Posted by Adam on April 1, 2001, at 15:22:58
In reply to ritalin and citric acid interactions, posted by Steffany on March 31, 2001, at 17:25:46
Hmmm. I looked up the drug monograph for Ritalin (handy new PDR by my desk), and the only thing I could find is that, in addition to methylphenidate HCl, the tablets also contain lactose, a sugar found in milk (among other places). There may be formulations with citrate in one form or another (the acid, or a citrate salt), I don't know. Normally a drug is also pressed into tablet form along with some other "stuff" that serves largely as a vehicle, maybe to help solubility and absorbtion in the GI tract, or even to slow that down so as to even out the dose.
Citrate is one of those things you really can't live without. In fact, you couldn't easily convert sugar into energy if it weren't for the presence of citrate in your body (a la the famous Krebs cycle). Any drug that somehow was incompatible with citric acid would be a very bad thing to put in people, I'm guessing.
So by all means, drink your orange juice. Eat a couple Sour Patch Kids if you feel like it (I am addicted to foods with high amounts of citrate and acetate in them...). You'll be fine (in moderation - too much of any acidic food can be a problem) I'm quite sure!
> hi. i was recently prescribed ritalin on a trial basis by a gp (i'd wanted adderall but he had never heard of it--that inspired confidence!) for ADD/social phobia. i'm supposed to take it until i have a chance to see a real psychiatrist (psychiatric nurse practitioner) at the end of may. anyway, the ritalin's been fine. i'd taken adderall in the past (not prescribed but given to me by a friend), and i had heard/experienced that citric acid negated its effects. i was wondering if anyone out there knew whether this was also true for ritalin or not. it was a very annoying thing about addrall, b/c citric acid is in everything, it seems, from soda to many vegetables to tonic water....
>
> i've been trying to do some research on the internet and found something that said that ritalin (methylphenidate) actually contains citric acid, which makes me hopeful that maybe the two don't interact badly and i can still drink orange juice and stuff. but i don't know for sure. if anyone out there has any info, it would really be appreciated. thanks!
poster:Adam
thread:58234
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010327/msgs/58305.html