Side Effects Of Methylphenidate For Children

Like all medicines, methylphenidate can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.

Common side effects of methylphenidate for children

These common side effects of methylphenidate may happen in more than 1 in 100 children. There are things you can do for your child to help them cope with them:

Keep giving your child the medicine, but tell your child's doctor if the advice on how to cope does not help and these side effects bother your child or do not go away.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects are uncommon and happen in less than 1 in 100 people.

Methylphenidate can cause a small increase in blood pressure and pulse rate. A doctor will usually measure your child's blood pressure and pulse every 6 months.

Call your child's doctor or call 111 straight away if your child:

• has changes in mood or personality, for example, they start to behave aggressively, or they become irritable, depressed, anxious or tense
• has a fast or irregular heartbeat (palpitations) - your child may feel their heart is beating much faster than normal or may say it's racing
• starts seeing, feeling or hearing things that are not real (hallucinations)
• has started to get facial tics (quick, little movements in the the face muscles that cannot be controlled) - if this happens, their doctor may stop treatment

Call 999 or go to A&E if your child starts having:

Serious allergic reaction

It's possible for children to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to methylphenidate.

Call 999 now if:

• your child's lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
• they're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (they may become very wheezy or seem like they're choking or gasping for air)
• their throat feels tight or they're struggling to swallow
• their skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if they have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of their hands or soles of their feet)
• they suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
• they faint and cannot be woken up
• they're limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)

Your child may also have a rash that's swollen, raised, itchy, blistered or peeling.

These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.

Long-term side effects

If your child takes methylphenidate for longer than a year, it can slow down their growth. However, this happens in less than 1 in 10 children.

Your doctor will check your child's height, weight and appetite every 6 months to make sure they're growing OK.

Other side effects

These are not all the side effects of methylphenidate for children. For a full list, see the leaflet inside the medicine packet.

Reporting side effects

You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.

Visit the Yellow Card website for more information about reporting side effects.

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