Ritalin (Methylphenidate) is the medication approved by FDA for using in ADHD treatment. Researches have shown that this medication bring positive effects on the people who use it. More concentration, less hyperactive, less impulsive… are the recognizable effects of Ritalin. However, using Ritalin can cause addiction. You may be surprised to know that Methylphenidate is used as a replacement for cocaine in clinic usage. While treating ADHD, ADD is important, being addicted to Ritalin is not a good situation to be in. In this post, I will show you the signs and symptoms of Ritalin addiction. Recognizing the symptoms soon can help you make proper adjustment to the treatment of your child or yourself.
The signs and symptoms of Ritalin addiction appear at the stage of Ritalin withdrawal. In this period, if a person is addicted to Ritalin, he/she might show these symptoms:
- appetite loss
- nausea
- vomiting
- high blood pressure
- irregular or rapid heartbeat
- muscle twitching
- dizziness
- nervousness
- insomnia
- headache
- sweating
- tremors
- skin rashes and itching
- weight loss
- abdominal pain
- toxic psychosis
- digestive problems
- severe depression
- agitation
- convulsions (may be followed by coma)
- delirium
- enlarging of the pupil of the eye
- exaggerated feeling of elation
- extremely elevated body temperature
- flushing
- hallucinations
Treatment for Ritalin addiction
When you recognize the symptoms of ritalin addiction, it is necessary to apply treatment for this addiction. Ritalin overdose can lead to tolerance and dependency. This means in order to achieve the same effects, you will need to take higher dose (tolerance) and you will depend on Ritalin to treat the symptoms of ADHD (dependency).
The first thing doctor usually recommend is to use anti-depressant during Ritalin withdrawal. The anti depressant drugs will help reduce the depression of people during this difficult period. In addition, a healthy, proper diet can do a lot to help you reduce the symptoms of Ritalin Addiction.
After the use of drugs to cope with Ritalin addiction, the therapy must follow immediately to prevent the person with ritalin addition problem go back using the drugs. In this period, beside the professional, family members can play an important part to help the addict achieve a drug-free life.