Is Ritalin Addictive?
Ritalin, a methylphenidate, has been safely prescribed for children suffering from attention-deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for the past 70 years. It is manufactured by Novartis Pharmaceuticals, East Hanover, New Jersey. New research released in early 2009 and funded by the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), however, shows that, in mice, Ritalin causes brain changes similar to that of cocaine. Both methylphenidate and cocaine are in the drug class known as psychostimulants. They are Schedule II drugs under the Controlled Substances Act – approved for medical use but also with the highest potential for abuse.
Following the release of the study information, the NIDA Director, Dr. Nora Volkow, said that studies to-date suggest that prescribed use of methylphenidates to treat patients with ADHD does not increase risk for subsequent addiction. She adds, however, that “non-medical use of methylphenidate and other stimulant medications can lead to addiction, as well as a variety of other health consequences.”
In essence, the study found that methylphenidate can have structural and biochemical effects in some of the brain’s regions that are even greater than the effects of cocaine. The study findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The results of this new research don’t prove that Ritalin use in humans can lead to addiction, but it does point to the need for further research into the long-term effects of Ritalin on the brain.
In the U.S., there is increasing use of prescription stimulants by teens and college students. On the street, the belief is that the use of Ritalin will help you study better and get good grades. Doctors and students have known for years that medicines used to treat ADD and ADHD help improve performance on boring and repetitive tasks.
Of all the prescription stimulants, Ritalin has received the most attention in medical literature. In 2002, a University of Wisconsin study found that 20 percent of college students used Ritalin or Adderall (another drug prescribed for ADD and ADHD treatment). In 2004, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America reported that 1 in 10 teens took either Ritalin or Adderall without a prescription.
According to one study of persons who misused Ritalin continually, 1 in 10 later developed tolerance and addiction to the drug.
Ritalin has been used safely with pre-teens, and no one under the age of 13 has become addicted. And the possibility of death from persons taking Ritalin without a pre-existing heart condition is extremely small. But Ritalin does pose a real risk of heart attack and stroke in some individuals, according to some medical sources.
Lawrence Diller, MD, and author of “Running on Ritalin,” and “Should I Medicate My Child?” cautions that the rise in popularity among teens and college students of taking stimulants like Ritalin illegally, will likely lead to increasing numbers of drug abuse and death.
Bottom line – is Ritalin addictive? For now, the evidence seems to point to the possibility that non-medical use can lead to addiction, but for prescribed medical use, the danger is slim. More research on methylphenidate’s long-term effects needs to be done.
