mitral valve and adderall | ADHD Information

please read my post on heart attacks and adderall.  Evidently there is a link between 2 ADD meds and heart attacks.

and go see a cardiologist soon.

Anyone else out there on Adderall and also have mitral valve?  I have only been on adderall for a week - some days better than others.  It just seems that in the evenings when the medicine is wearing off I start to feel weird and sometimes feels as though my heart misses a beat.  I also have this nagging dull pain sensation in my left arm.  I know these are associated with mitral valve and I have experienced them in the past.  But for the past few years I haven't had any mitral valve symptoms - just wondering if the adderall is bringing them back or if the symptoms I'm having are the "rare" side effects to the meds and I should get off.

I have a call into my doctor - just wondering what anyone else has experienced.

thanks!  this message board has answered a lot of questions for me in the past week!!  Thanks to everyone!

THERE IS NO LINK,

 IF YOU HAVE A PRE EXISTING CONDITION, THEN YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF THAT. GET A FULL CHECKUP BEFORE GOING ON ANY MEDICATION. that is common knowledge

[QUOTE=jkm2572]

Anyone else out there on Adderall and also have mitral valve?  I have only been on adderall for a week - some days better than others.  It just seems that in the evenings when the medicine is wearing off I start to feel weird and sometimes feels as though my heart misses a beat.  I also have this nagging dull pain sensation in my left arm.[/QUOTE]

Personally, I don't think anyone with MVP should take stimulants. Skipped beats are common in patients with MVP but dull pain in left arm is not a good sign. Get off Adderall. Unfortunately, there is NO treatment or cure for MVP (unless it's quite severe that requires valve replacement).

Jeff, would you please post a link to the research that you read that says there is no link between ADD meds and heart attacks?  I've been very worried about this and I would feel much better if I could read the actual study that says there is no link.Thank you!I have ADHD and MVP (Mitral Valve Prolapse). I also have a heart murmur. I
am also a woman. I have been off my meds now for over six months and I
am struggling to funtion with them.

Nothing works perfectly but if taking meds help you to get on with life then
take them but make sure you see your doctors as scheduled.

Good luck,
AddMe GLEN ROCKS

Here's one link for you h82diet:http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/01/news/companies/adhd/ ?cnn=yes

The only link is with ABUSE - which makes sense as keeping your heart racing like a hummingbird makes no sense at all.  No abuse and pre-existing problem - no heart trouble at all.  Period.

If a person has a problem with their heart and then takes an amphetamine of course they will suffer difficulty. Even so there are many cases where even when there's a known heart trouble there is a prescription for adderall given at low doses with monitoring as it works so well.

So far there has never been a link to either Ritalin or dexedrine causing a heart condition without being abused.  Ever.

Thank you for that link.  That is the actual article that I read that got me worried.  I suppose people see what they want to when they read... the part that hit me was:

So the issue [for the FDA] is teasing out whether there's a risk specific to medication, or whether this is an expected outcome given the numbers of children treated."

But if the risk of death seems slim or nonexistent, why is the FDA scrutinizing ADHD drugs?

Adesman said the FDA was "put in an awkward light" by the Adderall XR's temporary suspension in Canada last year and "is obligated to make sure it has the information it needs to be sure that the medicines are as safe as they believe they are."

Drugs are a huge business and the corporations don't always act in our best interest when profits are on the line.  20 dead children is 20 too much for me.  If the medication was misused and the children died of overdoses, then the drug's safety wouldn't be in question.  It says right on the label misuse can cause heart problems. 

Ever since I took that fen-fen and found out later that it was bad for you, i've become a worry wart.  Thanks for the link.  I'll try to focus pn the positives.

Glad to hear you'll try to accentuate the positive from this point.  The fact is that the meds have been used successfully over 50 years now and no real indication that if used correctly it is harmful to anyone!  That's better than most meds on the market and no way even a greedy company could hide results over 50 years.

Remember too that fen-phen was found to actually destroy heart tissue so that's apples and oranges to any of our meds.  The only results of death of ADHD meds have been misuse or misdiagnosis of preexisting problems.  So can't actually blame the meds but the med givers.

I have a heart murmer and mitral valve (is this when the valve "swings both ways" when pumping blood when in should just "slap" shut?).

I haven't had any problems yet.  I've been on 50mg of Ritalin LA.  I do cardio excersices three-five times a week.  Don't know if this helps or not.  I do get a pronounced beat in the chest now and then but nothing to really take notice of.  I an curious to the effects it has on the heart however...

sparco -

all Ritalin does is increase the heart rate somewhat.  So someone with a heart condition that already causes irregular or high heartbeat could suffer dangerously high blood pressure or a more irregular beat.  It doesn't cause damage to heart tissue or the tissue around it so the only risk is when the heart is succeptible to damage already.

Yes, that is what I have, a murmer and the "valve swing" problem (I'm assuming this is what they are calling mitral valve).  If I don't have problems now will I see them in the future?  I know that is probably a question that doesn't really have an answer.The best way to know is to check with a cardiologist who can run some dye through your heart system and check the flow and give a  qualified answer to you.  Just ask your MD to get you a referral and explain that you want to feel secure in using your meds while having this murmur.I wasn't replying to your post exclusively (Glen)
Every drug has its risks.  Adderal might be wonderful for some people.
But young kids on these drugs are especially at risk.  On the outside it looks like they are focusing better and doing better in school and all that but they still may be having issues that go unnoticed----like irregular heart beats or chest pains.
I'm just saying, BE AWARE.  Do your homework.
I, for one, was not willing to risk it with my child.  His heart murmur is not considered a "heart condition".  But I don't care.  It's a risk we were not willing to take.

Bailey you confuse me with the posting.  The meds say don't take if you have a heart condition.  You knew your child had a heart condition.  Are you saying your physician still recommended the meds even after this knowledge?  Then I'd say you should sue your physician instead of knocking adderall.  It's a great medication where required and where merited. 

And I always recommend being careful with medication whether its children's aspirin or adderall.  No med is without some risks but if you know them and still take them then you can chalk up any troubles to being a calculated risk.  Nothing else.

If you are a child and you can't vocalize the scary symptoms that come with Adderal....then what?
Adults on Adderal can notice problems like irregular heartbeats or chest pains.  Children cannot.
My son has a distinctive heart murmur due to heart surgery as an infant.  I regret ever having him on Adderal after doing extensive research on it.
BE CAREFUL with this drug!  Your kids cannot explain what they are feeling.
If they have any heart issues at all then I say it's too risky.
Just my opinion.
I think it is well publicized and stressed MORE than enough that if you have heart problems then you should consult a dr.

You need to have a full physical run on any child before any medication is introduced. I mean ANY medication. ADULTS as well. And maybe run one while on the medication to see if there is any changes.

 So to beat adderall down with a club and say CHILDREN are at more of a risk on that, is kind of dramatic. We all are at risk. And kids can say, mommie, my chest hurts, and adults are more apt to ignore health issues.

 It is on the label, it is told to you by your pharmicist, the books, the bottle, the pamphlets, and here, and there, and all over.

 So if you IGNORE the warnings, and don't follow up, there is not much you can do to get more compliance.

 Guns don't kill people, People do.

 Drugs don't kill people, People do.

 Cars don't kill people, people do.

And I think any heart murmur is an automatic red flag. I wouldn't use it in that case either.

I am not trying to blast on Bailey, I am just stating my take on the whole debate.

Bailey is more than welcome to reply or not. Her opinion is important. Just as mine is.