Ritalin and mouth chewing/teeth grinding? | ADHD Information

Hi Spacegal.  I had the same problem with my medication.  I chewed my inner lip until it was bleeding and like you tried to chew gum but wore it out too fast.  I was taking 40mg of Adderall and that turned out to be the problem.  I'm not overweight but am very muscular and medication also does not affect me easily.  However, my dose was far too high.  If you're not careful, taking those high doses for a long period of time will cause anxiety, intense irritability, and make you aggressive.  These are all things that have happened to me and things that I have seen from other people being on too high of a dose.  Ritalin is weaker than Adderall, but also has a tendency to give people more cases of the jitters.  If I were you, I'd go talk to a different doctor and ask to have your prescription changed.  Although you may notice a lot of benefits in the short run, I can almost guarantee that you're going to have more problems with your anxiety in the future with those high doses.Your prescription is to high! I bet you would be better off cutting it in half.
Tell your doctor, and if he keeps you on the same dose... get a second opinion. To be honest.. I would go straight to another doctor.

Hi!

My ritalin dose was recently increased, which has helped immensely with my ADD.  However, I find myself clenching my jaws to the point they are sore, biting and chewing on my lips and inside of my mouth, and pretty much chewing on my tongue.  It's driving me nuts.  Chewing gum seems to help a little bit, but I wear out the gum very quickly!

Has anyone else experienced this?  I take 40mg 2 or 3 times a day. 

Thanks!!

Jaw clenching and tongue biting are things that people do when they are abusing a stimulant. I am not a doctor so I can't tell you what to do! But in my opinion, stimulants aren't working! Do you have anxiety or mood swings? Do feel like you could just jump out of your skin when your meds wear off? If you do, tell your doctor! I would suggest getting a second opinion on the meds you are taking!!!

 

Anything lower doesn't work for me.  I am also 50 lbs overweight, so 3 doctors I have said it may take a little more to work for me.

Should I ask about a different medicine?  Adderal or Dexedrine? 

 I agree with Cindy...esp. in re: jaw clenching, etc....From what my doctor has told me Ritalin is in the meth--- family and it goes into the system, fast, and leaves faster...Adderall may be better, you're dr. could tell you, it's an amph..but releases slower into the system and leaves slower...it may be better for you to switch and take at a smaller dosage..what is your diagnosis to prescribe so much in one day..I'm not sure if a med for brain stimulation has to do with weight...as in take more....check it out so you don't hurt yourself!...Ritalin works for some and not others as with all meds, but definitely too much if your jaw clenching and tongue biting...Best of luck....I know this is an old post but I'm new to the forum so I wanted to reply in case someone, like me, is searching for this now.  I'm only on 20mg of Ritalin and I can take it up to three times a day but I only type (medical transcriptionist) for 4 hours a day at most.  So I take one 20mg tablet when I start typing and that's it and I still get the jaw clenching.  I looked on the side effects on the PI sheet you get from the pharmacy and that wasn't listed.  I thought it was just me until I saw this message board and realized it isn't just me.  I have tried Strattera, Adderall, and Provigil and none of them work for me.  I have mild narcolepsy as well.  So in order to focus AND stay awake so I can do my job, I have to have the 20mg tablet.  I only take it when I work....never on the weekends or on vacation.  But still I get the teeth clenching.  It also makes me very irritable.  I have been careful to think before opening my mouth since I began taking Ritalin because stuff that would have never bothered me before will make me say something with an ugly tone now.  I am still hopeful that one day we will have a drug that treats ADD and narcolepsy that doesn't have these side effects and isn't addictive.  I don't even tell people I'm on Ritalin because people will immediately tell you "You know that's addictive."  DUH!  I have never done drugs of any kind ever in my life but suddenly I take Ritalin....ALOT less than I am prescribed to take it....and suddenly people think I'm going to be a junkie.    I guess until ADD touches your life, it is easy to make judgements.