Ritalin Dosage

2.1 Pretreatment Screening

Prior to treating patients with Ritalin, assess:

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for the presence of cardiac disease (i.e., perform a careful history, family history of sudden death or ventricular arrhythmia, and physical exam).

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the family history and clinically evaluate patients for motor or verbal tics or Tourette’s syndrome before initiating Ritalin.

2.2 General Dosing Information

Pediatric Patients 6 years and Older: Start with 5 mg orally twice daily (before breakfast and lunch). Increase dosage gradually, in increments of 5-to 10-mg weekly. Daily dosage above 60 mg is not recommended.

Adults: Average dosage is 20 to 30 mg daily. Administer orally in divided doses 2 or 3 times daily, preferably 30 to 45 minutes before meals. Maximum total daily dosage is 60 mg. Patients who are unable to sleep if medication is taken late in the day should take the last dose before 6 p.m.

2.3 Dosage Reduction and Discontinuation

If paradoxical worsening of symptoms or other adverse reactions occur, reduce the dosage, or, if necessary, discontinue Ritalin. If improvement is not observed after appropriate dosage adjustment over a one-month period, the drug should be discontinued.