Dangerous Drug Interactions

[pharmapsyche]

Dangerous Drug Interactions with Methylphenidate


Methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin is a stimulant drug used to help treat ADHD in children. ADHD is a illness where children have a hard time focusing and/or concentrating. Also, as a result in not treating a child’s ADHD illness, behavior problems could easily arise. Over half of the youth population is prescribed to some sort of stimulant to help treat there disorder, and every 1 out of 5 children are prescribed to Methylphenidate. Methylphenidate is pharmacologically similar to Amphetamine.


When taking the drug, to help treat ADHD, you must realize there is always a possibility for side effects, just as with any drug. The most common side effects for someone prescribed to Methylphenidate are jittery-ness, skin rashes, loss of appetite, weight loss, and insomnia although not many experience these discomforts.


The side effects are not what is causing people to have a concern. What doctors, pharmacologists, and nurses are talking about is the drug interactions with Methylphenidate. The drugs Tofranil and Dilantin can all cause bad reactions and sometimes a fatal reaction when being combined with Methylphenidate. Tofranil is a tricyclic antidepressant often used to help young children with their ‘bed-wetting’ problems. Tricyclic antidepressants have side effects such as those of constipation, upset stomach, nervousness, emotion instability, and digestive upset. An overdose of any tricyclic antidepressant may easily be fatal. If prescribed to both Tofranil and Methylphenidate, is it likely there will be increased levels of tricyclic antidepressant in the blood stream. There has been reports of adolescents having dysfunctional behavior, such as violence and depression, while being put on both of these drugs at once.


Next there is the prescription drug Dilantin, which is an anticonvulsant, and commonly prescribed for children and adults who have seizures. Sometimes doctors don’t realize the patient is on another prescription drug like Methylphenidate already, so the patient ends up taking both. When Methylphenidate and Dilantin are combined Methylphenidate could easily increase blood levels of Dilantin and could possibly produce side effects such as extreme headaches, dizziness, nausea, twitching, and slurred speech. Before receiving a new prescription always let your doctor or pharmacologist know about any other drugs you are taking, to lessen your risks of a dangerous drug interaction.

[Freak_]

Ritas. For drug use okay...but i mention it's not the right thing for the kids.

[sadskills1987]

a little off topic, but i have known people who said that if you have too much potassium chloride in your system when you take it, then you will get horrible rashes

[pharmapsyche]

I tried to look information up for you about having too much potassium chloride in your system and then taking a dose of methylphenidate aka:ritilan and getting a rash, sorry.

[sands of time]

Usually doctors are good about checking what meds patients are taking. In fact, many doctors won't make a decision about medication until they have the patients chart in hand, checking carefully for meds that could cause bad interactions.