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Ritalin advertisement, 1966. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 196 No. 9, pp. 158-159. if chronic fatigue and mild depression make simple tasks seem this big... Ritalin ® (methylphenidate CIBA) relieves chronic fatigue that depresses and mild depression that fatigues Ritalin gently overcomes mild depression and the fatigue so often associated with it. The drug brightens mood and improves performance, helps restore alertness, enthusiasm, and drive. Patients often report that fatigue and worry seem to vanish; they are able to go all day without getting tired. Widely cited for its outstanding record of safety, Ritalin is virtually free of the toxic effects of the more potent antidepressants. Its action is usually uncomplicated by excessive stimulation or sudden letdown. Ritalin is exceptionally well tolerated, even by the elderly. CONTRAINDICATIONS: Marked anxiety, tension, agitation. Contraindicated in patients with glaucoma and with epilepsy, except to combat lethargy induced by anticonvulsant drugs. WARNINGS: Should not be used for severe depression (exogenous or endogenous) except in the hospital under careful supervision. Should not be used to increase mental or physical capacities beyond physiological limits. PRECAUTIONS: Patients with an element of agitation may react adversely; discontinue therapy if necessary. Use cautiously with vasopressors (e.g., epinephrine, levarterenol, angiotensin amide) and in patients with hypertension. SIDE EFFECTS: Nervousness, insomnia, anorexia, nausea, dizziness, palpitation, headache, drowsiness, skin rash. Rarely, blood pressure and pulse changes, both up and down, occur. Overt psychotic behavior and psychic dependence in emotionally unstable persons have occurred rarely. DOSAGE: Administer orally in divided doses 2 or 3 times daily, preferably 30 to 45 minutes before meals. Dosage will depend upon indication and individual response, the average range being 20 to 60 mg daily. SUPPLIED: Ritalin hydrochloride (methylphenidate hydrochloride CIBA) Tablets, 20 mg (peach), 10 mg (pale green) and 5 mg (pale yellow). Consult complete product literature before prescribing. CIBA Pharmaceutical Company, Summit, N.J. |