What Is Methylphenidate And How Is It Used?
What is methylphenidate? This is a medicine prescribed by doctors for the treatment of ADHD (or attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder). It is also prescribed to treat postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and narcolepsy. In addition, doctors may prescribe it to treat cases of fatigue and depression resistant to standard treatments.
What is methylphenidate and how is it used?
Uses of methylphenidate
This drug belongs to a class of compounds with a piperidine structure. Methylphenidate increases the level of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain due to its ability to inhibit the reuptake of monoamine transporters.
Methylphenidate has a structure similar to amphetamine. However, it is not neurotoxic and does not have the same effects.
Now that we know what methylphenidate is, we will talk more about the disorders for which this drug is indicated.
Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurobiological condition that originated in childhood. It affects more than 5% of children worldwide. At present, experts do not know the exact causes of the development of this condition. However, they assess the possibility that the disease may be caused by a combination of several risk factors acting simultaneously.
Although the exact causes are not known, experts say that genetic and environmental factors have a major influence on the development of ADHD. Also, attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder has a 76% chance of being inherited.
Regarding the characteristic symptoms of this condition, we can mention three basic aspects:
- Hyperactivity
Narcolepsy
People with narcolepsy often have difficulty staying awake for long periods of time, regardless of the circumstances.
As with the other two conditions listed above, experts do not yet know the exact cause of narcolepsy. However, patients with this disorder tend to have low levels of hypocretin. This is a substance in the brain that helps regulate sleep-wake cycles.
conclusions
Methylphenidate is a prescription drug used primarily to treat attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder. However, specialists prescribe methylphenidate for the treatment of other diseases, such as those discussed above.
You should always follow the recommendations of your doctor and pharmacist, as methylphenidate is a medicine that has serious side effects. Also, its misuse could have serious consequences for health.
