Adderall & Ritalin

[B2G]

These percentages are concerning, given the number of adolescents who are on them. And what happens if the child is abusing these drugs? That would only magnify negative side effects.

I'm not saying that they shouldn't be prescribed. I'm saying they may be over prescribed and used as a tool to calm down disruptive kids. And there are obviously severe side effects for a small population...perhaps the very population that is at issue here.


"Let's look at two of the most common psycho stimulants, Adderall and Ritalin. In studies, 9 percent of patients receiving the extended release form of Adderall have emotional liability, which is a fancy word for mood swings. The PDR doesn't provide percentages for agitation, which is similar to violent aggression, but in studies, this is reported less than 2 percent of the time."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/expert.q.a/10/20/adhd.meds.aggression.raison/index.html?iref=24hours

[PDJane]

1. Not to mention the loss of IQ points...another side effect.

[hlthe2b]

2. Yet some of your colleagues advocate for these same teens to have unfettered gun access.

hmmm.

[B2G]

3. Who?

Please provide a link to back up your outrageous claim.

[hlthe2b]

4. Anyone who has spent time in the Gungeon has seen it

You don't believe it then YOU go look. After that ddisgusting post of yours this morning, I don't feel compelled to spend the time.

[B2G]

5. Feel free to back out of this thread then

I've never been to the Gungeon.

This thread isn't about guns, BTW, in case you hadn't noticed. The first one wasn't either.

[hlthe2b]

6. re:

You made the other thread that way with your blanket recriminations towards other DUers.

Given medications and mental health issues have been at the heart of recent gun-related debates, I have every right to bring it up in this context.

[Go Vols]

7. That other thread was locked

[hlthe2b]

9. Good thanks for letting me know.

[B2G]

8. Feel free

I'm bringing it up in the context of violent young boys and men.

Those wielding both guns, knives and making bombs, with the intent to harm.

Since you're here, any thoughts on the OP? Or are you just trying to make this about guns in the hope the this thread gets locked?

[hlthe2b]

11. Stop with the accusations... I will say ADHD and ADD probably are overdiagnosed and overtreated...

That said, I lived next door for several years to one of the foremost psychiatrists researching ADULT attention deficit disorder. I have to agree with him that many current adults were not diagnosed but managed to get through life self-treating on caffeine, cigarettes and both legal and non-legal stimulants. He has demonstrated that many if not most are very intelligent, high functioning individuals-- doctors, dentists, and other professionals-- who could compensate quite well until age caught up with them.

Would they have gotten to the success they'd achieved had they been diagnosed earlier and treated? Did they succeed in spite of their issues? I don't know. But, I certainly believe our society now is many times worse for the young in terms of focus with all the myriad of social and other media coming at them.

We already know that there are risks to these drugs (e.g., cardiovascular) and it is certainly not news that heavy abuse of stimulants can trigger aggression and conceivably violence, but the real problems may well come more from their abusive combination with many other illegal and legal drugs (e.g, those for depression-- which seems to be the trend)...

I certainly can't say they are not needed, but if I were a parent of a child set to receive, I'd definitely want to have had several opinions from well-regarded child psychiatrists--and not just demanding school staff.

[B2G]

13. This

"if I were a parent of a child set to receive, I'd definitely want to have had several opinions from well-regarded child psychiatrists--and not just demanding school staff".

Someone posted a great article about this last week. I'll see if I can find it.

[beevul]

15. Thats an unsupported baseless assertion.

If it wasn't you'd have posted a link.

Since no such thing ever happened, no such link exists.

[phil89]

10. Any concerns about violent young women? Or just men?

And just because something is commonly prescribed why do you necessarily think it's over-prescribed? Based on what? Fact is they help people.

[B2G]

12. Yes, but girls seem to turn violence inward

There have been very few mass acts of violence perpetrated by young women.

[txwhitedove]

14. I work with a 40-yr old woman who keeps getting her Adderall meds "adjusted" but it hasn't stopped

the mood swings and crying jags at work. Some of us have even come to sense when it's above to happen and you can hear a collective moan and "Oh no" from our corner. She has a gun, talks about taking it to the shooting range, and yes we have worried about it. Edit to add: She does not turn her mood/anger inward, misconstrues conversations and is quick to pay back double on perceived wrongs.