Ritalin (methylphenidate) experience report

Ritalin is the first line drug used to treat ADHD inflicted individuals, and in some cases, for narcolepsy. It is the only satisfactory stimulant compound that is approved for pharmaceutical use in Malaysia. Ritalin is most well known for being used to treat ADHD in children and it contains methylphenidate hydrochloride, which is a CNS stimulant which does not bear a chemical resemblance to amphetamine but is pharmacologically similar in action.

I managed to get 3 blister packs of 10 x 20 mg Ritalin-SR from someone who has a legitimate script. Ritalin-SR is methylphenidate hydrochloride USP sustained-release tablets and it's the sustained release version of Ritalin. The time release mechanism can be defeated by crushing the tablets, but the Ritalin-SR was evaluated over a two session period - one with the time release intact (oral) and the other without the time release action (crushed, oral, insufflated).

Ritalin is manufactured by Novartis, the pharmaceutical giant. The blister packs I got is interesting - there are variations of the trademark Ritalin printed at the back of each blister pack. The first has "Ritalin SR" on it, the second column has "Ritaline SR" written on it and the third column has "Ritalina SR" printed on it. This is then cycled back to Ritalin SR on the next column. These are obtained through legitimate channels (psychiatrist) from a friend who has a script in Malaysia.

Here's a closer look at the blister pack - there are batch codes, the manufacturing date and the expiry date printed on one end. Recreational Ritalin use is not very common in Malaysia due to sociological factors and the availability of cheaper and stronger CNS stimulants like methamphetamine here (though the latter is illegal). I will be benchmarking Ritalin against methamphetamine, since I have a lot of experience with meth with every route of administration from smoking to IV injections.

The Ritalin blister packs contain 10 tablets of 20 mg methylphenidate hydrochloride in sustained release form. The interesting thing about Ritalin is that unlike amphetamine, the mode of action in Ritalin is not completely known in man. The bubbles on the front of the blister pack shows white tablets imprinted with CIBA and 16. The flipping of the tablets seems to be random, with some showing the front (CIBA) and some the back (16). CIBA 16.

These are the Ritalin-SR tablets - it's white, round tablets with beveled edges and the letting "CIBA" and "16" imprinted on the front and back in black font respectively. I took 240 mg during my first session - that's 12 x Ritalin-SR tablets without defeating the sustained release mechanism. This was taken orally, and effects could be felt within 30 minutes, slowly building up to peak at the 45 minute mark. The 15 minutes between the time the Ritalin can be felt and the time it peaks is the most euphoric part and it's somewhat comparable to oral dexamphetamine (which I used to have a script for in Australia). It lasted about 8 hours but stopped feeling pleasurable at around the 6 hour mark.

The peak isn't as euphoric as oral dexamphetamine or methamphetamine, but it's better than other pharmaceutical solutions available in Malaysia. Please note that I'm experienced with methamphetamine and thus can justify a massive dose of 240 mg (12 tablets of 20 mg Ritalin-SR taken on an empty stomach). The safety profile of Ritalin depends on various individual factors and the amount I took was many times the recommended dose and can be dangerous. This is not a dosage guide, but a personal experience report.

The second session was aimed at breaking the "sustained release" mechanism. The Ritalin-SR tablets have a white coating and an inner formulation that looks like crystallized powder. I crushed 3 x 20 mg Ritalin-SR tablets for insufflating purposes and took the other 15 x 20 mg Ritalin-SR tablets orally. That's a massive 360 mg of Ritalin throughout a 1/2 hour period, which in hindsight was not a good idea.

I wanted to finish the rest of the Ritalin blister packs so I took 15 x 20 mg Ritalin-SR tablets orally (crushed to defeat the sustained release formulation, making it instant release) and then started to insufflate the 60 mg of crushed Ritalin (from 3 tablets). I knew it wasn't a good idea by the time I finished snorting the powder...my heartbeat was racing, my chest started to hurt and high intracranial pressure was experienced.

...but the rush is rather pleasurable. ;) It did take a bit of a toll on my body due to my hypertension problems though. I noticed that flushing is very prominent on high doses of Ritalin, something I did not experience with other stimulants like methamphetamine but is also present in prescription amphetamine based compounds like phentermine.

It lasted about 8 hours in total before tapering off during the second massive 360 mg dose. It has a lot of similar properties to amphetamine based stimulants in high doses, and is quite euphoric. I felt like I've been worked over by a 300 pound man when it was over, but it was worth it. The high dose I took made me see Ritalin as a legitimate stimulant instead of the "weak CNS stimulant" I presumed it was.

However, like with most prescription amphetamine like compounds I've consumed, it seems to have a much heavier body load compared to dexamphetamine or methamphetamine. I would not take this over methamphetamine, but it was nice to experience Ritalin. Just be careful with the dosage, I'm being lighthearted here, but 360 mg nearly gave me a heart attack. ;) Take care if you have hypertensive or cardiovascular problems when experimenting with CNS stimulants.