Methylin Chewable Tablets

What Is Methylin Chewable Tablets?

Methylin Chewable Tablets (methylphenidate HCl) is a central nervous system stimulant used to treat attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and narcolepsy.

What Are Side Effects of Methylin Chewable Tablets?

Common side effects of Methylin Chewable Tablets include:

• headache,
• stomach pain,
• loss of appetite,
• weight loss,
• trouble sleeping (insomnia),
• dizziness,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• lightheadedness,
• irritability,
• nervousness,
• vision problems,
• dry mouth,
• constipation,
• sweating,
• skin rash,
• numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, or
• (rarely) drowsiness.

Methylin Chewable Tablets may raise your blood pressure. Check your blood pressure regularly and tell your doctor if the results are high. Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Methylin Chewable Tablets including:

• numbness/pain/skin color change/sensitivity to temperature in the fingers or toes,
• fast/pounding/irregular heartbeat,
• mental/mood/behavior changes (such as agitation, aggression, mood swings, abnormal thoughts, thoughts of suicide), or
• uncontrolled muscle movements (such as twitching, shaking),
• sudden outbursts of words or sounds that are hard to control.

Dosage for Methylin Chewable Tablets

The adult dose of Methylin is 20 to 30 mg daily, administered in divided doses 2 or 3 times daily, preferably 30 to 45 minutes before meals. The initial dose for children 6 years and older is 5 mg twice daily (before breakfast and lunch) with gradual increments of 5 to 10 mg weekly.

What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Methylin Chewable Tablets?

Methylin may interact with blood thinners, clonidine, dobutamine, epinephrine, isoproterenol, phenylbutazonie, cold/allergy medicine that contains phenylephrine, potassium citrate, sodium acetate, sodium bicarbonate, citric acid and potassium citrate, or sodium citrate and citric acid, medications to treat high or low blood pressure, stimulants or diet pills, seizure medicines, or antidepressants. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.

Methylin Chewable Tablets During Pregnancy or Breastfeeding

Methylin should be used during pregnancy only when prescribed. It is unknown if this drug passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding. Withdrawal symptoms may occur if you suddenly stop taking this medication.

Additional Information

Our Methylin Chewable Tablets (methylphenidate HCl) Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.

 

Methylin Chewable Tablets Consumer Information

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

• signs of heart problems--chest pain, trouble breathing, feeling like you might pass out;
• signs of psychosis--hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not real), new behavior problems, aggression, hostility, paranoia;
• signs of circulation problems--numbness, pain, cold feeling, unexplained wounds, or skin color changes (pale, red, or blue appearance) in your fingers or toes; or
• penis erection that is painful or lasts 4 hours or longer.

Seek medical attention right away if you have symptoms of serotonin syndrome, such as: agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Methylphenidate can affect growth in children. Your child's height and weight may need to be checked often. Tell your doctor if your child is not growing at a normal rate.

Common side effects may include:

• sweating, increased blood pressure;
• mood changes, anxiety, feeling nervous or irritable, trouble sleeping;
• fast heart rate, pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest;
• loss of appetite, weight loss;
• dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, indigestion; or
• headache, dizziness.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Read the entire detailed patient monograph for Methylin Chewable Tablets (Methylphenidate HCl Chewable Tablets )

 

Methylin Chewable Tablets Professional Information

SIDE EFFECTS

Nervousness and insomnia are the most common adverse reactions but are usually controlled by reducing dosage and omitting the drug in the afternoon or evening. Other reactions include hypersensitivity (including skin rash, urticaria, fever, arthralgia, exfoliative dermatitis, erythema multiforme with histopathological findings of necrotizing vasculitis, and thrombocytopenic purpura); anorexia; nausea; dizziness; palpitations; headache; dyskinesia; drowsiness; blood pressure and pulse changes, both up and down; tachycardia; angina; cardiac arrhythmia; abdominal pain; weight loss during prolonged therapy; libido changes; and rhabdomyolysis. There have been rare reports of Tourette's syndrome. Toxic psychosis has been reported. Although a definite causal relationship has not been established, the following have been reported in patients taking this drug: instances of abnormal liver function, ranging from transaminase elevation to severe hepatic injury; isolated cases of cerebral arteritis and/or occlusion; leucopenia and/or anemia; transient depressed mood; a few instances of scalp hair loss; serotonin syndrome in combination with serotonergic drugs. Very rare reports of neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) have been received, and, in most of these, patients were concurrently receiving therapies associated with NMS. In a single report, a ten year old boy who had been taking methylphenidate for approximately 18 months experienced an NMS-like event within 45 minutes of ingesting his first dose of venlafaxine. It is uncertain whether this case represented a drug-drug interaction, a response to either drug alone, or some other cause.

In children, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, weight loss during prolonged therapy, insomnia, and tachycardia may occur more frequently; however, any of the other adverse reactions listed above may also occur.

DRUG INTERACTIONS

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI)

Concomitant use of MAOIs and CNS stimulants, including Methylin can cause hypertensive crisis. Potential outcomes include death, stroke, myocardial infarction, aortic dissection, ophthalmological complications, eclampsia, pulmonary edema, and renal failure (see CONTRAINDICATIONS). Concomitant use of Methylin with MAOIs or within 14 days after discontinuing MAOI treatment is contraindicated.

Antihypertensive Drugs

Methylin may decrease the effectiveness of drugs used to treat hypertension. Monitor blood pressure and adjust the dosage of the antihypertensive drug as needed.

Risperidone

Combined use of methylphenidate with risperidone when there is a change, whether an increase or decrease, in dosage of either or both medications, may increase the risk of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS). Monitor for signs of EPS.

Methylin may decrease the hypotensive effect of guanethidine. Use cautiously with pressor agents.

Human pharmacologic studies have shown that Methylin may inhibit the metabolism of coumarin anticoagulants, anticonvulsants (phenobarbital, diphenylhydantoin, primidone), phenylbutazone, and tricyclic drugs (imipramine, clomipramine, desipramine). Downward dosage adjustments of these drugs may be required when given concomitantly with Methylin.

Read the entire FDA prescribing information for Methylin Chewable Tablets (Methylphenidate HCl Chewable Tablets )