Side effects

Does Ritalin interact with other medicines (drug interactions)?

Always tell your health care provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using.

In particular, make sure that you discuss if you are using any of the following before taking methylphenidate.

• A monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) within the past two weeks, which is a medicine usually used for depression or Parkinson’s disease
• A medicine for high or low blood pressure
• Risperidone, which is a medicine used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and crankiness seen with autism
• An H2 blocker, such as cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), ranitidine (Zantac), or nizatidine (Axid)
• A proton pump inhibitor (PPI), such as esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec), pantoprazole (Protonix), or rabeprazole (Aciphex)
• Warfarin, which is a blood thinner
• Any medicine for seizures, such as phenobarbital, phenytoin, or primidone
• A tricyclic antidepressant, such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline, or protriptyline, even if it is not used for depression
• A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), such as fluoxetine, paroxetine, or sertraline, which is a medicine commonly used for anxiety and depression
• An anesthetic, which is a medicine that is used to put you to sleep before surgery

This may not be a complete list of medicines that can interact with methylphenidate. Always check with your health care provider.