• Medication Type: Stimulant
  • Drug Class: Methylphenidate
  • Form: Liquid
  • Duration: Short (4 to 6 hours)

Advantages
No real advantage. Brand name no longer available.

Disadvantages
The tablets are simply short-acting methylphenidate. The ER dose does not last much longer than the shorter acting tablets. The chewable tabs and the liquid are short-acting and multiple doses would be needed, causing variability throughout the day.

 

There are about 50 FDA-approved ADHD medications, but only a handful of unique ones. Drug companies create the extra versions by changing the dosage, delivery method (pill, liquid, patch, etc.), and duration (short-acting vs. long-acting).

Use our Medication Lookup Table to filter by duration, medication, and delivery method to find the options that fit your needs.

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Methylin was a version of methylphenidate that came in four differ- ent forms: an immediate-release tablet, a chewable tablet, an extended- release tablet, and a liquid. However, the brand name for each of these four preparations has been discontinued, although pharmacists will still fill a prescription for “Methylin” with a generic. And that is just as well, because other brand name and generics of each of those four preparations are better choices of each of the four preparations. This informa- tion is included for completeness only.

Methylin tablets have been discontinued, but they were actually the same as plain old Ritalin, raw methylphenidate in a tablet form. Many different generics have essentially the same characteristics.

Methylin chewable tablets have also been discontinued, but for children who cannot swallow a pill, QuilliChew ER (see below) is a better option anyway, because QuilliChew ER lasts about eight hours whereas Methylin chewable tablets only lasted about 4–5 hours.

Methylin liquid was a good medication because it was easy to fine- tune the dose of medication without being restrained by pills that, for exam- ple, come in 5mg, 10mg, or 15mg preparations. However, Methylin liquid is also short acting. Quillivant XR is another liquid form of methylpheni- date, but due to a unique manufacturing process, it lasts eight hours while still having the advantage of a liquid that will allow fine-tuning of the dose and make it easy to swallow. Quillivant XR is, therefore, a better medication, although it is much more expensive if not covered by insurance.

Methylin ER has also been discontinued. It was initially a generic of Ritalin SR, which has also been discontinued. Neither preparation adds much therapeutic benefit, because Ritalin SR and Methylin ER only lasted about 5–6 hours.