just started Ritalin about an hour ago | ADHD Information

Okay so I was recently diagnosed ADHD. I am a 20 year old female in college. I took it about 2 hours after eating breakfast (Ritalin short-acting, 10 mg twice a day but I have taken just the one today). Right now I feel so much more focused and my mind just feels organized but there are a few side affects I am feeling as well:

-feel like my body is very heavy and being pushed backwards while sitting, feels exactly like I am riding on a train that's moving very quickly or something

-a tiny bit nauseated but not enough to feel like I will vomit (that sort of tingly feeling in your jaw you get when nauseated, ya know?)

are these normal? I am also a little jittery. I've never taken any medication before in my whole life other than birth control so this is very new to me. Thanks!also I feel very cold. [QUOTE=inquisition42]the nurse just took my vitals like they always do and they doc came in and asked me which drug I wanted to take. I asked the doc if he needed to do an EKG and he laughed and said no.

[/QUOTE]

I know this is sort of frustrating.  Did the doctor really ask you which med you wanted?...  I was sort of shocked at that.  But maybe I'm not hearing your whole story.  Or did he explain a few of them and ask which sounded good?  My doctor handed me my first med and said "we're going to start with this."
 
Today when I got a new prescription for dexidrine, my doctor said that she was hoping to avoid the pounding heart and chest pain by having something that wore off a little smoother. 

Someone esle posted on here that Adderall gave them chest pain only in the beginning ("initial side effects" as stated in above post)....after a while it didin't happen anymore.  THat would be nice!!
JennyMamma39147.8542939815 [QUOTE=JennyMamma]
Did the doctor really ask you
which med you wanted?...  I was sort of shocked at that.  But
maybe I'm not hearing your whole story.  Or did he explain a few
of them and ask which sounded good? 
[/QUOTE]

Okay, I was diagnosed by a psychologist last week and he recommended a few medications in his report which I was instructed to bring to the doctor (he suggested Ritalin, Adderall, or Focalin). I gave the report to the doctor and he said he doesn't work with Focalin but he usually recommended Adderall for his adult patients and Ritalin mostly to kids. I told him I was a little wary of starting on Adderall due to the FDA Black Box warning, which ritalin doesn't have. Plus my boyfriend has taken Ritalin almost his whole life so I figured he would be a good consultant if I had any immediate concerns about it while taking it, so I asked if I could do Ritalin. The doctor said yes but there was also Concerta, Strattera, or the extended-release versions of all of the ADHD drugs. And, yep, he basically let me choose whichever one I wanted after listing them off. Obviously I didn't choose the dosage amount but he just filled out a script for the one I chose and I was in and out in 15 minutes. I was pretty surprised as well. He didn't tell me how to take it or when or any of the details, and neither did the pharmacist. I may be wrong, but that sounds like something that will dissipate as your body adjusts to the med. Funny, I took 5 mg. ritalin and it did absolutely nothing, now I'll be starting concerta after an EKG...

anyway, from what I read on this forum, the majority of initial side effects will go away. also, once they go away, the med may stop doing what it's supposed to, and that's when you up the dose. again, other then the 5 mg. ritalin, I've never been on these meds, but from what I hear, your body kinda has to acclimate, and to me, what you're experiencing sounds normal. maybe your doc can help you out a little more..so as the drug kicked in even more I started feeling my heart beating extremely quickly which has been scaring me a little, and I also have been feeling a dull pain in the left side of my chest (kind of like heartburn only more localized). I called the doctor and spoke with the nurse about my symptoms. she consulted my doctor who said these are normal and to just keep taking it.

but this morning when I went in for a prescription, the doctor didn't do any tests on me (no EKG or anything). the nurse just took my vitals like they always do and they doc came in and asked me which drug I wanted to take. I asked the doc if he needed to do an EKG and he laughed and said no.

I've really had no rebound problems and just feel back to my old self except the rapid heart rate and chest pain feel more noticable.Well, I was on a form of methyphenidate, or Ritalin, in a longer acting patch. 

I can say I felt a few wierd things when it kicked in, and then more when it wore off. 

I get very warm when it is wearing off, so I can understand where you might be cold when it's working....maybe? 
 
Personally, I try to write down concerns and talk them over with my doctor or her nurse. 

Also be aware that you may feel different things at different times or as the days progress.  And I think the short acting meds may have more rebound symptoms as they wear off.  Everyone is different.  With me, the patch was supposed to last 9hours or longer.  I started to notice it "wearing off" around 7 hours.

Tell everything to your doc.  Good and bad, even if it seems insignificant.

Hope this helps.