Daytrana anyone? | ADHD Information
and I doubt any of the other enthusiasts here have any)with this sort of things, but just in case anyone else is
willing
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My son has been on the patch for abourt 1.5 years. 10 mg. We were up to 15 mb and then went off - for the most part for last summer. We eased back into it with 7.5 , then 10 mg when he started back into school. We just used it when he really needed to concentrate for a particular thing during the summer. Many times during the summer or occasionaly on the weekend, I will just use it for a couple-few hours. I don't mind the hyperness, but him implusivity and concentration are what he mostly needs it for. School and interaction with other kids.
You can leave the patch on longer than they say - it will continue to work. And after a while the sleep issue isn't nearly so bad. He takes melatonin somethimes - works great.
We put the patch on his back - up and down either side of the spine. Works good.
Got a script for this today...I know it's an old drug in a new form and it's new, but wondered if anyone else had tried it yet.We tried the 10 mg as well as the 15mg patch for two weeks, and although it worked well after the two hour delay of any systemic affect, my seven year old lost pounds that he cannot affor to lose. He had absolutely NO APPETITE until about 3 hours after the patch was removed. Refused even his drinks; thus I swtiched back to the regular ritalin. We were really hoping the patch would be the answer so meds would not have to be taken during school. I just hate for him to continue be micromanaged. Concerta, Ritalin LA, Medadate all decrease his appetite, but not to where he does not even drink.
Anyone else had such a drastic appetite change?
Well, we haven't started the patch yet, but received the prescription lastweek. Unfortunately, none of the pharmacies in our city (in CA) have it in
stock. It had to be ordered and should be in on Tues or Wed. So, we'll see
how it goes. I'm kinda worried about hearing of the 2 hour delay to start
working. That wouldn't be good once school starts back up in August! Robin J I was wondering what kind of meds was your son on before. We are comsidering the patch my daughter is taking concerta now 54 mg along with zxprexa 2.5 mg and the moodiness is unreal..She has a don't care attitude and just lays around doing nothing...Do not apply the patch with a heat compress, I was told that will affect the correct delivery of the medication.
[QUOTE=lymom3]For you two that have tried it, did you find the darn things ridiculously hard to peel? I was on the Emsam patch for a while and that came right off but this thing is a fight to say the least to get it unstuck. Regardless of whether I find a decent dosage or not that alone might kill it for me. [/QUOTE]
my son is 10 and is on daytrana. he started on 10mg for a week, then 15 and now 20. he's doing great on 20mg. i love being able to take the patch off when I feel like he doesn't need to be on it. with concerta, he took it and had to be on it for a long period of time. major sleep problems. my wife has been taking the patch off at 4pm every day and sleep has not been an issue. Our doctor told her to set the alarm on her cell phone. It's nice to have the control. I found the 10mg patch to be a huge pain to peel off. the 15 and 20mg are not cut down the middle. the break goes from corner to corner and they are much easier to peel off. At least that's what I've found. His skin under the patch gets a little red but by the next morning we can't even tell that the patch was on... his skin looks fine. We are really happy with daytrana. hopefully you all find success with it too.
katsjo- Would you mind telling me the area on the Daytrana website that talks about the adverse reaction, if it's an allergic reponse, and the possibily of an adverse reaction to ANY form of Methylphenidate? I went to the website but was unable to find anything. (I'm sure I just overlooked it) Thank you soo much for posting with us. I find it helpful to be able to discuss with others that are dealing with the same thing as I am.
ChrisDay28...we have been on the patch for almost 2 weeks now. We was some of the same "tic" issues you did. I'm happy to say they are now gone. The only two major thngs we have going now is no appetite, but we had that before, and a dry mouth. My son just carries a water bottle around with him and that help a lot.
My son started at 30 mg right off and we were thinking it was too much too. Now after being on it longer, I'm thinking he is OK with the 30. Give it some time. Sounds like you are great parents to be paying attention to all of this tough. I know I was really relucantant to try something so new, but so glad I did!
I have not heard from the company yet. I also asked if the patch could be applied to his back or shoulder. I think it would rub less there.
We had to use bandaids on top of the patch today just to keep it on. He put the patch on himself this afternoon as I was at work. I want him to be able to handle this responsibility for himself. God willing, he will be going to college in a few years and will need to be independent with regard to his meds.
He seemed ok this evening doing the things I asked him without complaining. That in itself is an improvement.
I will keep you posted...
We are on day 7 of the 15mg patch. I'm not sure if the dosage is correct.
I'm almost thinking it might be too high. He's been pretty out of it during
the early part of the day. This could also be him coming down off of the
Straterra. Has anyone had a strange reaction when stopping Straterra?
He's been pretty quiet. We are having a short delay in the morning once
we put the patch on, but I'm pretty sure it's not 2 hours before we are
seeing results. It's kinda hard to tell. He has been complaining of a
stomach ache every day, which is a bummer. I was hoping that would
have ended with the patch.
The other thing we are now having a problem with is the darn adhesive
remaining on his skin. Somebody had posted about it earlier, and we
weren't having the problem yet. But, the last few days we have. And, this
morning, I noticed the parts around the patch where the adhesive
remained, has turned into a sore and scabbed up. Not sure if it's because
Andrew has been scratching or picking at the adhesive after we took the
patch off. Or, if it's from us using rubbing alcohol and vaseline to try to
remove the adhesive. So, that's not good.
I'm wondering if the 10mg dosage might work better because he doesn't
really seem to be "all there" with the 15. But, not sure about the Straterra
coming down. So, we'll give it a few more days, see how he does and
then call the pdoc. I have to give him an update this week over the phone
anyways.
The good thing I guess is that the lasting time after we take the patch off
has been great. It's definately lasting through the evening. There's been
a couple of times where we didn't get the patch off at the right time. It
stayed on for an extra hour or so. So, remembering to take if off,
especially if we are out running errands, etc., is a bit tough.
We'll see how it goes.I read in one of the posts that you can get Ritalin in a liquid form. Plus most pharmacies now can put any pill (not capsules) into a liquid form with flavoring.The Daytrana never worked for me. I was on the 30 patch. It didnt do
anything at all for me. But meds are different for everyone.So far we haven't had a problem with the adhesive being left on the skin.
And, haven't really had a problem with the backing not coming off. As far
as
price goes, it's about the same price as the Straterra were were getting.
For
a month supply, after our insurance pays, it's about .00. Our
insurance
covers...I belive 75 or 70%. It changes all the time, these darn insurance
plans!
Today was day 2 of the Daytrana, and Andrew complained again about a
stomach ache. He ate breakfast, but wasn't hungry for lunch. But, was
hungry for dinner. So far, it seems to be doing pretty good at controlling
his hyperactivity. He's also not as mouthy or snotty about things. He
does seem a bit different though. Kinda hard to pin-point, but to me it
seems like he's having some strange body movements. Not what I would
think were tics, but maybe I just don't know what tics really look like. It
seems like it happens pretty early in the day, not too long after it kicks in.
It's almost what I would call a mild form of parkinsons. Like the head
movements in a way. Not shaking or jerking movements though. So,
we'll just watch and see what happens over the next few days. Oh, and
he's on the 15mg patch.
ptgally,
baby oil seems to work well in removing the adhesion that may be left on the skin, plus its a lot less irritating than something thats abrasive. Another hint to help remove the backing from the patch is to bend the cut part back and forth a few times and then roll the backing off instead of using your finger nails to try and grab a corner, it makes a big difference for me in how easy it comes off.
I just got prescription for patch for my 16 yo who currently takes 72 mg Concerta in the am and 10 mg of Ritalin at 2pm and 6pm. I would like to eliminate the 2 afternoon doses so we are trying the patch. Also he sometimes cheeks his afternoon or evening pill and without meds he is a BEAR to live with. We call him Wolfman when he is not on his meds...If the patch doesnt work then I will try the liquid.
Will take a few days for pharmacy to order it. Did everyone get the card from the company for 40 free patches from their Dr?
I have that card and it is quite helpful. I'm not sure how much the patches are gonna cost after the free trial is used up. I'm sure it will not be cheap.. and I'm also sure my insurance doesn't cover much (if any) for them. I'm just hoping its not tooo much more than I was paying for the Focalin XR.
Does anyone have any suggestion on how best to get that left over sticky stuff off my son's skin after the patch has been removed? He throws a fit when I try to scrub it off. 
Lindab.. What liquid are you referring too. I've never heard of that. Good luck on the patch.
Chrisday28- Sorry to hear about the "unsure" reactions your son is having to the patch. I hope it all works out. My son is doing great, so far. I think 20mg is gonna be our best bet.
lindab- Thanks for the liquid info- I guess I did not know they could do that with a drug used for ADHD.
Adhadof2- Thanks for the tips!
I remember reading in our paperwork, or on Daytrana's website that if the
patch comes off for some reason, just apply another one on the same hip,
but a bit of a different spot, and take it off when the 9 hours was up from
the first patch. So, if your first patch was only on for 4 hours, apply the
2nd one for 5 hours and remove. I was a bit concerned about that too.
But, when I read that, I realized I just hadn't thought of it that way. Good
to know that it would be okay to use another one.
Andrew started his patch this morning about 8:30. He was still in bed
when I put it on him. A few hours later, he was complaining of a stomach
ache. He actually looked a bit pale too. He isn't having a problem with
picking at it or playing with it. Although, he seems to think it's kinda cool
to show his friends that he has a patch on. He played on the slip-n-slide
today and it didn't have a problem with coming off. So that's good. He
seems to be much calmer, not as snotty mouthed, maybe a bit tired. So,
I'll have to watch that. I know that with the Straterra, if I don't give it to
him in the evening, it makes him sleep all day off and on. He's still on the
Straterra for a week or so while we start the patch. Pdoc wants us to
continue his dose for about 3 days, then every other day, then every 2nd
day for about a week and half to sorta titrate it down.
Oh, and I forgot to say that he hasn't eaten since breakfast, and it's
currently 3:20. So, it's definately affecting his appetite more so than the
Straterra or the Focalin XR.ChrisDay2838932.638900463I read the best way to avoid side effects problems from any of these meds is eat first than give the medacine. I would force eating/drinking if necessary. We tried that still made sick on strattera. Even got ill at school. I hear you can also give meds at bedtime instead. The only way attention med will work on Daniel is if given right before leaving for school and more after school. I think his processing difficulties are the bigger problem anyhow. If it not made easy he just doesn't get it at all. I have not seen the 2 hour delay for daytrana. I am seeing more like one hour before it kicks in, My Dr. told me that the 2 hour timeframe was not neccesarily when the meds would start but that 2 hours was the first time that they tested in the studies. That does make sense due to the fact that the meds in the patch do not have to be metabolized in the liver like the pills do. I have been successful in putting the patch on my daughter while she is still asleep, it barely phazes her and when she wakes up it seems to be in full effect. I have also found that if we leave it on more then the 9 hours it still seems to work, which is great for nights when she has soccer practice and homework - no more second doses hopefully. Anyway we are are very pleased with what we have seen so far with the patch although it is still early, and look forward to sharing our experiences. My daiughter had previously been on Concerta, focalyn and Ritalyn La, this seems to be working the best for her without having to take the second dose.
Chrisday28... Nice.. my sons name is Andrew as well.
Putting another patch on is a good reassurance... I guess im just sooo used to the pills. I would agree, the patch seems to have messed with his appetite worse so than the focalin xr. I'm hoping once he gets used to the patch and dosage that will not be soo bad. fingers crossed. I do make sure he has a good breakfast. That is one meal i can count on. After school, he barely eats the snack that he used to woof down before the patch. I take it off as soon as we get in the door. (5:30.. we are both working parents) So to help with the "no lunch and no snack "...I give him a carnation good start choco drink. So I hope I'm making up for some lost meals. Within an hour of taking the patch off... it seems the meds wear off... and he can eat a pretty good dinner.
http://www.daytrana.com/PrescribingInformation.aspx
Hi all,
This link above is, I believe, probably the same paperwork that we get in any prescription. Here some of the key information I found....
"Contact Sensitization
Use of Daytrana may lead to contact sensitization. Daytrana should be discontinued if contact sensitization is suspected. Erythema is commonly seen with use of Daytrana and is not by itself an indication of sensitization. However, sensitization should be suspected if erythema is accompanied by evidence of a more intense local reaction (edema, papules, vesicles) that does not significantly improve within 48 hours or spreads beyond the patch site......
.........Patients sensitized from use of Daytrana, as evidenced by development of an allergic contact dermatitis, may develop systemic sensitization or other systemic reactions if methylphenidate-contaning products are taken via other routes, e.g., orally............It is possible that some patients sensitized to mehylphenidate by exposure to Daytrana may not be able to take methylphenidate in any form..................
..........Using Daytrana as prescribed, alternating application sites on the hip, no cases of contact sensitization were reported."
It also says that a study was done designed to provoke a reaction by putting the patch on the same site for 3 weeks, then off for 2. It involved a placebo patch also. Says 18 of 133 developed a sensitization.
My intention is not to frighten anyone, but just to make an informed decision when it comes to my son. I know that the many times I have been on medicine, very rarely do I read the information completely or even get concerned about adverse reactions and all the information presented in these pamphlets. I guess a good example would be the birth control pill. Many people have taken it despite the risks associated with it.
It appears that there is a difference between a rash and a reaction. I know that when I used band aids on my son for a week, he did well. I will talk to my doc some more about it, let me know what yours tell you.
Thanks very much,
Kat
We have been on the patch for 3 or 4 wks now. The red places from the patch seem to be taking longer to dissapper! Has anyone else experienced any issues with the skin from the patch? I have learned (which I only done once by msitake) NOT to put the patch in the same place back to back. It looked like it chapped his skin, plus it msde him itch which irritated it more. It's almost like I'm running out of places to stick the patch while waiting on the others to heal/reddness to calm down. Sandyg4 ~ I'm starting to notice that the tic thing, or whatever it was, is
gone now too. We are currently on day 8 and he's not seeming as tired or
lethargic as the first 5 or so days. I really think it might have had
something to do with the Straterra. So, now on day 8, he's acting more
like himself, less complaints of stomach ache and not as sleepy during
the day. I'm almosst thinking the 15mg is good now!
Ptgally ~ I hate that red spot! It looks like it should really hurt, but
Andrew says it doesn't. So, I just try to leave it alone. The only problem
that I have is getting that adhesive off from around the outside of where
the patch was. I dont wanna rub it with anything because I'm afraid it will
irritate the skin more and that may have caused the sores we had the first
few days. Not sure if I should let it wear itself off, or try to scrub it off.
We always change spots when puting on the patch. And, remember to
change hips every day as well. Usually by the next day, the redness has
pretty much gone away from the oposite side. But, I'm like you, a bit
concerned about the way it looks and having enough time to heal
between days.
Other than that, we are doing pretty good. I was worried that Andrew
might try to peel it off when we weren't watching. But, so far he's leaving
it alone. He usually reminds me and asks in the evening, if it's time to
remove his patch. The delay time is a drag, but I need to try getting the
patch on earlier. Right now, being that we aren't in school for a few more
weeks, we have all been sleeping in more than usual. Once school starts
back up, we'll get more on an earlier schedule. And, of course, when
school starts, that will be the BIG test! Geez...I'm so nervous about 1st
grade!My 15yo son started on the 15mg patch last Saturday and we went up to the 30mg by Monday. I LOVE IT!!!
He is so even, no major mood swings. He even has said that he likes it. We were on Metadate and it was working well, but he is driving and needs to be on something from early am to late pm. He was going to have to take another dose of Metadate after school to get him thru wrestling practice and then the drive home. So I wanted to try something that we had more control of. He accidentally slept with it on the other night and said he fell asleep almost immediately and slept great and in the morning he was not climbing the walls. He hasn's done that again but its an interesting thing that it lasted that long. We are at 20mg right now .. but I'm thinking we might have to go up to 30mg. I'm gonna give it a while longer. When and (if) I request the 30mg patch I'm going to ask my DR if a short acting stim would be possible for the morning until the patch kicks in. Has you DR commented on that? Also, not sure about everyone else... but I feel nervous about not having "a pill" to be able to give if the patch was to come off. It's not like you can reapply a patch (or fesible) after it's already been on for half a day.. you know? I'd rather have a pill for back up. I'm going to ask my DR if that is possible as well.
Hi everyone,
We started on the 30 mg patch a few days ago for my 13 yr old son. He metabolizes his meds like crazy and was on 162 mg of Concerta, but the Concerta doesn't last long enough to get him through the whole school day. I was hoping that the patch could get him through the day without a booster dose at school.
Anyway..... 30 mg of the patch just wasn't a high enough dose. 60 mg seems to work much better, however, we are also experiencing the 2 hr delay. This will not work when school starts, so I will be talking to the psychiatrist to see if an early am dose of short-acting stimulant can be combined.
I'm not sure if we will last on the Daytrana patch. So far the hassle factor doesn't seem worth it, but if it can get my child through 9 hours (which Concerta doesn't seem to be able to do), we will keep trying it. Okiemom
Ptgally - Please keep us posted. We are going to be starting the patchtomorrow morning and I'm very curious to hear of others experience. I am a
bit concerned about the 2 hour delay. With school starting soon, my kids
dont get up until 7:00 am and we head out the door at about 8:30. So,
hopefully, it will have enough time to kick in. Oh...and my son just turned 6
in April.
Has your 5 year old complained of any stomach problems? We were using
Focalin previously, 10mg, and he was constantly complaining of a stomach
ache. I was hoping that the patch would have less problems with that since
it isn't being ingested. What was your reason for stopping the Focalin? Chrisday28- Yes he has complain about stomach pains with the Focalin. This was mainly b/4 he learned how to swallow a pill. After that... I did not hear him mention to much about it any more. The reason we are trying the patch is the hopes that it lasts longer. B/4 with focalin, he was taking 20 in the am and then another 10 around 2 pm to make it through the rest of the day without a trip to the office. Having him have to take another pill during school was not appealing for us, and we dont want him "label" or other kids to tease. you know? So i'm hoping the patch will work out.. so far so good for us. We will know more this weekend when we get to witness it all during the day while he is with us and not at school. I wish you luck. Keep me posted on how it goes for you. That's why we stopped the Focalin as well. He was taking the Focalin XR, but
it was wearing off at about 3:00, which wasn't good for homework, etc. So,
we tried Straterra, which was a huge flop, and now gonna try the Daytrana.
I'll definately add our experience here as well. Thanks!
I'm new to post here. But, I've been reading this msg board for sometime now. Thank you for all the help.
We started the Daytrana patch early last week (5yr old boy) ... and we are now up to 20mg. Every thing is going really well. The 2 hour wait for it to kick in is a pain. I have to get up very early to put it on him (2 hours b/4 we leave for school). I wonder if a short acting medication (like Ritlin) could be giving to compensate for the 2 hours until the patch kicks in? And yes... His appetite has gone more so down hill than when he was on Focalin (20mg am and 10mg around 2 pm) I try to take the patch off as early has I can so he will eat a good supper. We are still in the trial faze with the patch... just waiting to see how it goes.
For you two that have tried it, did you find the darn things ridiculously hard to peel? I was on the Emsam patch for a while and that came right off but this thing is a fight to say the least to get it unstuck. Regardless of whether I find a decent dosage or not that alone might kill it for me. My son who is 18 tried it and then went back to the Focalin. He said it had not affect.My dd has used it for a couple of weeks now. I think dosing is much more even. Working well for her. Our psych did say to apply with a heat compress for 30 seconds to activate drug. Katsjo ~ Is an adverse reaction the same thing as the skin turning red where
the patch is located? Or is adverse a more serious type of rash? I'm curious
to hear what Daytrana says about that too! I remember reading that the
patch site will turn red, and that it was normal. That's what we've been
having. But, it hasn't gotten any worse than just red.
Lindab ~ Please keep us posted with the input you receive from Daytrana.
HI
My son is 8 yo, and taking Ritalin LA in am, then Ritalin at 2 pm and 6 pm (when in school the times change due to waking up earlier!). Also takes Prozac for anxiety and ocd symtoms.
I am considering giving Daytrana a try because when school begins we have a very difficult time getting him to take medication. We always end up fighting and late for school and it gets pretty ugly sometimes. I called his doc to ask about Daytrana and he seemed very reluctant, even though he admits the benefit it would have. He mentioned the skin reaction factor, and that it seemed worse in children who were fair skinned. He finally suggested that I try putting round band aids on him every day for a week and see how he reacted to that.
My other concern is that I went to the daytrana website, and please correct me if I am misunderstanding this....but it mentions that if the child has an adverse skin reaction to the patch that this allergic response could make it so that afterward they will have an adverse reaction to any form of methylpenidate (Ritalin, ritalin la, concerta, etc.)???? Even in a different form such as oral!! I don't know if I can take this risk. My son is only 8 years old with a development of a 5-6 yr old. It also says do not take if you have anxiety, which my son has.
Thank you all so much for your contributions to this subject so far, this is a big decision and all of your input has been extremely helpful to me.
kat
Adverse reaction! I'm not liking that. hehe I'm scheduling an appt with my ds doctor this week to talk about a couple of things concerning the patch. I will mention that and have him look at his red patch spot and see if he has a chance to fall in that scenario. I really hope not, bc the patch is working wonderfully.
The one thing that I have notice is that it does NOT stay on in water. For the past 2 weekends we have swam at the lake and both times the patch came off. By the time we get back to the lake house (around 5 ) he is impossible and wild as all get out. We actually have to put another patch on him to have a calm evening. But doing that makes me feel like im wasting a patch b/c I will have to remove it in time for bed (8pm). I'm thinking about asking his dr if he can give us a script for the pill (focalin xr) he used to take, just for the weekend. Like a weekend dose. This would help with his red spot as well, giving his skin 2 days to clear up.
HI, my son just started the patch today. I am having a hard time getting it to stick to him. I pressed and pressed but it still curls on the corners. Any one have a suggestion short of duck taping it to him? :) We wasted a whole patch trying to get it to stick. It was a 10 mg patch. We also have the 15 mg patch too so he can go 1 week on the 10 and then move up to the 15. He was taking 10 mg of Ritalin oral at 1 and 6pm...
By the way, we just started interactive metronome( www.interactivemetronome.com which is covered by my insurance) training for him yesterday and maybe it was my imagination but he seemed nicer, held the door open for his sister which he NEVER does, helped with chores without complaining and cleaned his room without being asked. If this helps it will be a miracle! I will keep you posted.
First make sure the spot has been washed well..that really helps it stick better. Then peel half of it and stick it and then peel the other half. I wasted a couple in the beginning because the edges curl up. By applying 1/2 at a time it seems to work better.thanks, we tried that but it still would not stick to him. It kept sticking to his underwear. I finally had to give him a pill...He doesnt have any faith in the patch...he's been on the pills so long that I think they have become second nature to him. At 16, I cant force him to take his meds but he is absolutely unbearable without them...I will keep trying with the patch...maybe tomorrow it will work better. Anyone know why it has to be applied on the hip? why not on the back or arm?
I have emailed the company for some additional advice with the sticking problem. I hope it works out. The patch is a great device and can eliminate 2 doses a day for him.
Jill ~ Your story is so similar to mine! My son is 6...but struggling
academically. He started first grade this week. He was diagnosed during
Kindergarten, in April. He was started on the Focalin XR, 5mg, and then
the 2nd week, bumped up to 10 mg. My biggest problem was also the
fact that he was back to his bad behavior and craziness about 2:00-3:00
every day. Didn't help with his homework much after school, or the usual
home routine. So, over the summer, we tried Straterra, which was worse!
It didn't work as well as the Focalin XR at all. Then, about 4 weeks ago,
started Daytrana. Like your doctor, we also discussed using another
dose of the Focalin for the afternoon. But, went ahead and decided to try
the Daytrana. We are on the 15 mg and it seems to be working great.
The biggest problem for us is that it seems to take longer than the pills to
start working. About 1-2 hours. I put the patch on him this morning
about 6:30 while he was still asleep, hoping that it would be working by
the time we left for school at about 8:15. It just doesn't make getting
ready in the morning very easy because it hasn't really kicked in. I do
notice that the lasting affect has been longer than the Focalin XR. If we
take the patch off at 5:30 or so, he seems to be fine by his 8:00 bedtime.
He's still very calm and focused. He is so sweet and loving when on the
medication. When it wears off, he's mean and does the same "I hate you"
when he gets mad. Today, I'm gonna have to take the patch off about
4:00, so we'll see what happens. I'm very curious to see if it is all right to
leave it on longer than the 9 hours. Maybe an extra hour on some days,
depending on when we put it on. I'd like to find out why it "has" to be
taken off at 9 hours.
So far, we've really seen good results with the Daytrana. I haven't had any
problems with him trying to remove the patch while we aren't looking.
Or, trying to give it to a friend. I was a bit concerned with school starting
this week, and wondering what would happen if it came off accidentally
and ended up on the ground or in the hands of another child. How is the
school going to feel about that? And, if it accidentally came off, he would
be out of meds for the afternoon and nobody would know. With the oral,
it's down the tube and in the body for however long it lasts.
Unlike Ciship above, we are having a longer lasting affect when it's
removed. Definately not just 30 minutes. It's working much longer into
the evening.
Keep us posted on your decision, and how it is working if you go that
route. Oh...and we're the first patient for our pediatrician also. Kinda
scary, but glad to have this board to get info and other experiences. I
think I've taught our doctor a few things about the patch so far!
Oh, one more thing...I can't remember if this had been covered yet or not,
but has anyone gotten a oral medication to give in the morning so it might
start before the Daytrana kicks in? Since it takes 1-2 hours to even start
working, I wonder if a short acting oral med would do the trick. Just curious
if anyone has tried this or gotten the suggestion from their doctor. Thanks.
ChrisDay28- I've ask that question before on this board but never got a reponse, so i'm guessing no one else has even considered a low dose in the morning until the patch kicked in. Like I mentioned before, I'm not sure we can even continue with the patch, but that is a question I still plan on asking his doctor tomorrow during our appt. I will let you know.
My child has been on Daytrana since Aug. 3rd. It was doing great, the only problem we have had has been with the redness/ chapped/ peeling. I am running out of places to put it, and if you ever overlap on a place that is irritated it turns redish purple almost like a burn. Has anyone else had this problem? What have you done about it?
We have tried giving him the Ritalin 15 mg/ 2x a day on the weekend (Sat and Sun) to give the skin a rest, but I am wondering if that is not a good thing. Does the skin eventually get used to it if you continue it 7 days a week?
Also, where exactly is the hip? Is it just on the side like the diagram shows? or can you put it further over on the buttock? Sometimes it hurts my child when I take it off, anyone else had this problem? I have taken my child several times to pur Pediatrician and he seems to think it is OK, but I am just not sure he has had enough experience with it since it is so new.
I would love to hear from anyone else with suggestions, I really do not want him to have to take a pill at school and then possibly a 3rd dose after school for homework, we tried Concerta and it made him terribly sick (stomach pains), the plain old Ritalin seems to work best for him.
kaytsjo- thank you very much for the information.
My 13 year old son has been on Concerta since 4th grade. He tried Ritilan, Adderall, etc. Most of them didnt really work well.....neither did the Concerta. It helped until around lunchtime and then he was back to being SUPER hyper the rest of the day. The worst part was that he never sleeps. It's awful.
Dr. just gave us Daytrana free trial patch offer and my son is on his second day. Dr. said to try one patch of 10mg (definitely wasnt enough) and then 20 mg 2nd day (if 10mg wasnt enough). My son is at school and I can't wait to see how his day went today. We may need to top out at 30mg. His Dr. says no one should go over 30mg patch per day.
The really GREAT thing about this patch is that my son SLEPT for the first time last night in years.....all night. Fell asleep right away and stayed that way. I was very excited for him. I took the patch off as soon as he was done with homework around 5 p.m. and he was READY for bed at 9:00. Didnt fight me at all on it. I also like the fact that instead of the meds going through the stomach and the liver, it just goes straight to the blood stream so I don't have to wait for the meds to "kick in". I also noticed that when I removed the patch at 5:00 p.m. his ADHD symptoms were back by 7 p.m. or so......
Yesterday, I had the problem with the edges curling up, but this morning we made sure they stayed down. Dr. says if you put anything on the patch to make it "stick" (tape, bandaids, etc...) the medicine will not dispense correctly or work. My sons Dr. said this is the first medicine in his 25 years of prescribing ADHD drugs that his parents and older patients have actually called him back telling him how great it is. I hope it works for my son like that.......and for all of you too!!
Ciship ~ So far we haven't had much of a problem with the sides curling
up. I know that if I don't put the patch on quickly after removing the
backing...and then hold it on firmly for about 30 seconds, it doesn't stick
welll and the edges might peel up. I've only had that happen once or
twice in the very begining. That was before I realized I had to press the
patch for the 30 seconds and press good around the edges. I'm curious
to see if the doctor has heard of problems from Shire about that.
Jfla2 ~ So far, our "kick in" time has been about the 2 hours. I called Shire
yesterday to get some questions answered. One of them was the time
delay. They said in the studies they did, they found the time was about 2
hours and that's what the have in their pamphlet. And, she recommened I
get up early enough to put it on before school. I think I mentioned that in
an earlier post.
The other question was about the 9 hours that we can leave the patch on.
I was curious why only 9 hours and not more. She said that they had
problems in the study with insomnia. And, that I should discuss it with
my doctor. I informed her that I was the first patient for my pdoc to use
the patch, and that he didn't have a lot of information from other patients
or a lot of experience with this med. The feeling I got from the lady was
that it would still work fine if it was on for more than 9 hours, although
she wasn't going to tell me that. And, that it just needs to come off soon
enough in the evening or afternoon for it to wear off enough for sleeping.
We have been having a problem with insomnia, so I'm gonna try taking it
off around 3:30 and see if that helps. So far, we have had a good lasting
time after removal. Almost too good. (because of the insomnia thing)
The problem is that if I get up at 6:30 and put his patch on, it should
come off at 3:30 and I was concerned with it not lasting through the
evening. Since school just started this week, we were previously puting it
on about 8:30-9:00 am.
Anyhow...just more of my input. Someone tell me to shut-up now!
Ptgally- he has sometimes complained of it itching/ hurting, but not all the time. He does not take his off because sometimes it really hurts when I take it off, so he does not want it to come off. Have you spoken with your Dr. re: possibly using oral over the weekend to let the skin "rest"? I am curious if this is/ is not a good idea. The last 2 days I have moved the patch over a bit from the side of his hip to the top part of his buttock, not in the center of his back but about 1-2 inches from where the diagram shows you should put it, seems to be OK.
I like you think this is a great thing, I am just concerned about his skin.
Does anyone know what dosages these come in and what the max dose is? We have only had the "trial" patches so far and they came in increments of 10mg. My 13 year old needs atleast 25mg or 30mg, but I don't know what the SINGLE patches come in. I have had to put 3 patches on him each day to get the correct dosage for him.
We have the redness, which I've read and been told is normal. I think the
way I understand it, is that the patch has a mild irritant in it that makes it be
absored into the skin. So, the redness is somewhat suppose to happen. I
was reading the little pamphlet that comes with the meds again yesterday,
and came across that. Every time I read it, I pick up little bits and pieces
that I've missed or didn't quite get the first time.
I sorta move the patch around the hip. One day it's on the side, the 3rd day
it's more on the butt. By the 5th day of being on the same hip (because we
alternate every day to the other hip), what ever redness or dryness or
irritation was there, is totally gone. So, it sounds like we may not be having
as serious of a reaction as ptgally and MABCA.I dont know if it answers anyone's concern but my son takes oral concerta in the AM and then uses the patch about 2pm to cover him until bedtime. Our worst times with him are from 6pm to bedtime when we are all home and chores and homework need to be done..he is quite oppositional and defiant..the patch is helping to even out his mood ...and makes him more independent as he applies it himself ( when I call from work to remind him :)MABCA- has your child complained of itching?? We are having the same problem as you with the redness/ chapped skin, but my son also complains it itches him. Which then, he takes it off. Can't have that happening at school. hehe We have only been on the patch for about 3 wks. Oh and I too have ran in to the problem of running out of room to place a new patch. I just called my pediatritian for a refill of Daytrana. He asked if the sides of the patch were curling up? I said yes. Must be a problem right now. Other than that, he said this patch is an answer to many parents prayers! Mine too! This thread has been quite helpful for me to check on things as my son, 17, started the patch yesterday. His doctor said that his patients say it kicks in at 30-40 minutes which is shorter than posts I've read. The doctor prescribed 10mg patches and 15mg. patches with the understanding that we can start at 10 and with varying combinations go up 5mg at a time up to no more than 30mg. Ds started on 10mg (nothing) we added a 5mg strip (we cut it) and it made a slight difference. He is trying 20mg today with the hopes that he can do some necessary studying. So it is almost one hour and I think I'll see how he's doing.
lindab- I am interested in how your son uses oral and then later a patch. Before using the patch, how long did the oral medication last until a second dose was added for afterschool activities/homework? How is the timing different and effectiveness than when he adds the patch now?
I'm trying to figure out timing if the patch works for him. So far we are not at a therapeutic dose, but if it works and has a delayed kick in time of about two hours...then I wonder if he took oral short acting Ritalin at 6am then an hour later before he leaves for school add the patch. Any thoughts?
jfla238954.465150463 [QUOTE=ChrisDay28]Oh, one more thing...I can't remember if this had been covered yet or not,
but has anyone gotten a oral medication to give in the morning so it might
start before the Daytrana kicks in? Since it takes 1-2 hours to even start
working, I wonder if a short acting oral med would do the trick. Just curious
if anyone has tried this or gotten the suggestion from their doctor. Thanks.
[/QUOTE]
We do this with my 9 year old who is totally wild in the mornings. He gets some Ritalin along with his patch as soon as he gets up in the morning. Well, actually he gets it as soon as I wake up in the morning.
The Ritalin takes about a half hour to kick in, but the Daytrana is
taking about 2 hours to kick in for him, so the Ritalin goes a long way
toward making our mornings manageable. (This use of the Ritalin was
okayed by my son's psychiatrist.)Hope this helps.
--Debbie
Debbie ~
Thanks for the response. Our mornings are horrible before the patch kicks
in. Ugh! I'm hoping I can get something short acting. I am noticing, that
the more days my son is on the patch, the more calm our mornings are. I
think the medication could be lasting in the system somewhat and keeping
him more mello. We'll see how the next week goes. Procrastinator,
I may be talking to ds' doctor about him taking some Ritalin in the morning before the patch kicks in when school starts. I am curious about what proportion of a full dose are you giving him ...or is it a full dose? also consideration of taking a dose of short acting ritalin and then should he wait one hour and put on the patch before he leaves for school. by the time the patch kicks in the oral dose will be just about finished. He had warned us not to add a oral dose if the initial patch trials were not enough on the first days.
jfla238957.3356365741
Hum.. Worried in Kentucky...
I remember in a previous post a discussion about if the child has an adverse skin reaction to the patch that is "allergic", it could also cause an adverse reaction to (methylphenidate) if taken orally. (It’s all in the pamphlet) AnyHoo.... My DR gave me a weekend dose of Focalin XR to give my DS's to allow time for the red spots to go away before monday/school day. Before the patch.. he was taking 20 mg in the am and 10 mg around 2. Well the 20 mg that i gave him last saturday did not faze him. I gave him another 20mg around 2 and he seemed a bit better, but nowhere near the control it used to provide. The same thing happened to me on Sunday!! I'm scared that the part I mentioned in the beginning of the post is happening to us!?