Methylphenidate Arguments

Ritalin is another example of a prescription ADHD stimulant that is misused frequently with a high mortality rate from overdose. Ritalin, which is more prevalent with high school age students, is primarily misused for weight loss and a feeling being high. The majority of children misusing prescription drugs such a Ritalin are under the impression that it is safer then illegal street drugs (CCHR, 2013). Ritalin is the most common stimulant drug prescribed to children with ADHD, but is also prescribed for other disorders, such as cancer, brain injury and pain management (Morton & Stockton, 2000). According to Morton & Stockton (2000) the effects of Ritalin are similar to the feeling of using cocaine, which may be one of the reasons that the ADHD drug is misused. According to research done by Musser et al. (1998) most school aged children using Ritalin did not think that Ritalin or any other prescription medication for ADHD could be abused. This ignorance may be part of the overwhelming reason that drugs such as Ritalin are becoming more widely

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the most widely diagnosed “mental-illness” in children in the United States today, and approximately 99% of children diagnosed are prescribed daily doses of methylphenidate in order to control undesirable behaviors. (Stolzer)

The most common way to treat ADHD is with stimulants or anti-depressants. "These medications stimulate the child's "brake pedal" whereas without treatment the child is all "gas pedal" (Taylor 63)." The most common drugs prescribed for this disorder are Dexedrine, Ritalin and Cylert. They are effective for a four to five hour time period while the sustained-released tablets are effective for seven to eight hour time periods. The drugs stimulate the central nervous system similar to amphetamines. It activates the brain stem arousal system and the cortex (Bailey 2).

Drugs: types of medication that is used when a child has ADD OR ADHD Children at the age of two can take this medicine. Ritalin in the form of (5 and 10 mg take every3 to 4 hours) the 20mg tabs are the slow release medication and is taken every 8

When abused, the tablets are either taken orally or crushed and snorted. Some abusers even go to great lengths of dissolving the tablets in water and injecting the mixture. Complications can arise, however, because the insoluble fillers in Ritalin can block small blood vessels.

For adults and children 12 years of age and older, the recommended dosage is 0.63 mg three times daily, given every 6 to 8 hours (maximum 1.25 mg three times a day).

The first kind of Adderall is Adderall IR ( immediate release) which is a single entry amphetamine product that combines the neutral sulfate salts of dextroamphetamine and amphetamines. The other kind of Adderall is Adderall Xr ( extended release). Adderall is a capsule that contains two types of drug containing beads that is designed to give a double-pulsed entry of amphetamines. The double pulse drag out the release of amphetamines from Adderall XR. Adderall XR contains four salts in equivalent proportions. This production is prepared with the drug molecules formed into two kinds of micro beads. The first release releases the active agents directly which make up half of the content in each pill. The second type of releases the rest of the active ingredients over four hours. The advantage of extended release formulation is that people living with ADHD only have to take it once a day. People with diagnosed ADHD should talk to their physician to decide which Adderall would work best for

With some help from the Rxlist.com, some of the more common types of drugs are: Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta, Focalin, Daytrana, Metadate, Methylin and Dexedrine. Along with this list of medications, comes a list of side effects – a long list of side effects. As summarized from Lautieri’s article, the list of short term side effects includes: nervousness, agitation, anxiety, insomnia, stomach pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, dizziness, palpitations, headache, vision problems, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, sweating, skin rash, psychosis, numbness, tingling, or cold feeling in hands or feet. As with all drugs, it is uncommon not to have side effects; but with methylphenidate, the worry is focused on the long-term side effects. These are side effects that will affect a person for the rest of their life due to a drug they’ve been taking since childhood, even if they’ve stopped taking it. These long-term side effects will include: disorientation and apathy, delusions, hallucinations and other signs of a psychotic disorder, frequent seizure activity, anorexia and marked weight loss, alternating bouts of mania and depression, overall slow growth rate and thoughts of suicide. Additionally, a continuous Ritalin prescription can result in a number of social and personal changes that will significantly diminish the patient’s quality of life. Some of these changes will include: profound mood changes, compulsion to seek drugs, decreased performance at work or school, or impaired judgment and changes in priorities. If one wanted to stop their prescription of Methylphenidate, they would experience multiple symptoms of withdrawal. Some of the withdrawal symptoms will include: fatigue, nightmares, bouts of insomnia alternating with long periods of heavy sleep, weight gain, muscle twitching and

Many drugs have been developed to treat ADD and ADHD. One of these drugs is Methylphenidate otherwise known as Ritalin. It is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for treatment of ADD and ADHD. Use of Ritalin is up 700 percent since 1990 (ABC News). Other drugs also used in treatment of ADD and ADHD include Zoloft, Praxil, and Cylert. Ritalin is a drug that is used to restore neurotransmitters in those that lack or have malfunctioning nerve impulses in the

Ritalin is currently prescribed to approximately six million people in the US. Of those six million, 75% of these are children, with boys receiving Ritalin about four times more often than girls. Ritalin is a drug that stimulates the central nervous system. It interacts with chemicals in the brain and nerves that give way to hyperactivity and impulse control. Not only is Ritalin used to treat ADD and ADHD, it is also used to treat a sleeping disorder called Narcolepsy, which is an uncontrollable desire to sleep, but there is another drug that given just as Ritalin, and it is called Adderall. Adderall is almost the exact same as Ritalin except it actually enters the cell and helps it produce more dopamine.

To add to that, the research that has been conducted on the disorder has led to a variety of effective treatments. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (2014) the most widely used medication is a stimulant. There is a wide variety of stimulants available for ADHD subjects. Although, with these stimulants come side effects including sleep problems, decreased appetite, anxiety and other diverse uncommon side effects (NIMH, 2014). Stimulants tend to calm children with ADHD. However, these medications can be detrimental to the patient in many ways. Certain medications have been subject to abuse, including Adderall and Ritalin. These medications are in some cases abused by patients who are over diagnosed. Since these patients do not have the disorder they can feel the side effects and use the drug to achieve a certain kind of high. When using these drugs for non-medical purposes they can seem to replicate the effects of cocaine

Next the new off brand drug called Concerta, this is an ADHD drug but doesn’t come close at all to being one of the better drugs. Concerta an extended release from their symptoms for as long as 12 hours. The New York Times article “Generic ADHD Drug, not equivalent to the brand, is in use anyway” by Katie Thomas writes about this drug and its effects. The agency who makes this drug said that although it is considered to be safe, its own lab tests and other analyses suggested that their effectiveness began to wear off much more quickly- after about seven hours, that time frame is important because the pill can only be taken once a day. This drug is made by CVS, Riteaid, and Walgreens. When Concerta was approved in 2000, it was welcomed by doctors

2. Sub Point: Methylphenidate is the next type of drug, marketed under the name Ritalin.

Those children that are diagnosed with ADHD are usually prescribed psycho-stimulant medications, such as ‘methylphenidate’, otherwise known as ‘Ritalin’, as the primary method of treatment. (Chandler, 2010).

2000mg/day. If doses >2000mg/day are required, give in 3 divided doses (not to exceed 2500mg/day)