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Focus on Ritalin
Understanding the Method Behind the Medicine By Donna Smith
As with any drug, the potential for serious to not-so-serious side effects are a possibility. Some of the serious side effects include an allergic reaction with symptoms similar to that of a food allergy; an irregular heartbeat; chest pains and/orhigh blood pressure; severe headaches; liver damage; and strange behavior or confusion. Less severe side effects include insomnia; nervousness, headache; drowsiness; loss of appetite; and weight loss. If your child experiences any of these, consult your doctor immediately.
Scott's daughter was put on Ritalin at age 12 and taken off 6 months later. "It caused her a lot of stomach cramps, and we also found that it depressed her emotionally," says Scott. "She got pretty cranky at times, and this caused her to do even worse in school. In addition, her friends told her she wasn't fun anymore, so she resisted the medication and got angry that we were asking her to take it."
Debbie's son was in Kindergarten when she started him on Ritalin. Debbie thinks Ritalin saved her son's childhood and has learned to manage his side effects. "If he takes his last dose later than 4 or 5 p.m., he can't sleep. His appetite was gone for a while, but now he seems to eat everything. He still has trouble at times with falling asleep. We switched to the sustained (time release) capsules and it works a lot better."
Loss of appetite seems to be the most common complaint. Barbara noticed a big decrease in her son's appetite while on the drug. Since she's taken him off Ritalin, he is steadily gaining his weight back. "My son has not gained a lot of weight in the past 3 years, but he is growing taller and if you could see what he packs away at the supper table, you'd know that the pills take it right away from him."
Edwina's grown son, Stephen, was on Ritalin most of his childhood. Stephen is 5 feet, 7 inches tall, and blames Ritalin. But she admits that "there is no way to know" if his height is a direct result of the drug. "Of course, there are side effects, and they just have to be weighed against the possible benefits."
