Do you or your child take the Daytrana patch for ADD/ADHD? If you do you need to know that the company that manufactures this drug, Noven Pharmaceuticals, is recalling two lot numbers.
First, let me say that the problem is not due to product safety issues, but rather with the packaging itself. The foil packaging does not meet “release liner removal specification.â€
In plain English it means that you may have problems opening the package. Check your prescription, if your box is labeled either lot number 2750211 or
2764111, you may want to call the company’s customer service line at 1.800.828.2088.
The company suggests you also call your local pharmacist.
The company says that the patch is perfectly safe to use unless you’re experiencing problems opening it, or you accidentally damage the patch while you’re opening it.
Peter Brandt, Noven’s, chief executive officer, said in a press release that the root cause of the problem has been identified and Noven is “committed to resolving the release liner issue.â€
Representatives of the company say that if you aren’t experiencing problems opening the liners, then you should have no worries about the medication.
The clear patch is normally applied to the hip in the morning and worn for nine hours. Not only that, but the effects of the medication continue to be felt for another three hours after that.
Pharmac has just announced that it will now cover the once daily Concerta for ADHD.
You can read the news release here.
Concerta is a once daily, long acting medication for ADHD.
Prior to this, Pharmac was only funding the generic Rubifen for ADHD, and occasionally it would cover the name brand Ritalin, as described here.
The funding for Concerta will allow for the prescriptions of this long acting medication only if the other two approved medicines don’t work effectively.
This is a step forward, though ideally, all would have access to Concerta.
To our New Zealand friends (i.e. Kiwis), please share your thoughts and comments below.
Best,
Dr. Kenny
p.s. to read about the dosing of concerta, visit: Concerta Dosage.
Check out this story that ran on the Time online news site July 23. The magazine reports that an increasing number of older children are being diagnosed with ADD/ADHD – a trend that appears to baffle some of the nation’s public health officials.
Typically, if a child is to be diagnosed with this disorder, it’s usually recognized by the time a child is 11 years old. But the study – which questioned parents from the years of 1997 to 2006 about their children’s health status – discover an increase in diagnosis of 4 percent every year.
Because of the nature of the study, the question of “why†isn’t readily addressed. The article did suggest two reasons why this development has occurred. The first simply may be the health community’s increasing awareness of the diversity in how the symptoms show up in older kids.
Adolescents may not display the hyperactivity that many have come to expect with ADD/ADHD. Instead they may show up more in the form of difficulty in concentration. Increasing recognition of this fact may be driving up diagnosis.
The second reason could be linked to an increasing abuse of the medication Ritalin by teens who use the stimulant as a recreational drug or as a study aid.
In either case, the article also said that the use of ADD/ADHD medications is on the rise as well. The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control reports that prescriptions for this drug jumped from 1.9 million in 1993 to 3.2 million in 2005.
Health officials speculate a portion of that increase is due a more aggressive marketing approach by the drug companies.
You can read the entire story for yourself and draw your own conclusions here.
The Learning Disability Association of Prince Edward Island, and the United Way are putting together a program to help kids with ADHD and Learning Disabilities. You can read the news report here.
Parents of kids with ADHD and LDs often don’t get the support that they need. Hopefully, this program will provide some desperately needed help.
Looking for a way to increase your child’s self-esteem?
Lots of parents of children with ADHD are. And now, here’s a simple way, according to one study, that is. Let them enjoy those playing those video games now and then.
That’s right! According to a study commissioned by Pop Cap, an online gaming company, playing casual video game playing can not only improve a child’s self esteem, but also his attention span, and memory. In addition, it can also help to relieve stress!
The study looked at more than 13,000 casual game players. Of these nearly 3,000 of the respondents said that they – or someone in the care – had ADHD.
Surprised? Perhaps you really shouldn’t be, explains Dr. Carl Arinoldo. He’s a psychologist in Stony Brook, New York. “It seems that children with ADHD often lack that sense of control that comes much more easily to their non-ADHD peers,†he says. “Playing casual games . . . is one area in their lives in which these children can experience some sense of control with the added benefit of achieving success in something.â€
And that, he explains, serves “to enhance the child’s self-concept and self-esteem.â€
The study above was commissioned by an online game company. I can’t say that I’ve read the study to let you know if there are biases in it. The fact that it was funded by a gaming company does suggest a bias.
That said, the conclusion makes sense – for a CASUAL gamer – playing games can increase self esteem.
What about the negative?
It is a general trend in our society that kids are spending more time in front of a screen (i.e. TV, computer, gaming system) than they ever have in history. Kids don’t just go outside to ride bikes or play with friends as they used to. There is a clear increase in childhood obesity – which is likely related to this.
How does this relate to kids with ADHD?
Video games are very stimulating – and thus are much easier to pay attention to than school work. Connecting with people online can be much easier than doing so in real life. Kids can be more defiant with their parents when they don’t want to turn the game off for fear of losing their progress on ‘this level’.
The biggest problem in this area for kids with ADHD is the overuse of video games.
In fact, video games can actually become addictive, and show the classic symptoms of addiction – i.e. tolerance, dependence and continuing despite harmful consequences.
Tolerance: This refers to the fact that the same amount doesn’t produce the same response. In alcohol, this could be that the 4 drinks doesn’t make you drunk anymore –and you ‘graduate’ to 6 drinks. Just ask any active (addicted gamer) if they would like to take more time to play whenever they can…
Dependence: This refers to feelings of withdrawal if one cannot have access to the addicted substance. In alcohol, one can go through a physiological withdrawal. In video games, if one is a gamer – of many hours per day – if the video game system goes off (due to damage to it, or parental restrictions), addicted players get angry, feel lost, and may have sadness or acting out behavior.
Harmful Consequences: This refers to negative consequences coming directly as a result of the addiction, but the person ignores them. In alcohol, it could be charges for driving under the influence, losing one’s job, etc. In video games – it can be failing school, getting into fights with friends or family, or losing motivation towards one’s goals.
Are all video games addictive?
All video games can be addictive.
Ones which are particularly concerning are the very long, involved ones – such as ‘World of Warcraft’.
Here is a youtube video which describes this:
The Bottom Line:
Casual video games can be fun and can build self esteem and increase social interaction.
Moderate video game usage can have its negative aspects - i.e. poor social interaction, more defiance, less time of physical activity and more defiance.
Excessive video game usage can lead to addiction – and isimilar to other addictions, one has to get away from the addiction, and receive treatment. In the same way an alcoholic can’t have just ‘one drink’, someone addicted to video games has to take a complete break, and not just play for ‘one level’.
It is clear that video games are here to stay. In recent years, video game earnings are getting close to those of Hollywood.
