What is methylphenidate?
Methylphenidate is a central nervous system stimulant. It affects chemicals in the brain and
nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control.
Methylphenidate is used to treat attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), and narcolepsy.
Methylphenidate may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking methylphenidate?
Do not take methylphenidate if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid
(Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), or selegiline (Eldepryl,
Emsam) within the past 14 days. Serious, life-threatening side effects can occur if you use
methylphenidate before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body.
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to methylphenidate or if you
have:
-
glaucoma;
-
overactive thyroid;
-
severe high blood pressure;
-
angina (chest pain), heart failure, heart rhythm disorder, or
recent heart attack;
-
a personal or family history of tics (muscle twitches) or
Tourette's syndrome;
-
severe anxiety, tension, or agitation (methylphenidate can
make these symptoms worse); or
-
a hereditary condition such as fructose intolerance,
glucose-galactose malabsorption, or sucrase-isomaltase insufficiency.
Some stimulants have caused sudden death in children and adolescents
with serious heart problems or congenital heart defects. Tell your doctor if you have a congenital heart
defect.
If you have certain other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely
take this medication. Before using methylphenidate, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or
if you have:
-
a congenital heart defect;
-
a personal or family history of mental illness, psychotic
disorder, bipolar illness, depression, or suicide attempt;
-
epilepsy or other seizure disorder; or
-
a history of drug or alcohol addiction.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether methylphenidate
is harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during
treatment.
It is not known whether methylphenidate passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing
baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Long-term use of methylphenidate can slow a child's growth. Tell your doctor if the child using
this medication is not growing or gaining weight properly.
Do not give methylphenidate to a child younger than 6 years old without the advice of a
doctor.
How should I take methylphenidate?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger
amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your
prescription label.
Take this medication at least 30 minutes before a meal. The extended-release forms of
methylphenidate (Ritalin-SR, Metadate ER, Metadate CD, Methylin ER, Concerta) can be taken with
or without food.
The chewable tablet must be chewed before you swallow it.
Do not crush, chew, or break an extended-release tablet. Swallow the pill whole. It is
specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking the pill would cause too much of the
drug to be released at one time.
If you have trouble swallowing the extended-release capsule, you may open the capsule and
sprinkle the medicine into a spoonful of applesauce to make swallowing easier. Swallow this mixture
right away without chewing. Do not save the mixture for later use. Discard the empty capsule.
Measure liquid medicine with a special dose-measuring spoon or cup, not a regular table spoon.
If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.
To prevent sleep problems, take this medication early in the day, no later than 6:00 pm.
If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using
methylphenidate. You may need to stop using the medicine the day of your surgery.
Store methylphenidate at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Keep track of how many pills have been used from each new bottle of this medicine.
Methylphenidate is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if any person in the household is using this
medicine improperly or without a prescription.
What happens if I miss a dose of methylphenidate?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the
missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time.
Do not
take
extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Where can I get more information about methylphenidate?
Your pharmacist has information about methylphenidate written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of methylphenidate?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these
signs of an allergic
reaction:
hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Stop taking methylphenidate and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side
effects:
-
fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeats;
-
feeling like you might pass out;
-
fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering,
peeling, and red skin rash;
-
aggression, restlessness, hallucinations, unusual behavior,
or motor tics (muscle twitches);
-
easy bruising, purple spots on your skin; or
-
dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred
vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven
heartbeats, seizure).
Less serious side effects may include:
-
stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite;
-
vision problems, dizziness, mild headache;
-
sweating, mild skin rash;
-
numbness, tingling, or cold feeling in your hands or feet;
-
nervous feeling, sleep problems (insomnia); or
-
weight loss.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your
doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the most important information I should know about methylphenidate?
Do not use methylphenidate if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid
(Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), or selegiline (Eldepryl,
Emsam) within the past 14 days. Serious, life-threatening side effects can occur if you use
methylphenidate before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body.
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to methylphenidate or if you have glaucoma,
overactive thyroid, severe high blood pressure, tics or Tourette's syndrome, angina, heart failure, heart
rhythm disorder, recent heart attack, a hereditary condition such as fructose intolerance,
glucose-galactose malabsorption, or sucrase-isomaltase deficiency, or severe anxiety, tension, or
agitation.
Methylphenidate may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was
prescribed for.
Methylphenidate should never be shared with another person,
especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction.
Keep the medication
in a secure place where others cannot get to it.
What should I avoid while taking methylphenidate?
Methylphenidate can cause side effects that may impair your vision or reactions. Be careful
if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
What other drugs will affect methylphenidate?
Before taking methylphenidate, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:
-
a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
-
clonidine (Catapres);
-
dobutamine (Dobutrex), epinephrine (EpiPen), or
isoproterenol (Isuprel);
-
phenylbutazonie (Azolid, Butazolidin);
-
cold/allergy medicine that contains phenylephrine (a
decongestant);
-
potassium citrate (Urocit-K, Twin-K), sodium acetate,
sodium bicarbonate (Alka-Seltzer), citric acid and potassium citrate (Cytra-K, Poly-Citra), or
sodium citrate and citric acid (Bicitra, Oracit);
-
medications to treat high or low blood pressure;
-
stimulant medications or diet pills;
-
seizure medicine such as phenytoin (Dilantin),
phenobarbital (Luminal), primidone (Mysoline); or
-
an antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil, Etrafon),
citalopram (Celexa), doxepin (Sinequan), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), imipramine (Janimine,
Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor) paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), and others.
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with
methylphenidate. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use.
This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start
using a new medication without telling your doctor.
What happens if I have an overdose of methylphenidate?
