According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 75 to 80 percent of Kentucky children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are medicated. Parents and doctors have many choices when it comes to treating kids with ADHD. Accordingly, it is important to know the truth about your child’s medication and its potential side effects.
Daytrana® Is a Patch for Kids with ADHD
Daytrana® (methylphenidate transdermal system) is a patch that is applied once daily to relieve the symptoms of ADHD. The medication takes effect approximately two hours after the patch is applied and may continue for up to three hours after it is removed. It is approved for use among children aged six to seventeen years old. The advantages of this medication are that it is only required once a day, that it may eliminate the need for oral medication, and that it can be removed early to avoid late-day side effects such as trouble eating or sleeping.
However, some of the side effects associated with Daytrana® may be more significant than temporary appetite or sleep problems.
Daytrana® Has Been Linked to Permanent Skin Color Changes
On June 24, 2015, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) issued a new safety announcement about Daytrana®. According to the safety announcement, a permanent loss of skin color may occur when using a Daytrana® patch. This loss of skin color is known as chemical leukoderma, and it occurs because of repeated exposure to certain chemical compounds.
Chemical leukoderma is currently irreversible, it is disfiguring, and it may cause emotional distress.
In its safety announcement, the FDA encouraged parents and patients to watch for areas of lighter skin—especially where the patch had been applied—and to report the change to their doctors. Doctors, in turn, were encouraged to seek alternate ADHD treatments for patients who experience this side effect.
Other Side Effects Have Also Been Reported
In 2013, the FDA warned patients, parents and doctors that methylphenidate ADHD medications could lead to priapism. Priapism is a prolonged and painful erection. Patients who have erections lasting longer than four hours were urged to seek immediate medical treatment to prevent permanent damage to the penis. This could occur in males of any age—including young children who have not yet hit puberty and who may be embarrassed to tell an adult. Thus, the FDA directed that all male patients and their caregivers be taught about the problem and the agency required that drug labels and medication guides be updated to identify this risk.
What to Do If Your Child Has Been Hurt by Daytrana®
You gave your child Daytrana® as prescribed by a doctor to help him manage his impulsivity, distractedness, or other ADHD symptoms. You trusted Noven Therapeutics, the manufacturer of the patch, to provide your child with a safe product.
What you didn’t know was that your child could suffer from a lifelong skin discoloring or that your child may suffer emotional distress from a side effect of the medication.
If this has happened to your child, then it is important to find out more about your child’s legal rights and financial recovery. Please start a live chat with us today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Kentucky attorney so that you can protect your child’s future.
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