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| Ritalin® |
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Review
Summary |
Methylphenidate is drug, a prescription drug categorized as a stimulant that is best known as a treatment for ADHD in children and adults. Ritalin ® is one of its many brand names, perhaps the one most discusses/written about. Ritalin ® attained a level of notoriety, if not success, in the 1990’s for its overwhelming prescription levels in children who presented with attention and hyperactive disorders. As these things tend to happen, just after it reached the acme of praise and popular support, a backlash occurred.
Recently Ritalin ® has been much maligned in the American news media. Information is widely available on the internet, the vast majority of it negative. A search for the term “Ritalin” generates page after page of cautions, reports of abuses and side effects and negative first person narrative. We will present some of the information we found in the interest of providing a balanced view of the stimulant Ritalin ®.
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| Ingredients At A Glance |
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Methylphenidate is a stimulant that works on the central nervous system. It is claimed to have a 'calming' effect on many children who have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). It may reduce impulsive behavior and facilitate concentration. It is also labeled for adolescents and adults who are diagnosed with a hyperactive disorder.
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| Ingredients in Focus |
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Methylphenidate has been reported to cause difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, depression; irritability; nervousness; stomach aches; headaches; dizziness; drowsiness; and motor tics. In very rare instances some children experience disturbing hallucinations.
There have also been reports of abnormal liver function, cerebral arthritis, leucopenia, and death. “There have been at least 19 cases of sudden death in children taking methylphenidate.”
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| Diet Lifestyle |
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The most common problem seems to be with over prescribing, which may derive from over diagnosis of ADD and ADHD. The dosage should be strictly monitored.
Ritalin is a stimulant and has been abused by those who desire appetite suppression, wakefulness, increased focus/attentiveness, and euphoria. A rapid increase of dopamine may cause feelings of euphoria and therefore is potentially highly addictive.
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| Positives |
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• Some studies indicate that any effects on stature (height) will normalize by adolescence
• FDA has decided is does not need a black box warning
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| Negatives |
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• Ritalin may negatively impact a child’s ability to grow successfully
• It has the chemical properties of a carcinogen
• There have been reported deaths associated with Ritalin
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| Final Thoughts |
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Ritalin ® is now thought to be a fairly dangerous stimulant and should be used only as prescribed and even then with extreme caution, particularly as prescribed in children. It may cause serious heart damage and is not advised people with an existing cardiac condition. Proponents of the drug are publishing long lists of side effects and ways to manage them. More frequently patients and parents are looking to herbal supplements to provide relief of the symtoms of ADD and ADHD.
The mineral form of lithium may be one such supplement that may prove to be a safer and more effective alternative for people who wish to manage their health naturally.
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