Started Ritalin, makes me nervous before it calms. Dose Recommendations?

[Varkala21]

Hi, im 41 years old, was just recently diagnosed with. I started treatment with Ritalin this week. I take 0.125mg every 3 hours.

First of all: Ritalin is giving me a heavenly calmness I have rarely ever experienced before. It´s a blessing. BU: Tthe calming effect comes only after the third dose - the first 5 hours I feel jittery and nervous.

Do you have any recommendations of how to dose to get the calming effect earlier? Or will this effect go away if I keep taking Ritalin?

[Varkala21]

It´s 1.25mg every three hours of course.

[STEM_Dad in reply to Varkala21]

Inform your doctor/psychiatrist of what effects you are experiencing.

It can vary for each person's experience. Your body may adjust within a few weeks to a few months, but if this continues to be your experience with that dosage of Ritalin, then your doctor may adjust the dosage, or may try you on another medication. Perhaps the extended release form.

----

I haven't ever been on Ritalin, so I don't know what it's like. The only stimulant that my first doctor had me try was Adderall XR (the extended release form of it).

The initial dose was fine (though not as effective as I needed), but increasingly the dosage didn't improve the benefits (and introduced a side effect that concerned my doctor). So, I'm on a different medication (a non-stimulant which is effective for me, with no side effects).

[LadyDi69 in reply to STEM_Dad]

may I ask which non stimulant medication you are taking

[STEM_Dad in reply to LadyDi69]

Atomoxetine 40mg (a generic of Strattera). For me, it's more effective than Adderall XR was at managing my ADHD Inattentiveness, distractibility, and memory issues.

[Gettingittogether]

How long have you been on Ritalin? These kinds of side effects often disappear after a few weeks ... the body gets used to the med ... You're on a really low dose.

I had some nervousness a while back, but I concluded that the benefit was worth the nervousness--and the nervousness did go away.

Tell this to your provider.

[STEM_Dad in reply to Gettingittogether]

OP says started this week. Not very long.

Like you said, it usually takes a few weeks for the body to get used to the meds. (But I don't have experience to Ritalin too relate to, so I'm glad someone else responded.)

[PhillySail]

Eat some food! Kidding but semiserious, it slows down the uptake of the medicine, there was a great difference between taking it with some food or an empty stomach especially if it's not an extended release formula