dangers of Ritalin coming to light

Okay. I don’t usually respond to conspiracy theory stuff like this, but parts of
your article intrigued me. You identified yourself as a troll, which probably means you’re long gone and won’t visit again until you’ve found more evidence to feed your partially unjustified paranoia. If you *are* still around, however, I’d like to know your source(s), as I am working with a possible animal model of ADHD right now for my senior thesis.

I would also like to point out that (a) people with ADHD in general show higher rates of substance abuse and other problems, and that those individuals who are being treated pharmacologically are probably the worst of to begin with. (b) Comorbidity = worse prognosis (i.e. with ODD). (c) The studies equating Ritalin to Cocaine: when abused, maybe the two are indistinguishable. I think I read the study about the distribution of the two drugs in the brain (PET, wasn’t it?). The difference seems to be in the time course (course of action), which varies GREATLY depending on whether the drug is administered orally (generally the case with Ritalin, except in the case of the study, where it was injected IV, which produces the most powerful kick, and is pharmacologically very different).

Thanks for adding a little balance. In addition to your comments, I would add that the poster left out any information on how the ritalin-treated kids fared in comparison to their non-treated ADHD peers. We already know that kids with ADHD have greater problems with substance abuse, depression, anxiety, etc. than do kids without ADHD. I believe that all of the current research shows that treated kids have a much lower rate of co-morbid conditions, substance abuse, etc. than do untreated children. Also, I read that the Breggin “ritalin conspiracy” lawsuit was dismissed. There certainly are unanswered questions about medication and I would not knock anyone who decided to forego medication, but Troll’s scare tactics are not helpful to the debate and might dissuade a parent from obtaining the objective information necessary to making an informed decision for or against medication.

Andrea

Tell this to the many who have been helped by these drugs. To the many who were “driven to distraction” by their own inner disorganization and agitation by their untreated condition. Tell this to those many who have developed substance abuse problems with alcohol and illegal drugs (not supervised by a doctor) and have caused themselves unreparable harm. Tell this to the many locked up in our prisons because they couldn’t hold their destructive or angry impulses in check long enough to think through the consequences of their actions…………….

Thank you very much Troll. Why can’t we allow those who are saved from a life of misery (I look within my own family and I see this) by these drugs when administered by a doctor to make their own decisions.

You folks who categorically condemn a class of medications for a group of people might not be so pompous if you had to walk in those shoes yourself for a time.

Personally, I’ll take natural approaches to handling ADHD any day over drugs, but for many they are a Godsend (natural approaches are so bloody expensive many folks cannot afford the supplements and natural treatments).

REALITY CHECK…

In the first paragraph of the troll’s message it clearly states the reason for the message: (paraphrased) “Some children, of course have problems so severe that drugs like Ritalin are a godsend….Most obvious reason for its prescription though is to get a child to comply. ‘ “In short, Ritalin is a cure for childhood.”’

Later in the message it states that 8 million US school children are on medication for ADD or ADHD. Prescription for Ritalin and other generic types have increased 600% in 10 years.

So, it’s not that the troll is against the use of Ritalin or its generic forms but the ABUSE of it.

This drug is clearly abused. The dramatic increase in its use is an indication for this. Society has become unwilling to deal with childhood behavior and thus has decided that Ritalin and its generic forms are just the ticket to make adults jobs easier in raising and educating children. Yes, it is a godsend to SOME children who have SEVERE ADD and ADHD. Unfortunately, MILLIONS of kids have been classified under this category. Why? Convenience for parents/educators. $$$ for the pharmacuetical companies/doctors.

The troll’s message is to makeone AWARE that millions of children have fallen into a category that they do not belong in and there are dangerous consequences because of this.

There has been much speculation in the news in the past few years of the number of school shootings. Close to 100% of the shooters have been described as “depressed and bullied” in the weeks prior to their shootings. I do not condone violence to resolve this sort of problem, but it is very interesting to me that the kids who do these shootings are described as depressed and bullied. Kids will react to bullying by becoming depressed and perhaps suicidal, or by lashing out at their tormentors. They do not see any other options.

There is also information that most all of these kids have been or were currently taking Ritalin, Luvox, Prozac, or other drugs for ADHD or related educational difficulties.

At about the time that Ritalin was found to decrease ADHD symptoms in children, another doctor named Feingold found that a significant percentage of these children were helped by the removal of certain foods and additives from their diets, namely artificial colors, flavors, and certain naturally occurring substances called salicylates. But because a change in diet to remove items containing these chemicals many times requires a family lifestyle change and more work for today’s busy parents, many parents have chosen the “quick fix” of a pill to cover their problems, rather than solve them through removal of the offending chemicals which are affecting their children’s brains. Additionally, the pharmaceutical industry has a larger, more powerful, and better financed lobbying organization than a single doctor who simply advocates not feeding your child certain chemical compounds which may be affecting him or her. Anyone who is interested can get more information at www.feingold.org.

For teachers interested in the potential connection between Ritalin and school shootings, just read any of the commentaries on that subject, or search in your favorite search engine.

For teachers interested in concerns over Ritalin as a help for ADHD children, here are some links for your information

Education Reporter — Colorado School Board Passes Resolution Warning About Ritalin

http://www.eagleforum.org/educate/1999/dec99/ritalin.html

Patti Johnson represents the Second Congressional District on the Colorado State Board of Education – Too Much Ritalin

http://i2i.org/SuptDocs/OpEdArcv/1999/Ritalin.htm

DEA Report, Mr. Gene R. Haislip, Deputy Assistant Administrator – Ritalin usage far exceeds any professional estimates of actual need.

http://www.add-adhd.org/ritalin.html

Idaho State Bill to require disclosure to parents/patients of Ritalin’s addictive nature

http://www3.state.id.us/oasis/2000/H0680.html

National Institute of Health [NIH] Study — Foods and additives are common causes of the attention deficit hyperactive disorder in children.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=8179235&form=6&db=m&Dopt=r

NIH Infofax — Ritalin abuse

http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/ritalin.html

Ritalin Data Sheet with list of adverse side effects and contraindications

http://www.mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-r03.html

Anyone concerned about a child’s medical and psychological treatment should be working with a trusted professional. I doubt that many parents who frequent this board are going to find “Troll,” who arrived here with the familiar anti-meds rhetoric, to be a source of credible information or support. Parents can educate themselves by reading peer-reviewed studies and articles written by professionals who are actually working with children. Concerns about treatment should be addressed to the people parents know and trust to work with their children…not some faceless critic.

Regarding the children who are involved in antisocial acts having been treated with medication, I would remind the concerned individual who brought this up that correlation does not prove cause. There are always going to be other variables you know nothing about. JJ

So, what do we do about this? Eliminate it for those persons who truly need the medication? This is always my concern. Folks start shouting “wolf” and after they shout it long enough and hard enough, we get the Congressional hearings and the next step may be removing this from availability.

We cannot get tryptophan anymore. A batch of tainted tryptophan was imported from elsewhere (Japan?), with disastrous results, so tryptophan was banned. The tryptophan was not the problem. Any drug, vitamin or food can potentially be tainted with a poison.

I think we must continue to allow families to choose to medicate or not to medicate. All this shouting about high school shooters and the possible link between them having taken one drug or another…………..Would this surprise anyone that many of these unbalanced youth had been diagnosed with one syndrome or another at some point? It certainly does not surprise me, nor does it surprise me that unbalanced youth are the same youth who are more prone to going off the deepend as pressures on youth in society increase. I think we must be very cautious in linking a history of taking ritalin or another medication with flipping out and shooting people. This is much like fearing ritalin because you fear it will lead to illegal drug abuse later on, when infact ADHD people as a group are far more at risk for illegal drug abuse (whether or not they ever took medication for the condition). Correlations are not proof or even indication of causes.

Some people are missing the point of the original message.

The fact that Ritalin and its generic forms are being OVER PRESCRIBED. Often prescribed to CHILDREN (who are at the mercy of adults to make the right decisions on their behalf ) to controll challenging childhood behavior. The motives: greed on the behalf of pharmacuetical companies and kickbacks for doctors who prescribe it and an easy way out for parents and educators who don’t want to deal with children’s normal (although challenging) behavior.

This drug is a narcotic. One not to be taken lightly. Unfortunately, society has come to think of it as a cure-all next to vitamin C for the commom cold symptoms.

By the way, no where in the original message does it say Ritalin or its generic forms are responsible for school shooters.

Ritalin and its generic forms should be reserved for SEVERE AD/ADHD.

I’d like to mention I was quite disturbed reading about the pros and cons of ritalin.However one might keep oneself abreast about the latest developments regarding ritalin, the nagging thought is always there whether you are doing the right thing by your child.
My son has been on ritalin now for the past two years though I would say there has been no adverse signs yet but I’d like him to be off the medicine as early aspossible.I believe some maturity and the ability to recognise one’s problem and work toward it is the only workable and acceptable long term solution .The importance of family support cannot be sufficiently emphasised!!

Rama

Such a controversial thread! And how very different opinions can be. Perhaps rather than reacting immediately in a knee-jerk fashion to what we may read into the intent of the original poster (after all, this person did sign as troll…) we would be better served to look at what was posted, and offer rebuttals accordingly. It is interesting to note how quickly some will rush to defend the widespread overuse of Ritalin by citing the percentage of users who are helped while ignoring the percentage who are harmed. Why should cookie cutter medication be any more acceptable than cookie cutter educational approaches?

Is Ritalin usage on the rise? Well most certainly so, the FDA tracts these things, and reports Ritalin prescription are up 500% since the beginning of the 90’s. This alone should give pause for reflection, if nothing else. Does this mean ADHD is also up 500%? Well, no according to the figures kept by the DOE, ADHD is not up anywhere close to that number. In fact, with the exception of autism, none of the diverse categories has risen at this pace over the same decade, not ADD/ADHD, nor the more generic categories of specific learning disabilities, serious emotional disturbance, or developmental delay. Indeed, according to the DOE’s published reports, ALL children served under IDEA/Section 504 have remained pretty steady over the decade of the 90’s, at roughly 12% of the total student population, with the one category of autism showing significant gains.

So on one hand, we have the use of amphetamine to treat attention deficit climbing steadily while the target population for this medication has not. The DEA (note, not the media, but the Federal Agency who is responsible for tracking such things as drug usage trends) says there are now 8 million children on Ritalin. Considering that ADD/ADHD is thought by those experts who have the greatest experience with it to affect 4% of school aged children, and considering that according to the Statistical Abstract of the US there are 275 million Americans, of which 25.7% are under 18, that gives us an expected target population of 2.8 million children with ADD/ADHD. Now either the people who diagnosis ADD/ADHD are seriously undercounting these children, or the people prescribing Ritalin are over prescribing this drug.

I do not think anyone reasonable would deny that there are those children who by all appearances are indeed helped to achieve a better existence thru the use of medication like Ritalin. However, the same reasonable person would also agree that to prescribe a psychotropic drug with highly addictive properties like Ritalin to children who do not have ADD/ADHD is reckless at best and dangerously malpracticant at worst. For there to be 8 million children on Ritalin (which places it at approaching 12% of the under 18 group) is both disturbing and telling at the same time.

It is not uncommon for a doctor to prescribe Ritalin for children as young as 4 based upon a 15 minute interview with the child’s parents, without ever closely examining the child in question, or checking for any contraindicators or searching for those other conditions which may mask as ADD to casual observation, but which may be determined with closer investigation. One example of this is CAPD, another example is Asperger’s, neither of which will benefit from being medicated with Ritalin. It is also not uncommon for doctors not to have a set protocol to follow, but to use blind trial and error in prescribing psychotropics. When the child obviously reacts poorly to one, instead of stopping and searching for underlying medical reasons for the behavior, the doctor will often either up the dosage of the wrong medication, or jump to a different one which also is untested in this.

It is often bandied that Ritalin has had adequate testing, that it is one of the most heavily tested drugs on the market. This is a fallacy that is commonly tossed out by the “pro” camp. Ritalin has never been properly tested with the preteen population (although a few trials are being conducted now), and yet children as young as 4 are being put on it. Ritalin also has not been properly studied for long terms effects upon chronic users (few studies have gone beyond 1 year in follow up, and none beyond 3 years). Drugs like Ritalin physically alter the neural net, building lifetime dependency, and very often lose their kick after a while, leading to stronger prescription such as Adderall and Dexedrine.

Another frequent ploy is the use of slanderous discrediting of those vocal opponents to universal application of Ritalin. Many people will repeat these lines, Breggin being a favorite target. One the one hand, Breggin is most definitely a zealot, and is extreme in his position of zero medication. On the other hand, his opinion is help in high regard by the courts, where his testimony has been instrumental in successful court cases (Liss vs. Doeff, May 26, 2000 (Risperdal) appeal pending, Accardo vs. Cenac March 14, 1997 (Prolixin Decanoate) survived appeal). In addition, he is also called to provide expert testimony in the upcoming class action suit Nguyen & Farber vs. Smithkline Beecham (Paxil), and in the class action suit against Novartis (formerly Ciba Geigy), the manufacturer of Ritalin, CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), a parents’ organization that is partially funded by drug companies, and the American Psychiatric Association. Breggin has also been called upon to testify before Congress upon the danger of the rampant use of Ritalin to control children. Not to bad for a crank, wouldn’t you agree?

I just stumbled on to this while looking for info on Dyscalculia (regarding my daughter). Please forgive me for not having read all the other comments. I’ll come back a read this all later — but right now I have to get on the task of cleaning the house. For the time being I just wanted to interject something.

I’ve learned through my limited experience with my step-daughter (for 17 months now) having been diagnosed as having ADD/ADHD (when living with her mom) that there is an underlying reason for whatever it is that ails these children, whether it’s a reaction to food, the special way a child needs to learn or the special attention they may need in order to cope with life. We as the parents need to try to figure out (with the help of professionals) what exactly is the reason my child is behaving this way and is there an alternative way of dealing with it rather than using a pill. It’s definately not easy to figure out and even less easy to cope with the extra work, attention and general handling that these children need. The alternative is all that I’ve read on this site thus far; adverse side-effects, possible drug addition, learning problems, etc.,etc., etc., and the repulsive idea that might be giving my kid a pill just to shut her up!!!

/ls

Dear Dad,

You mention that Ritalin is being given to children a young as four. Well I can tell you that my step-daughter (now 9) was put on it at the age of 2!!! What prompted the paediatrician to prescribe it? A threat from mom: “If you don’t give me the script the next time you see my child it will be in a body bag”.

More than drug companies need to be accountable.
/ls

Dad,
You bring up many very valid points. I know first hand that it can be over prescribed.
Let me first say that I believe that there are many severe cases where Ritalin is needed by children.Let me also say that medication is only one of the many approaches that need to be taken with children who have trouble being successful in school.
I would like everyone to know that I have son who was diagnosed with ADD when he was 8.From the advice of his 3rd grade teacher whos son also had ADD, we took him to several Peditricians in our area, as well as a psychiatrist.(We did’nt want to rush to any conclusions and get a second opinion) He of course was diagnosed and prescribed Ritalin.
Only because of my second guessing of giving drugs to my child, did I decide to investigate further.At my request I had his hearing and eyesight evaluated by specialists on seperate occasions, only to find out that he had a substantial hearing loss, as well as needed a “pretty strong script for a first time set of glasses”.

I asked the doctors, How can a child be diagnosed ADD prior to finding out if he could not see or hear?The response was “What do you want me to do,Sue them if you feel violated.” (This came from a physician whos specialty is ADD and has been studying ADD for twenty+ years.)
I asked the hearing doctor ” Isn’t there a standard hearing test that pediatricians have to use to test hearing? No, “There are several different tests that pediatricians may use and it is left up to the individual doctor.”
The psychiatrists diagnose by what they hear the parents saying, so in a sense, the parents play a big part in securing the Ritalin prescription.When all the while the parents are just not educated as to how many other things could be done to help your child first, like insist that the school do an evaluation.Insist that a specialist test your childs hearing and eyesight, instead of the school and your pediatrician.
Only because a parent told me that if I insist that the school evaluates my son regardless of the waiting list and the cost,that they have to do it, was he found to have a learning disibility as well.
It is just my opinion but it looks like there needs to standards, strict guidlines, and universal testing that must be followed by all, before a child is diagnosed ADD. Our goal should be not to let a child be diagnosed unless thorough testing is done by all and it is certain that the child needs the med.
Nobody to this day is certain that my child really has ADD. Or is he having problems because he could not see and hear for most of his elementary years? Or is he just suffering now due to the schooling that was missed.I still to this day am not sure if I should give my son his medication or not.
Just wanted everyone to know.
Love
Mom

It’s one thing to come in with a fairly balanced report of the pro’s and con’s of Ritalin prescription. It’s quite another for someone to come in with the typical anti-medication rhetoric.

My point is not that there are people on the drug who shouldn’t be. My point is not necessarily that it isn’t overprescribed. My point is simply that the evidence that “Troll” presents (in most cases misrepresents) is not from a peer-reviewed source.

Incidentally, for the person who was talking about the Feingold diet: Most of the truly controlled, double blind studies of sugar correlating with hyperactivity find no correlation. Just another example of a popular notion not backed up by science.

The ESTATE OF Donald Ray LAM, et al., Plaintiffs
v.
The UPJOHN COMPANY, Defendants.
No. Civ. A. 94-003-H. United States District Court, W.D. Virginia,
Harrisonburg Division.

…As announced from the bench on March 20, 1995, this court finds that the evidence of Peter Breggin, as a purported expert, fails nearly all particulars under the standard set forth in Daubert and its progeny. The record supports defendant’s assertions that: 1) Breggin stands alone in his theory that Halcion causes suicidal or homicidal behavior; 2) his causation theories have not been subjected to peer review; 3) the data principally is anecdotal; and 4) his methodology essentially is an estimate incapable of producing a testable rate of error. As to his testimony regarding the warning on the Halcion package, Breggin has conducted no original research, has performed no personal re-analysis of the work of others, has prescribed Halcion only once since 1983, has no academic training or regulatory experience and has never participated in any FDA-related proceedings addressing what constitutes an adequate warning. Simply put, the court believes that Dr. Breggin’s opinions do not rise to the level of an opinion based on “good science.”

State of Connecticut v. Christopher DeAngelo

CR 97010866S

SUPERIOR COURT OF CONNECTICUT, JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF ANSONIA
- MILFORD, AT MILFORD

…Dr. Breggin, [*9] however, concedes that while psychiatrists are called upon to assess the future dangerousness of persons, they are quite poor at doing it. Dr.Breggin, who is not a board certified psychiatrist, also concedes that he does
not believe in the involuntary hospitalization of persons and argues that the Criminal Justice System should not do it under any circumstances. Dr. Breggin has not been an attending physician in a psychiatric hospital since the 1970s,
and has let his hospital privileges lapse. In explaining the lapse of his hospital privileges, Dr. Breggin informed the court that he didn’t need them anymore, since he does not hospitalize any patients. Dr. Breggin has not been involved in the involuntary hospitalization of a patient in at least 35 years,
and the last time he attended a patient in a hospital was in the late 1960s.

…Dr. Breggin expresses little concern that the acquittee will be a future danger to himself or others, as long as he refrains from usage of Prozac and Xanax.The court takes issue with Dr. Breggin’s position that no person should ever be
involuntarily hospitalized and certainly not by the criminal justice system. This unbending position by Dr. Breggin tends to undermine his objectivity in the eyes of the court when weighing his opinion.

Parents should consult with their own trusted professionals when weighing the risks and benefits of any treatment. Most of us prefer doctors to trolls when the issue is a serious one concerning our children.

Whether or not medication is appropriate for an individual has nothing to do with claims that it is being “over prescribed.” Once again it is important not to confuse correlation with cause.

Today, treatment for ADD and ADHD is not just for boys…and it’s not just for kids. Girls and adults of both sexes who could have benefited from treatment all along are finally being identified and given treatment options that may include medication. I say it’s about dang time. JJ

My experience on Ritalin.
I was put on Ritalin in 3rd grade in 1972 because my teacher said I “day dreamed” and wiggled in my chair. They called me “hyperactive” at that time. I spent 7 years on it untill in High School, I said I wasn’t taking it anymore and quit. Here are some of my reflections…

I grew up a military brat. My father was stationed in VA. Beach at the time. I remember my “day dreaming” as they so called it. Had they done more research into my overall health they would have discovered I had/have tactile defensiveness since infancy. I could hold mashed potatos in my mouth for a very long time. Everytime I swallowed, they choked me. Fruit pulp gags me. I hated having hair cuts and it always took several people to hold me down in order to cut my hair or toe nails. Had they looked any further, they would discovered I could hear the lights. It sounded like little machine guns. Had they looked even deeper they would have discovered, that I could see the lights flicker. Had they asked about my gastro-intestinal system. They would have discovered that I never had a “normal” bowell movement. It was all diarhea. Had they asked about my play habits - they would have discovered that I only set up games to play but never really understood how to play them. I loved to play with plastic animals and always set them them up in a nice little scene. Or the same thing with the Fischer Price people. I never played with these things only set them up. I absolutely loved to bounce on a pogo stick. I would do that for hours or swing in a swing…

Does any of this sound familiar?

Had they had tested me in any sort of way, they would have discovered that I am moderately dyslexic also along with Asperger’s. What a combo!

No, they didn’t do any of the above. I remember talking to my mother a few times when I was older. I told her that probably to other people the ritalin appeared to work. I didn’t wiggle in my chair anymore. I still daydreamed. It was a shutdown process for me. I was overwhelmed in a classroom. I never did that at home. But at school, all the ritalin did was kept me from wiggling in the chair. I wiggled to fight the shutdown! I knew I wasn’t susposed to shutdown and I fought it. After the ritalin, I just didn’t care if I shut down or not.

Did it work? Was it effective? Not to me. I just didn’t care.

has a great deal to do with the over use of Ritalin. In our area, kids are evaluated for ADHD by their pediatricians. Were there available psychiatry services for kids, this would not be the case. an ADHD eval by a oediatrician usally means connor’s ratings scales, and parent interviews. Well, that falls way short. There are many childhood disorders that look like ADHD. Easiest thing is to geve a pill. Many times though that is the absolute worng thing to do. In my son’s case, what looked like ADHD went to psychosis and a mixed mania. He is not ADHD, he has early onset bipolar disorder! Course on the short form, it looked like ADHD. So do many other things. My son now takes a heftp combo of meds - tegretol, Buspar, Seroquel. Guess what? He’s not ADHD any more, now that the underlying disorder with similar presenting symptoms is being properly treated.

Troll, thanks for the post. There are many ways to skin a cat… I disagree with you in many respects - most importantly in using fear, intimidation and hysteria as tools to spread your message.
Laura