Since not enough clinical trials have been conducted on Metadate and adults, the medication is only approved to treat children and teenagers with ADHD. Although the drug is not licensed to treat adult ADHD, it can be prescribed "off-label" to treat it. If you are an adult and Metadate has been recommended by your healthcare provider, make sure he or she checks you for high blood pressure or heart problems first.
Metadate and Adults: An Overview
Metadate Use in Adults With ADHD
The use of Metadate in adults with ADHD has not been adequately studied, meaning that no large studies have been conducted on the benefits and risks of using the medication to treat adults with the condition. However, a healthcare provider may prescribe Metadate CD for adults in certain situations. When used in this fashion, this is considered an "
off-label" use of the drug. "Off-label" is when a prescription medicine is used to treat a disease or condition for which it has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Although the FDA regulates how a medication can be advertised or promoted by the manufacturer, these regulations do not restrict a doctor's ability to prescribe the medication in an off-label fashion: for different conditions, in different doses, or for different lengths of time. Your healthcare provider may prescribe a medicine for an off-label use if he or she feels that it is appropriate for your situation.
Most stimulants (including Metadate) should be used with caution in people with
high blood pressure (
hypertension) or heart problems (including
heart disease and
congestive heart failure). While this is not usually a concern for most children (who generally do not have high
blood pressure or heart problems), it is definitely a cause for concern in adults. Be sure that your healthcare provider checks you for high blood pressure or heart problems before you start Metadate.
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