Heart attacks Adderall and Concerta | ADHD Information

I just read in the paper that Adderall was taken off the market in Canada for a short period of time because 20 children died of heart attacks while taking it. Evidently it went back on the market within about 6 months. One doctor cited in the article said that the children who died may have had undiagnosed heart conditions prior to taking this medication. The article also said that Concerta had been implicated in sudden heart attacks among children but that Ritalin had not.

My daughter started ritalin at 4 (she was an attentional disaster) then moved on to concerta which stopped working at the highest dose she could tolerate (36mg) and is now taking Adderall. During her life she has complained of chest pain and the first doctor said that she was just feeling her heart through her chest and dismissed us. More recently her doctor said, in response to her complaints, that her big bust is causing the chest and back pain. In light of this new information I'm very concerned and have made an appointment for her to see a pediatric cardiologist and have put her back on ritalin for now. (she's now 16)

I also have ADD and was diagnosed as hyperkenetic (remember that word?) back in 1963 and rediagnosed while I was in law school. I've tried all the drugs and although they all work (albeit differently) I hate the side effects of them all. I'm a total worry wort on Concerta, I'm SAD on Adderall and ritalin gives me explosive headaches and heart palpatations. One thing that I did notice was that while i was on the Atkins diet, my ADD was way less severe than it normally is...

I'm new here so HI everyone!

I made the appt with the cardiologist for my daughter. She and I started talking about how her chest feels and she said that it's a crushing feeling which, you may know, is a symptom of a heart attack. All along she had been telling me that her chest hurt like muscle pain but now that I urged her to give me a better description of the pain I hear this and I'm worried. Because she's old enough we talked about the idea of going off adderal which she thinks works the best for her of the 3. Her psych. won't prescribe Sraterra.

I love Johns Hopkins Hospital. On our first visit you don't just meet the doctor, you get an EKG and echo cardiogram and a few other tests before you even meet the doctor. That's the way it should be. I hate having to meet the doc first, then take your scripts somewhere to have the tests then go back... PITA...if you ask me.

No, I never thought to lower the dose, that's a good idea. I've always been into getting by on as little as possible. When we went to the Dr. to tell him that the Concerta wasn't working anymore and that she couldn't handle the 36mg pill as it was too strong and gave her terrible stomach aches, he prescribed 20mg Adderall XR which was also too strong. She went down to 15mg which works perfectly.

My daughter has had this chest pain since before she ever went to school. She has a very pleasant life so I doubt it could be anxiety. She has also been in psychotherapy for 12 years and her therapist said that she's doing very well and never mentioned anxiety.

I'm just doing this as a precaution. I'd never be able to forgive myself if I didn't make sure she was heart-healthy enough to handle this medication.

Ritalin was not implicated in the 20 children's sudden deaths, just Adderall and I think, concerta.

h82diet -

What she was probably feeling was intense PRESSURE - to a child would feel and be described as pain. Too much meds too soon cause jitteriness and anxiety and can cause this. But pain in the chest isn't only a symptom of heart troubles.

And as I posted elsewhere unless there is already a condition or it's abused - our ADHD meds can't cause heart troubles. Ever.

.IMac38947.4701041667 did you ever stop and think to lower her dose on adderall?

I mean everyone wants to jack it up, but if your having this problem with your daughter, I would mention, or demand she drop lower in dose. talk it over with your dr.
bugzappers38754.8951736111

You are right Glen. In the area we live in it seems that the Dr.s are not interested

in checking the child. They look in your ears, throat, listen to the chest. Write a

perscription and out the door.

I am concerned about the other people out in the area that are in the same shape as Matthew was.

I have 2 on Straterra and now I have been reading bad things about that. My 19 year old was on Adderall and clonidine for 11 years.

I am looking at the same thing with my other son. I don't anyone to take his straterra away especially with a copay of 5.00.

For peace of mind I had him go through a series of tests. He was fine.

Yes I do blame the Drs. He was in there 4 times in 2004 and even had blood work. I am angry there was something that could have saved his life.

Take care of yourself and your heart.

Ann

I am so sorry for your loss. Hopefully doctors will do more to look for issues that might identify these types of risks.

Regarding Adderall, there was an FDA bulletin that came out last year that indicated that the number of deaths of those on Adderall were no different than for a non-ADD/Adderall population. Specifically they wrote:

- When one considers the rate of sudden death in pediatric patients treated with Adderall products based on the approximately 30 million prescriptions written between 1999 and 2003 (the period of time in which these deaths occurred), it does not appear that the number of deaths reported is greater than the number of sudden deaths that would be expected to occur in this population without treatment.

Again, I am so sorry for your loss and wish you all of the best as you move forward.

Maxdad38782.659375

On Oct.21 2004 my son Matthew had sudden cardiac death after being on Adderallxr 20 mg. He had taken it 45 minutes prior to passing away. It was the 29th day he was on it. He had a pre existing condition called ARVD. Most Athletes

that have passed away have ARVD they have just developed a blood test to detect the heart problem. Most of the athletes are in their 20's and and 30's

Matthew was 14.

My other son took 60 mg of Adderall for 11 years and now is on Straterra.

Every time we went in to the DR. he would list to his heart and he was fine.

The Black Box is important. 99% of you might be fine but that 1% could be saved

by a EKG and ECHO.

It does not only affect the person that dies it also affects the family. I feel like I have been in a black box for the last 16 months.

Ann

As much as I sympathize ann - a black box wouldn't have helped you or your son. The doctor has to take the reigns as there is clear info and instructions and has been for decades about checking for heart conditions before prescribing. If he missed a congenital problem that actually caused death - that's the MD not the medication.

Black box only scares perfectly healthy people from using a perfectly safe medication.

I am trying not to attack you directly - just to point out that sometimes bad things happen to good people and trying to strike out at our medication won't do anything but keep people from getting help that makes life worth living.

My heart was tested like crazy before i started adderall, i had irregular heartbeat problems about a year earlier (caused by a potassium deficit, so, no actual heart problem) and came out of that with chest pains, racing heart in the morning, etc.. those remaining effects were all blamed (back then) on 'heartburn' and i ended up taking heavy meds for that... after all the testing done for the adderall/adhd, it turned out to be pure anxiety, all of it... my whole family on both sides has a hefty heart problem history and i guess that my mind somehow got really afraid and i ended up with GAD (General Anxiety Disorder) on top of my ADHD (i wasn't medicated for the ADHD at that point)...

Everything was fixed with the Adderall, Klonopin and Lexapro.. i feel like a million bucks these days.. Research by your docs are of the UTMOST IMPORTANCE before starting ANY med of 'higher level'.. after all, things like amphetamines, clonozepam (klonopin) and SSRI's like Lexapro CAN be dangerous due to their strength.

For me, the combination of the three opened a new world, a brand new view.. my self-esteem is much better, i feel great, my annual health checks are perfect (even my cholesterol, considering the amount of crap i consume), my work has most definitely improved (hell, i've been promoted TWICE since i started Adderall)..

It made me realize that ADHD, with all it's problems, is actually a MAJOR boon for me. I am an engineer, i design things and build them (airplanes in my case), and now that my focus is so much better (read: i CAN actually focus now) my designs are top quality and my welding abilities have increased enormously, no more fast welding to get it over with. Concentrate on it and the welds (often very difficult ones) end up looking amazing.. hell, last weekend i welded the drive shaft of one of my cars 6 inches INSIDE the transmission case (meaning that you can't see what your doing, at all, and you're working upside-down as well) and upon inspection, the weld was better than the original (robot made) weld. The new engine and transmission are awesome

, now i just need to section and chop the car (1957 Chevy), repaint it and tune the engine and i'll have my hotrod done.. will be another year no doubt.
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