Daytrana Skin Color Loss: Where Is the Information?

Washington, DCA rare but serious side effect involving Daytrana (methylphenidate) for treatment of ADHD is enough of an issue to cause the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reference Daytrana skin color loss in a recent communication to the health and medical community. But as potentially serious as leukoderma can be, not to mention the fact that it likely is permanent, patients and consumers would have a hard time finding any reference to leukoderma on the official Daytrana website.

There are various references to Daytrana side effects on the primary landing page - adverse reactions that include potential skin irritation and blistering, together with recommended responses should such skin irritations arise. However, patients and caregivers would have to access the official Medication Guide - which isn’t even a part of the Daytrana website - in order to find any concrete information with regard to skin color loss.

Here’s what the official Medication Guide for Daytrana has to say about it: “Loss of skin color (chemical leukoderma). Daytrana may cause a persistent loss of skin-color where the patch is applied or around the patch application site. Loss of skin-color, in some cases, has been reported at locations on the skin far from any application site. The loss of your skin-color may be permanent even after removing the patch or stopping use of Daytrana. Call your doctor immediately if you have changes in your skin-color.”

There are various references to skin allergies that could come in to play and trigger skin reactions. In various areas of the prescribing and usage guidelines, there are references to moving the Daytrana transdermal patch around in an effort to avoid skin irritation. Here again, however, there is no apparent reference on the main web page with regard to avoiding use of the Daytrana patch on the same site in an effort to minimize the risk for leukoderma. Rather a patient, parent or caregiver would have to conduct his or her own research in order to obtain such information, or rely on his or her prescribing physician to apprise him or her of the risks associated with using the Daytrana patch concurrently on the same application site.

Both the primary Daytrana website and the official Medication Guide identify “skin problems where you apply Daytrana (redness, small bumps, itching)” at the top of a list of Daytrana primary side effects that also includes poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, weight loss and tics.

But you have to access the Medication Guide to find any specific information about Daytrana skin color loss. Most consumers do not historically poke around in medication guides or official prescribing information intended primarily for physicians. Most consumers also don’t bother to read the fine print that usually accompanies the product when dispensed from a pharmacy.

While rare, the potential for leukoderma is serious when considering the possibility that skin may not return to its normal color or state once medication is stopped, or the application site is no longer used. Little wonder consumers seek out a Daytrana lawyer for advice on filing a Daytrana lawsuit.

Daytrana is manufactured by Noven Therapeutics LLC.