What happens in case of overdose?
Side effects may be more severe in case of overdose. An overdose of a single dose of twice the dose may cause palpitations, dizziness, sleep disturbances, increased alertness, or excessive sedation and drowsiness. As the effect of Ritalin® usually lasts only for a few hours, the side effects of the overdose disappear after that.
If this is not the case or if there is any doubt before, a doctor should be contacted. An overdose that exceeds a single double dose can have serious consequences. Colloquially called “thunderstorm in the brain” can occur.
This can manifest itself with epileptic seizures, disturbances of consciousness and even coma. In addition, it can lead to a “thunderstorm in the heart” with cardiac arrhythmia. In these cases medical treatment is immediate and absolutely necessary.
The active ingredient methylphenidate in Ritalin® can impair the effectiveness of other drugs. These include:
- Anticoagulants (coumarins)
- Agents for the treatment of epilepsy (including phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone)
- Neuroleptics (e.g. Haloperidol®)
- Antidepressants (Imipramin®, Desipramin®)
- Phenylbutazone
- Carbamazepine
- Antacids
The drug Ritalin® is not indicated during pregnancy and women of childbearing age should use a safe contraceptive method while taking Ritalin®. As it is not yet known to what extent methylphenidate (Ritalin®) passes into breast milk, it is recommended to discontinue breastfeeding before taking Ritalin® or to wait until the end of the breastfeeding period before taking Ritalin® to avoid a possible negative effect on the child. Important information about the drug can be found on the main page General information about drug therapy can be found at A list of all drugs we have already published can be found at Drugs A-Z.
- Ritalin
- Ritalin effect
- ADS drugs
- ADHD drugs
All articles in this series: