Note: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve supplements for safety or effectiveness. Talk to a healthcare professional about whether a supplement is the right fit for your individual health, and about any potential drug interactions or safety concerns.
For the burned-out and stretched-thin among us, a new quick fix is popping up on social media: dopamine patches, a supplement that some wellness influencers are touting as an easy way to improve attention span, mood, and motivation by stimulating the body to produce more of the “feel good” hormone dopamine.
But not everyone is convinced these patches can deliver on these promises. Pharmacist @millenialrx, for instance, says dopamine patches are “just a placebo” and have “zero clinical evidence” to demonstrate effectiveness.
Another concern is that persistent and severe struggles with task completion or mood might be symptoms of issues that warrant medical help, like ADHD.
What Are Dopamine Patches?
Dopamine patches are supplements you can order online that deliver ingredients through the skin. These patches don’t contain dopamine — a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) made primarily in the brain with many important functions in the body, including neurological processes necessary for pleasure, memory, and learning. Scientists believe having too much or too little dopamine plays a role in ADHD.
The patches usually contain a variety of herbal extracts, including lion’s mane mushroom, mucuna pruriens extract, and 5-HTP, ingredients that are also available in dopamine pills.
Importantly, the patches don’t contain any of the compounds found in prescription ADHD medications. While scientists don’t know exactly how ADHD medications work, they believe the drugs stimulate the body’s production of both dopamine and another neurotransmitter called norepinephrine.
Low norepinephrine has been linked to numerous health problems beyond ADHD, including depression, anxiety, memory problems, and trouble sleeping.
Do Dopamine Patches Work?
However, there’s no evidence these substances can treat ADHD symptoms, or that they have any effect whatsoever when delivered via a patch instead of an oral supplement.
“Although limited data suggest some of the ingredients in these products may slightly help mood and cognitive symptoms, there is no strong evidence that they are effective and safe medications for ADHD,” says Nissa Keyashian, MD, a psychiatrist in San Jose, California, and author of Practicing Stillness.
While dopamine is regarded as a major influence in ADHD diagnosis and treatment, there’s no clinical evidence that dopamine patches work for ADHD, says Eugene Lucas, DNP, an associate professor and coordinator of a mental health nurse practitioner program at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
Why Dopamine Patches May Especially Appeal to Women
It’s possible that dopamine patches could particularly appeal to women with undiagnosed ADHD.
Boys are more likely to express hyperactivity and impulsivity, prompting teachers to suggest they be evaluated for ADHD, Dr. Keyashian says. Girls who struggle with inattentiveness may “fly under the radar because they’re not as disruptive,” she adds.
Girls may also “mask or hide symptoms to conform to gender-based societal expectations,” Dr. Lucas says. “Additionally, anxiety and depression, which often co-occur with ADHD in girls, can sometimes lead to the condition being overlooked or wrongly diagnosed.”
In adulthood, women may develop better coping strategies to mask their symptoms, also leading to ADHD being missed, Lucas says.
Should You Try Dopamine Patches?
Unlike prescription medications, dopamine patches are considered supplements, which means they’re not regulated or tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for safety or effectiveness, says Keyashian.
“Because they’re supplements, their ingredients are often unverified,” Keyashian says. “Not all supplements are harmless.”
For instance, the ingredients in dopamine patches could interact with medications, or cause side effects or health problems, she adds. Lucas says you could have an allergic skin reaction to the patch or a hypersensitivity or allergy to an ingredient in them.
If you frequently find yourself struggling to focus, there are things you can do to improve your ability to concentrate without drugs or supplements, such as pursuing stress-reduction techniques like breath work, getting regular exercise, and limiting distractions like digital devices.
If you’re experiencing more severe symptoms that suggest you could have ADHD, Keyashian recommends finding a psychiatrist to get a proper diagnosis and treatment.
Symptoms can worsen if an ADHD diagnosis or treatment is delayed, “leading to further functional impairment,” he adds.
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