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Precautions and Warnings With Methylphenidate
You should not take methylphenidate if you:
- Are allergic to methylphenidate hydrochloride, Ritalin, or any inactive component used to make the medication. Your healthcare provider or pharmacist has a list of the inactive ingredients.
- Have glaucoma (a condition of the eye).
- Have tics (abnormal, uncontrollable body movements).
- Have Tourette syndrome or a family history of it.
- Have used a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) within the past two weeks. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors include:
o Isocarboxazid (Marplan®)o Phenelzine (Nardil®)o Rasagiline (Azilect®)o Tranylcypromine (Parnate®).
There are a number of situations in which methylphenidate should not be taken, as well as several warnings and precautions to be aware of before taking it. However, it is possible that not all precautions and warning with methylphenidate were discussed in this article. Therefore, you should talk with your healthcare provider about any specific ones that may apply to you.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD