Ritalin
Abstract
Ritalin (Methylphenidate) is a mild CNS stimulant. In medicine,
Ritalin's primary use is treatment of Attention Deficit /Hyperactive Disorder
(ADHD). The mode of action in humans is not completely understood, but Ritalin presumably activates the arousal system of the brain stem and the cortex to produce its stimulant effect. Recently, the frequency of diagnosis for ADHD has increased dramatically. More children and an increasing number of adults are being diagnosed with ADHD. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
(Bailey 1995), prescriptions for Ritalin have increased more than 600% in the past five years. Ritalin has a long history of controversy regarding side effects and potential for abuse, however it greatly benefits those with ADHD.
Psychological effects of Ritalin
Ritalin (Methylphenidate) is manufactured by CIBA-Geigy Corporation. It is supplied in 5 mg., 10 mg., and 20 mg. tablets, and in a sustained release form, Ritalin SR, in 20 mg. tablets. It is readily water soluble and is intended for oral use. It is a Schedule II Controlled Substance under both the Federal and Vermont Controlled Substance Acts. Ritalin is primarily used in the treatment of Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) (Bailey 1995).
ADHD is a condition most likely based in an inefficiency and inadequacy of Dopamine and Norepinephrine hormone availability, typically occurring when a person with ADHD tries to concentrate. Ritalin improves the efficiency of the hormones Dopamine and Norepinephrine, increasing the resources for memory, focus, concentration and attention (Clark 1996).
Ritalin has been used for more than 30 years to treat ADHD. Nervousness and insomnia are the most common adverse reactions reported, but are usually controlled by reducing dosage or omitting the afternoon or evening dose.
Decreased appetite is also common but usually transient (Long 1996).
According to Clark (1996), children, adolescents and adults diagnosed with ADHD usually report the following effects when successfully treated with Ritalin:
•Improved concentration.
•Better "focus".
•Improved ability to complete their work.
•Improved intensity of attention and longer attention span.
•Reduced distractibility.
•Reduced impulsivity.
•Reduced restlessness and overactivity.
•Improved patience.
•More elaborate expressive vocabulary.
•Better written expression and handwriting (especially in children).
•An improved sense of "alertness".
•Improved memory for visual as well as auditory stimuli.
Ritalin's Effect on Neurotransmitter Systems
Ritalin exhibits pharmacological activity similar to that of amphetamines. Ritalin's exact mechanism of action in the CNS is not fully understood, but the primary sites of activity appear to be in the cerebral cortex and the subcortical structures including the thalamus. Ritalin blocks the reuptake mechanism present in dopaminergic neurons. As a result, sympathomimetic activity in the central nervous system and in the peripheral nervous system increases. Ritalin-induced CNS stimulation produces a decreased sense of fatigue, an increase in motor activity and mental alertness, mild euphoria, and brighter
Lasix is known as the “water pill” it’s a diuretic administrated orally.(1) The active ingredient of Lasix is furosemide, but also includes a number of inactive ingredients including lactose monohydrate NF, magnesium stearate NF, starch NF, talc USP, and colloidal silicon dioxide NF. (1) The peak effects of furosemide are typically seen within the first hour of two after a dose of the medication. (1). Lasix is prescribed for individuals to treat edema that may arise from congestive heart failure, liver cirrhosis or renal disease. (1) In adults, furosemide may also be taken to treat hypertension itself.(1) Furosemide comes in 20, 40, and 80mg tablets as well as oral suspensions.(2) Furosemide is absorbed rapidly from oral suspension at 50 minutes, and from tablets at 87 minutes.(2) Food may slow down the absorption of the drug and alter the bioavalibitly.(1) Furosemide binds to plasma proteins, albumin being the main plasma protein that furosemide binds to, at 91-99%, and peak plasma concentrations increase with the increase of a single dose.(2) Furosemide is excreted through the urine and the remainder is excreted in the feces. (2) The half-life for furosemide is approximately 2 hours but the diuretic effects last 6-8 hours. (2)
There has been an increase in the Misuse and Abuse of prescription drugs to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). the number of children on medication for ADHD has grown from 600,000 in 1990 to 3.5 million in 2013 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But although there is an over-medication of ADHD drugs, there is actually and under-medication since not all the right people are getting medicated. Many individuals lack insurance or are insured with health plans that do not cover the outpatient prescription drugs they need and cannot afford.10 Therefore, Individuals covered by various health plans and programs, and those who have no prescription drug coverage, pay significantly different prices for the same medications. As the demand for ADHD drugs grows, higher prescribing rates and increasing drug prices result, which creates problems for these number of Americans who cannot afford the treatment they require.
Sadly, 75 out of 100 children who visit a psychiatrist's office for the very first time, leave with at least one prescription for ADD or ADHD. Kirk Martin, Founder of educational foundation Celebrate! ADHD, states “We must change everything else-our attitudes and expectations, diet and nutrition, the way we reach and teach kids-before we change our children through medication.” Parents of children whose behavior is regarded as difficult or out of control are encouraged to believe their child has a "disease". For many parents, it is more socially acceptable to give your child's behavior a diagnosis rather than simply admitting their child behaves badly and along with the diagnosis, comes the offer for treatment. Many children with this diagnosis are being medicated unnecessarily. Medication should not be the first choice of treatment for an unscientific disorder. There are no biological tests for these disorders nor is there a blood test which can confirm the diagnosis. With only the best intentions and the trust of their physicians, many parents comply with the medications in an effort to enhance their child's ability to learn and socialize appropriately with their peers. If parents were given the important information regarding medications such as Ritalin for the treatment, the quick decision to medicate a child would likely decrease significantly.
Price, Joyce. "DEA restless about Ritalin: doctors are sounding the alarm about a popular drug used to combat attention disorders in kids." Insight on the News 1 July 1996: 39-40.
The article that I chose to read was titled, Concerta vs. Ritalin: Dosage Differences & More by Kristeen Cherney. In addition, Alan Carter medically reviewed this article. The drug that was being talked about in my article was Concerta. Concerta is a brand name version of methylphenidate and is a stimulant. Concerta is an agonist drug, which means it enhances the action of certain neurotransmitters.
In 1939, Dr. C. Bradley first prescribed Methylphenidate, or Ritalin, as a stimulant to treat children with ADHD (Mann). ADHD is a brain disorder characterized by a short attention span, jumpiness, and impulsive behavior. To be diagnosed, the victim of the disease usually has gone to see an average of eleven doctors (Rowland).
During the 1960’s and the 1970’s, it was known as the “love drug.” The following decade, many witnessed the popularization of the “happy drug.” This drug is chemically known as MDMA, or methylenedioximetamphetamine. To many of the younger generation, it is dubbed as “Ecstasy” or “XTC.”
Cocaine is a drug derived from the leaf of the Erytroxylon cocoa bush, which grows primarily in Peru and Bolivia. Cocaine also known as coke, C, snow, flake, nose candy, blow, or crack is generally sold on the street as a hydrochloride salt( a water-soluble salt). Cocaine is a fine, white crystalline powder often diluted with similar-looking substances such as talcum powder, sugar, or amphetamines. The powder can be snorted into the nostrils, also may be rubbed onto the mucous linings of the mouth, rectum, or vagina. To experience cocaine's effects quickly, and to heighten their intensity, users sometimes dissolve it in water and injects into a vein. The drug may be smoked in a purified form through a water pipe (freebassing) or in a concentrated form (crack) shaped into pellets or rocks and placed in special smoking gear. Despite today's abuse of the highly addictive drug, cocaine was intended for medical purposes. Pure cocaine was first extracted and identified by the German chemist Albert Niemann in the mid-19thcentury, and was introduced as a tonic/elixir in patent medicines to treat a variety of real or imagined illnesses. Later, it was used as a local anesthetic for eye, ear, and throat surgery and continues today to have limited use in surgery. Cocaine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that heightens alertness and provides intense feelings of pleasure. Because of it's potent euphoric and energizing effects, many people
Ritalin, produced by the pharmaceutical company Novartis, is the brand name for methylphenidate, a central nervous system stimulant that activates the neurotransmitter do...
Ecstasy is Methylene Dioxymethamphetamine, often abbreviated as MDMA. This drug is a member of the same family of drugs that include amphetamine and LSD. I once believed that ecstasy was a mixture of methamphetamine and LSD, but as I researched, I found out that it has its own chemical structure. Ecstasy is not a mixture of other drugs; it is something all its own.
This paper will examine the complicated roles a counselor has related to the use of prescribed medication in treating mental health issues. The first section will explore the boundaries and ethical implications for a counselor surrounding the recommendation and prescription of psychotropic medication. The next section will include the counselor’s role in client education about medication. The third section will relate to the details of client referral when medication is warranted.
the left of a pair of crystals that are a mirror image of each other.
Early on in his career, Eric Clapton seemed to have a difficult time sticking to one band. He played with the Yardbirds, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Blind Faith, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, and Cream. But throughout all the time he spent with each of those bands, no solo work was ever thought of until 1970. It was in 1970 that Clapton launched his solo career with his self-titled debut album.
Stimulants such as Ritalin, Concerta, Focalin, Methylin, and Metadate have been shown to be effective for about 70% of adolescents and seem to operate on a dose-dependent manner in improving
Imagine a cold, unheated apartment in the middle of Hollywood. A bachelor sized apartment. No pictures hanging on the wall, a mattress in the middle of the floor, a hard back folding chair sitting in the middle of the room, a few kitchen utensils and some old pots and pans laid on and around the kitchen stove with no place to go. You could hear the traffic zooming by on Franklin Avenue. When you opened the door with your key, you could see cockroaches running about on the walls and the floors. It felt was cold and smelled awful. The first time I was visited by my then boyfriend, I watched him shoot cocaine, and kept a careful eye on where all the cockroaches were headed. It wasn't long before I allowed him to shoot me up also. It happened in that apartment, the place two sick, suffering addicts, my boyfriend and I, called home. This is the place I remember when I think about taking another drink again. By God's grace, I will never have to go back there again. Thirteen years later, I am still so grateful for my sobriety and abstinence from all mind-altering drugs. I'd like to tell a bit of my story and a bit of my recovery. The feeling I got after cocaine went through my veins, into my brain was like nothing I'd ever felt before. It was sure ecstasy. My body convulsed as the drug took its effect. Time was no longer a part of my world.