Methylphenidate: What Should I Discuss With My Healthcare Provider Before Taking Methylphenidate

Content provided by Cerner Multum, Inc.

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;
• a personal or family history of tics (muscle twitches) or Tourette's syndrome; or
• severe anxiety, tension, or agitation (methylphenidate can make these symptoms worse).

Some stimulants have caused sudden death in children and adolescents with serious heart problems or congenital heart defects.

Before using methylphenidate, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

• a congenital heart defect;
• high blood pressure;
• heart failure, heart rhythm disorder, or recent heart attack;
• 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.

If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use methylphenidate, or you may need a dose adjustment or special tests during treatment.

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.

Last updated:	August 22, 2008