Generic name:dexmethylphenidate [ dex-METH-il-FEN-i-date ]
Brand names: Focalin, Focalin XR
Drug class:CNS stimulants
What is Focalin?
Focalin is a mild stimulant to the central nervous system. It affects chemicals in the brain that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control.
Focalin is a prescription medicine used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Focalin should be used as a part of a total treatment program for ADHD that may include counseling or other therapies.
Warnings
Do not use Focalin if you have used a MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days, such as isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine, or methylene blue injection.
You should not use Focalin if you have glaucoma, tics or Tourette's syndrome, or severe anxiety, tension, or agitation.
Focalin may be habit-forming, and dexmethylphenidate is a drug of abuse. Tell your doctor if you have had problems with drug or alcohol abuse. Keep the medication where others cannot get to it.
Stimulants such as Focalin have caused stroke, heart attack, and sudden death in people with high blood pressure, heart disease, or a heart defect.
Focalin may cause new or worsening psychosis (unusual thoughts or behavior), especially if you have a history of depression, mental illness, or bipolar disorder.
Focalin may cause blood circulation problems that can cause numbness, pain, or discoloration in your fingers or toes.
Call your doctor right away if you have: signs of heart problems--chest pain, feeling light-headed or short of breath; signs of psychosis - paranoia, aggression, new behavior problems, seeing or hearing things that are not real; signs o...
