What is DAYTRANA? Patch ADHD Medication

Is the "Daytrana patch" a Good Choice for You?

When Shire Pharmaceuticals came out with their new version of methylphenidate, called DAYTRANA, it was the first and only patch, or transdermal medication approved to treat the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD.

DAYTRANA is methylphenidate (generic name for Ritalin) in a patch, which makes it a very convenient delivery system (one a day dosing).

The response from parents has been mixed. Parents, and patients, like the convenience of a patch. And they also like the fact that children don’t have to swallow a pill.

But the patch can cause side-effects. Skin rashes, sleeplessness, stomach aches and motion sickness are commonly cited. Some parents also complain that they have to fight with their kids to put the patches on, and it leaves a “goo” after taken off.

Daytrana News

You can learn more about DAYTRANA at its website.

Watson Pharma seeks to make generic Daytrana | eqip commissioning

eqipcommissioning.com10/14/11

Noven filed a lawsuit Thursday in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey seeking to prevent Watson from making the generic version before Daytrana's patents expire in 2018. Noven is a subsidiary of the Japanese drugmaker ...

Shire plc Sells ADHD Patch Daytrana to Noven

www.biospace.com8/11/10

MIAMI----Noven Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a Product and Trademark Acquisition Agreement with affiliates of Shire.

Noven Sues Watson Over Daytrana ADHD-Patch Patent Infringement

adhd.awarenessindex.com10/14/11

The latest news and products available on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, with information on getting help and coping.

As always, parents should know that DAYTRANA is a Schedule II controlled substance.

Daytrana Side Effects

It was generally well tolerated in clinical studies, but some subjects had side effects. As with other products containing methylphenidate the common side effects reported in children who received DAYTRANA were

• decreased appetite,
• insomnia,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• weight loss,
• tics,
• affect lability (mood swings).

It is the same list of side effects one would see with Ritalin in any of its forms.

The manufacturer warns that Methylphenidate should never be taken by children with:

• significant anxiety,
• agitation,
• extreme temper outbursts,
• glaucoma,
• tics or Tourette's syndrome, or family history of Tourette's syndrome,
• current/recent use of MAO inhibitors (a type of antidepressant),
• problems with alcohol or drugs,
• has had depression,
• abnormal thoughts/behaviors,
• visual disturbances,
• seizures,
• high blood pressure,
• heart conditions including structural abnormalities.

The manufacturer warns that abuse of methylphenidate may lead to dependence.

As always, tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur: blurred vision, uncontrolled movements (twitching, shaking), uncontrollable outbursts of words or sounds (e.g., Tourette's syndrome), unexplained weight loss, mental/mood/behavior changes (e.g., agitation, aggression, mood swings, depression, abnormal thoughts, hallucinations).

Daytrana Drug Interactions

Your doctor or pharmacist should already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.

Avoid taking MAO inhibitors (e.g., furazolidone, isocarboxazid, linezolid, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, selegiline, tranylcypromine) within 2 weeks before or after treatment with this medication.

In some cases, a possibly fatal drug interaction may occur.

If you are currently using any of these medications, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting this medication. Or better yet, just don’t use this medication.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription herbal products you may use, especially of: "blood thinners" (e.g., warfarin), clonidine, guanethidine, drugs that can increase blood pressure (e.g., epinephrine, phenylephrine), anti-seizure drugs (e.g., phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone), tricyclic antidepressants (e.g., imipramine, desipramine), SSRI antidepressants (e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline), other stimulant medications (e.g., amphetamines).

Also report the use of drugs which might increase seizure risk (decrease seizure threshold) when combined with methylphenidate such as bupropion, isoniazid (INH), phenothiazines (e.g., thioridazine), or theophylline, among others. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for details.

Check the labels on all your medicines/herbal products (e.g., cough-and-cold products, diet aids) because they may contain ingredients that could increase your heart rate or blood pressure (e.g., pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, ephedra/ma huang). Ask your pharmacist about the safe use of these products.

Daytrana: Our Thoughts

We are not opposed to Daytrana, or Ritalin, or Methylphenidate in any of its forms, provided that the “alternative” options have been tried, and have failed.

We are referring to ADHD diet interventions, Attend and other amino acids such as Extress or Memorin, essential fatty acids (omega oils), and perhaps EEG Biofeedback training.

DAYTRANA Risks

Is methylphenidate over-prescribed? Is it over-used?

Probably. But the reason why Ritalin is used so much is that it works. Think about it. No one would use it if it didn’t make a positive improvement in the life of their child.

But Ritalin, DAYTRANA, and all the other forms of methylphenidate as ADHD medication (in fact, all the other forms of prescription treatments for ADHD) come with the problem of potential side effects. And some of these side effects are severe.

So, please try our recommended ADHD eating program plus the specific Attend treatment strategies first. Consider EEG Biofeedback training if you can afford it.

Try these “alternatives” first if you can and see if they work. If they do not work for you or your child, then by all means carefully consider the use of prescription stimulants.

See our comparison of the effectiveness of your treatment options.

A Parent's Comment on Daytrana

This comment was posted on our ADHD Newsletter website by a parent in February, 2007 following the posting of the above article on Daytrana.

"This patch has been a god send for us!!! If our child washes the glue off and moisturizes the skin area there are very few problems other than decreased appetite."

Parents share experiences with Daytrana as an ADHD Medication below.

sweat and daytrana? - ADD Forums - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity ...

www.addforums.com9/16/11

I know you posted this a month ago and you've probably already made a decision, but just in case anyone else has the same question, I was on Daytrana for a few weeks and never had any trouble with it coming off. You stick ...

Side effects - Daytrana (Methylphenidate) Patch Abuse Leading to ...

www.drugs-forum.comEffectiveness of Daytrana Patches - Health and Life

healthlifeandstuff.com6/19/11

Daytrana is an ADHD patch – a system that delivers methylphenidate, which is the same standard medication accessible in tablet forms such as Ritalin and Concerta. The uniqueness of this system is the way it's delivered. ...

0px'>8/16/11

Side effects - Daytrana (Methylphenidate) Patch Abuse Leading to Rapid Psychosis Concerta & Ritalin.

This book section: ADHD Medications

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., MFT is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Tehachapi, CA who has been a counselor to children, teens, and adults helping them to overcome ADHD, find relief for depression or anxiety, and solve other problems in life since 1989. He served on the medical advisory board to the company that makes Attend and Extress from 1997 through 2011, and he is the Editor of the ADHD Information Library online resource at http://newideas.net/. His weekly ADHD Newsletter goes out to 9,500 families. Visit his website at http://DouglasCowan.me for more information on achieving greater health, personal growth, Christ-centered spirituality, stress management, parenting skills, ADHD, working out the stresses of being a care-giver to elderly parents and also being a parent to teenagers, or finding greater meaning in retirement years, Dr. Cowan can be a valuable resource to you.

Christian Counselor counseling Tehachapi for ADHD, depression, anxiety, and more.

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., MFT
27400 Oakflat Dr.
Tehachapi, CA 93561
(661) 972-5953