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Anyone on Ritalin losing weight as a side-effect?

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Feb 16, 2009 5:41 PM GMT

My doc recently put me on Ritalin (as a way to help depression). One of the more interesting side effects is that I've lost almost 25 pounds (not that I'm complaining...

)

Two questions:

1. can anyone in this situation really expect to see gains in the gym with such weight loss, or would the gym just be a waste of time.

2. Although I'm losing the weight, its not showing in my stomach area.

Any answers and/or advice would be appreciated.

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Feb 16, 2009 5:54 PM GMT

I hated ritalin. It gave me headaches all the time. I did better with adderall for my A.D.D. It did not make me loose weight per se, but I was able to loose weight by doing more cardio while on it - I actually don't like losing too much weight though. As a matter of fact, I would always get really hungry after taking it. Weight loss is however a side affect of those kinds of stimulants. Be wary of mood swings and aggressiveness when taking it. Also sleeplessness.

As far as depression, I would have thought your doctor would consider something like Cymbalta which seems to have similar stimulant properties but made particularly for depression.

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Feb 16, 2009 6:11 PM GMT

Ritalin and Adderall are basically speed, so it's gonna happen to some people

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Feb 16, 2009 6:31 PM GMT

TJ85016 saidRitalin and Adderall are basically speed, so it's gonna happen to some people

Generic Adderall basically says Amphetamine on the label. It is actually a mixture of amphetamine salts that metabolize at different rates. Ritalin is methylphenidate

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Feb 16, 2009 6:45 PM GMT

ActiveAndFit said
TJ85016 saidRitalin and Adderall are basically speed, so it's gonna happen to some people
Generic Adderall basically says Amphetamine on the label. It is actually a mixture of amphetamine salts that metabolize at different rates. Ritalin is methylphenidate

aka speed (nothing wrong with it, I'm just sayin' . . . . hell they Rx it to 5 year olds). Dunno if that's a great long-term therapy, but.....who knows

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Feb 16, 2009 8:07 PM GMT

Adderall is a brand-name pharmaceutical psychostimulant composed of mixed amphetamine salts, which is thought to work by increasing the amount of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain.

Ritalin is a slight bit different / uses different pathways.

LOL. Welcome to the world of meth / methylphenidate. You might wish to investigate the drugs you're taking, read up on the side effects and so on.

If you're wired up on meth all day, you're going to get deal with all the wonderful affects, including appetite loss, anorexia, and the long list of icky stuff.

You think you have depression now? Wait until you try to get off the stuff. Ever read up on how meth works on your brain over time, PHYSICALLY changing it?

You might wish to consider another treatment approach. Study, study, study. You need to understand all this for yourself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritalin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adderall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerta

Here's a short list of some of the effects.
Nervousness
Insomnia
Excessive perspiration
Anorexia
Nausea
Dizziness
Palpitations
Headache
Dyskinesia
Drowsiness
Pulse and blood pressure changes, both up and down
Tachycardia
Angina
Cardiac arrhythmia
Abdominal pain
Abnormal bleeding
Weight loss during prolonged therapy
Urticaria-like rash and itching

The drug is literally causing you to eat yourself alive (the muscle tissue), and that's why you haven't seen a lot fat loss. While the drug hypes your brain, your body suffers. Given enough time, you'll begin to be all stomach and bones.

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Feb 16, 2009 8:12 PM GMT

Ditto on chuck's post ^

You're losing water and muscle mass, you won't start losing fat until you've burned out most of your available muscle.

I was on Adderall for about six months, the side effects are almost identical to Ritalin, and my weight was never over 140 lbs while I was on it.

You'll wanna get off that Ritalin ASAP. It's gonna fry your dopamine receptors and you'll develop a dependency to it. Lord knows why the hell your doctor would put you on it if you're being treated for depression because it's gonna be hell coming off of it. Not to mention it drops your hormone levels, which will also contribute to worsening depression.

I'd consider finding a different doctor.

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Feb 16, 2009 9:22 PM GMT

Yup, it's just speed

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Feb 17, 2009 1:50 AM GMT

Wow...

Thanks for all the great replies so far, guys! Believe me, I wish I didn't have to be on Ritalin, except with treatment resistant depression, I had to find a way to "jump start" my central nervous system so I wouldn't "fall asleep at the wheel" all the time. I literally had no interest in doing any mundane task, like reading the paper. Now, at least I have some motivation to get myself going in the morning. I've read up on some of the side-effects, and on how hard it can be to come off of. It kinda scares me that when/if I do come off it (I know I have to do it very slowly), I will start adding weight like there's no tomorrow. But, in the end, its all about wanting to get up in the morning and be productive during the day. Treatment-resistant depression is really a bitch, and this, right now, seems to be the only thing that works for me.

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Feb 17, 2009 4:09 AM GMT

topdog90046 saidWow... I've read up on some of the side-effects, and on how hard it can be to come off of. It kinda scares me that when/if I do come off it (I know I have to do it very slowly), I will start adding weight like there's no tomorrow.

Don't let anyone heap guilt or fear on you about using medicine prescribed by your doctor. A lot of people with A.D.D can tell about the negative flack they get from other people when using stimulants. As far as addictiveness .. I never found adderall addictive at all .. I would take it sometimes and sometimes not.

I eventually stopped taking it because I lost my medical insurance and didn't want to go through the hassle of getting it. I might opt to take it again in the future, but there are other things I might try (like modafinil) in the future. Like most drugs, there can be side effects - just talk to your doctor about it or even talk to multiple doctors.

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Feb 17, 2009 4:16 AM GMT

According to experiments with spiders .. apparently caffeine can mess you up more than anything .. compare the spider webs .. Benzedrine is a form of amphetamine .. but look at the caffeine web

the LSD web is pretty compared to caffeine!

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Feb 17, 2009 4:25 AM GMT

Here is a parody of the spider experiments ..

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Feb 17, 2009 4:48 AM GMT

If you haven't already, and, noting that you're 41, you probably should get your testosterone checked. Low testosterone levels are well-noted for causing depression. I have spoken with benefactors, and have been the benefactor of, HRT (hormone replacement therapy). I've spoken with a number of doctors that have some wonderful stories about taking wrongfully medicated folks, as well as talked to folks about having their lives completely turned around by HRT. You're at that age. Almost all testosterone, and testosterone derivatives (AAS) promote a sense of well being, and that's been known for many years, contrary to what media might lead you to believe. I have spoken with geriatric doctors who have told me stories of folks sent to die, and a bit of "juice" sent them driving themselves home.

Some doctors are way to quick to prescribe meth for andropause.

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Feb 17, 2009 4:55 AM GMT

chuckystud saidIf you haven't already, and, noting that you're 41, you probably should get your testosterone checked. Low testosterone levels are well-noted for causing depression.

I agree with that. A former boyfriend of mine has been on testosterone for HIV wasting and depression for 8+ years and it has worked wonders for him both regards. I hate to hear people demonize testosterone for that reason -- it really helps some people.

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Feb 17, 2009 5:13 AM GMT

It is very common to use Ritalin in treatment of depression, frequently in combination with one of the antidepressants.

What is your dose, TopDog?

It was helpful to me when I was writing my doctoral dissertation but it interfered with one of my favorite activities -- sodomy.

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Feb 17, 2009 5:20 AM GMT

ObsceneWish saidIt was helpful to me when I was writing my doctoral dissertation but it interfered with one of my favorite activities -- sodomy.

lol, I don't understand that .. adderall makes me horny sometimes.

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Feb 17, 2009 5:30 AM GMT

Eh, my ex and I ended after 9 months over that damned drug. He took adderall and though he wasn't prescribed he said he was when we was younger and still needed it. I'm sorry, but nothing about that medication seems healthy to me ( saw him up for days without sleep, creepy sex drive, extremely rude and irritable at times)and he sure as fuck wasn't himself while on it and when I took it I would come down terribly and completely failed to understand him after that. Why not just go out and get fucked up on crystal or coke? They seem to do the same damned thing. Oh wait, adderall is cheap and very easily accessed..really popular with students.

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Feb 17, 2009 7:34 AM GMT

ObsceneWish said

What is your dose, TopDog?

I am on 20mg a day in the morning.

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Feb 17, 2009 7:36 AM GMT

chuckystud saidIf you haven't already, and, noting that you're 41, you probably should get your testosterone checked. Low testosterone levels are well-noted for causing depression. I have spoken with benefactors, and have been the benefactor of, HRT (hormone replacement therapy). I've spoken with a number of doctors that have some wonderful stories about taking wrongfully medicated folks, as well as talked to folks about having their lives completely turned around by HRT. You're at that age. Almost all testosterone, and testosterone derivatives (AAS) promote a sense of well being, and that's been known for many years, contrary to what media might lead you to believe. I have spoken with geriatric doctors who have told me stories of folks sent to die, and a bit of "juice" sent them driving themselves home.

Some doctors are way to quick to prescribe meth for andropause.

Thanks for this reply. I actually did think it was low testosterone levels. However, I've been tested twice, and my test came back saying that I had the exact normal amount (right in the range) of a healthy 41 year old man (i.e. no supplementation for me).

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Feb 17, 2009 9:00 AM GMT

Nervousness and insomnia are the most common adverse reactions but are usually controlled by reducing dosage and omitting the drug in the afternoon or evening.

Other reactions include hypersensitivity (including skin rash, urticaria, fever) izzines; palpitations; drowsiness; blood pressure

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Feb 17, 2009 5:02 PM GMT

I've actually been prescribed 30mg per day, 2 in the morning, one in the afternoon, but I've not been taking the 10mg pill in the afternoon. Its helped a lot.

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Feb 17, 2009 5:08 PM GMT

I'm curious as to what your testosterone level actually was when it was tested. Some doctors think 200 is o.k. (in my view it's not close to enough), while other doctors, that work with active folks, and HIV, will happily adjust it to 1000, or even 1200. I have a friend who was feeling like crap a few months ago, and he tested at 40. He got on, and now he's a completely different person.

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Feb 17, 2009 5:13 PM GMT

Wait until you've been on it for a few months--after the honeymoon it really starts fucking with you LOL!

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Feb 17, 2009 5:17 PM GMT

Actually...when I needed help with my ADD during a difficult period (and I don't have a depressed bone in my body..just not in my genetic make up...) ..I was prescribed Effexor by a Psycho-pharmacologist...my head cleared, I lost weight (not that I needed to..but it was nice as I had a trip to France coming up) and most....the worst symptoms of ADD were gone. You should ask...Effexor is not just a serotonin uptake (? is that the word) it also works in other areas that paxil,zoloft, lexapro and prozac and the SSRI's don't As a side benifit..the Effexor stoped my annoying problem of not beibng able to pee at a urinal when there was a line behind me....

It is the little things..

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Feb 17, 2009 6:47 PM GMT

I took time to get the description for you:

Venlafaxine (brand name Effexor, Efexor) is an antidepressant of the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) class first introduced by Wyeth in 1993. It is prescribed for the treatment of major depression and anxiety disorders, among other uses. Venlafaxine was the sixth most widely-used brand-name drug and most widely-used brand-name antidepressant based on the retail sales ($2.25bn) in 2006.

Atomoxetine (Strattera) is a non-stimulant drug approved for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is sold in the form of the hydrochloride salt of atomoxetine, a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. This chemical is manufactured, marketed and sold under the brand name Strattera by Eli Lilly and Company, the original patent filing company. Generics of atomoxetine are sold into all countries; they are manufactured by Torrent Pharmaceuticals using the label Tomoxetin, Ranbaxy Laboratories (through its Division: Solus) using the label Attentin, Sun Pharmaceuticals (through its Division: Milmet Pharmaceuticals), and Intas Biopharmaceuticals. There is currently no generic manufactured within the United States due to patent license manufacturing restrictions chosen by the owner of the US patent Eli Lilly and Company.

These drugs work by giving you more available noreph; basically adrenaline. Strattera works about the same way. They are well known for adverse affects on your prostate, sinuses, and sleep patterns.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effexor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strattera

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Anyone on Ritalin losing weight as a side-effect?