Drug Name

Awake Patch

Drug Uses

Awake Patch, containing Caffeine, represents a stimulant drug that speeds up the brain and nervous system.

Benefits:

• Restores mental alertness;
• Improving wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness
  associated with narcolepsy or other sleep disorders;
• Increases metabolism by breaking down fat, freeing fatty
  acids and forcing them to be burned.

How Taken

Place one Awake Patch on a relatively hair-free part of the body (the inner arm is perfect). The best method of removal is to peel off whilst showering with warm, soapy water.

Drug Class and Mechanism

Caffeine belongs to the group of medicines called central nervous system (CNS) stimulants. It is used to help restore mental alertness when unusual tiredness or weakness or drowsiness occurs.

Your brain produces a chemical called adenosine. When adenosine binds to the adenosine receptors in your brain, it causes all the activity to slow down and it makes you tired. Caffeine has a structure that is very similar to adenosine, so it binds to the adenosine receptors instead.

This causes two things:

• The activity in your cells does not decrease; it increases.
• The blood vessels in your brain constrict. Your body sees all this increased activity, and it thinks that it's in danger. So the pituitary gland sends messages to the adrenaline gland to produce adrenaline. The adrenaline causes your heart rate to increase and your liver to release more sugar into your bloodstream so that you have more energy.

Missed Dose

If you miss to place Awake Patch, use it as soon as you remember.

Storage

Store Awake Patch at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C). Brief storage between 59 and 86 degrees F (15 and 30 degrees C) is permitted. Store away from heat, moisture, and light. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep Awake Patch out of the reach of children and away from pets.

Warnings/Precautions

Tell your doctor if you have:

• heart disease, diabetes, anxiety disorders, depression, ulcers, allergies. Caffeine is not recommended for use during pregnancy.

Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. Since small amounts of Caffeine appear in breast milk, consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Possible Side Effects

Awake Patch is not known to have any side effects if taken as per the prescribed dosage.

More Information

Studies have demonstrated that caffeine disrupts sleep. When caffeine is consumed immediately before bedtime or continuously throughout the day, sleep onset may be delayed, total sleep time reduced, normal stages of sleep altered, and the quality of sleep decreased.