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In this Article

• What is methylphenidate (Ritalin)?
• What are the possible side effects of methylphenidate?
• What is the most important information I should know about methylphenidate?
• What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking methylphenidate?
• How should I take methylphenidate?
• What happens if I miss a dose?
• What happens if I overdose?
• What should I avoid while taking methylphenidate?
• What other drugs will affect methylphenidate?
• Where can I get more information?

What happens if I miss a dose?

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.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of methylphenidate can be fatal.

Overdose can cause vomiting, agitation, tremors, muscle twitching, seizure (convulsions), confusion, hallucinations, sweating, fast or pounding heartbeat, blurred vision, dry mouth and nose, and fainting.

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.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about methylphenidate.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

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