Ritalin is a brand name of methylphenidate. This medicine is useful for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It also helps to manage symptoms of narcolepsy. The increase in the ability to pay attention, stay focused and control behavior problems are some benefits of Ritalin. Additional benefits are the managing of tasks and the improvement of listening skills. Here in this article, you’ll get to know the difference between Ritalin vs Methylphenidate and their side effects so read till last.
Comparison Between Ritalin and Methylphenidate
The generic status of both medicines is lower cost but here are some comparisons of Ritalin vs Methylphenidate as follows:
Approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved both these medicines on 5 December, 1955. It is the first approval date.
Brand names
The brand names of Ritalin are Ritalin LA capsules and Ritalin tablets, whereas the brand names of Methylphenidate are Concerta, Cotempla XR-ODT, Quillivant XR, Adhansia XR, Aptensio XR, Metadate ER, Methylin, QuilliChew ER and Relexxii.
Dosages
Both medicines consist of similar dosages. These include oral tablet, oral capsule extended release biphasic 40/60, oral capsule extended release biphasic 50/50, oral tablet chewable, oral powder for suspension, oral capsule extended release biphasic 30/70, oral solution, oral tablet extended release chewable and disintegrating.
Drug Class
The Drug Class of both medicines is central nervous system (CNS) Stimulant. It is a medicine that stimulates the brain and speeds up the processes of mental and physical health. This includes several benefits:
- Increase in Energy
- Improvement in alertness, attention, confidence, and concentration
- Elevation of blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate
- Reduce appetite
- Lessen Inhibitions
Interaction with Other Drugs
Both Ritalin and Methylphenidate interact with a total of 185 drugs. It consists of 20 major drugs, 154 moderate drugs, and 11 minor drugs. The major drugs contain 92 brands and generic names, moderate drugs contain 577 brands and generic names, and minor drugs contain 33 brands and generic names.
Rating and Review
The average rating of Methylphenidate is 7.1 out of 10. It consists of a total of 1023 reviews in which 877 reviewers review attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 63 reviewers review Narcolepsy, 1 reviewer review weight loss, 13 reviewers review fatigue, 64 reviewers review Depression, 3 reviewers review Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and 2 reviewers review Severe Mood Dysregulation. 61% of people report positive feedback whereas, 17% of people report negative feedback.
The average rating of Ritalin is 6.9 out of 10. It consists of a total of 205 reviews of which 173 reviewers review attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 32 reviewers review Narcolepsy. 56% of people report positive feedback whereas, 18% of people report positive feedback.
Side Effects
Similar side effects occur in both medicines. These include more common side effects, less common side effects, rare side effects, and incidents.
Fast Heartbeat, Appetite loss, and Stomach pain are the more common side effects whereas, chest pain, joint pain, skin rash, anger, fear, belching, heartburn, hives, irritability, indigestion, vomiting, etc., are less common.
The rare side effects include muscle cramps, blurred vision, swelling or redness of the skin, unusual bleeding, blood in the urine, seizures, uncontrolled and repeated movements of the body, pinpoint red spots, and many more.
Bleeding gums, Bloody nose, Cough, Confusion, diarrhea, restlessness, sore throat, severe headache, dizziness, drowsiness, fainting, double vision, shivering, slow speech, dark urine, discouragement, and other incidents take place in medicine.
Symptoms
The symptoms that occur when taking Ritalin are as follows:
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): It is one of the most common mental disorders which affects children. Children face problems in paying attention and controlling impulsive behaviors.
Low birth weight, brain injury, exposure to environmental risks, use of alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy, premature delivery, etc. are some of the risk factors that cause ADHD.
Disorganization and prioritization of problems, Impulsiveness, trouble multitasking, poor planning, hot temper, frequent mood swings, poor time management skills, etc., are several symptoms that occur in people.
Narcolepsy: It is a disorder that prevents a person from oversleeping or waking. Symptoms occurring in individuals with narcolepsy are headache, muscle weakness, memory problems, and restless sleep.
The symptoms that occur when taking Methylphenidate are as follows:
Depression: It is a mental disorder that is caused due to sadness feeling and loss of interest. Insomnia, Tiredness, lack of energy, trouble thinking and concentrating, trouble making decisions and remembering things, slow speaking and thinking, and many more symptoms occur in people.
Fatigue: It is a symptom of constant exhaustion, burnout, and low energy in the body of the person. Chronic tiredness, muscle weakness, dizziness, headache, moodiness, etc. are several symptoms that take place in people.
Severe Mood Dysregulation: It is a mental disorder that causes irritation, anger, and frequent temper outbursts.
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome: It is a disorder that increases the rate of heartbeat. It affects only after getting up from sitting or lying down. Fatigue, fast heart rate, dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, anxiety, exercise inability, and blurred vision are some of the symptoms occurring in individuals.
Uses
Both of the medicines are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.
Conclusion
In this blog, we learned about the comparison between Ritalin vs Methylphenidate. Both medicines are similar to each other. They are used for the treatment of ADHD, narcolepsy, headache, and other symptoms. Both medicines stimulate the Central Nervous System (CNS). The side effects may vary in Ritalin and Methylphenidate.
Ritalin is used to increase energy and reduce appetite. This improves performance without the doctor’s prescription. The occurrence of symptoms after interaction can be harmful. People facing this problem must be reported to the doctor.