Comments on: ADHD Patch to be Sold as Daytrana

By: Problems With the Daytrana ADHD Patch?

Problems With the Daytrana ADHD Patch? — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 16:44:13 +0000

[...] quick count of comments left during more than a year in response to our first article about the Daytrana patch for ADHD shows around three times as many reports of positive overall experiences with the drug as [...]

By: Managing Editor

Managing Editor — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 13:03:18 +0000

Hi folks,

Please note: We have now closed the comment form for this article, but a new article about visitors’ reports of problems with the Daytrana ADHD patch is now available; please leave feedback there if you’d like to talk about your experiences with the patch!

Many thanks for all your feedback,
Greg

By: Fred

Fred — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 23:00:02 +0000

I just have to repeat . . . Use any orange based adhesive remover like GOO BE GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It makes a huge difference!!!!!!

GOO BE GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOO BE GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOO BE GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOO BE GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOO BE GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOO BE GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOO BE GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Fred

Fred — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 22:57:45 +0000

We tried everything to open the patches, however I just got a new set of boxes and they open in a split second like a bandaid.

I got it through mail order, so I don’t know if it’s just a new improved batch or if they were just well preserved in the mail order refrigerator. The previous batches were all from a CVS drug store which keeps them on a shelf.

By: Fred

Fred — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 22:52:24 +0000

Use GOO BE GONE after taking the patch off to remove all adhesive.

GOO BE GONE is non-toxic and works great!!!!! It’s that orange smelling adhesive remover. It also reduces the redness.

By: freaked

freaked — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 17:04:11 +0000

i had sort of damaged the patch at one time trying to get the back off, so i snipped off the corner and my son came home from school with a horrible headache that day, and very irritated on the sight that the patch was- i am not sure if the cutting had anything to do with it or not-hope to have been helpful

By: Andrea

Andrea — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 23:24:31 +0000

I also want to know if the patches can be cut. My Dr. suggested we cut a 30mg in thirds (my son is currently on 10 mg)so we can continue to use the patch. We do not have a prescription plan and plain old can’t afford $160 every month. Our pharmacist called Shire to find out if this is okay and they said that cutting it would not work because cutting the patch damages the membrane and by cutting it the medicine would be released all at once. I’m not sure who to believe. Shire wants to sell their product, the Dr. might not know what he’s talking about and the pharmacist agreed with Shire. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge on this?

By: Chris Williamson

Chris Williamson — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:20:16 +0000

Oops. Just re-read Ron’s post. He’s an adult with AD/HD himself, but he was also writing about a friend’s son. Don’t know if Ron’s ever been a coffee-drinker, but maybe he’ll pipe in and verify it’s a good analogy. At least in my experience, methylphenidate and amphetamine are both like the coffee I could never make strong enough.

By: Chris Williamson

Chris Williamson — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:16:12 +0000

BTW, for all you parents out there like Ron, who writes, “Iâ€™m still not sure what these drugs actually do,” let me try to explain the experience in a way your kids can’t, since I’m an adult with AD/HD.

Any of you who are regular coffee drinkers, or regular caffeinated soft-drink drinkers … think about what it’s like without your coffee or Diet Coke. Or, for everyone, think about what it’s like when you’ve slept poorly and can’t focus. Now think about what it’s like when you get your coffee, or your Diet Coke, or after you finally get some decent sleep.

That’s what it’s like to have AD/HD and get stimulant medication. Ritalin, Adderall, Daytrana … they’re all doing much the same thing as caffeine. And if you think about your own experiences, you can understand how a stimulant actually can make someone seem calmer and more focused.

I’m not saying medication is right or wrong for anyone in particular. Don’t want to argue that point here. Just hoping to shed a little light on what must seem mysterious to parents sometimes.

By: Chris Williamson

Chris Williamson — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:56:39 +0000

I’m an adult with ADHD, and I too have had a lot of trouble with the medication peeling off with the Daytrana backing. But when it works, it’s great not having the up-and-down effect you get with oral methylphenidate, even the long-acting kinds. And it’s great being able to eat without worrying how meals will interact with the medication.

I’ve reported my experiences to Shire, and the company was good enough to send me another 40-patch coupon. I’ve also talked to several pharmacists, and they’ve confirmed that other customers have had problems. But neither the company nor the pharmacists had any suggestions that seemed to work for dealing with the bad patches.

I noticed that when I took the bad patches back to the store to show the pharmacist, lo and behold, the backing came off just fine. With some trial and error, I figured out I had to store the patches in a room I could keep very warm overnight and then peel them there in the morning. The medication would peel off if the room was even a little cool. It had to be like mid-70s.

For my second batch of patches, the pharmacy gave me four 10-patch boxes. Three of the boxes have been fine. But in one box, eight of 10 patches were unusable, even kept and peeled in the warm room. The lot number on the bad box is 1934311, which I reported to Shire. The lot number on the other three boxes (the good ones) is 2192212, also which I reported. So maybe check the lot number and ask your pharmacist for a box from a different lot if necessary.