I took 10 mg Ritalin at about 9:15am. Then I was trying to do a fasirly simple task organizing some training materials shortly after 1pm and got completely confused and basically couldn't function, worse than I've ever been even before starting Ritalin. Ritalin letdown? I took another 10 mg and had a yogurt and felt a little better, but I stayed at office until almost 7pm and have not really felt well all afternoon - dizzy, sore throat, not really sure I should be driving but no real choice.
I am meeting with colleague tomorrow at 2pm and certainly hope I feel better.
Read in one of posts that it may take about 2 weeks to get rid of side effects.
What have been others' experiences?

I've been taking Ritalin for a couple of months now with pretty good results. I had some side effects for the first couple of weeks but now I have little to none.

On the other hand if it is not helping you at all you may want to talk to your doctor about trying somethimg else.

Good Luck!

Are you taking "regular release" ritalin, or a sustained release? Regular ritalin last anywhere from 2-4hrs depending on the person (it's 2 hours for me), so the effects of a 9:15am dose will be pretty much gone by 1pm. Some people also find that the "down" feeling as the ritalin wears off bothers them - this could be part of the problem too. Also, have you been eating regularly? Ritalin is a powerful appetite surpressant, so if you're not eating, you may feel dizzy due to low blood sugar.
Personally, I don't find the side effects of ritalin to be too bad - apart from the occasional muscle tension headache, I haven't had much to complain about.
It does take some time to figure out the right dosing strategy.
Good luck,
Greg

Greg,

I do eat regularly even if lack of appetite because I know body needs nutrition but I usually eat breakfast about 9:30am and lunch about 2pm. (I do wonder about some of other posts I've read where folks don't seem to be eating regularly if no appetite.)

I realize now that my experience was probably "let down" since it had been almost 4 hours since last dose. I spoke with Dr. about 2 hours ago. She suggested 5mg instead of 10 mg at each dose. Also, Ritalin may be affecting blood level of another med I take, Anafranil, which has ADD like side-effects. We'll see how I'm doing on June 7 when I see her.
Jane

I found the following indicated website.

I thought people might be interested. This is my 10th day on Ritalin. I went back to 5 mg. 3 times a day yesterday, instead of 10mg 2/day. Primary side effects dizziness, tired but not sleepy, and hated rebound effect. Will try it for one more week and see how I am doing. The one task that I planned to do today is to clean off a dining room table, which is overflowing (with absolutely no organization) with financial papers, graded student papers from Spring semester, and a great deal of additional crap (some I need to keep and much I need to toss). I am nowhere near ready to tackle the job.

Jane

At http://www.ncpamd.com/Stimulant_Side_Effects.htm

Carol E. Watkins, M.D.
Glenn Brynes, Ph.D., M.D.

Reduced appetite: This effect may be worse in the very young. It may improve after several weeks or months. If it continues to be problematic, one may reduce the dose; or time a short-acting stimulant to wear off before mealtimes. In some cases we resign ourselves to a eating a large breakfast and supper followed by a very small lunch. A late evening snack can also help.

Rebound: Some people who take short acting methylphenidate or amphetamine experience irritability or depression for an hour as the stimulant wears off. Sometimes this is worse than the individual’s behavior before the medication was started. One can avoid rebound by spacing the doses closer together, giving a smaller dose after the final larger dose, or by switching to a longer acting stimulant.

Headache: If this does not improve with time, we may reduce the dose or switch to another stimulant. Sometimes caffeine restriction helps.

Jittery feeling: Eliminate caffeine or other stimulant-type medications. A small dose of a beta-blocker (a type of blood pressure medication) can block tremor or jitters.

Gastrointestinal upset: Take the medication with meals or eat smaller, more frequent meals.

Sleep difficulty: This is more frequent with the longer-acting stimulants such as Dexedrine Spansules. However, the sleep problem is sometimes due to the AD/HD not the medication. If the sleep problem is truly due to medication effect, give the last dose earlier in the day. Sometimes clonidine or guanfacine help one settle down for sleep. We also counsel the individual on establishing good sleep habits.

Irritability: Sometimes irritability may be due to the AD/HD or another psychiatric disorder. If the irritability is truly due to the stimulant, there are several options. Reduce the stimulant dose, switch to a different stimulant, add clonidine/guanfacine or use another class of medications to treat the AD/HD.

Depression: This may be a delayed effect of stimulant medication. It may be more common with the long-acting stimulants. Screening for a history of depression, and treating co-existing depression can minimize this. If the depression truly is related to the medication, one may switch to another class of medications to treat the AD/HD. These second-line medications would include the tricyclic antidepressants and bupropion (Wellbutrin.)

Anxiety: If an individual is anxious, the stimulants can exacerbate the symptoms. The treatment of this side effect is similar to that of depression.

Blood glucose changes: Individuals with diabetes mellitus or borderline glucose tolerance may experience a rise in blood sugar. Such individuals can often take stimulants but may need closer monitoring of their diabetic control.

Increased blood pressure: Stimulants may cause increases in blood pressure or pulse. This is usually not significant at normal doses in most people. Individuals on very high doses of stimulants or individuals at risk for blood pressure problems should be monitored more closely. Some adults may opt to continue the stimulant and add a blood pressure medication

All of these can and do occur, to varying degrees, depending on the person and the dosage. I find the rebound very mind for ritalin, myself, but some people are bothered by it more than others. And it doesn't really make me more anxious - the opposite really - I think because it makes me feel more confident. And I love the decreased appetite - for me a big bonus, I've dropped about 20 lbs in 6 weeks.
Most people adapt to the side effects after a few weeks. And it takes a while to figure out what times to take the drug that work best for you. The Dr will give you guidelines of the "5mg every 3 hours" kind, but you may find the drug may last a shorter or longer time in YOUR body - I find regular release ritalin lasts about 2 hrs for me, so I take it 4 times per day. Plus I take a little more in the afternoon than the morning - that's what "feels" right to me.
Regards,
Greg

Greg, I wouldn't mind the weight loss either. Losing 20 lbs. would put me right where I want to be; however, when I'm not feeling well, including being dizzy, my body interprets it as maybe I better eat something nutritious to feel better. While not a big eater, I'm not sure I'm eating any less on Ritalin.

Jane