Conclusion: Our findings represent the most comprehensive available evidence base to inform patients, families, clinicians, guideline developers, and policymakers on the choice of ADHD medications across age groups. Taking into account both efficacy and safety, evidence from this meta-analysis supports methylphenidate in children and adolescents, and amphetamines in adults, as preferred first-choice medications for the short-term treatment of ADHD. New research should be funded urgently to assess long-term effects of these drugs.
Methylphenidate side effects
Across 567 first-hand reports, people mentioned a side effect 105 times (about 19 per 100 reports). The most common: anxiety, jitteriness, insomnia. User reports show what people notice — they can't tell you whether Methylphenidate is safe for you.
Reported side effects
What got worse for some people
In their own words
“I take methylphenidate and it’s changed my life for the way way better.”
“I got diagnosed with ADHD and tried Ritalin and Elvanse and they do help somewhat when I need to learn for an exam but I hate the feeling of being on them.”
“Concerta, Vyvanse (they gave me stimulation and a mood booster but it felt really artificial, left me with more depression when I was not taking it)”
“I tried it a few times with concerta and I found that the anxiety that concerta causes + the anxiety that sabroxy causes, made me have a little panic attack.”
“I was taking Ritalin IR 6x5mg for 2 years and it worked great, I felt motivated, better executive function, better mood.”
“I'm positively surprised! Took two, and feel pretty damned speeded...It stops being awesome pretty quickly. Unless you up your dose. But then it gets bad.”
Is Methylphenidate safe? What the research covers
Conclusion: Overall, despite a class effect of improving clinical response relative to placebo, there were few differences among the individual ADHD pharmacotherapies, and most studies were at risk of at least one important source of bias. Furthermore, the certainty of the evidence was very low to low for all outcomes, and there was limited reporting of long-term adverse events. As such, the choice between ADHD pharmacotherapies may depend on individual patient considerations, and future studies should assess the long-term effects of individual pharmacotherapies on patient-important outcomes, including qu