From the Feingold Program newletter received today.....
"The FDA will be strengthening the warning labels for drugs being given to children.
Hallucinations, suicide risk, and violent behaviors are potentional side effects from a groups of drugs based on methylphenidate: this includes Concerta and Ritilin.
After reveiwing the adverse reaction reports for children taking Concerta, the FDA's PAC felt the warning labels were not strong enough. Current labels suggest that the adverse reactions are likely only in children who have already displayed the above reactions, but the newer labels will reflect the potential risk for children who have not previously shown these behaviors.
The FDA review covered the period from the end of 2003 until early 2005, during which nearly 8 million prescriptions were written for Concerta.
The agency is also investigating the possibility that Concerta and other ADHD drugs are associated with a risk of stroke, high blood pressure, heart arrhythmia and racing heartbeat. The warning labels for Addrell XR have already been strengthened to warn of the risk of heart damage and sudden death.
A small study linking Ritilin with increased cancer has attracted the interest of the FDA........a Texas study showed children who took Ritilin for 3 months had a tripling of abnormal chromosomes, which is a precurser to cancer. New studies are planned to see if similar results will be found.
Spending on ADHD drugs for children under the age of 5 increased a whopping 369% between 2001 and 2004. During that same time there was a 21 % increase in prescriptions for antidepressants and a 71% rise in drugs being given to autistic children."
[QUOTE=Tater]Hallucinations, suicide risk, and violent behaviors are potentional side effects from a groups of drugs based on methylphenidate: this includes Concerta and Ritilin.[/QUOTE]
I work in the healthcare field and my son is on concerta so I feel I must make a reply, it is very important that the dosing is correct. Too much of these drugs is a bad thing. At the correct dosage in a child whose body chemistry is such that they benefit from the drug, you should not see such adverse effects. It should also be noted that ADHD children (the kids who would be on these meds) are more susceptible to suicide and violent behavior by the nature of their disorder. That is not to say that you will or should ever see these tendencies in them but they are at a higher risk for such behavior. As a nurse I take giving meds very seriously as I am lible for any med error that I make and for the consequences it causes to my patient. These are controlled substances for a reason and we should never be lulled into feeling too secure about giving them just because they become familiar to us. Do make a habbit of checking your childs apical pulse through out the day, at least every now and then. Check it before you give the meds to get a baseline and then at a peak time to see the difference, and let your doctor know what you find. Monitor appetite and mood. Ask your child how he/she feels while on the meds. Ask about headaches, moodswings, confusion dizziness ect. In the end with any med you are weighing the pros and cons because ALL medications, herbal or otherwise change the chemistry of the body and they all have possible side effects, short and longterm.
Blanneth
My son was severly depressed while taking Strattera. He was not depressed while on Concerta, Ritalin or Adderall
[QUOTE=Tamaraw1969]My son was severly depressed while taking Strattera. He was not depressed while on Concerta, Ritalin or Adderall[/QUOTE]
Strattera is a SNRI....a class of antidepressant like Effexor.
Adderal has been taken off the market in Canada, but there are rumors that it will be back on the shelves.
Everyone is sensitive to certain medications, and the same precautions should be taken with methylphenidate as any other med.