Name: Methylphenidate hydrochloride
Pregnancy Category C
C-II controlled substance
Drug classes
- CNS stimulant
Therapeutic actions
Mild cortical stimulant with CNS actions similar to those of the amphetamines; efficacy in hyperkinetic syndrome, attention-deficit disorders in children appears paradoxical and is not understood.
Indications
- Narcolepsy
- Attention-deficit disorders, hyperkinetic syndrome, minimal brain dysfunction in children with a behavioral syndrome characterized by the following symptoms: moderate to severe distractibility, short attention span, hyperactivity, emotional lability and impulsivity, not secondary to environmental factors or psychiatric disorders
- Unlabeled use: treatment of depression in the elderly, cancer and stroke patients
Contraindications/cautions
Contraindicated in the presence of hypersensitivity to methylphenidate; marked anxiety, tension, and agitation; glaucoma; motor tics, family history or diagnosis of Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome; severe depression of endogenous or exogenous origin; normal fatigue states.
Use caution in the presence of seizure disorders; hypertension; drug dependence, alcoholism; emotional instability; lactation.
Adverse effects
- CNS: Nervousness, insomnia, dizziness, headache, dyskinesia, chorea, drowsiness, Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, toxic psychosis, blurred vision, accommodation difficulties
- GI: Anorexia, nausea, abdominal pain, weight loss
- CV: Increased or decreased pulse and blood pressure; tachycardia, angina, cardiac arrhythmias, palpitations
- Hematologic: Leukopenia, anemia
- Dermatologic: Skin rash, urticaria, fever, arthralgia, exfoliative dermatitis, erythema multiforme with necrotizing vasculitis and thrombocytopenic purpura, loss of scalp hair
- Other: Tolerance, psychological dependence, abnormal behavior with abuse
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