Help with Ritalin LA | ADHD Information

I recently started taking Ritalin LA.  I am taking 20mg twice a day. My psychiatrist said it would help me focus and comprehend what I am reading in school.  The medication seems to make me more foggy for awhile and I sometimes even feel a little tired for awhile.  About 1 hr after taking it I feel some tightness in my chest but I am not experiencing palpatations or racing in my heart.  Is that something I should be concerned about. Another thing is I didn't think the long acting Ritalin was meant to be taken twice a day.  Also if this is a stimulant why does it make me feel tired sometimes? I am new to all this so if anyone has some information to help me I would really appreciate it. 

Hi, Andrea.  I don't know about taking the LA twice a day. You could ask to make sure.  I take Concerta, which is extended release as well, and we knew the dose needed to be raised. I wanted to take an extra Concerta at around 1ish instead of just upping the whole dose in the morning. The doc said it would keep me up all night, though it has the opposite effect on me.  He prescribed Ritalin (immediate release) for the afternoon and we'll see how that works. I still haven't tried. I do know other people, however, who DO take another Concerta, staggered a bit, but apparently my doc isn't theirs.

In the beginning, the meds made me feel what I would consider tired, kind of sedated.  The doc explained that while drowsiness was possible, I was probably feeling a sense of calm that I wasn't used to.  I could feel a little something about an hour after I took it, kind of like you describe. It was sort of like I was suddenly focused, not paying attention so much as AT attention, and I noticed I was also kind of holding my breath.  After a few weeks, I'd adjusted and I don't get that sudden moment of calm/attention/focus? anymore, and I don't feel so much that it makes me tired. I can sleep any time during the day, though since it began wearing off at 4pm, I've been having problems falling asleep at night. So, while the doc may say that it's unlikely that the drugs make me tired, I do think it at least makes me settle down enough to fall asleep.  You may just be going through that sort of adjustment period. Hope that helps! 

My daughter took Ritalin LA for almost a year. We did find some rebound issues around 4:00pm and were going to add a scond dose at noon so yes it does occur that people do take it twice a day. Long acting just means it lasts longer than short acting and is released a little differently. Ritalin LA is supposed to be a 10 hour med (it was exactly that for us), Concerta is 12 hours. We used both and she reacted very differently to each med. Everyone is different and it (unfortunately) is all about trial and error.

How long have you been on it?

I would like to thank you both for responding.  I have been on the Ritalin LA since Sept 28th and last Wed is when my Dr. added the afternoon dose.  Is it too early to give up on it? Since it has been making me tired I have started drinking a lot of caffeine.  That helps but I'm thinking that may not be such a good idea.  I am cutting down on the caffeine today to see if I still get tired.  Is being tired a side effect.  And if it is will it go away?

Well, Sept 28th to today isnt THAT long, not quite 2 weeks. Try to back off some on the caffeine and see how you do. I think 2 weeks is plenty of time to see if it is a side effect that will subside IMO. So give it to the end of the week and if it's not any better check in with your doctor. Maybe you can "tweak" for the next couple of weeks until you see him

I guess I'm being a little impatient.  Thank you for your suggestions.  I'll give it more time and see if my Dr wants to do some tweaking.  Thanks!I started taking Ritalin LA a little over a month ago. I started on it, and then I went to Concerta. Concerta did not work at all for me! But now I am back on 20 mg of Ritalin LA per day. I notice that my hands shake when I take my medicine. Any experience with that? I think that I need a higher dosage though because 20 mg is not doing the trick for me. I am still REALLY distracted!

Shelly