I stopped taking Ritalin after taking it for about 1 1/2 years and gained so much weight in such a short period of time!!
Before taking Ritalin I never had a problem with my weight (I could eat a lot without gaining anything). The same (I could eat even more) while I was on ritalin..
Now it seems like (after I stopped taking Ritalin) that my metabolism has changed or sth and I gain more and more weight every day (without changing my eating habits or anything like that) !!!

Do you know the reason for that?? It's killing me!
Do you have any advice for me?

Thank you so much in advance!

I gained 10 kg's in like 2 months after I stopped on Concerta. It never helped my ADD but I went back on it in about 6 months. I changed my diet and worked out many times a week but I never got any further than stop gaining, its like my body was tuned in only loosing weight from the pills. So now I´m a "stimulant addict" just because I don't want to gain the weight again.

However I want to go off them again... but I think it will be better next time knowing this risk before. The slower decrease the better. My biggest mistake last time was quitting cold turkey and eating the same after. Next time I'm going to take months decreasing it and change my diet on the way.

Edit: Also burners like Hydroxycut might help temporarily when quitting, kinda like smokers use the gum to fall softer.

Wow, it seems like exactly the same thing happened to us!!
I also gained 10kg (about 20 pounds) in a couple months after doing cold turkey. I feel like a stranger in my own body which was never like this before- it's horrible!!!

Do you think I should try Hydroxycut?? The problem is the second I stop I'll probably gain again, right?! So it's a vicious circle.
Probably like dieting which I never did but all my friend who ever started dieting had the same problem again and again.
I was so happy I never had to deal with this kind of s***.

I think I messed up my metabolism for good!?!?

It's been almost half a year now since I quitted (even though I took it a few times now and then again) and I'm gaining more and more.

How long does it take for the metabolism to work the same way as before meaning not to gain anymore..
Probably it's like you said I can be happy if I won't gain anymore but probably I'll never be the same weight as before while eating like before.

It makes me so depressed and I regret so much that I ever started taking it!!!

Is Geiri the only one who experienced this phenomena besides me???

I'm so thankful for any advice!!

Hey I sent you a PM.

Again the key is to go back on something stimulant (burners if you don't feel like going back on the drugs) and decrease it very slowly.

Quitting cold turkey is the worst thing you can do.

Hey Geiri,
thanks a lot for all your info!

The only reason I quit it was because I got massive panic attacks from Ritalin at the end (after talking it for about 12-18 months, like you). It seemed it didn't do any good anymore. I became also really depressed.
But stopping it was a nightmare, too. I didn't even manage to clean a room in my apartment- everything seemed so overwhelming to me and I didn't know where to start.
It felt my brain was completely messed up.

Do you think I could lose weight by a stimulant like coffeine (maybe I can just drink more coffee..:confused: but that would probably turn me into a nervous wrack)..

Have you ever heard about "MEGA T"?
It's a green tea supplement with Hoodia which is supposed to help curb the appetite and stimulate the metabolism (it also contains guarana and coffeine..)
I don't want to take anything that messes up my body/ heart even more..

Do you think it's not possible to lose the weight just by exercising more?

A good friend of mine has the same problem and it has been 2 years since she stopped and she also had a pretty good metabolism before but after stopping it she gained a lot of weight as well and ever since she has huge problem with her weight..

Sorry I sound so desperate, but I never thought about these kind of side effects..

And even when I now take 2,5mg (which is a quarter of a 10mg Ritalin tablet) I feel a strong effect in any way (I feel very exhausted when it wears off and at night time very! depressed and the next morning I feel really tired and have no energy at all!)
So I don't think it's a good idea to go back on Ritalin to reduce it slowly since it would make me really depressed..

Thanks a lot again for advice, Geiri!

Well of course I´m bias because of what worked for me, but yeah burners and coffee could also be bad for you considering anxiety and all that. Yes you can try harder considering exercise but your diet is like 80%, unfortunately your appetite goes up after you stop taking stimulants and you can go crazy on carbs.

If you want to go the normal healthy way then I advice you to eat less carbs and more protein, so you can still eat what you like but just less of it. Maybe have all the same meals but a protein drink before so you have less room for carbs and get less calories. Also fibre is very important and majority of people in western countries are many times under the daily need, which slows down processing the food (so it takes up more of the fat). You should be able to loose few kg's a year only from that. My mom tried special diet fibre pills which you take before a meal few times a day and it has double effect, the same general effects as all fibre but it also gets bigger in the stomach (like a sponge sucking up water) so you have less room for food. I don't remember the name right now but if they say you should take it 20-30 minutes before a meal 3-4 times a day then it must be it or something similar.

I think combining the two should be helpful for anyone wanting to loose weight. So its good to get used to taking the fibre and protein drinks at the same time about 30 minutes before the big meals of the day.

I stopped taking ritalin when I got pregs with my daughter and I gained an INSANE amount of weight during my pregnancy, like 65 pounds, but I came by it honestly -- I ate everything in sight. If the ritalin suppresses your appetite, you may not have realized how little you were eating in comparison to what you are eating now.

I could not understand why I wasn't losing the baby weight afterward, but when I went on Weight Watchers I realized how little you actually need to eat to lose weight. I didn't realize at all how many calories I was consuming post-Ritalin.

I am 34 and my decent metabolism has returned, post baby and everything. I'm not on stimulants now and I am at a great weight. I don't diet or anything, I just stay active at work and try to run at least 4-5 miles a week. Perhaps keep a food diary and be honest about every blt (bite, lick, and taste) of food you eat, measure your food, and you may find you're consuming a whole lot more than you think.

Stimulants really shouldn't be used for weight loss. Sometimes drugs like phentermine are prescribed, but only for obese patients.

Stimulants really shouldn't be used for weight loss. Sometimes drugs like phentermine are prescribed, but only for obese patients.


People will go extreme ways to loose weight, its just how it is and you can't change that. There are worse ways than taking a legal drug with a good dosage plan and doctors follow up. Many people buy speed off the street to loose. Dosages going up and down all the time which is a more risk factor for abuse and addiction. Also more unhealthy since its never pure.

Also I think shrinking your stomach with surgery is 100x more extreme, how many people could have prevented that with stimulants? Put a person on it the moment they become obese and you can pretty much rule out them getting that far. Also its more extreme to stop eating, throw up, take laxatives and so on. So I can pretty much come out of the closet and say people should be allowed to get them for dieting, just as long as they are informed of the risks like addiction. Its your body and you should be able to do whatever you want with it as long as other people don't get hurt.