Last Updated on December 8, 2021 by
Alternative to Meds Editorial Team
Medically Reviewed by Dr Samuel Lee MD
Table of Contents:
- How Did Ritalin Addiction Become Widespread?
- Side Effects of Ritalin
- Rarely Mentioned Side Effects of Ritalin
- Want to Know About Ritalin Addiction Treatment Help at Alternative to Meds Center?
- Ritalin Withdrawal Symptoms
- What Methods Are Used in Ritalin Withdrawal at ATMC?
- How Are Ritalin Alternatives Used?
- For More Information on Alternative to Meds Ritalin Addiction Treatment Programs
How Did Ritalin Addiction Become Widespread?
Ritalin addiction and addiction treatment have become serious issues for many. Ritalin® hit the market in the 1940s and 1950s when drugmakers first marketed it as a “pep pill” and later for weight loss for adults. However, it wasn’t until the late 1980s that the committee of the American Psychiatric Association voted ADD and later ADHD into existence as an “official diagnosis.” Since the early 60s, what is now called ADHD was referred to as “behavioral problems” or “hyperkinetic impulse disorder” until the new term ADD and later ADHD and were promoted so heavily, they eventually became household words. Stimulants had been used on children with behavioral problems since the turn of the LAST century and with Ritalin and similar drugs, the practice continues today. The ADHD label targets children in the main, but also adults for ADHD. Ritalin is also approved for the treatment of Narcolepsy. With a breathtaking rise in the number of prescriptions for Ritalin and other stimulant drugs for children and adults in America, medical researchers such as LeFevre and Arcona have been sounding an alarm for decades.14
Shockingly, In 2016, the CDC reported that about 10% of children in the US were diagnosed and labeled ADHD.2,3
Notably, psychiatric experiments with amphetamines carried out as early as 1937 1 turned “behavior problem children” into guinea pigs. The psychiatrists involved in these experiments drugged children with amphetamines (Dexedrine®, Benzedrine®, etc.) As time went on, more psychiatrists repeated similar experiments using a wave of copycat stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, Adderall®, Concerta®, and many others.
Astonishingly, the results of the experiments on children were reported as “spectacular.” Even though what was truly shocking, was that most of the children became emotionally subdued and disinterested in their environments. Voila, a one-shot treatment for rowdy kids. And, you don’t have to hire any therapists, dieticians, tutors, educators, or improve curricula or teaching methods. History shows, expensive and expansive marketing and horrendous amounts of lobbying helped take the toxic drug Ritalin to the top of the charts in sales. This occurred all over the world.
Increasingly, off-label uses for Ritalin have also been reported in the Journal of Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental, including depression in the elderly, cancer patients, for obesity and weight loss, chronic fatigue, psychosis associated with depression, and for post-stroke patients, as examples.6
In short, Ritalin has become pervasively, and some would say intentionally, popularized.1-4,14
Side Effects of Ritalin
According to drug regulators as well as researchers, the side effects of Ritalin include sudden death, heart attack, stroke, suicide, and many others. And yes, these happen even to children as well as to adults.4,5,19,20
Methylphenidate’s mechanism of action is admittedly unknown. However, the FDA suggests it may have something to do with dopamine and norepinephrine manipulation in the CNS, as this would explain, at least in part, the drug’s stimulant effects.21
Ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride) is a stimulant drug that produces similar side effects as cocaine, meth, and other amphetamines and drugs similar to amphetamines. Side effects can intensify over time. Some come on with no warning. Often, the side effects exhibited will lead to a physician prescribing a second drug, or multiple other drugs to suppress the additional side effects, putting the person on a very slippery slope toward the mental and physical chaos that often follows over-prescription. One of the most problematic Ritalin side effects is its potential for addiction and abuse. Though studies on human subjects were not found, experiments published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics on squirrel monkeys demonstrated that the effects of self-administered methylphenidate were no different than self-administered cocaine and other stimulants used in the experiment.15
A partial list of Ritalin side effects:
- Sudden death in adults as well as children 4,5,19,20
- Scarring of the heart, impaired or blocked circulation of blood 5
- Stroke, myocardial infarction 19
- Fast, irregular heartbeat, tachycardia, palpitations 4,5,18-20
- Increased blood pressure 19
- Suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts 5
- Newly emerging psychiatric events including psychosis, hallucinations, mania 5,7,19,20
- Tics (newly emerging) especially after long-term use 5,7,19
- Seizures 5
- Methylphenidate is present in human breast milk, long-term neurodevelopment effects on the infant are reported as unknown 20
- In chewable tablets, there may be adverse reactions to the aspartame used as a flavor enhancer in the tablets. 21
- Increased aggressive behavior, hostility, aggression, irritability 4,5
- Suppression of weight and height 5,9,17
- Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), hypokalemia (low potassium), hyponatremia (low sodium), 21% elevated leukocytes (white blood cells) 7
- Priapism (sustained painful penile erection) in adults as well as children 5,19,20,21
- Increased risk of cancer in mice studies 5
- Increased risk of birth defects in rat and rabbit studies 5
- Learning deficits in rat studies 20
- Nausea/vomiting 5
- Abdominal pain, upper abdominal pain, stomachache 4,5,16,
- Dependence, addictive cravings for more of the drug 2,5,19,20
- Akathisia 4
- Brain damage, especially if taken long-term 10,11
- Insomnia 4,16
- Anxiety, tension 5
- Nervousness 4
- Fainting 2
- Dizziness 2,16
- Drowsiness
- Blurred vision, double vision, visual disturbance 5
- Chest pain 5
- Fever 5
- Nasopharyngitis (common cold) 18
- Rashes, hives, itching, allergic reactions 5
- Ulceration of the digits, Raynaud’s syndrome, unexplained wounds on fingers/toes 4,5
- Inability to move the arms, legs, body 5
- Inability to speak 5
- Dry mouth 18
- Decreased appetite 4,5,16
- Headache 16
Rarely Mentioned Side Effects of Ritalin
As early as 1955, it was known that methylphenidate caused the following side effects, which are NOT mentioned on labels of methylphenidate-based drugs released later than 1955: hypersensitivity including skin rash, urticaria (intensely itchy red welts with swelling), exfoliative dermatitis, skin lesions, inflamed blood vessels, vasculitis leading to brain damage, internal bleeding, bleeding of the gums, unusual bruising, anorexia, dyskinesias (involuntary movement disorders), angina, libido changes, rhabdomyolysis (life-threatening syndrome from the breakdown of skeletal muscle fibers with leakage of muscle contents into the bloodstream), Tourette’s syndrome, toxic psychosis, abnormal liver function, NMS (life-threatening neuromuscular event), liver damage, cerebral arteritis, leukopenia, anemia, scalp hair loss, and serotonin syndrome when taken with other serotonergic agents.21
Want to Know About Ritalin Addiction Treatment Help at Alternative to Meds Center?
At Alternative to Meds Center, we know that labels and mood-altering drugs are poor substitutes for analyzing the root cause(s) of a condition or set of symptoms. Programs at ATMC are designed to assist a person in several different ways. Each person will be individually programmed according to their unique needs and profile. More information follows below.
Ritalin Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal phenomena are not extensively reported on the drug label.5 Both Ritalin and Concerta labels were sparse in the reporting of withdrawals.19 Both medications are methylphenidate-based. There are two versions of Ritalin: immediate-release and sustained release, and Concerta is extended-release only. An oral version of methylphenidate called Quillivant® was marketed in 1955 as a sustained release daily medication. A chewable Ritalin equivalent tablet called Methylin is also available through prescription, though is not approved for those under 6 years old.21 Though limited, information gleaned from these and other references as indicated, is provided below:
- Priapism in adults and children (on the drug label parents are told to watch for this on “drug holidays”). Sometimes surgical intervention is needed.21
- Drug-induced psychosis and depression can be extreme, suicidality 13,19,20
- Increased appetite
- Extreme fatigue 20
- Sleep irregularities
- Dystonia (movement disorders) 12
What Methods Are Used in Ritalin Withdrawal?
As a first step, testing and other assessments help gather enough information to determine the underlying causes of unwanted symptoms. For instance, Ritalin is often prescribed to treat adult narcolepsy. Narcolepsy usually means the person isn’t sleeping well. Hence, the person will feel tired during the day. Simply taking chemical stimulants will awaken a person, but will not handle the sleep issues. We proactively address the sleep issues at ATMC. We do this using natural, effective, and non-invasive methods. These are based on the assessments and testing on arrival to the program.
For ADHD symptoms, ATMC applies the same principles. Assessments, testing, and analysis provide a clear path to isolating and eliminating unwanted symptoms. There is no guesswork involved.
Thus, these problems can be reduced and eliminated without resorting to simply masking these problems with drugs. As a result, withdrawal can be made much easier and much more tolerable.
How Are Ritalin Alternatives Used?
Alternative to Meds Center medical and program staff design a client-specific program to assist with gradual reduction of medication. Ritalin and all CNS stimulant drugs are prone to addiction and dependence, and their withdrawal may induce crippling symptoms. Rather than attempt to suppress withdrawal or other symptoms, alternative therapies are used extensively, in conjunction with constant and careful medical oversight. These steps in the program enable smooth and comfortable withdrawal.
Before and during treatment, the program utilizes lab testing to inform the most effective holistic therapies that will be used, including supplements to support natural neurotransmitter rehabilitation, therapeutic sauna, soothing relaxation therapies, colon hydrotherapy, and other methods of neurotoxin cleanout, exercise, corrected diet, and many other treatments. The diet, exactly tailored, can facilitate and speed up necessary neurotransmitter repair and provide energy naturally and robustly. Many supportive actions such as counseling, life coaching, equine therapy, art therapy, acupuncture and other stress-reduction techniques, yoga, NAD+ and other IV therapy, Qi Gong, nebulized glutathione, and many other options. A rich combination of these holistic therapies can greatly ease the difficulties of reducing and eliminating stimulant drugs without harsh and cumbersome withdrawals. Additionally, comprehensive educational components empower each client in better methods of self-care. These offer valuable tools that will enrich one’s health and lifestyle now and in the future.
For More Information on Alternative to Meds Ritalin Addiction Treatment Programs
There is much more to learn about coming off Ritalin safely. Importantly, the programs at ATMC improve one’s health in the process. And, please ask us about your insurance coverage. We look forward to your call about Alternative to Meds Ritalin addiction and withdrawal treatment programs.
