Dexmethylphenidate

What is dexmethylphenidate? 

Dexmethylphenidate is a mild stimulant to the central nervous system (brain and nerves).
Dexmethylphenidate is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Dexmethylphenidate may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide. 

What is the most important information I should know about dexmethylphenidate? 

Do not use dexmethylphenidate if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam),  or tranylcypromine (Parnate) within the past 14 days. Serious, life-threatening side effects can occur if  you take dexmethylphenidate before  the MAO inhibitor has cleared from  your body. 

Before using this medication, tell your doctor if  you are allergic  to any drugs, or if  you have severe depression  or a history of mental illness, seizures or epilepsy, high blood pressure, a history of drug or alcohol addiction, congestive heart failure, or if you have recently had a heart attack. 

Some stimulants have caused sudden death in children and adolescents  with serious heart problems or congenital heart defects. Before taking dexmethylphenidate, tell  your doctor if you have any type  of heart problems. 

Long-term  use of dexmethylphenidate can slow a child's growth. Tell your doctor if the child using this medication is not growing  or gaining weight properly. 

Dexmethylphenidate may be habit-forming and should be  used only by the person it was prescribed for. Dexmethylphenidate should never be shared with another person, especially someone who has a history of drug abuse  or addiction. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it. 

Keep track of how many pills have been used from each new bottle of this medicine. Dexmethylphenidate is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if any person in the household is using this medicine improperly or without a prescription. 

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking dexmethylphenidate? 

Do not use  dexmethylphenidate if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) within  the past 14 days. Serious, life-threatening side effects can occur if  you take dexmethylphenidate before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body.  You should not take dexmethylphenidate if you are allergic to dexmethylphenidate or methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta), or if you have: 

• glaucoma; 
• motor tics (twitches); 
• a personal  or family history of Tourette's syndrome; or 
• if  you have significant tension, agitation, or anxiety. 

• severe depression  or a history of mental illness; 
• a history of drug or alcohol addiction; 
• seizures or epilepsy; 
• high blood pressure; 
• heart disease, heart rhythm problems, or congestive heart failure; or 
• if you have recently had a heart attack. 

FDA pregnancy category C. It  is not known whether dexmethylphenidate is harmful to an unborn baby. Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether dexmethylphenidate 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 dexmethylphenidate 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 this medication  to a child younger than 6 years old. Dexmethylphenidate may be habit-forming  and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. 

Dexmethylphenidate should never be shared  with another person, especially someone  who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep  the medication  in a secure place where others cannot get to it. 

Keep track  of how many pills have been used from each new bottle  of this medicine. Dexmethylphenidate is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if any person  in the household is using this medicine improperly or without a prescription. 

How should I take dexmethylphenidate? 

Take this medication exactly  as it was prescribed for you. Do not  take the medication in larger amounts,  or take  it for longer than recommended by your doctor.  Follow the directions on your prescription label. 

Your  doctor may occasionally change your dose  to make sure  you get the best results from this medication. 

Take this medicine with a full glass of water. 

This medication is usually taken in  the morning before breakfast. You may take it with  or without food. 

You may  open the dexmethylphenidate capsule and sprinkle the medicine into a spoonful of applesauce to make swallowing easier.  Swallow this mixture right away without chewing.  Do not save the mixture for  later use. Discard the empty capsule. 

To be sure this medication is helping your condition; your  doctor will need to check your progress  on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor. 

Store  dexmethylphenidate at room temperature away from moisture  and heat. 

What happens  if I miss a dose? 

Take the missed dose as soon as  you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, or  if it  is already evening, skip  the missed dose and take  the medicine the next morning. Taking  this medicine late in the day can cause sleep problems. 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. 

Overdose symptoms  may include dry mouth, sweating, headache, warmth  or tingly feeling, vomiting, agitation, tremors, muscle twitches, confusion, hallucinations, fast or pounding heartbeats, large pupils, and seizure (convulsions). 

What should I avoid while taking dexmethylphenidate? 

Avoid taking dexmethylphenidate  in the evening because  it may cause sleep problems (insomnia). 

Dexmethylphenidate can cause side effects  that may impair  your thinking  or reactions. Be careful if you drive  or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. 

Dexmethylphenidate side effects 

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 using dexmethylphenidate and  call your doctor  at once if you have any of these serious side effects: 

• dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, ringing in your ears, chest pain, numbness, seizure); 
• fast or uneven heart rate; 
• blurred vision or other visual changes; 
• unusual behavior, confusion; or 
• twitching or tics. 

Less serious side effects may include: 

• sleep problems (insomnia); 
• loss of appetite; 
• upset stomach; 
• feeling restless, anxious, or jittery; 
• dry mouth, sore throat; or 
• Headache.

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 

What other drugs will affect dexmethylphenidate? 

Before taking dexmethylphenidate, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following medicines: 

• antacids;
• blood pressure medications; 
• a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin); 
• clonidine (Catapres); 
• seizure medications such as phenytoin (Dilantin), phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton), primidone (Mysoline); or 
• Antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil, Etrafon), amoxapine (Ascendin), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), protriptyline (Vivactil),  or trimipramine (Surmontil).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with dexmethylphenidate. 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 can provide more  information about dexmethylphenidate. 
• 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.