Posted by socialdeviantjeff on March 11, 2004, at 12:21:54
Me again.
I was wonderinng if anyone knew or could point me in the direction for info on any studies of long-term damage from Ritalin use.
The basic backstory is that I took Ritalin or it's generic equivalent from age 6 to 14. I think in the neighborhood of 10-20 mg. I stopped it because I didn't like how I felt. No serious side effects, I just felt "off".
Below is a list of drugs I've tried over the years. It's long because it's pasted from a word doc, but you can get the general idea.
---snip---Zoloft-no response
Paxil-no response, fatigue
Amytriptaline-partial response, confusion, fatigue
Desimpramine-no response, agitation, anxiety, confusion, delusions, heartbeat irregularities, palpitations, rapid heartbeat, restlessness, worsening of psychosis
Neurontin-partial response, fatigue, mild tics, tremors, cognitive trouble, nausea, allergic reaction
Prozac-Abnormal dreams, anxiety, diminished sex drive, dizziness, dry mouth, gas, impotence, loss of appetite, nausea, nervousness, sleepiness, tremors, upset stomach, chills, confusion, loss of memory, allergic reaction?, yawning
Lexapro- pervasive fatigue, Constipation, decreased appetite, decreased sex drive, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, impotence, indigestion, nausea, sleepiness, abnormal dreaming, gas, heartburn, hot flushes, decreased appetite, irritability, joint pain, lack of concentration, lack of energy, light-headedness, muscle pain, neck and shoulder pain, pain in arms or legs, palpitations, tremors, vertigo, vomiting, yawning
Lithium-hand tremor, mild thirst, nausea, body tremors, changes in taste perception, confusion, dizziness, dry mouth, fatigue, gas, increased salivation, indigestion, involuntary tongue movements, irregular heartbeat, loss of appetite, muscle rigidity, muscle twitching, painful joints, poor memory, restlessness, sleepiness, slowed thinking, slurred speech, startle response, weight gain, pervasive cognitive and short term memory problems, pervasive fatigue
Tegretol-Dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, unsteadiness, abnormal involuntary movements, abnormal sensitivity to sound, aching joints and muscles, agitation, chills, confusion, fatigue, involuntary movements of the eyeball, leg cramps, loss of appetite, loss of coordination, reduced urine volume, ringing in the ears, sensitivity to light, skin rashes, speech difficulties, moderate cognitive and short term memory problems, mood wings
Effexor- Abnormal dreams, anxiety, appetite increase, chills, constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, frequent urination, gas, headache, impotence, muscle tension, nausea, nervousness, sleepiness, tingling feeling, tremor, upset stomach, weakness, yawning, flue-like symptoms, cognitive and short term memory problems, agitation, anxiety, hostility, mood swings self injurious behavior, sleep disturbance
Lamictal-headache, flu-like symptoms, sore throat, sharp muscle pain: left hand and elsewhere, self injurious behavior, difficulty hearing and discerning words, general muscle pain, uncoordination, ligtheadedness, fatigue, sleep disturbances, GI upset
Perphenazine- tics, throat tightness, nasal congestion, sleep disturbances, hallucinations continue
Abilify – Anxiety, constipation, cough, headache, insomnia, light-headedness, nausea, restlessness, runny nose, appetite loss, flu symptoms, hostility, jerkiness and rigidity, nervousness, shortness of breath.
---snip---
So.... If you can find a pattern here then you're smarter than me. I'm beginning to think that maybe the Ritalin set the stage somehow to cause psychotropic drugs to be neurotoxic. Any ideas?
poster:socialdeviantjeff
thread:323263
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040308/msgs/323263.html