Ritalin Street Name / Slang Terms

Kibbles Bits, Kiddy-Cocaine, Pineapple, R-Ball, Skippy, Smart Drug, Smarties, Vitamin R, West Coast

What is it ?

Ritalin, the trade name for the prescription drug methylphenidate, is a central nervous system stimulant often prescribed to treat individuals (mostly children) diagnosed with ADD (attention deficit disorder) or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.)

1. Taken as prescribed, Ritalin can be an effective medicine. Research has shown that people with ADHD do not get addicted to their stimulant medications at treatment dosages.

2. In clinical studies, methylphenidate, like amphetamines, produce behavioral and psychological effects similar to cocaine. In simple terms, this means that the human body cannot tell the difference between cocaine, amphetamines, or Ritalin.

When abused, these prescription tablets create powerful stimulant and addictive effects. In recent years, Ritalin has become one of the most abused prescription drugs.

1 National Drug Intelligence Center

2 National Institute of Mental Health

What does it look like ?

Ritalin is available online in 5-, 10-, and 20-milligram tablets. The tablets typically are white or yellow in color. On the streets, a single tablet is illegally sold for $3 – $15.

How is it illegally used ?

Abusers either swallow the tablets or crush them to produce a powder, which is snorted. Some abusers dissolve the tablets in water and then inject the mixture — a particularly dangerous practice. Complications can result when the drug is injected because insoluble fibers in Ritalin can block small blood vessels.

Short Term Effects

Since Ritalin is a prescribed medication, it’s often considered innocent and harmless, without the stigma associated with street drugs. In fact, illegal Ritalin use can be very dangerous, with effects similar to those produced by cocaine and amphetamines.

Common Ritalin side-effects include:

• insomnia
• irritability
• nervousness
• dizziness
• dry mouth
• skin rashes and itching
• abdominal pain
• weight loss
• blurry vision
• toxic psychosis
• loss of appetite
• nausea and vomiting
• drowsiness
• palpitations
• headaches
• stomach aches
• digestive problems
• psychotic episodes
• drug dependence syndrome

Other Ritalin side-effects include:

• anorexia
• change in blood pressure
• changes in pulse
• toxic psychosis
• palpitations
• cardiac arrhythmia
• anemia
• scalp hair loss

Federal Classification

Schedule II

Statistics

Ritalin is abused by diverse segments of the population, from health care professions and children to street addicts.1

Between 30 and 50 percent of adolescents in drug treatment centers report Ritalin use

Ritalin ranks in the top 10 most frequently reported controlled pharmaceuticals stolen from licensed handlers.1

Organized drug trafficking groups in a number of states have utilized various schemes to obtain Ritalin for resale on the illicit market.

1. Reports from students and faculty on college campuses show Ritalin used as a study aid and party drug in the same manner that amphetamine was used on campuses in the 1960s

2. Research suggests that Ritalin causes long-lasting changes in brain cell structure and function. The drug appears to initiate changes in brain function that remain long after the therapeutic effects dissipate.2

1 U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

2 University of Buffalo

Additional Online Resources

• Ritalin Evaluation (Drug Enforcement Administration)
• Ritalin Fact Sheet (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
• “Factline” Non-Medical Use of Ritalin (Indiana Resource Center)
• “Schoolyard hustlers’ new drug: Ritalin” (Christian Science Monitor)

Ritalin LA Dosage Conversion Table

Methylphenidate or Ritalin SR	Ritalin LA
10 mg methylphenidate twice-per-day	20 mg Ritalin LA once-per-day
20 mg Ritalin SR twice-per-day	20 mg Ritalin LA once-per-day
15 mg methylphenidate twice-per-day	30 mg Ritalin LA once-per-day
20 mg methylphenidate twice-per-day	40 mg Ritalin LA once-per-day
40 mg Ritalin SR twice-per-day	40 mg Ritalin LA once-per-day
30 mg methylphenidate twice-per-day	60 mg Ritalin LA once-per-day
60 mg Ritalin SR twice-per-day	60 mg Ritalin LA once-per-day

Synonyms: Rids, Pineapple, Uppers, Vitamin R, Jif, R-ball, Kiddy-Cocaine, Skippy, Smart Drug, Smarties,

Adverse effects

Some adverse effects may emerge during chronic use of methylphenidate so a constant watch for adverse effects is recommended.[41] Some adverse effects of stimulant therapy may emerge during long-term therapy, but there is very little research of the long-term effects of stimulants.[42][43] The most common side effects of methylphenidate are nervousness, drowsiness and insomnia. Other adverse reactions include:

• Abdominal pain
• Akathisia (restlessness)
• Alopecia (loss of hair)
• Angina (chest pain)
• Appetite loss
• Anxiety
• Blood pressure and pulse changes (both up and down)
• Cardiac arrhythmia
• Diaphoresis (sweating)
• Dizziness
• Dyskinesia
• Euphoria
• Headache
• Hypersensitivity (including skin rash, urticaria, fever, arthralgia, exfoliative dermatitis, erythema multiforme, necrotizing vasculitis, and thrombocytopenic purpura)
• Lethargy
• Libido increased or decreased
• Nausea
• Palpitations
• Pupil dilation
• Psychosis
• Short-term weight loss
• Somnolence
• Stunted growth
• Tachycardia (rapid resting heart rate)
• Xerostomia (dry mouth)

Vyvanse Online Side Effects and Warnings

Updated January 23, 2011

Schedule II Substance

Dextroamphetamine Composite

Brand Names: VYVANSE

Generic Name: LISDEXAMFETAMINE (dextroamphetamine with lysine)

FDA “Black Box” Warning Label

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires the following "black box" warning on all amphetamines, including Vyvanse, which means that medical studies indicate Vyvanse carries a significant risk of serious, or even life-threatening, adverse effects.

What do Amphetamines Include?

BRAND NAME	GENERIC NAME
Adderall	amphetamine plus dextroamphetamine [instant release]
Adderall XR		amphetamine plus dextroamphetamine [extended release]
Benzedrine	amphetamine [instant release]
Biphetamine	amphetamine plus dextroamphetamine
Desoxyn	methamphetamine [instant release]
Dexedrine	dextroamphetamine [instant release]
Dexedrine SR	dextroamphetamine [extended release]
Dexedrine Spansule	dextroamphetamine [extended release]
Dextrostat	dextroamphetamine [instant release]
ProCentra	dextroamphetamine [immediate release, bubblegum flavor]
Vyvanse	dextroamphetamine with lysine (lisdexamfetamine) [extended release]
ALTERNATE NAMES: amphetamine = amfetamine = dl-amphetamine dextroamphetamine = dexamfetamine = dexamphetamine = d-amphetamine methamphetamine = d-methamphetamine