On May 25 19:40 96, Suzanne Stewart of 1:253/120 wrote to Jerry Schwartz:
SS>     Hi Jerry I am afriad I don't know enough about the med to say you are 
SS> right
SS> or wrong. But the doctor has asked me to learn more about it for when it 
SS> does
SS> come time to put him on it. She says four years old is too young for 
SS> him....
SS> So tell me what you know about Ritalin...
Ritalin is the drug of choice for treating AD(H)D, because it works for many 
people and it has few (and well-studied) side effects.  It takes effect 
quickly (in less than an hour), and passes from the body within hours.  
Dosage is independent of age or weight, something that not many people 
realize.
When it works, the change can be dramatic but is not always so.  In some 
people, there is a "rebound" effect when the medication wears off as though 
the suppressed hyperactivity were saved up.  In some people, the drug 
interferes with sleep if taken in the evening.  (My son sleeps like a log 
regardless.)  Some people lose interest in food when they are on the 
medication, but as soon as it wears off they get hungry again.  (My son eats 
like a wolf regardless.)
AD(H)D varies from person to person, and so do reactions to Ritalin.   
Jerry Schwartz
--- MsgedSQB 3.30.01
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