ADHD Drugs Get Heart, Psychiatric Warnings
15 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // February 21st, 2007 // 11:20 am
An FDA review of reports of serious cardiovascular adverse events in patients taking usual doses of ADHD drugs found reports of sudden death in patients with underlying serious heart problems or defects, and reports of stroke and heart attack in adults with certain risk factors.
Another revealed a slight increased risk - about 1 per 1,000 - for drug-related psychiatric adverse events, such as hearing voices, becoming suspicious for no reason, or becoming manic, even in patients who did not have previous psychiatric problems.
There are 15 drugs on this list, including Adderall XR, Concerta, Focalin, Ritalin and Strattera. The FDA told the companies that sell these pills to toughen their labeling and develop Medication Guides to distribute to patients. You can read more here.
In a bit of understatement, Steve Galson, who heads the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said: “Medicines approved for the treatment of ADHD have real benefits for many patients but they may have serious risks as well.”
There have been longstanding concerns about the widespread use - and heavy promotion - of these drugs, especially since there’s really no understanding about what long-term usage may do to little minds. These pills can certainly help some people, but this news should serve as a bright, flashing yellow light to those who would suggest these meds too quickly.[tags]Adderall XR, ADHD, Concerta, FDA, Focalin, Ritalin, Side Effects, Strattera[/tags]
Deb
Your article seems to be directed to parents/children. As an adult, I started taking these drugs in my 40’s and am now 53. I have have had no problem with the meds. They have turned my life around. I am an RN. Until I was on the meds, I couldn’t function in normal nursing roles. Now, I can work any position and keep focused on what I am doing.
sue
I can’t tell you how scarry this is to hear,
I have a 15 yo son who has been on concerta for 7 years he’s in high school now and doing well. but as a parent i struggled every morning, giving my son this med. wanting him to be able to keep up with his school work and just not feeling right giving him this med. my youngest son (12) also has add and i have not put him on the meds and i watch this very bright kid get a little more behind each year and strugle with holding his attention. I with there were easier opptions for parents.
Karen
I said this 15 years ago when it happen to my son. But the school just wanted him to have more drugs. What was so sad was that nobody cares. They would just give him more drugs to coverup what this drug was doing to him. Mother in Sandy Spring M.D
dorothy booton
my 16 year old son killed his father. He had takin ritalin for years, agenest my better judgment. he was taking zoloft when he killied his father. My son lived with his father and feard for his life. his father was very abusive, but I think my son, could have made a better choice to get away from the abuse if he were not medicated at the time. My son has benn in prison for nine years, has taken no kind of drug and other than the remorse he feels for the wroung he has done he is happyer than he ever was out in the world on ridalin. My son has a perfect record in prison, he can concentrate and learn, something the so called doctors said he would never be able to do. This proved to me medecating children is wrong in a lot of cases, and can cause horrable results, as in the case of my son who is now 25 yes old. He was put on ritalin when he was about nine years old.
Anonymous
MY 16 year old son commited murder I believe because of ritalin and zoloft.
Anymouse
Please,
If you are in charge of a blog, report the facts. The story did not say that it caused heart problems, it said that it may cause injury or death to people with heart problems…
Also, it could effect those people that ALREADY HAVE PSYCH PROBLEMS……..
SAME AS ANY OTHER DRUG!!!!!
Quote from story:
Draft versions of the guides posted on the FDA Web site include discussion of reports of increased blood pressure and heart rate in ADHD patients, as well as cases of sudden death in some who have heart problems and heart defects. In adult patients, the reported problems also include stroke and heart attack.
The alerts also cover psychiatric problems, such as hearing voices, unfounded suspicions and manic behavior, of which there is a slightly increased risk in patients who take the drugs, the FDA said. The guides also tell patients and their parents of precautions they can take to guard against the risks.
ed
First, apologies o you all for not responding sooner. I was traveling on Wednesday while trying to work, which was difficult.
To Deb,
You’re right, my closing comment about the long-term effects on ‘little minds’ was directed at children. However, I did also note that these drugs may help many people, by which I meant adults, too. I’m not suggesting these shouldn’t be taken. I only commented on the uncertainty about long-term effects. Hope that helps.
To Sue and Karen:
It would be nice to have more options. A challenge in these situations is making sure the doctor and school aren’t too quick to prescribe as a band-aid approach. Again, this isn’t to say one of these meds can’t be helpful. There are and were many children taking ADHD drugs and these problems presumably didn’t occur. If there were more instances, I would think we’d have heard by now. In any event, you do what you can for your child.
To Dorothy:
I’m very sorry to hear about your son. It’s obviously very complicated and must be extremely difficult. Unfortunately, meds can be helpful to some, but not necessarily help the next person. And there’s just no way of knowing in advance who will benefit and who won’t. Best of luck.
To Anymouse;
Please read the FDA press release, where I obtained the info and the wording that was used. You can see it on http://www.fda.gov. I work hard to get the facts right and, when I make a mistake, I correct it. But before you accuse me of being incorrect, please read carefully.
Ed
Scott
While I feel for those of you who have had tragic outcomes and I can only hope that time will heal the hurt. I also wonder about these meds or if maybe theres an effective alternitive treatment, homeopathic or behavioral modification. I watch as my nephew is taking Adderall xr his pulse is normal but his heart rate is slightly elivated. The doctors say this is normal for a 14 year old but his heart rate is over 100 beats per minute sitting. I don’t remember mine ever being that high unless I was exercising or running in a ball game. Doctors are in a business and unfortunately they are no longer in a position to take time with thier patients which results in band aid approaches to real problems. It then falls on we the consumer to do our homework and if necessary find different doctors who will care for our kids not just bandage them. While looking though reach to friends, family, and your neighbors to see if maybe they found something that works better than man made drugs.
cristina
I have been on methylphenidate which is a generic for ridlin and a anti-depressive, paxil. This two medications conbined, changed my life. I tell you that I have not felt better in my life as I do now. I actually feel like myself and I never felt like this my whole 34 years of living. I hade so my fobias since I was sexually, mentally, physically abused by my father in my childhood days and I will leave it at that.
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