Methylphenidate (Transdermal Route)

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Side Effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

• Aggressive and violent behavior
• Arm, back, or jaw pain
• Black, tarry stools
• Blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin
• Blood in the urine
• Bloody nose
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Chest tightness or heaviness
• Chills
• Cold
• Confusion
• Cough or hoarseness
• Cracks in the skin
• Crying
• Depersonalization
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Dysphoria
• Euphoria
• Fainting
• Fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse
• Fever
• Flu-like symptoms
• Heavier menstrual periods
• Itching
• Joint or muscle pain
• Loss of heat from the body
• Mental depression
• Mood or mental changes
• Nausea
• Nervousness
• Paranoia
• Pinpoint red spots on the skin
• Quick to react or overreact emotionally
• Rapidly changing moods
• Red, irritated eyes
• Red, swollen skin
• Scaly skin
• Seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there
• Severe or sudden headache
• Shortness of breath
• Skin rash
• Sore throat
• Sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth or on the lips
• Sudden loss of coordination
• Sudden slurring of speech
• Sweating
• Twitching, twisting, uncontrolled repetitive movements of the tongue, lips, face, arms, or legs
• Unusual bleeding or bruising
• Unusual tiredness or weakness

• Convulsions
• Difficulty with breathing
• High fever
• High or low blood pressure
• Increased sweating
• Loss of bladder control
• Severe muscle stiffness
• Tiredness
• Uncontrolled vocal outbursts or tics (uncontrolled repeated body movements)
• Unusually pale skin

• Blistering, burning, crusting, dryness, or flaking of the skin
• Chest pain
• Difficulty with swallowing
• Hives, itching, scaling, severe redness, soreness, or swelling of the skin
• Large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
• Painful or difficult urination
• Pale skin
• Puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
• Swollen glands
• Troubled breathing with exertion
• Wheezing

Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur:

• Confusion as to time, place, or person
• False or unusual sense of well-being
• Holding false beliefs that cannot be changed by fact
• Muscle twitching
• Overactive reflexes
• Sweating
• Unusual excitement, nervousness, or restlessness

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

• Abdominal or stomach pain
• Decreased weight
• Difficulty with moving
• Drowsiness
• Headache
• Hives or welts
• Itching
• Loss of appetite
• Muscle pain or stiffness
• Redness of the skin
• Sleeplessness
• Trouble sleeping
• Unable to sleep
• Vomiting

• Decreased appetite
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Weight loss

• Bigger, dilated, or enlarged pupils (black part of the eye)
• Bleeding, bruising, burning, itching, redness, skin rash, swelling, or soreness at the application site
• Blurred or loss of vision
• Disturbed color perception
• Double vision
• Hair loss
• Halos around lights
• Increased sensitivity of the eyes to light
• Night blindness
• Overbright appearance of lights
• Thinning of the hair
• Tunnel vision

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

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