Meaning is there any medication for ADHD symptoms out there that there aren't any potential heart risks?
Thank you in advance :)
Heather
Because most are stimulants, there is concern that they could cause issues in someone with a pre-existing heart defect. This is why a doctor should screen a person with and ekg and bloodwork prior to initiating meds. The non-stimulant 3rd tier meds for ADHD (like the anti-depressants) do not have the same risks for someone with a heart problem (but like everything, they have other risks).
You should talk to the doctor about the risks, how to screen for underlying conditions and proper monitoring to avoid serious side effects.
Also you can search using the name of the med and the words: full prescribing information to get the package insert for each med.
Thank you for your help.
The answer is NO, there is no heart-friendly stimulants as for as I know and even non-stimulants are known to cause high blood pressure to go up significantly and thier heartrate goes up as well.
Ritalin, I suspect is the safest due to its minimal effects on cardiovascular system. In fact, Wellburtin caused clinically significant high blood pressure while Ritalin noted a slight increase but not enough to say it's bad. Ritalin's heart rate increased less than other stimulants/non-stimulants as well. Unlike other stimluants or nonstimulants, the effects are short-acting and your cardiovascular returns to normal quickly.
However, if you take a high dose Ritalin for a long time then you will have high blood pressure and it may cause the heart to get bigger and heavier.
Thanks again. My son is going to a pediatric cardiologist today to rule out any possible underlying conditions. I had to initiate this appointment (his pediatrician who prescribed his medicine only checked his bloodpressure and his heart with a stethoscope) and I can't in good conscious keep him on this medicine (Concerta 18 mg - which after 2 weeks isn't doing anything so it looks like we'll have to go to the next dose) without being more thorough. Again thank you for your feedback. :)