Does anyone else get a side effect where they feel like they need to go take a dump? http://addforums.com/forums/images/smilies/eyebrow.gif

Very annoying.

Also, I am finding that ritalin gives me a very negative attitude - does anyone have a solution for that? perhaps a supplement or something?

I can't remember the exact method of action but some stimulants are known for causing bowel movements after they've been taken.

I've heard of quite a few people getting grumpy on ritalin so it doesn't sound like it's unusual. How long have you been taking ritalin and at what dose? did your doctor slowly increase the dosage?

Make sure you're eating enough too.

I suggest you go talk to your doctor about this as he may have some good ideas. A medication change may be needed if the side effects are not worth it.

I'm taking 20mg per dose.

I've been on it about 6 months now. I was on dex prior to that.

I am on Adderall now, but when I was on Ritalin I did not experience these side effects. Ritalin made me sleepy and a zombie. Maybe it is not the right medication for you. Talk to your doctor. As far as the negative attitude.... stimulants can sometimes cause people who have been misdiagnosed as ADHD to be negative or angry. These side effects normally point to a wrong diagnosis or wrong medication. Talk to your doctor about it and maybe consider taking something else.

hey danf,
why did you switch from dex to ritalin? i just switched yesterday cause dex wasn't doing a thing (except making me depressed)..did you have a similar problem? how's the ritalin going?

It's not an ODD side effect.

Ofcourse you have to poop. It is a Nervous system and bowel stimulant!

And... The bowel is the most innervated part of the whole BODY. So it really reacts to these chemical signals.

Dex, Coffee and nicotine do the same thing.

It's good to have 1-3 BMs/day. One risk factor for Colon Cancer is having foodstuffs sit in the lower large intestine too long, rotting.

Most large bowel cancers occur at the end of the colon (Sigmoid), where the oldest and most rotten material sits, in fact.


I'd rather go more often than have a Colonoscopy at 50.

If it's too much of a problem, use lower doses or take an Imodium.

I have had the same experience. I think it's a stimulant thing in general.



It's not an ODD side effect.

Ofcourse you have to poop. It is a Nervous system and bowel stimulant!

And... The bowel is the most innervated part of the whole BODY. So it really reacts to these chemical signals.

Dex, Coffee and nicotine do the same thing.

It's good to have 1-3 BMs/day. One risk factor for Colon Cancer is having foodstuffs sit in the lower large intestine too long, rotting.

Most large bowel cancers occur at the end of the colon (Sigmoid), where the oldest and most rotten material sits, in fact.


I'd rather go more often than have a Colonoscopy at 50.

If it's too much of a problem, use lower doses or take an Imodium.

hey danf,
why did you switch from dex to ritalin? i just switched yesterday cause dex wasn't doing a thing (except making me depressed)..did you have a similar problem? how's the ritalin going?killed my sex life (couldn't get it up on the same day as taking dex). :(

stimulants can sometimes cause people who have been misdiagnosed as ADHD to be negative or angry. These side effects normally point to a wrong diagnosis or wrong medication. Talk to your doctor about it and maybe consider taking something else.Trust me, it is not a misdiagnosis. I was diagnosed in 1986, before it was cool! :)

Had all sorts of tests, EEGs, etc.

My family refused to medicate me... so I tried everything else growing up. Feingold diet, coaching, etc.

I got on the meds a couple of years ago, best choice I ever made!

Can't do a damn thing without them. Can't sit still, can't focus on my work, really distractable.

Regarding the ritalin - I wouldn't say it makes me angry, just gives me a negative attitude. Doesn't happen on dex, only ritalin.

i swear all these things work for everyone but me. i don't feel depressed and miserable now that i switched from dex to ritalin (granted it's only day 3) but i don't feel like doing anything. motivation is still at zero, so i feel like doing nothing but sitting here except in a better mood than i was in before. i'm starting to feel like a lost cause.

i swear all these things work for everyone but me. i don't feel depressed and miserable now that i switched from dex to ritalin (granted it's only day 3) but i don't feel like doing anything. motivation is still at zero, so i feel like doing nothing but sitting here except in a better mood than i was in before. i'm starting to feel like a lost cause.Maybe your dose needs adjusting? Try doing a job or class that excites you and you find interesting, it makes all the difference..although it's not always possible to do what we enjoy