MPH meaning in Medical ?

Methylphenidate, sold under the brand name Ritalin among others, is a stimulant drug used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. It is a first-line medication for ADHD. It may be taken by mouth or applied to the skin, and different formulations have varying durations of effect.

Common side effects of methylphenidate include difficulty sleeping, decreased appetite, anxiety, and weight loss. More serious side effects may include psychosis, prolonged erections, substance misuse, and heart problems. Withdrawal symptoms include weakness and fatigue, dysphoria, anhedonia and loss of motivation. Methylphenidate is believed to work by blocking dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake by neurons. Methylphenidate is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the phenethylamine and piperidine classes.

Methylphenidate was first synthesized in 1944 and was approved for medical use in the United States in 1955. It was originally sold by Swiss company CIBA, now Novartis Corporation. It is estimated that in 2013, 2.4 billion doses of methylphenidate were taken worldwide. In 2019, it was the 51st most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 14 million prescriptions. It is available as a generic medication.