Focalin Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Focalin Tablet (dexmethylphenidate) is a central nervous system stimulant used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and children age 6 and older. It is a prescription medicine meant to be used as part of a full treatment plan that may also include counseling or other therapies. It works by affecting brain chemicals involved in attention and impulse control, and it carries certain risks and precautions that should be discussed with a doctor.

What is Focalin Tablet

Focalin is a central nervous system stimulant used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and children age 6 and older. It is a prescription medicine that should be used as part of a full treatment plan that may also include counseling or other therapies.

Focalin Tablet uses

• Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults and children 6 years and older
• Treats ADHD in children, adolescents, and adults
• Helps manage difficulty paying attention and staying focused
• Helps reduce impulsive behavior
• Helps manage hyperactivity and restlessness associated with ADHD

Benefits of Focalin Tablet

• Helps increase attention and decrease impulsiveness and hyperactivity in people with ADHD
• Improves attention: helps a person concentrate on tasks
• Better task completion: may help with organizing and finishing daily activities
• Reduces impulsivity: may improve the ability to pause before acting
• Improves behavioral control: may help reduce excessive activity and restlessness
• Supports daily functioning: can help with school, work, and everyday responsibilities when used as prescribed

How Focalin Tablet works

Focalin is thought to work by blocking the reabsorption of two brain chemicals, norepinephrine and dopamine, and increasing their release, which helps improve attention and reduce hyperactivity and impulsiveness. The exact way it helps ADHD is not fully known.

Focalin Tablet dosage

Take Focalin exactly as prescribed by your doctor and follow all directions on the prescription label. Take the regular tablet twice daily, at least 4 hours apart. It may be taken with or without food. If a dose is missed, do not take two doses at one time; just take the next dose at the usual time. Do not give this medicine to anyone else, and keep it where others cannot get to it. Your doctor may need to check your heart, blood pressure, and overall progress regularly during treatment. Children should have their height and weight checked often during treatment.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet

Side effects of Focalin Tablet

Common

• Loss of appetite
• Nausea, stomach pain
• Fever
• Headache
• Dry mouth
• Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
• Anxiety or irritability
• Sore throat
• Weight loss
• Dizziness
• Fast heart rate
• Increased blood pressure

Serious

• Signs of heart problems such as chest pain, trouble breathing, or feeling like you might pass out
• Signs of psychosis such as hallucinations, new thought or behavior problems, aggression, hostility, or paranoia
• Signs of circulation problems in fingers or toes such as numbness, pain, cold feeling, unexplained wounds, or color changes (pale, red, or blue)
• Painful erection lasting 4 hours or longer (priapism)
• Symptoms of serotonin syndrome such as agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• Slowed growth (height and weight) in children
• New or worsening tics or Tourette's syndrome
• Eye problems including increased eye pressure or glaucoma
• Seizures, mainly in people with a history of seizures
• Serious allergic reaction: fever, hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat

Warnings and precautions

• This medicine can be habit-forming. Misuse can lead to addiction, overdose, or death. Never give it to anyone else, and keep it in a safe place since selling or giving it away is against the law.
• Do not take this medicine if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days, as a dangerous drug interaction could occur. Do not use Focalin with an MAOI or within 14 days after stopping an MAOI because of the risk of dangerously high blood pressure.
• This medicine should not be used if you have glaucoma, tics or Tourette's syndrome, or severe anxiety, tension, or agitation.
• Stimulant medicines like this one have caused stroke, heart attack, and sudden death in people with heart problems, heart defects, or high blood pressure. Avoid use in people with serious heart disease, significant heart rhythm problems, cardiomyopathy, or coronary artery disease unless specifically directed by a specialist.
• Blood pressure and heart rate can increase; these should be monitored during treatment.
• This medicine may cause new or worsening mental health problems like unusual thoughts or behavior, especially in people with a history of depression, mental illness, or bipolar disorder. Tell the doctor about psychosis, bipolar disorder, mania, or other psychiatric conditions, as new psychotic or manic symptoms require medical evaluation.
• This medicine may cause blood circulation problems leading to numbness, pain, or color changes in the fingers or toes.
• Tell the doctor if you have glaucoma or increased pressure inside the eye.
• This medicine is not approved for children younger than 6 years old.
• Focalin has a high potential for abuse, misuse, and addiction. Keep it securely stored and never share it with others.
• Becoming dependent on this medicine during pregnancy can cause premature birth or low birth weight. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, since it is not known if it could harm an unborn baby.
• Ask your doctor if it is safe to breastfeed while using this medicine, since the drug may pass into breast milk.

Storage

• Store tightly closed at room temperature, away from moisture, heat, and light
• Store between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C); protect from light and moisture
• Keep in a safe place where no one can use it improperly, and out of the reach of children
• Dispose of unused medicine through a medicine take-back program at an authorized collection site; if unavailable, mix the medicine with an undesirable substance like dirt, cat litter, or used coffee grounds, seal it in a bag, and throw it in the household trash

When to see a doctor

• Call your doctor right away if you have signs of heart problems like chest pain, feeling light-headed, or shortness of breath.
• Call your doctor right away if you have signs of psychosis such as paranoia, aggression, new behavior problems, or seeing or hearing things that are not real.
• Call your doctor right away if you have signs of circulation problems such as unexplained wounds on your fingers or toes.
• Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction such as fever, hives, trouble breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Seek medical attention right away if you have symptoms of serotonin syndrome such as agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
• Seek emergency help right away if you think you or your child has taken too much of this medicine, since an overdose could be fatal.
• Call your doctor right away if you have a painful erection that lasts 4 hours or longer.

Alternatives

• Letrozole
• Anastrozole
• Fulvestrant