Death from Ritalin
High doses of Ritalin lead to similar symptoms to other stimulant abuse, including tremors and muscle twitching, paranoia* and a sensation of bugs or worms crawling under the skin.
One 17-year-old, after snorting crushed Ritalin pills and staying awake for days, went psychotic, killed his parents and severely injured his brothers and sister with a hatchet.
Matthew’s Story:
Matthew was a teenager who had been on Ritalin for seven years. He died suddenly in March 2000. Although he had no history of heart problems, the autopsy revealed clear signs of small-vessel damage. His parents were told by one of the medical examiners that the heart of a healthy, fully grown man weighs about 350 grams. Matthew’s heart weighed 402 grams. His death certificate reads: “Death caused from long-term use of methylphenidate (Ritalin).”
* paranoia: extreme and unreasonable suspicion, distrust or fear of other people without evidence or justification
I realize that my interest in and resulting dependence on speed started when I was prescribed Ritalin. At first it was every weekend. Then it was every day.
“I began to get hallucinations of birds flying overhead, feelings of people in the same room as me when I was alone and the beginnings of paranoia. I used up [my friend’s] entire Dexedrine prescription within a week. Then I went back to my Ritalin and went on from there.
“I don’t remember much of 12th grade. But I do remember overwhelming depression and an inability to understand exactly what was the reason I was doing worse than ever in school. I barely graduated and made absolutely no college plans.
“At the last minute, I enrolled in the local college. I was able to stay clean for about 17 days before the need for speed overcame all. I attended class for one week and failed miserably.” —Sam
A 21-year-old Tennessee college student began abusing Adderall and became increasingly paranoid. His downward spiral ended when he stepped in front of a passenger train and ended his life.
Even the Food and Drug Administration warning label on Adderall states that abuse “can result in overdose and death.”
It’s a Crime to Abuse It
In the United States, improper use of a prescription stimulant is subject to severe criminal penalties. The penalties for a first trafficking offense (which you would be guilty of even if you just shared one or two pills with a friend) includes up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
If trafficking results in death or serious injury, it’s 20 years to life.
Scope of Ritalin Abuse
Abuse of prescription drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall is increasing.
At some schools, as many as 1 out of every 4 students has illegally abused one of these drugs in the past year, meaning they used it without a prescription or for nonmedical reasons.
A major factor contributing to the abuse is the huge increase in the number of prescriptions written for Ritalin and other stimulants.
In the US, the number of stimulant prescriptions soared from around 5 million in 1991 to nearly 35 million in 2007. They continued rising to 79 million in 2022.
The number of people visiting an emergency room because of their use of one of these drugs was almost six times as high as the number going to the ER a decade prior.
In an eight-year period, there were 8,240 deaths in the US involving a prescription form of amphetamine and 295 deaths involving methylphenidate.
In 2018, the number of stimulant drug user emergency room visits was nearly six times higher than in 2008.
I ended up doing a lot of stronger amphetamines that brought me down pretty quick, and I don’t know if I would have gotten interested in them if I hadn’t started using Ritalin.” —Andy
How much do you really know about ritalin abuse?
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