Mixing Alcohol and Methylphenidate (Ritalin)
Caution
Alcohol raises methylphenidate levels and turns some into a second stimulant, while the pill hides how drunk you are.
Expect a stronger effect, and drink less than you think you can.
What “Caution” means
Carries risk that is worth understanding before combining. Reduce doses and do not use alone.
How the ratings workThe longer explanation
More than the usual stimulant-and-alcohol problem. In a lab study, drinking raised the peak level of methylphenidate in the blood by roughly 40%, and the liver turned part of it into ethylphenidate, a second stimulant. Meanwhile the stimulant hides how drunk you are. Expect a stronger effect than from the same pill sober, and drink less than you think you can.
Sources (2)
- Patrick KS et al. Influence of ethanol and gender on methylphenidate pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2007ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
- Influence of ethanol on the pharmacokinetics of methylphenidate's metabolites ritalinic acid and ethylphenidatepubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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Other names
- Alcohol
- alc, booze, beer, wine, liquor, ethanol
- Methylphenidate
- ritalin, ritalin la, concerta, focalin, dexmethylphenidate, methylin
- Not an amphetamine, but mixes much like one — most answers here are Adderall's
Related combinations
Can you mix Alcohol and Methylphenidate (Ritalin)?
MixSafe rates mixing Alcohol and Methylphenidate as "Caution" — carries risk that is worth understanding before combining. Reduce doses and do not use alone. Source: MixSafe research. Educational information, not medical advice.