Is ritlin catabolic

[bhouse]

Can ritalin be catabolic if your on alot of gear,and would the catabolic effect be dose related ?? Im a competitive body builder
and I need to know if this will hinder my gains

[cyclomaniac]

Yes, ritalin is indeed catabolic ... a beta-2- sympatheticomimetic

[Layed]

I don't like it's adverse mental effects

[bhouse]

man this pisses me off. I got get off the shit , I had a bad feeling
but my doctor told me that I would be all right. Any other opinoins???

[bhouse]

Ive been on 1,300 test and 600 dec. no wonder I havent gained as much as I wanted. I was taking 60mg. a day of ritalin.

[TNT]

First, bhouse, welcome to the board! You're a newbie, but you've asked some interesting questions and made a "contribtution to our scholarly body of literature" here over the past few days - great to see that. (Damn, I love academic talk! That's why I love this board . . . After all, "Anabolic Review" does sound like a professional journal. )

Now, let's look a little closer at this issue . . . As most readers know (and if they don't, they'll get a little education here), the primary "indication" (reason for prescribing) Ritalin is ADD/ADHD - Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder. (Ritalin is also prescribed, although not as frequently, for narcolepsy.)

If you are an ADD'er, you probably know that Ritalin is a mixed ball of wax. There are some folks who treat it as a miracle drug, while others avoid it like the plague. Some parents are grateful for it, while others see it as being overprescribed and an "easy out" for moody kids. My own position is closer to the latter, but ultimately, the important thing is to do whatever works for you. (And if anyone disagrees with your position on the drug, whichever position you take, joke 'em if they can't take a fuck.)

Having said that, keep in mind that Ritalin is essentially speed. It acts like an amphetamine on everyone except, paradoxically, for people with ADD. For ADD'ers, it can have an effect that allows them to focus better, stay more alert and attuned, and function better in that big picture we call society. But in the end run, it's still speed.

Thus, while not a classical catabolic, it can have catabolic effects insofar as it can affect you like any other amphwetamine or diet pill. (Its catabolic effects, however, are not as strong as those of Dexadeine, which is also prscribed for ADD.)

So, let's bottom line it . . . Assuming you were prescribed Ritalin by a physician for ADD - and I'm sure you know that 60 mg. per day is the maximum recommended dosage of Ritalin, so you're not exactly on a lightweight (pardon the pun) regimen, the question is: How important is the Ritalin to your ability to function in your home/work/school environment?

Your profile doesn't include any information as to your age or stats (height, weight, workout routine, etc.), nor what your specific AS dosing level is. (For example, when you refer to 1,300 mg. of test, is that the total you have done? Or is that what you are doing per week?) So it's difficult to gauge whether (1) the Ritalin is having a catabolic effect on you and, (2) whether discontinuing the use of Riitalin would do more harm than good.

In other words, bro, there ain't no easy answer. One thing I would recommend is that you not quit Ritalin cold. As you are probably are already, if you simply stop the Ritalin (especially when you're on such a high dose), you're going to crash big time. You'll get over that, of course, but the next thing that has to be addressed is whether you need that kind of "external support" for your ADD.

My advice: Obviously, discuss it with your doctor - including your AS use. (It's cool - remember that doctors are bound by condfidentiality. However, do ask your doctor not to mention your AS use in your chart, which is part of your permanent medical record. But if you're under 18, put a feeler out to your doctor first to ensure that he or she won't discuss it with your parents.)

Also, think about getting some feedback from your family (without mentioning the AS) and your friends (especially any that know you do AS) to see if they feel discontinuing the RItalin may have any negative effects. It's always important to look in the mirror and ask yourself these questions, but it can be just as valuable to get feeddback from others.

What you will have to do, of course, is apply a "balancing test," using (for lack of a better term) a risk-versus-benefit analysis. Is the Ritalin doing more good than harm, and would discontinuing it for the sake of getting bigger outweigh the benefits of getting bigger?

Remember that one of the key methods that an ADD'er uses to accomplish anything is "hyperfocus." I've found that bodybuilders have a natural sense of hyperfocus (just as ADD'ers learn to develop that sense much more than the average person), so if you are truly into competitive bodybuilding, you may not need the Ritalin if you are able to function in the big picture and are accomplishing your goals.

Finally, if you do need medication support, remember that the speed-type drugs are not the only treatments for ADD. In many cases, tricyclic antidepressents have been successful, and they do not have the same effects as Ritalin and Dexadrine. And, believe it or not, some people have actually learned to manage their ADD without drugs. (Yes! Amazing! Astounding! Who'da thunk it?)

______________________

P.S. To give you some perspective on where I'm coming from, I'm an ADD'er myself, and have been able to document it back to the time when I was 2 years old. I never tried Ritalin until I was an adult, when ADD was suddenly becoming the chic disorder of the 1990's (much better than the chic disorder of the 1980's, which was herpes). I lasted on it about two weeks, then realized that I had already learned to hyperfocus and had already accomplished a lot over the years without the Ritalin. My solution: fuck the Ritalin. But again I would repeat: the important thing is to do what works for you.

By the way, if you want to read more about ADD/ADHD on this board, there was a thread about it a couple of months ago. You can go to it directly by clicking here.

[pvthndl]

My experience with Ritalin wasn't good. I was prescribed it for depression. Well, it got you feeling good, but soon I felt like I needed to take more and more - sometimes 6-10 pills per day. Of course, I'd stay up for 36 hours, etc. During this time, I wasn't interested in food or water.

So, I quit. My view is that if you find it helpful and do not find yourself using more and more, then it is ok. Watch that you don't let it decrease your food or water intake.

[bhouse]

THanks for all the great info ,Nice to see a board that seems to give a shit.

[Deadend]

TNT, can what you say about ritalin be applied to adderall as well. I don't have ADD, but i use adderall, like you said, as speed, to stay awake and study when i'm in a jam.