Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Many parents were worried after Health Canada blocked the sale of Adderall XR in Canada last February after post-marketing reports of sudden deaths in pediatric patients, even though the FDA said that it was still safe.

They should feel reassured now that Health Canada has reinstated the marketing and sale of Adderall XR in Canada after an extensive review by Pediatric experts.

Remember that children should still not take Adderall XR though if they have a history of underlying heart problems, including heart defects, high blood pressure, and/or heart or blood vessel disease

Wednesday, June 1, 2005

Focalin XR is now available in 5, 10, and 20 mg capsules. Focalin XR is a new extended release, once a day form of Focalin, which is an isomer of the stimulant methylphenidate or Ritalin.

Wednesday, September 8, 2004

There is another new form of methylphenidate available, whch may be good news to parents who have a hard time getting their kids to take medicine.

The new Methylin Chewable Tablets and Oral Solution makes Ritalin available for kids who can't swallow pills or capsules and don't like eating Adderall XR or Ritalin LA capsules thaat have been opened and sprinkled on applesauce, etc.

These are short acting forms of Ritalin though, so your child will likely need a dose in the morning and another dose around lunch time at school, which is not as convenient as once a day medications like Adderall XR, Ritalin LA, Concerta, or Strattera.

Thursday, September 2, 2004

There may be another new treatment for ADHD in the near future.

Parents of children with ADHD have been fortunate in that there have been many new medications to treat ADHD in the past few years, including Concerta, Adderall XR, Focalin, and Strattera.

The newest medication is Provigil, a medicine used to treat people with narcolepsy. Although not as effective as Ritalin, two new studies did show that Provigil helped to improve the children's attention span and decreased their hyperactivity.

Don't look for a prescription of Provigil anytime soon though. Additional testing will have to be done to prove that Provigil works and is safe for children with ADHD. Cephalon, the company that makes Provigil, is said to have a plan to submit Provigil to the FDA by the end of 2004 to get an indication to treat ADHD.

Adderall XR has been approved to treat adults with ADHD. That means that their are now two medicines, Strattera and Adderall XR, to treat adults with ADHD.

The increasing number of adults being treated for ADHD is likely unwelcome news for parents who have hoped that their kids would outgrow their ADHD...

In other recent ADHD news, the FDA did not approve the MethyPatch, a transdermal patch that contains Ritalin (methylphenidate). Surprisingly, Shire Pharmaceuticals, the makers of Adderall and Adderall XR is one of the companies behind the Ritalin patch.

It is also unclear, at least to me, what the benefits of a patch would be. Many kids are already taking once a day medications for ADHD, including Adderall XR, Concerta and Strattera, so the convenience of a once a day patch is not that big. There is a belief that it would be less likely for kids to abuse the Ritalin patch, since it gives a constant, pre-defined dose throughout the day.

The one situation where a patch would be nice is where children won't swallow their ADHD, either in pill or capsule form. Although the capsule form of Ritalin LA and Adderall XR can be opened and sprinkled on applesauce or other foods, some kids still refuse to take their medicine. A patch would be a nice alternative for these kids.

For more information, please visit:

• Cephalon: Studies Demonstrate PROVIGIL Improves Symptoms of ADHD in Children
• ADHD Guide
• ADHD
• ADHD Clinical Trials

	Web keepkidshealthy.com

Also visit:
ADHD advice and information
Expert Pediatrician - child health and parenting advice
About Pediatrics - Expert Pediatric Parenting Advice
Father's First Year - read about Dr. Iannelli's new book