the side effects you all describe are only common if you abuse it. I take ritalin all the time, but only as prescribed, and it is fine. (the dosage I take is the absolute maximum recomended amount. I take 72 mg of the slow release form in the morning, and 20 of the faster release form as I need it throughout the day.)
More than that, I come from a long line of doctors (my father, my mother, my grandfather, etc...) who are all distinguished in their fields (my father is a ceo of an hmo, my mother is a published psycho-analyst, my grandfather was a prominent cardiologist before he passed away) so I take what they tell me to be as accurate as it gets. The deal is that methylphenidate is the safest of the amphetamines, and the only one not associated with coronary complications.
Of course if you abuse it, your blood pressure will rise and your heart can race, and these all increase your chance of a heart attack or stroke, blah blah blah. if you have underlying conditions, your doctor probably knows about them and wouldnt recommend this if it were a serious health risk. If you don't trust his judgment, you're seeing the wrong doctor. Get a second opinion, but don't be foolish enough to mistake 20 minutes of internet research on a drug to be comparable to the experience and knowledge that a doctor acquires through nearly a decade of medical school, internships, and residencies, all before he begins to practice medicine.
Research it if you like, and if you have concerns, be sure to address them with your doctor. If you don't trust his opinion, seek a second. But bear in mind that your decisions will be made from biased and insufficient information, while a doctor's will be made with your best interests in mind.
also, personal stories are the single worst place to get information on a drug. The reason trials require such massive test groups is that drugs have wildly varying effects on different individuals. If a drug has been approved by the FDA, it usually means that it is safe if taken as proscribed. No drug works exactly the same for two people, so the only thing you can do is be sure it is safe, and see if what it does for you is what it is meant to do.
N.B.
Not all doctors are equal. Check a doctor's background. Their malpractice information is public, so look it up.
Different med schools are easier or harder to get into because the students they train are smarter or dumber, and will make better or worse doctors. Research your doctor, and if he is well regarded in his field, then you should probably trust his judgment over yours.
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