Brief report of efficacy and side effect profile of crossing over to modifiedrelease capsules of methylphenidate in ADHD patients receiving other treatments: case series

• Published in: Klinik psikofarmakoloji bülteni Vol. 27; no. 3; p. 262
• Main Authors: Özbaran, Burcu, Köse, Sezen, Ocakoğlu, Fevzi Tuna, Kayış, Hakan, Satar, Ayşegül, Tekin, Uğur
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Istanbul Aves Yayincilik Ltd. STI 01.09.2017
• Subjects: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Drug therapy; Side effects; Stimulants
• ISSN: 2475-0573; 2475-0581
• DOI: 10.1080/24750573.2017.1358684

OBJECTIVES: Stimulants are recommended as the first-line pharmacotherapy in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methylphenidate (MPH) is the most used stimulant. Medikinet Retard has modified-release capsules of MPH (MRC-MPH). In this study, we aimed to report observations on a sample of outpatients, who had been previously treated with other agents, but switched to MRC-MPH treatment. These observations focus on the treatment course, efficacy, side effects, and switching reasons.METHODS: We included 20 out of the 163 patients with ADHD, who were previously treated with other medications, and switched to MRC-MPH. Turgay DSM-IV Based Child and Adolescent Behavior Disorders Screening as diagnosing tool and Rating Scale, Barkley’s Stimulants Side Effects Rating Scale for screening side effects and Clinical Global Impression Scale-Severity and -Improvement were administered.RESULTS: Patients’ ages ranged between 9 and 17 years. Mean Clinical Global Impression Scale-Severity (CGI-S) score before the MRC-MPH treatment was 3.2, whereas after treatment it was 3.15. CGI-S scores were not significantly different (p = .593). Loss of appetite (n = 4, 20%) and drowsiness (n = 4, 20%) were the most common adverse events during the MRC-MPH treatment.CONCLUSIONS: We did not observe significant difference between other treatment options and MRC-MPH with respect to efficacy. In terms of side effect profile, Osmotic Release Oral System-MPH was observed to be more problematic than immediate-release MPH and MRC-MPH formulations, while these two regimens did not differ significantly.