Building a tolerance to Ritalin

[gazer1]

I have been taking Ritalin for 3 months. The first 3 or 4 weeks I wanted to tell the world I'm finally normal after 44 years. I thanked my pdoc over and over. Then, slowly, the effects began to diminish. With dr permission to take up to 60mg per day, I have tried each and every way to take and find a dosage to become effective again. I have settled on taking 30 mg in am and then again at noon. I have about 3 "good" hours.
Has anyone else experienced this? If so, have you changed meds and what med worked best for you? I know we are all different, but maybe if someone had same experience I could learn from it. I'm VERY depressed since the meds stopped being effective and everything in my life is suffering. Also suffer from depression and take Lexapro, and TMG and take Nuerontin.
Have appt with pdoc tomorrow and would like some info before then to take with me.
Thanks so much
Gazer

[paulbf]

There are a few other stimulants that might work or you can go off them entirely once in a while or only take them when it's most important.

[gazer1]

I have found I need them all the time. I work in legal field and have trouble with details and inverting numbers. When the meds first worked, I was amazed at how much easier numbers were to read and was completing all tasks. Now I again have piles of unfinished things on my desk. I also have read where non-generic forms of Ritalin are better. Wondering if I should try this before requesting to try something else, then taking what seems to be forever to get the correct dosage.

[Tara]

Sometimes after being on medication for a while we feel that it isn't working anymore because the newness is gone. Why do you feel that it isn't working anymore?

[gazer1]

I know its not working because I am again daydreaming, can't find things, can't complete a task, inverting my numbers continually, tired and fatigued, no concentration, can't sit with book without reading one line over and over. My initial reaction to ritalin remedied these things as well as other problematic symtoms I've always had. I realized after taking the Ritalin and when it worked how much I've always needed it. Now that I don't feel it's effects I feel extremely depressed because I now know and accept the problem of add and while symptoms were lifted for awhile, they are now back and much more noticable. In other words, I know I have this problem, I know I can be helped, I need to be helped for the sake of myself and my job, and Ritalin just isn't doing it.

[Gregster]

Ritalin can be very short acting, so taking it only twice a day - assuming it's a regular release variety - may not be enough - I used to take it 4 times a day, and it worked pretty well, but I switched to dexedrine - because it is longer acting - and found that it not only worked longer, but for me, it was more effective.
If the Ritalin isn't doing it for you, I'd ask my Dr about something like Adderall or dexedrine (they are very similar).
Good luck,
Greg

[David]

I take Ritalin approximately every 3 hours. Some of your symptoms sound to me like how I feel when I take too much Ritalin. I know we are all different but when I was taking 20 mg's 3-4 times a day I ended up feeling as you describe. You may want to lower the dosage and try taking say 20 mg 3-4 times a day. Taking too much Ritalin for me at least can be as bad as not taking it at all, or worse. I feel there comes a point of diminishing returns, or worse.. Negative returns.