Problems With the Daytrana ADHD Patch?
Parents continue to experience problems removing the backing of the new Daytrana patch for ADHD, according to user feedback collected at CounsellingResource.com. Nonetheless, we’ve received three times as many reports of positive overall experiences as reports of negative experiences with Daytrana. Our users have also contributed several suggestions about removing the Daytrana patch adhesive from the skin, and many questions about using the medication. For example, is it OK to cut the patches in half or thirds?
A quick count of comments left during more than a year in response to our first article (“ADHD Patch to be Sold as Daytrana”) about the Daytrana patch for ADHD shows around three times as many reports of positive overall experiences with the drug as compared to negative experiences with the Daytrana patch. (Of those commenting on their overall experience, around 74% were positive about Daytrana, compared to around 26% negative.) However, a full 20% of total comments noted difficulties of one form or another — usually related to peeling the backing off the patch, but also related to skin irritation or problems removing the adhesive from the skin. The percentage reporting difficulties with the backing is even higher when compared against the total number of comments from parents actually using the patch, rather than compared to the total number of all respondents (around two thirds, depending on how the responses are counted).
Many of those leaving comments were looking for feedback or advice from other users of the drug, and our visitors were happy to oblige with solutions for removing the backing or getting the adhesive off the skin. Many also contributed their experiences speaking with their physicians about the ADHD patch or the responses they had back from talking directly with Shire about problems with the patch. A consensus seems to be emerging that early manufacturing difficulties may have been responsible for some of the problems users experienced with the backing, and we’ve had several reports of a new batch of medication now hitting the market which promises less temperamental adhesive.
One of the most intriguing discussions prompted by the article revolves around the question of whether it is OK to cut Daytrana patches in half or even thirds to provide a larger number of patches of a smaller dose from an initial batch of higher dose patches. One respondent mentioned their doctor had suggested exactly that, in order to achieve a 10 mg dose, yet feedback directly from Shire apparently suggests that cutting the patches severs a membrane which regulates the rate at which medication is delivered to the skin — in other words, cutting the membrane may result in the medication being delivered too rapidly. (Of course, that in and of itself may not necessarily determine the rate of methylphenidate absorption into the bloodstream, since that rate also depends upon the rate at which the drug is able to pass through the skin.) However, anecdotal evidence from a user who cut the corner off a patch — in an attempt to make it easier to remove that stubborn backing — suggests that cutting the patch may have contributed to skin irritation.
How about your experiences with the Daytrana ADHD patch? Has it been smooth sailing, or have you experienced some of the problems reported by other users? Please leave a comment below if you’d like share your own views of the ADHD patch.
Caveats and Limitations: Please note that the results of tabulating comments on our earlier article does not in any way yield a statistically valid general view of overall user experiences with the ADHD patch! This is not a scientific study or even an intentional survey; it is just a report of how our readers have responded.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We’ve had such a strong response to this thread that we’ve made a new post on resources on the ADHD patch; if you’d like to leave your thoughts or share your experiences with the Daytrana patch, please head over to the new post: “More Resources on Problems With the Daytrana ADHD Patch”. Thanks!
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Other articles by Dr Greg Mulhauser, Managing Editor
This article was last reviewed by on Thursday, 22nd March 2007. Comments are currently closed.
The URL of this page is:
http://counsellingresource.com/features/2007/03/22/adhd-patch-problems/
65 Responses to “Problems With the Daytrana ADHD Patch?”
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65
Hi folks,
We’ve had such a response to this thread (as well as to our previous thread about problems with the Daytrana patch) that we’ve made another post and a new discussion thread:
http://counsellingresource.com/features/2007/07/16/daytrana-patch-resources/
Please head on over to the new Daytrana patch thread if you’d like to leave a comment or share your experiences with the medication!
Many thanks,
Greg -
64
[...] reaction. A pharmacist with the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices has even been following the most recent thread as one way of monitoring public response to the [...]
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Amy63
Our 10MG patches were lot 2296311 exp 10-2008. We just got 20MG patches, lot 255111 exp 04-2009. They work perfectly–backing peels off nicely and it stayed on during swimming. Maybe Shire is making progress?!?
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Amy62
I found Tegaderm, but my son didn’t like it because it adhered so tightly and was painful to remove. The BandAid Water Block Plus large band aids are working like a charm, though.
We did have to go to two 10MG patches. It’s time to refill, so I’ve asked for 20MG patches.
So far I’ve just been putting the patch on him when he wakes up (around 7). I figure even when school starts next year that will give him an hour or an hour and a half for it to kick in.
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Shari61
Camilla, My 8 year old son was diagnosed last fall also.Our story is a lot like yours,except we started him on Focalin 10mg XR from Jan-May. We had the same problems as you and noticed the meds were wearing off around 2, we have just started him on the Daytrana 10mg patch. We have had a hard time with removing the backing, but freezing for 5 min. does seem to help. As for irrtiablity, we have found that fish oil has helped a lot! I give him 1 packet of Coromega orange flavor, its a pudding like alternative to capsules, which since my son has a hard time with pills, works out great and he loves the taste! He’s getting 2000mg a day and the Doctor said that’s great! I can’t believe the change in his disposition, we actually started him on the fish oil before the meds and saw a big change. The meds really help with focusing. Good luck.
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