Special Needs Education

» ShansMom - First day on daytrana

In response to First day on daytrana posted by ladyearls:

Today marks day one of the patch for us too (15mg). I must be another "old mom" because I had a heck of a time with the protective covering as well! Pretty sure we need to up the dose as there has been no signs of effectiveness yet and doc always starts on the conservative side. My daughter is 10 years old and is no borderline case. She has been taking 40mg of Focalin XR in the mornings with a boost of additional meds in the afternoon. Luckily, she responds very well to meds... just metabolizes incredibly fast. Her doctor is hoping for an extended daily benefit, increased appetite and to avoid our extremely stressful mornings with regard to pill swallowing. Our fingers are crossed......
Could someone please tell me how long it typically takes from the time the patch is applied until it shows its effectiveness that day? I appreciate the support.

-- posted by ShansMom

» vatican - 2 Weeks Experience w/ Daytrana

I noticed many requests for experiences w/ Daytrana, so here goes:

First, I am not a child (not technically, that is ). I am 30 years old. While I was diagnosed w/ ADD at age 5, I am of the generation where doctors believed that a person "grew out of it". I was lucky, I think, to be smart enough to work through my limitations, which particularly relate to reading large quantities of books, data, etc... and go to an Ivy League school w/o taking medication. However, everyone hits a wall sometime, and I had to overcome my strong desire to not take medication...it is worth it.

I was taking Concerta, and Adderall before that. In both cases, even the extended release pills worked through my system in 3.5 hrs at most...I ended up functional, then non-funtional, then functional ...

This patch is a true extended release patch. My only problem with it is that I hate ripping off body hair at night. That shouldn't be a problem for you guys. For those of you who have issues remembering to take pills, this helps. To date, it works once you find the right doseage.

Good luck.

-- posted by vatican

» twinsnchase - patch

My son just started using the patch a week ago.I was told it would last 3 hours after we took it off.But I am finding out that thats not true.Withih 30 minutes we can tell it is out of his system.Is anyone else seeing the same thing.He is on the 30 mg.

-- posted by twinsnchase

» ivy1775 - patch

In response to patch posted by twinsnchase:

We have been using the patch for my 6 year old for about 3 weeks now. It is like a dream--no more fights about taking pills etc. We had previously been on extended release Focalin, and we seem to be having smoother afternoons with the patch. It seems like for our son it takes about an hour to wear off, certainly not 3 hrs. The "come-down" in general seems smoother, less rage than we were experiencing.

As for removing the backing, at first we also found it very hard. Now I fold the patch in half at where the backing separates and pull it off that way, much easier.

-- posted by ivy1775

» jomo - 2 Weeks Experience w/ Daytrana

In response to 2 Weeks Experience w/ Daytrana posted by vatican:

That response was what I was hoping for with Daytrana. My son also metabolizes Concerta within four hours too.
Also is insomnia a problem for you? How far in advance do you remove the patch to get a good sleep?

-- posted by jomo

» thanksdon - Help!!!!!!!!!!! With adhesive backing

I am having a HECK of a time with the backing. It seems like half the adhesive is sticking to the peel away part. I know the med is imbedded into the adhesive, so I'm afraid to use a patch where all of the adhesive doesn't pull away. So far I have wasted FIVE patches because of this and I'm really becoming frustrated every morning when it happens again!

Other than that we love this medication. It is like a dream come true. She does complain of itching about the middle of the day, but if I distract her from it, she stops complaining. The patch leaves a small red square after removal but is gone by the next morning. I let her put an ice pack on the area after removal and that seems to satisfy her anxiety about it.

Any suggestions for easier removal of the patch from the backing? I'd REALLY appreciate any advice.

-- posted by thanksdon

» ShansMom - Help!!!!!!!!!!! With adhesive backing

In response to Help!!!!!!!!!!! With adhesive backing posted by thanksdon:

O.K.... here's what works for me: Hold the patch in your hands with the backing side facing up. Gently bend (but do not fold) the patch along the diagonal line. Then try to free the backing edges just along the diagonal. You may have to bend several times to loosen the edges. I free the edges on both sides, just along the line. Once both edges are free you can roll the backing off by gently bending the patch. I remove one side first, apply it to the skin and then roll the second side to remove the last of the backing. I haven't wasted a single patch using this method. Also, make sure you are storing the patches in a cool dry place, away from excessive humidity...

I'm glad this medication is working for you.
Good luck!

-- posted by ShansMom

» cpmom - Month on Daytrana

My son has been on Daytrana for almost a month. He was on 80mg of Focalin XR plus Ritalin for after school. He has always metabolized every medication unbelieveably fast. I would say it is taking 1 1/2 hours for the effectiveness to begin each day. The effectiveness has not lasted more than 45 minutes after the patch is removed in the afternoon or at night. Is anyone else's child or an individual experiencing severe stomach pains and/or periods of profuse sweating since beginning the patch?

-- posted by cpmom

» gailgarbonzobean - Month on Daytrana

In response to Month on Daytrana posted by cpmom:
My son has been on Daytrana for about three weeks. He used to be on Focalin xr-we started this to see if it would stay in his system longer and if it would ease the rebound he was having. So far things seem to be going really well- The two things I see that worry me are the stomach pains that he is expierencing and the loss of appetite. His stomach pains have not been really severe but uncomfortable. He is very thin so the not eating is becoming an issue.

-- posted by gailgarbonzobean

» heartmom95 - 2 Weeks Experience w/ Daytrana

Since the patch is only for kids 6-12 I was wondering how you were able to have your dr. RX the patch???? My DS is 13, almost 14, and his ped will not RX the patch for him because he doesn't meet the age requirments. Also, how are things going now???
Just curious, Cheryl

-- posted by heartmom95