Stop taking methylphenidate and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeats;

• feeling like you might pass out;

• fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;

• aggression, restlessness, hallucinations, unusual behavior, or motor tics (muscle twitches);

• easy bruising, purple spots on your skin; or

• dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, seizure).

Less serious side effects may include:

• stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite;

• vision problems;

• sweating, mild skin rash;

• dizziness;

• nervous feeling, sleep problems (insomnia); or

• weight loss.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

What other drugs will affect methylphenidate?

Before taking methylphenidate, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

• blood pressure medications;

• a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);

• clonidine (Catapres);

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

• an antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil, Etrafon), citalopram (Celexa), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin (Sinequan), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), and others.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with methylphenidate. 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 methylphenidate.

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.