• SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    4 months ago

    Methylphenidate isn’t meth at all - it’s ritalin/concerta. “Meth” is amphetamine (Adderall) with a substituted methyl group (methamphetamine). This increases its ability to dissolve in lipids, so more enters the brain and at a greater rate.

    By mass, methylphenidate is about half the strength of amphetamine. Amphetamine is about 1/5 the strength of methamphetamine, so methylphenidate is about 1/10 the strength of methamphetamine. Amphetamines and methylphenidate also work by different mechanisms, so they have different effects, making the relative strength an imperfect comparison.

    Methamphetamine actually is prescribed on rare occasion under the brand name Desoxyn, usually as a last ditch effort for extreme, treatment-resistant ADHD.