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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.
Symptoms of a methylphenidate overdose may include vomiting, agitation, tremors, muscle twitching, seizure (convusions), 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 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:
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fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeats;
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feeling light-headed, fainting;
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increased blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, trouble concentrating, chest pain, numbness, seizure);
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fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
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aggression, restlessness, hallucinations, unusual behavior, or motor tics (muscle twitches); or
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easy bruising, purple spots on your skin.
Continue taking methylphenidate and talk with your doctor if you have any of these less serious side effects:
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vision problems;
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mild skin rash;
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dizziness;
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nervous feeling, sleep problems (insomnia);
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nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite; or
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weight loss.
Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
What other drugs will affect methylphenidate?
Before taking methylphenidate, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:
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blood pressure medications;
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a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
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clonidine (Catapres);
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seizure medicine such as phenytoin (Dilantin), phenobarbital (Luminal), primidone (Mysoline); or
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antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil, Etrafon), amoxapine (Ascendin), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin (Sinequan),fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), paroxetine (Paxil), protriptyline (Vivactil), sertraline (Zoloft), or trimipramine (Surmontil).
If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to use methylphenidate, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.
There may be other drugs not listed that can affect 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 has information about methylphenidate written for health professionals that you may read.
What does my medication look like?
Methylphenidate is available with a prescription under many brand names such as Ritalin, Methylin, Methylin ER, Metadate ER, Metadate CD, and Concerta. Generic formulations may also be available. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about this medication, especially if it is new to you.
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Ritalin 5 mg--round, yellow tablets
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Ritalin 10 mg--round, pale-green, scored tablets
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Ritalin 20 mg--round, pale-yellow, scored tablets
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Ritalin SR 20 mg--round, white, coated tablets
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Ritalin LA 20 mg-white capsules
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Ritalin LA 30 mg-yellow capsules
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Ritalin LA 40 mg-light brown capsules
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Methylin 5 mg-round, white, tablets
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Methylin 10 mg-round, white, scored tablets
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Methylin 20 mg-round, white, scored tablets
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Methylin ER 10 mg-round, white tablets
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Methylin ER 20 mg-round, white tablets
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Metadate ER 10 mg-oval, white, tablets
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Metadate ER 20 mg-round, white, tablets
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Metadate CD 20 mg-blue and white capsules
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Concerta 18 mg-yellow tablets
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Concerta 36 mg-white tablets
- 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.
- Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
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