PlainPill

Dexmethylphenidate vs Methylphenidate for focus

Short answer: For focus, more users report improvement with Methylphenidate — 83% of 262 reports, versus 75% of 12 for Dexmethylphenidate.

Dexmethylphenidate has 6 meta-analyses and 29 randomized trials on PubMed; Methylphenidate has 383 and 1,123.

Based on 28 reports about Dexmethylphenidate and 567 about Methylphenidate. Not medical advice.

Dexmethylphenidate
Medication
Methylphenidate
Medication
Users say it helped41%helped17 reports · few reports39%helped352 reports · high confidence
Verdict
Mixed
Mixed
ResearchAResearch: StrongAResearch: Strong
Meta-analyses / RCTs6 / 29383 / 1,123
Mainly used for
Focus
% reporting improvement
75% (12)83% (262)
Energy
% reporting improvement
33% (3)61% (67)
Mood
% reporting improvement
—41% (66)
Anxiety
% reporting improvement
—29% (48)
Sleep
% reporting improvement
—29% (21)
Common side effectsfatigue, draining, headache, insomniaanxiety, jitteriness, insomnia, fatigue
Typical dose reportedNot listedNot listed
Dexmethylphenidate
Latest review conclusion

Exercise and psychological interventions are effective for reducing CRF during and after cancer treatment, and they are significantly better than the available pharmaceutical options. Clinicians should prescribe exercise or psychological interventions as first-line treatments for CRF.

JAMA Oncol, 2017 ↗
What a user said
“When I gave dexmethylphenidate and bupropion a shot after getting diagnosed with ADHD... all my depression symptoms disappeared”
Full Dexmethylphenidate profile →
Methylphenidate
Latest review 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.

Lancet Psychiatry, 2018 ↗
What a user said
“I tried both ritalin worked way better in me like way better.”
Full Methylphenidate profile →

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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate