>[!summary] >This article covers **Ritalin**, **Rubifen**, **Concerta**, and **Strattera**. The first three are all different names for **methylphenidate hydrochloride**. You may have also heard of **Adderall**, but we don't get that in NZ. >[!danger] BIG DISCLAIMER >None of this is medical advice. Talk to your GP / psychiatrist / medical professional about your specific circumstances. I'm just going to do a quick sweep over the options in NZ, but if you'd like to get into the details, I would recommend [this webpage](https://www.neuropsychiatry.co.nz/medication-for-adhd), partly because it includes cute tidbits like: >[!quote] >Ritalin is named after the chemist’s wife, Rita. It has been available in New Zealand since 1970. Adorable. Now, onto the rundown: If you're seeking medication as part of your treatment for ADHD in New Zealand, chances are, you're going to be put on some form of **methylphenidate**. **Methylphenidate** is a stimulant medication that helps your brain to recycle dopamine better. It's safe and well-studied, and it's also used to treat narcolepsy. ^methylphenidate-shortcut You may know it by a particular name: [[ADHD medication options in NZ#Ritalin|Ritalin]], [[ADHD medication options in NZ#Rubifen|Rubifen]], or [[ADHD medication options in NZ#Concerta|Concerta]]. They all contain methylphenidate as the active substance, but can affect people differently[^1]. # Ritalin **Ritalin** is probably the best-known medication for ADHD, along with **Adderall** (which you can't get in New Zealand). It contains methylphenidate as the active substance. If the meds you've received just say Ritalin on them, you've probably got the 10mg immediate release (IR) version, which lasts about three to four hours. Most commonly, you'll take one tablet twice a day (morning and afternoon). Ritalin also comes in 20mg sustained release (SR) tablets, which means that each tablet will release 20mg of methylphenidate over a period of about 6 hours. There is also Ritalin LA. The LA stands for 'long-acting' and it releases the methylphenidate a bit differently, over a period of about 8 hours. This one comes in capsules, rather than tablets, and they have different-coloured ones for the different doses (10mg all the way up to 40mg). # Rubifen **Rubifen** is just the generic version of **Ritalin**, so sometimes you'll hear people use the two interchangeably. If the meds you've received just say **Rubifen**, you've probably got the 10mg immediate release (IR) version, which lasts about three to four hours. Most commonly, you'll take one tablet twice a day (morning and afternoon). Rubifen also comes in 20mg sustained release (SR) tablets, which means that each tablet will release 20mg of methylphenidate over a period of about 6 hours. That's it for Rubifen — it just comes in those two formulations. # Concerta **Concerta** is a bit special, but it's still just methylphenidate. Concerta has a fancy patented way of releasing methylphenidate, which means that the capsule itself doesn't dissolve in your body, you poop it out. It only comes in XR (extended release) for that reason. The key thing with Concerta is that it releases methylphenidate over a period of about 10 to 12 hours[^2]. Most people just take one first thing in the morning. It comes in 18mg, 27mg, 36mg, and 54mg. Concerta tablets are kind of cylinder-shaped (not really like a regular pill capsule), and come in different sizes and colours to differentiate between the doses. # Strattera Finally we have **Strattera**, which is the most common **non-stimulant** option for ADHD medication in NZ. Some people can't take stimulants because they have heart issues, or because stimulants make their anxiety worse. The active substance in Strattera is **atomoxetine** and it targets a different set of brain pathways than methylphenidate does. It's still helping you with your ADHD; it's just doing it in a roundabout way. Strattera comes in colour-coded capsules, from 10mg all the way up to 100mg. One key thing about Strattera is that it takes a lot longer for its effect to take hold — we're talking a month, minimum. With methylphenidate, your doctor will still start with a low dose and work you up in order to find your personal sweet spot — but once you take it, the effects should kick in within about 30 minutes. With Strattera, you gradually up the dosage *and* you have to give it a month to judge what it's doing for you. As you can guess, that can be both a good and a bad thing! It just all depends on your personal circumstances. ------------ At some point, I'll write an article that goes into more detail about the different formulations (IR vs SR vs LA vs XR). For now, here's an article I've already written on the [[Advice I would give to someone starting medication for their ADHD|advice I would give to someone starting on (stimulant) medication]] for their ADHD. [^1]: I talk about this a little bit [[Advice I would give to someone starting medication for their ADHD#🤹🏻‍♀️ Have a play|in this article]]. [^2]: For me personally, Concerta seems to last 12 hours exactly. Makes it easy to calculate!