ADHD
methylphenidate
More and more women are diagnosed with ADHD as adults, but only about a third of the people in its studies were women, and most studies were in children.
- 34.9%
of the people in the studies were women
- 54%
of studies did not allow pregnant women
- 1%
looked at results for women separately
Was someone like me tested?
Choose the group that fits you.
Not one of these studies reported results separately for any of the groups below.
Pregnant women
54% of studies would not let pregnant women join, and we found no study that tested this medicine in pregnancy.
What do we know?
What the FDA drug label says
Studies of pregnant women give mixed answers about birth defects and miscarriage. A national registry is collecting more data (1-866-961-2388).
What women report more
Compared with men taking the same medicine.
- 2.3×Mouth and gum problems
- 2.3×Allergic reactions
- 2.2×Hives and swelling of the face, lips or throat
- 1.9×Headaches
How many times more often women reported each problem than men taking the same medicine, based on reports to the FDA. This is a warning sign, not proof the medicine caused it.
Make it about you
Check it against your medicines
Check methylphenidate against the medicines, pregnancy and birth control in your profile.
Join to checkAll the details
Every number behind this page.
Who was in the studies
11,506 people in 110 studies
Race
- White76.4%
- Black / African American12.7%
- More than one race4.6%
- Asian2.1%
- Hispanic / Latina1.2%
Studies didn't say how many of the women were Black, Asian or another race — only totals for everyone.
- Hispanic or Latina
- 29.1%
- Age 65 or older
- 3.3%
- Studies with men only
- 0
- Studies with women only
- 0
Rules that kept women out
Share of studies with each rule.
- 85%
No mental health conditions
Women with depression, bipolar disorder or other mental health conditions were turned away.
See the exact rule
“…ontrolled (with medications prohibited in this study) or uncontrolled, comorbid psychiatric diagnosis with significant symptoms such as any significant comorbid Axis II disorder or significant Axis I disorder (such as post traumatic stress…” NCT01552902
- 77%
Age limit under 65
Older women were turned away, even though they often take this medicine.
See the exact rule
“Maximum age: 17 Years.” NCT01552902
- 61%
No seizures
Women with epilepsy or past seizures were turned away.
See the exact rule
“Subject has a history of seizures (other than infantile febrile seizures), a chronic or current tic disorder, or a current diagnosis and/or a known family history of Tourette's Disorder.” NCT01552902
- 54%
No pregnant women
Women who were pregnant could not join.
See the exact rule
“Subject is female and is pregnant or lactating.” NCT01552902
- 36%
No heart disease
Women with heart disease, heart rhythm problems or a past heart attack were turned away.
See the exact rule
“Subject has a known history of symptomatic cardiovascular disease, advanced arteriosclerosis, structural cardiac abnormality, cardiomyopathy, serious heart rhythm abnormalities, coronary artery disease, or other serious cardiac problems tha…” NCT01552902
- 28%
Had to use birth control
Women who couldn't or didn't want to use birth control were turned away.
See the exact rule
“Subject, who is a female, must have a negative serum beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG) pregnancy test and a negative urine pregnancy test and agree to comply with any applicable contraceptive requirements of the protocol.” NCT01552902
What nobody checked
Share of studies that recorded each thing.
- 1%Results shown separately for women
- 0%Whether anyone was pregnant
- 0%Whether women were past menopause
- 3%Body weight (BMI)
- 21%Hispanic / Latina or not
- 41%Race
All 110 studies
Study titles and rules are shown in their original English.