Plugging Concerta | Effects & Dangers Of Rectal Methylphenidate Use

Plugging Concerta produces an intense effect because it takes the drug straight to your bloodstream. It can also tear rectal tissue, inflame your colon, and make it more likely you’ll overdose or become addicted.

Plugging is inserting a drug into the rectum through the anus. It’s also known as booty bumping or shafting. 

The rectum is full of blood vessels that quickly absorb the drug into the bloodstream and circulate it through your body. Like snorting, plugging drugs prevents the liver from metabolizing a substance so you get the maximum effect.

Concerta (methylphenidate) is a pill that you’re supposed to take orally. Plugging Concerta can have dangerous and unexpected effects on your body.

Effects Of Plugging Concerta

Concerta is a stimulant commonly prescribed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or narcolepsy. It stimulates the brain to help you focus. It also activates the central nervous system (CNS), increasing heartbeat, breathing, and energy levels.

As an extended-release formulation, Concerta is gradually distributed through your body when you take it orally. Plugging Concerta can interfere with this process, causing the whole dose to enter your system and produce an intense effect. 

Effects of plugging Concerta include:

  • increased concentration
  • a spike in energy levels
  • a feeling of euphoria
  • decreased appetite

Increased Bioavailability

Because Concerta doesn’t pass through the digestive system when you plug it, the bioavailability is higher (more of the drug is available to enter your bloodstream). Plugging a drug typically provides a faster onset and shorter peak, and it won’t last as long as a drug you take orally.

High & Comedown

Reports from people who’ve plugged Concerta claim that the high is short (around 30 minutes), while the comedown is miserable and can last several hours. A stimulant comedown may include depression, fatigue, hunger, and lack of focus.

The effects of plugging Concerta are similar to those of other commonly abused stimulants, like:

Worsened Side Effects

Drug abuse increases the risk of side effects. Side effects can occur with prescribed use of methylphenidate, but taking a drug more often or in ways other than prescribed can worsen adverse effects.

Common Concerta side effects are:

  • nervousness
  • restlessness
  • irritability
  • anxiety
  • difficulty sleeping
  • dizziness
  • headaches
  • dry mouth
  • nausea
  • weight loss

More severe and less common side effects of methylphenidate may be:

  • slowed growth (adolescents)
  • seizures (especially if you have a history of them)
  • eyesight changes or blurred vision
  • racing heart rate
  • excessive sweating
  • vomiting
  • constipation

Dangers Of Rectal Methylphenidate Use

When you plug Concerta, it’s possible you won’t experience the full effect if you have a bowel movement before the drug is completely absorbed. If you get the full dose, you risk overdosing and other complications.

Concerta Overdose

A Concerta overdose is typically not deadly but may lead to seizures, which can be life-threatening. 

Combining Concerta with other stimulant drugs raises overdose risk by multiplying the stimulant effect. Depressant drugs (such as opioids) with an opposing effect also increase the chance of overdose by making it hard to tell when you’ve had too much.

Signs of overdose from plugging Concerta include:

  • agitation
  • confusion
  • headache
  • dry mouth
  • dilated pupils
  • vomiting
  • fever
  • excessive sweating
  • racing heartbeat
  • heart palpitations (fluttering)
  • high blood pressure
  • muscle breakdown 
  • seizures
  • psychosis

Rectal Tissue Damage

Inserting anything into the rectum can tear your rectal tissues, which are very sensitive. This can inflame the rectum and make it painful to poop. 

Plugging drugs can also irritate the digestive tract and colon lining, causing diarrhea or constipation.

Disease Transmission

Because Concerta is an extended-release pill, people typically take it apart and dissolve it in water before shooting it into the anus with a needleless syringe for more rapid absorption.

 Sharing paraphernalia for rectal drug use can spread sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Concerta Addiction

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Concerta for medical use. However, because of its high potential for abuse and addiction, it’s a Schedule II controlled substance. 

Ohio healthcare providers are required to use extra precautions when prescribing Schedule II controlled substances to limit abuse and overlapping prescriptions. 

Despite the increased difficulty of obtaining drugs like Concerta legally, methylphenidate is sold on the street in Ohio. Many people who buy Concerta on the street aren’t using it for ADHD or to study for a big exam—they’re developing an addiction to it.

When you regularly misuse a drug like methylphenidate, your brain changes structure. It stops responding to natural stimulation and depends on the drug, which makes it hard to stop taking it. The intense effect of plugging Concerta may lead to addiction even more quickly. 

People who abuse Concerta by plugging or other methods are likely to take more than recommended or use it without a prescription. Both types of abuse increase the risk of addiction.

Signs of Concerta (methylphenidate) addiction may be:

  • excessive energy followed by exhaustion
  • plugging Concerta regularly
  • changes in mood and behavior
  • loss of interest in hobbies
  • strained relationships because of drug use
  • financial problems from buying Concerta

Addiction is a mental disease that can devastate your health, life, and relationships. If you or a loved one are plugging Concerta or struggling with other methods of methylphenidate abuse, it’s never too late to ask for help. 

Concerta Addiction Treatment

The best treatment programs for Concerta (methylphenidate) addiction use a combination of therapies to treat the root of addiction and transform how you live. Some substance abuse treatment options are behavioral therapy, yoga and meditation, exercise, and peer support groups.

At Ohio Recovery Center, we provide inpatient rehab programs for methylphenidate and other prescription drugs. We use evidence-based therapies to ensure you have the best chance of recovery success. Contact us today to learn more.

  1. Clinical Pharmacokinetics https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6126289/
  2. Food and Drug Administration https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2007/021121s014lbl.pdf
  3. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=1a88218c-5b18-4220-8f56-526de1a276cd
  4. The Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC181133/

Written by Ohio Recovery Center Editorial Team

Published on: August 22, 2023

© 2025 Ohio Recovery Center | All Rights Reserved

* This page does not provide medical advice.

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