What are the Side Effects of Low-Dose Ritalin?
Research has uncovered some long and short term unwanted side effects of Ritalin. Just like any other pill medication, Ritalin can cause unpleasant stomach discomfort. This is no cause for discontinuation of the drug, however. Low doses of Ritalin have been found to lower heart rate and increase blood pressure, but these changes appear to be insignificant in both the short and long term. Other side effects of low-dose Ritalin include: • Deceased appetite while Ritalin is in the blood stream. Hunger can return with greater power when the medication wears off, so meal and snack times will have to be taken into consideration with dosage times. • Weight loss or failure to gain weight is a rare occurrence but cause for parental concern in growing children. • Trouble falling asleep in children, which is why dosage is typically not performed after 4 p.m. Adults have not shown to have this problem. • Rebound when the drug wears off; the symptoms may worsen when the drug leaves the bloodstream.
