Tell your doctor if you use the next medicines:

• a blood thinner: warfarin (Coumadin);

• an antidepressant: amitriptyline (Vanatrip, Elavil),doxepin (Sinequan), citalopram (Celexa),  fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), nortriptyline (Pamelor) paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), and others.

• clonidine (Catapres);

• isoproterenol (Isuprel), epinephrine (EpiPen), dobutamine (Dobutrex);

• seizure medicine: phenobarbital (Luminal),phenytoin (Dilantin),  primidone (Mysoline); or

• allergy/cold drugs that contains phenylephrine (a decongestant);

• sodium acetate,potassium citrate (Urocit-K, Twin-K),  citric acid, sodium bicarbonate (Alka-Seltzer),  and  sodium citrate and citric acid (Bicitra, Oracit),potassium citrate (Poly-Citra,Cytra-K);

• medications to treat low or high  blood pressure;

• diet pills or stimulant medications.

1887 – Amphetamine was first observed at the Berlin University by Romanian chemist L.Edeleanu and named “phenylisopropylamine”.

1919 – Methamphetamine was first synthesized by a Japanese scientist A.Ogata.

1930 – Amphetamine property to increase blood pressure was discovered.

1932 – Amphetamine was first marketed under the name “benzedrine” in the form of an inhaler.

1935 – Amphetamine is used in medicine as a stimulant for the treatment of narcolepsy.

1937 – Amphetamine is available in pill form and is dispensed on prescription.

1940 – Methamphetamine is sold under the name “Methedrine”.

During World War II amphetamine and methamphetamine are widely used by soldiers.

1959 – The first report on intravenous administration of Benzedrine.

1963 – Illegal manufacture of amphetamines (after California issues decree banning amphetamines sale)

1960s – Methamphetamine is widespread in the United States.

1970 – The U.S. federal law requires banning the purchase of amphetamines without a prescription. 1980s – In the U.S. methamphetamine smoking become popular.

Complications arising from the use of methylphenidate are caused basically by insoluble excipients used in tablets. These materials block small blood vessels, causing serious damage to the lungs and retina.

In case of overdose:

• vomiting
• anxiety
• tremor
• hyperreflexia
• convulsions (may lead to coma)
• confusion
• delirium
• desudation
• flushing
• headache
• heat
• palpitation
• cardiac arrhythmia
•  dry mucous membranes

In case of overdose it is recommended to limit patient access to any object that can be used to cause injury in any way. It is necessary to wash out the stomach. In case of severe intoxication barbiturates can be used before gastric lavage. Benzodiazepine is often used in emergency to reduce the symptoms of an overdose.

Methylphenidate dosage for adults: 10-15 mg 2-3 times a day. The best time for Methylphenidate administration is the morning hours – at breakfast or at lunch. The recommended daily dose – 10-30 mg, the maximum dose – 60 mg / day. Treatment duration is from 2-4 weeks to 3-4 months.

Children aged 6 years and older

In case of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder an initial dose is 300 mg / kg or 2.5-5 mg 2 times a day (before breakfast and dinner). If necessary, increase the dose to 100 mg / kg / day or 5-10 mg / day at intervals of 1 week. The maintenance dose is 0.5-1 mg / kg / day. The maximum dose is 2 mg / kg / day or 60 mg / day.

Dizziness, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, nervousness, loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, heartburn, dry mouth, muscle tightness, uncontrollable movement of a part of the body, headache, restlessness, decreased sexual desire, numbness, burning, or tingling in the hands or feet, painful menstruation.

With long-term use of methylphenidate kidneys, liver, lungs are destroyed, is occured irreversible damage of blood vessels as a result – strokes,  brain damage, epilepsy and possible destruction of the retina.
Methylphenidate may cause sudden death in children and teenagers with heart defects or serious heart problems.

What is Methylphenidate?

Methylphenidate is used as a weak psychostimulant in asthenic conditions, fatigue, to treat attention deficit disorder, and also in central nervous system depression. Because of side effects in many countries it has been withdrawn from service of medicines.

The drug is similar to amphetamine and cocaine, but has a less strong stimulating effect and less effect on peripheral adrenergic systems. As it is used to treat children with attention deficit disorder  methylphenidate is called child cocaine.

Methods of use

Methylphenidate is available as a chewable tablet, an immediate-release tablet, a solution, an intermediate-acting tablet, a long-acting capsule, and a long-acting tablet.
It is taken mostly by mouth. For narcotic purposes pills are crushed and sniff up in powder form. In some cases, as an aqueous solution of the same tablets for injection.

Drug interactions

Methylphenidate may slow the metabolism of imipramine and other antidepressants metabolized by oxidative path. While obstinate depression, addition to antidepressants or stimulants such as methylphenidate sometimes gives a good effect.