Methylphenidate
A CNS stimulant that blocks dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, used for ADHD in children and adults and for narcolepsy.
Drug card
- Class
- CNS stimulant
- How it works
- Blocking dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, so both rise in the synapse
- Used for
- ADHD in children aged 6 and over and in adults
- Narcolepsy
- Known for
- Loss of appetite
- Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
Study it as a flashcard, and it comes back before you forget it.
Mechanism of action
How does methylphenidate work?
Methylphenidate is a racemic mixture in which the d-threo enantiomer is the more active. It stops presynaptic neurons taking back dopamine and norepinephrine and boosts their release, raising both in the synapse; how this improves ADHD is not known.
Uses
What is methylphenidate used for?
- ADHD in children aged 6 and over and in adults
- Narcolepsy
Side effects
Side effects of methylphenidate
- Loss of appetiteKnown for
- Trouble sleeping (insomnia)Known for
- Weight loss
- Slower growth in children
- Headache
- Stomach ache
- Raised blood pressure
- Fast heart rate and palpitations
- Misuse, addiction and dependenceSerious
- New psychotic or manic symptomsSerious
- Sudden death, stroke or heart attack in heart diseaseSerious
- Cold, pale or painful fingers and toes (Raynaud's)
Known for marks what an exam expects you to know it for.
Watch for
Cautions and what sets it apart
- Never give alongside an MAOI, or in the 14 days after one is stopped, because of hypertensive crisis.
- Ask about heart disease first, and avoid it in serious structural heart disease, cardiomyopathy or serious arrhythmias.
- Check blood pressure, pulse, height and weight regularly, and watch for misuse.
- It can raise eye pressure: take care in glaucoma and in people at risk of acute angle closure.
Good to know: A controlled drug with a boxed warning for misuse and addiction; standard and slow-release forms differ in how long one dose lasts.
Remember it
A way to remember it
WAIT
- W
- Weight loss
- A
- Appetite loss
- I
- Insomnia
- T
- Tachycardia (fast heart rate)
Written for biofideX
Its class
CNS stimulants
CNS stimulants such as methylphenidate block the dopamine (DAT) and norepinephrine (NET) transporters and increase release of both transmitters, so more of them act in the synapse. Activity rises in brain areas that control attention and behavior, but exactly how this eases ADHD is not known. They also raise heart rate and blood pressure.
Easily mixed up with sympathomimetics.
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
- Methylphenidate hydrochloride tablets: label (DailyMed)
- Methylphenidate hydrochloride extended-release capsules: label (DailyMed)
- Methylphenidate (NCI Thesaurus)
- Methylphenidate for children (NHS)
- Methylphenidate for adults (NHS)
For learning pharmacology, not for treatment decisions: no doses are given, and a prescriber, pharmacist or the product's own label is the word on any one patient. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll correct it.
Psychosis, mood and ADHD
Methylphenidate is one of 9 drugs practiced together here: their classes, how they work, what they treat and what they're known for.
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