When I don't take it there's a very visible difference in my behavior. Ritalin's known side effects include tachycardia , dizziness, anorexia, insomnia, depression, loss of appetite, dry mouth, and in a few isolated cases, death. The students interviewed for this article almost unanimously said they considered Ritalin highly addictive. Even Ritalin's manufacturer, Novartis , acknowledged that the drug is easily abused. The company launched an intensive education campaign last spring, spokesman Todd Forte said.
Chronic abuse can lead to marked tolerance and psychic dependence.
Frank psychotic episodes can occur, especially with parenteral abuse. Although you might feel wired for a while, you're going to come down soon enough, which is where the abuse pattern sets in. An overdose can cause a similarly adverse reaction in prescribed users. And other medications can complicate or intensify Ritalin's effects. Still, the problem of Ritalin abuse has not been widely recognized among most college health officials yet.