Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Dec;3(1):10.
doi: 10.1007/s40800-016-0035-7.

STEMI Secondary to Coronary Vasospasm: Possible Adverse Event of Methylphenidate in a 21-Year-Old Man with ADHD

Affiliations

STEMI Secondary to Coronary Vasospasm: Possible Adverse Event of Methylphenidate in a 21-Year-Old Man with ADHD

Timo-Benjamin Baumeister et al. Drug Saf Case Rep. 2016 Dec.

Abstract

Methylphenidate (Ritalin®) is an increasingly used medication in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Cardiovascular adverse effects like vasospasm or myocardial infarction are described as very rare adverse effects. We present the case of a 21-year-old man diagnosed with ADHD who recently started therapy with Ritalin® Adult 20 mg for at least 3 days. Afterwards he presented with chest pain, elevated troponin and creatine kinase, and posterolateral ST elevations. A myocarditis was initially supposed. In the coronary angiography, signs of coronary artery spasm could be found. The echocardiography showed mild left ventricular dysfunction; no acute myocarditis could be found in the cardiac MRI and myocardial biopsy. The medication with methylphenidate was stopped, and after 12 days the asymptomatic patient was discharged from hospital.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Timo-Benjamin Baumeister, Ingo Wickenbrock and Christian Perings declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Consent Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the corresponding author of this article. Study funding statement No financial support was received for the preparation of this manuscript.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Electrocardiography day 1; ST elevations II, III, aVF, V4–6; 50 mm/s, 10 mm/mV; GE MAC 2000
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Coronary angiography; coronary vasospasm proximal right coronary artery
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Electrocardiography day 2; T-negativity III, aVF, V3–5; 50 mm/s, 10 mm/mV; GE MAC 1200

References

    1. Markowitz JS, Patrick KS. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics drug interactions in the treatment of attention-deficit disorder. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2001;40:753–772. doi: 10.2165/00003088-200140100-00004. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Schelleman H, Bilker WB, Kimmel SE, Daniel GW, Newcomb C, Guevara JP, Cziraky MJ, Strom BL, Hennessy S. Methylphenidate and risk of serious cardiovascular events in adults. Am J Psychiatry. 2012;169:178–185. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.11010125. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Thompson J, Thompson JR. Acute myocardial infarction related to methylphenidate for adult attention deficit disorder. J Emerg Med. 2010;38:18–21. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2007.06.021. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ruwald MH, Ruwald AC, Tonder N. Methylphenidate induced ST elevation acute myocardial infarction. Ugeskr Laeger. 2012;174:647–648. - PubMed
    1. Lamberti M, Italiano D, Guerriero L, D’Amico G, Siracusano R, Ingrassia M, Germanò E, Calabrò MP, Spina E, Gagliano A. Evaluation of acute cardiovascular effects of immediate-release methylphenidate in children and adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2015;11:1169–1174. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S79866. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources