ADHD is a widespread neurodevelopmental disorder. It is usually diagnosed in young children, and it first manifests before the age of twelve. This disorder is characterized by hyperactivity and the inability to pay attention. However, some patients might exhibit an exceptional ability to focus on the things they find interesting.
Ritalin is one of the most widely prescribed drugs for ADHD. It is efficient in treating the disorder but it can be very dangerous if misused. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to know what it is and how it works.
Here is one of the most important questions: how long does Ritalin last? The answer to this and many other questions about Ritalin can be found in the remainder of the text.
What Is Ritalin
Ritalin is a brand name of methylphenidate, a strong stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It is one of many prescription drugs used to treat the symptoms of ADHD.
The drug is used to overwhelm the patient’s regular timing systems and speed them up. This, in turn, grants the patients the ability to focus better, as the sped-up nerve cells in the brain don’t have time to fire out of sync or at random. Experts believe that this asynchronous and random firing of nerves is the root cause of ADHD.
Ritalin comes in three basic forms – immediate release, extended-release, and sustained release. The immediate release variety is available in the form of oral tablets. The extended-release version can be obtained in the form of oral capsules, while the sustained release version exists in the form of tablets.
Factors to Consider
Before getting to the dosages, it is important to give a brief overview of the surrounding factors that influence how the body processes Ritalin. Here’s a word or two on the most important factors.
Body Weight
The patient’s weight has a tremendous effect on the speed at which Ritalin gets metabolized. Heavier patients and those with a higher percentage of fat will process the drug faster than the patients of average or under-average build. Likewise, the effects will wear out faster in a large person than in a small one.
Liver and Kidneys
The state of your liver and kidneys impacts how fast Ritalin is processed in your body. If an individual taking Ritalin has a healthy liver and kidneys, they will process the drug much faster than a person with damaged kidneys or liver. Similarly, the effects will last for a shorter period of time in healthy patients.
Age and metabolism
Generally, younger patients tend to process Ritalin much faster than the older ones. Patients with faster metabolisms process the drug faster than the ones with slower metabolisms. Doing sports or engaging in physical activity can significantly speed up a person’s metabolic rate and, in turn, make the body process Ritalin faster. This means that Ritalin will last shorter in young and physically active patients than in older ones leading sedentary lifestyles.
In Combination with Other Drugs
It is highly recommended to talk to your doctor if you’re already taking drugs for other conditions and health problems, as these might shorten or lengthen the effects of Ritalin. You should inform your doctor if you have any of the following conditions: psychosis, hyperthyroidism, hypertension, glaucoma, coronary artery disease, anxiety, irregular heart rate, or heart disease.
For example, the drugs that boost metabolism will shorten the effects of Ritalin, while the ones that slow the metabolism down will lengthen the time your body takes to metabolize Ritalin. Also, some stimulants and drugs can directly react with Ritalin in your blood stream, potentially altering its effects.
How Long Does It Last
So, how long does Ritalin last? The effects of Ritalin and their duration differ from patient to patient and depend heavily on previously explained factors. However, there are general duration guidelines for the immediate release and extended release variants. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.
Immediate Release
Immediate release Ritalin exists in the form of tablets, with the available concentrations being 5mg, 10mg, and 20mg. The first effects can be felt shortly after ingestion.
The levels of immediate release Ritalin tablets in the patient’s blood usually peak around 2 hours after ingestion. The half-life is between one and three hours. Accordingly, the patient will feel the strongest effect about two hours after taking the drug, with the effects slowly wearing off over the course of the next hour or so.
It is not uncommon for patients to feel the effects of a dose of immediate release Ritalin for a full four hours. Usually, this happens with patients that metabolize the drug at a slower rate than average. On the other hand, the same dose might last for three hours or less in patients with a high metabolic rate.
Extended Release
The extended release variety, also known as Ritalin SR, comes in the form of oral capsules. The available concentrations are 10mg, 20mg, 30mg, 40mg, and 60mg. Like their immediate release counterparts, the extended release capsules are taken orally. However, they take a longer time to kick in and reach peak concentration.
A capsule of extended release Ritalin usually lasts for full eight hours, with the half-life being around three and a half hours. The peak level commonly happens between the second and the fourth hour. While it takes the body more time to process Ritalin RS, the effects are milder and the peak levels are lower than with the immediate release Ritalin.
Side Effects
As potent and effective as it is, Ritalin comes with its own set of risks and possible side effects. Some of the most common ones include irritability, loss of appetite, an upset stomach, an increased heart rate, anxiety, dry mouth, headache, nausea, insomnia, dizziness, and vomiting.
In severe cases, additional side effects might also include fainting, addiction, increased propensity towards violence, auditory hallucinations, short breath, chest pain, numbness and coldness in the fingers and toes, and painful erections that can last for several hours. Children might experience slowed growth.
Conclusion
Ritalin is one of the most common drugs used to treat ADHD. It comes in immediate, extended and sustained release forms, with the former two being the most prevalent. Different concentrations of all three are available.
On average, immediate release Ritalin levels peak at around two hours, while the effects might last for up to four hours. The effects of the extended release variety can last for up to eight hours. The actual duration depends on each individual, and it’s greatly dependent on age, sex, metabolic rate, overall health, and the use of other drugs.
Ritalin can cause serious side effects that can potentially decrease a patient’s quality of life. Therefore, one shouldn’t self-administer the drug without consulting a doctor.
References:
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhd
https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682188.html
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/raise/what-is-psychosis.shtml
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyperthyroidism/symptoms-causes/syc-20373659
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/symptoms-causes/syc-20373410
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-glaucoma
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https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/arrhythmia
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https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/archives/fdaDrugInfo.cfm?archiveid=4447
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