Hi all, I am a 25 year old student taking 54mgs of concerta daily and 10mgs of ritalin as needed. I was on 36mgs Concerta for 2 years and had to move up to the 54mg dose recently. Does anyone know how methylphenidate is metabolized and/or the effects it will have on my liver over time? I usually get about 8hrs out of the concerta before I notice a change in concentration. Sometimes I go out for a few drinks in the evening and am concerned about any residual concerta interacting with alcohol in my liver. Concerta is supposed to last about 12 hours, but if i stop feeling the effects after 8hours, is it safe to have a few drinks or is the medicine still running it's course?
Also, I have been reading about Adderall and its contributions to heart problems, has anyone experienced any serious heart related problems taking ritalin?
If anyone has any info i would appreciate it.
Hi studentd, welcome,
As I am also on adderall, this may be of no help....However, I have a friend who was on Concerta (I took it also, but found adderall xr worked better for me.)....My friend said that her psychologist informed her that drinking on the meds would be fine....but to make sure they are in her system first (in other words, don't take your medicine WITH the alcohol to wash it down.) I find that on Adderall, my body feels the impact of the alcohol in a different amount of time and with a different potency. So just be conscious of how much you are drinking and how much they impair you and you should be fine.
As for the heart conditions, studies came out loong ago about ritalin and the various medical problems it causes (before the studies for adderall came out.) There have been unexplained deaths, etc. You should be able to find information and studies fairly easily with quick search online.
Good luck!