I had a cold a couple months back and I notoriously always have a cough for a couple weeks after I get over the cold. I've been taking Methylin since Feb of this year and think my cough is worse now than ever before. I've stayed off my meds for a day here and there to see if the cough gets better. It seems to. Is this in my head or is this more common than I think?

i also wanted to add that it is not a very common side effect. typical that it has effected you and i.:mad:

I cough a lot also, it feels like I have something (phlegm) caught in my throat.

Wow..........Same symptoms here

Ritalin causes dry mouth. Are you guys drinking enough liquids?

Have any of you experiencing this discussed it with your Dr?

I stumbled accross this site the other day out of frustration looking for my own answers to this constant post nasal drip I have had since starting on Concerta, then being switched to Ritalin LA by my doctor as it didn't list a cough as a side-effect. In fact my doctor had never heard of anyone having a cough from these medications.

FINALLY I had found something that helped me for the first time in my life, I did not want to give up the benefits because of this one, VERY irratating side-effect, everyone at work thinks I've been sick for months because I have had a constant cough.

Just this morning, after thinking the symptoms through. Obviously my nasal passages are dryer do to this medication, so my body is trying to compensate by producing more phlemg, so what can I do to keep my nasal passages moist, to compensate for the dryness. My initial thought was a nasal spray, like a menthol type thing, but after reading the precautions I was detered because it said not to use for more than 1 week and prolonged used would cause further congestion, not going to work. So, I headed over to the pharmacist to whom I explained the situation and he suggested I use a saline nasal spray. It's safe enough to use everyday and is not habit forming.

It's only been a couple hours, granted, but I immediately have felt the results!! I feel awesome and am able to appreciate the benefits of the medication without the very irratating cough.

I post this as I was almost ready to give up on this line of medications out of frustration of the very irratating side effect of the post-nasal drip cough....maybe this will help some of you as well, so that you can actually benefit from this category of medications and not have to cease it's use because of this particiular side-effect.

Good-luck, let me know if this helps you!!

Could it be a tic?

In response to 2scattered's question, "could it be a tic?", I guess it's possible for some people, but this is definitely not the case for me. If you read the literature, there is a documented 4% increase in coughing and URI's listed as a side effect. After I started teking the medication, I reported to my doctor that there was a noticeable change in my sinuses, the change was so sudden and intense, that, being unfamiliar with the sensation, I didn't know quite what was going on or how to describe it, I thought, honestly that it may have been my blood pressure being affected by the medication, but on it, I have a "perfect" 120/70) one of the things I was able to describe though was that my sinuses were so dry that when I blew my nose I would notice blood, he associated that with the dry weather of winter, I’ve never had a bloody nose in my life so, never have snorted anything, or taken any illegal drugs at all for that matter, and have steam heat at home, it's not really dry in my living environment, (except maybe at work, where i did notice an increase of coughing, but we weren't sure if that was because this is the time that the medication was in full force, I work long hours so it would be wearing off by the time I got home) anyhow, knowing my own body, it's rare for me to have any blood coming from my sinuses. The doctor had heard me cough on follow up visits, and had me on 3 different medications to try and stop/relieve/suppress the cough. So, in my case this definitely was not a tic, this medication contains a mixture of different salts, it only makes sense that it will and does affect your mucous membranes, in my case to the extent of drying them out. (Also noticed btw that for the first time ever I needed to use drops in my eyes while wearing my contacts, prior I had never had to use drops, ever, well maybe once or twice when I had drank the night before and slept with my contacts in)...and before someone says it I will say I HAVE been drinking quite a bit more water. No matter how much I drink it does not replace the moisture in the sinuses effectively enough to counter-act the drying effects of the drug.

My daughter has been on every ADHD med in existence I think. Focalin XR was working well but she would start to get emotional (crashing and/or puberty) so the Dr asked us to try Vyvanse. After a few days she developed a persistent cough and clearing of the throat. I took her to the doctor and told her she had the cough for several weeks. She insisted it was a virus and would go away. Well, it didn't (which did not surprise me). In fact it got worse and kept her up at night. Then I started to notice her blinking her eyes a lot. Red flags went up as I seen previousl post about tics such as eye blinking. Then I put two and two together and wondered if the persistent cough and throat clearing were a tic too. I took her off the Vyvanse and put her back on the Focalin and low and behold, the blinking, coughing, and throat clearing are almost gone within two days of her last Vyvanse dose. Hmmmm. I called the doctor and left a message. I doubt I will get a call back but hopefully the next time a kids comes in with these symptoms, they will consider the possiblity of tics. We will stick with the Focalin for a while. I think I can manage the emotional rollercoaster as it's not as bad as it was with some of the other meds. The focalin has been the best because she retains most of her personality but is able to concentrate for most of the day. It has also had the least amount of side effects.

But surely both focalin, and vyvanse both would cause tics?

I have the same cough, phlegm, and gagging post nasal drip. Its more severe the more they increase my meds. I too use saline {Ocean Water- over the counter} during the day and a nasal rinse {Neil Meds I think or netty pot} at night and the side effects are not nearly as bad! I am so relieved.