc)

Weird:confused:

I am a Migraine sufferer and was taking a preventative medication daily before the WB and Ritalin IR.

Since starting the Ritalin and WB I have stopped taking the preventative (nortriptyline) and have not....knock on wood....had a migraine.

Ritalin has helped keep my headaches at bay. I do get daily little ones, but nothing that I have to take serious medication for.

Everyone is so different.....good luck with your medication; hopefully the migraines will go away soon.

iRitalin seems to give me serious migraines. i don't know what else could be causing it.. because it only happens on the days that i take the medication.I would suggest that you inform your Dr/pharmacist about the headaches as soon as possible in order to be both safe, and smart. :cool:

I hope that you will be able to get this headache issue resolved, and I hope that you will be able to keep us in the loop on this by letting us know how it turns out. ;)

I took Ritalin for more than 7 years and I don't think it caused me any migraines. Although I've had many severe migraines in the past 20 years I can't say that any have been caused by taking Ritalin.

I think you should talk to your doctor.

At the same time I would say to make sure you are properly hydrated.
Ritalin contributes to dehydration so make sure you are drinking plenty of WATER. If you drink caffeinated drinks you'll need to drink a little more water to counter the effects of that.

One other thing I've found that works in regards to eliminating migraines is a removing or severely reducing certain things in your diet. Chocolate gives me migraines--so I can't eat it. I've also found that since I've nearly stopped eating grains and dairy or anything with grains or dairy in it--I have NOT had any headaches, I'm clearer headed, my short term memory is better, my energy level is better, my anxiety level has dropped and I sleep better.

Sure, I've even lost some fatty weight too!

While you are waiting to talk to your doctor read the book Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies. This book is NEW and it is awesome. (Yes, the title is misleading--"healing")

thank you everyone for your replies.. :D



in response to the questions:

no, i'm not on any other medication or medicines.

i drink more water than Shamoo, and i don't eat dairy or grains.

i do drink caffeine, but i've never had that kind of caffeine withdrawal... it seemed way too intense, and it lasted all day.

other than caffeine, i have a pretty "clean" lifestyle.. so it's easy to pinpoint the problem. (which is why i assumed it must be the Ritalin...)



anyyyyway, i guess i'll just mention it to the doctor in a couple days.
?
& it's good to know that this has happened to at least one other person... haha

How about allergies? 'Tis the season for hayfever, which can certainly cause headaches.

...but that being said, sometimes people just get headaches from it. Sounds like some folks with the headache side effect do better with dexedrine.

I really do believe that you might do better on a smaller split dose (see my reply to your other post in another thread).

For me it is opposite. I usually had 2-3 migraine attacks every week :faint: (I'm using Imigran injections for it). Now that I'm on Ritalin I don't have more than 2-3 migraine attacks a month. :)

I really hope you find a solution/meds against it.

thanks guys.


i'm so frustrated though....
i just came back from the doctor - and got nothing accomplished. :rolleyes:

i told him that the Ritalin gives me pretty bad headaches, and that it doesn't last long enough..so there are lots of ups and downs.... and he mentioned Concerta, but then he ended up writing me a prescription for the same exact thing. (10 mg generic Ritalin twice a day).
:mad: :confused:
gahhhhhhagh.


i wanted to try something long-lasting, like Adderall XR or Dexedrine spansules...but i guess i'm stuck with this until mid-September. :rolleyes:
i probably won't even take it. it's worthless. :(

i guess i'm stuck with this until mid-September. :rolleyes:
i probably won't even take it. it's worthless. :(
I'm sorry your Dr visit did not go as you hoped, and I hope that things get better for you sooner than later.

The path that leads us to the best medication can often times be a tedious and boring endeavour.

Try and hang in there for now, and please know that when/if you do find the right medication that you will not regret the journey that got you there regardless of how tedious it might have been at times.

he ended up writing me a prescription for the same exact thing. (10 mg generic Ritalin twice a day).O.k. that's good for six to eight hours. What does he expect you to use for the rest of your waking hours? 10mg three times a day is standard. Some people take 10mg every three hours on days they need it. That's the beauty of the regular release, you can adjust the dosage to suit you. Is your doctor a psychiatrist?