ADHD drug Ritalin linked to heart damage.

[RobDownSouth]

A Social Work technician with a big fat associate's degree says that multivitamins treat ADHD. What else do you need to know?

seems legit.

 

[khbostic]

Chapter and Verse from:Mega Brain Power,transform your mind with mind machines and brain nutrientsby Micheal Hutchison...ISBN 1-56282-770-7 Hyperion pub paperback ,$14.95 ,another from my reference shelf...
Pg 406 says it includes hyperactivity was cut in half,besides genl anti social behavior.../

On ritalin linked to heart damage:20% of the genl population have at least a arrythmnia.When combined with a psychostimulant,it s additive.Maybe,it could push someone closer to a heart attack or stroke.That was a lot of the reason they started restricting diet pills/amphetamines,besides the potential towards anti social behavior,being "Hepped Up".same with other stimulants,like cocaine,a cousin to amphetamines...

I have yet another book The Physicians Guide To Life Extension Drugs,by the Life Extension Foundation,,it says anti depressants incl Bromocryptine,a quarter at a time,about 3 different ones are among the top 4 treatments for stimulant abuse,like the crack,cocaine ,meth amphetamine,Amantadine was the 4th ,how come theres no main clinics,using these,instead of incarceration?

 

[mercury14]

Chapter and Verse from:Mega Brain Power,transform your mind with mind machines and brain nutrientsby Micheal Hutchison...ISBN 1-56282-770-7 Hyperion pub paperback ,$14.95 ,another from my reference shelf...
Pg 406 says it includes hyperactivity was cut in half,besides genl anti social behavior.../hyperkenesis...

On my 2 yr mental health social work degree: I took the NC State exam for Social Work Technician ,back in 1983,there were Masters of Social Work Degree people taking the same exam.I scored 93%...

My Army aptitude test had been administered by the Psychologist that ran the mental health social work major at college.I scored real high in only 2 of the 6 sections on it,one was 138,another 140...

I used my honorable discharge from the reserves as a reference...My 2nd reference was passing a 6 mo internship as a psych attendant nurse the previous yr with the states civil service,dept of mental health.

On ritalin linked to heart damage:20% of the genl population have at least a arrythmnia.When combined with a psychostimulant,it s additive.Maybe,it could push someone closer to a heart attack or stroke.That was a lot of the reason they started restricting diet pills/amphetamines,besides the potential towards anti social behavior,being "Hepped Up".same with other stimulants,like cocaine,a cousin to amphetamines...

I have yet another book ,it says anti depressants about 3 different ones are among the top 4 treatments for stimulant abuse,like the crack,cocaine ,meth amphetamine,how come theres no main clinics,using these,instead of incarceration?

Hi.

Decade as a USAF Psychiatrist and mental health flight commander. I also have a master's degree in social work and a bachelor's in social work and psychology.

Nice to meet you.

 

[warrior queen]

Can you provide any links or references for where you gathered this info?

It was one of those special interest stories on the newshour. I honestly can't remember the names of the two doctors they interviewed.
I figured if I threw it up here, someone would provide some more info.

 

[dan_c00000]

It was one of those special interest stories on the newshour. I honestly can't remember the names of the two doctors they interviewed.
I figured if I threw it up here, someone would provide some more info.

This is over two years old now.

ADHD drugs do not increase heart problems in kids







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By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO | Tue Nov 1, 2011 2:47pm EDT

(Reuters) - Stimulants used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder do not increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes or sudden death, U.S. researchers said on Monday, in a finding that should reassure millions of parents whose children take the drugs.

Researchers studied the medical records of more than 1 million children and young adults aged 2 to 24 who were taking or had taken stimulants such as Ritalin or Adderall and found no sign of increased risk of heart problems.

"We don't see any evidence of increased risk," said Dr. William Cooper of Vanderbilt University, whose study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study in children is the first of three commissioned by the Food and Drug Administration to understand the potential heart risks of the drugs after U.S. and Canadian regulators received a number of reports in 2006 of heart attacks, strokes and sudden cardiac arrest in children taking the medications.

The reports prompted several FDA advisory committee hearings on heart problems, and Health Canada temporarily suspended marketing of ADHD drugs.

The concerns also prompted the American Heart Association to issue guidelines suggesting that children who were just starting to take the drugs should be tested for potential underlying heart problems.

"There was a lot of concern and confusion among families and providers about what the best approach would be to treating kids who had ADHD and who might benefit from these medicines," Cooper said by phone.

COMMON CHILD DISORDER

ADHD is one of the most common child mental disorders, affecting around 3 to 5 percent of children globally.

Children with ADHD are excessively restless, impulsive and easily distracted, and often have trouble at home and in school. There is no cure, but the symptoms can be kept in check by a combination of behavioral therapy and medication.

In the United States, some 2.7 million children have prescriptions for ADHD drugs including Novartis' Ritalin or methylphenidate and Focalin; Johnson & Johnson's Concerta, Shire's Adderall and Vyvanse and Eli Lilly's Strattera.

For the study, Cooper's team used prescription data from four large, geographically and demographically diverse health plans on 1,200,438 children and youth, including both current and past users of the drugs. They checked health records for evidence of heart problems, including heart attacks, strokes and sudden cardiac deaths, in children who were currently taking the drugs or who had taken them.

The team found no increased risk of heart problems for either current or past users of the drugs. Yet because there were so few cases of serious heart problems -- just 81 -- the study may not have been large enough to detect it.

But even if there were a risk of heart problems, it is extremely slight, Cooper said.

In a guidance document issued on Tuesday, the FDA said it continues to recommend that the drugs not be used in patients with serious heart problems.

It added that patients should be monitored for changes in heart rate or blood pressure.

Jefferies analyst Peter Welford said the findings will likely reassure investors in Shire, maker of Adderall and Vyvanse. But because there were so few heart problems, the study was underpowered and cannot conclusively dispel concerns about cardiovascular risks.

Shire's shares were flat on Tuesday, outperforming a sharply lower market.

 

[warrior queen]

Jenny McCarthy called and wants her moron brain back.

ADHD Drugs Not Linked to Increased Heart Risks in Adults

Study May Calm Fears That the Stimulant Drugs Can Lead to Heart Attacks


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By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD




human heart

Dec. 12, 2011 -- A study of 150,000 adults taking drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) found no conclusive evidence that the medications increase the risk for heart attack, stroke, or sudden death from heart-related causes.

The research, published online Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, comes just over a month after the same investigators found that the drugs likely do not raise the risk for serious heart problems in children and young adults, based on their study of more than 1.2 million young users.

Millions of children and adults in the U.S. take stimulants such as Adderall, Concerta, Metadate, Methylin, Ritalin, or the non-stimulant Strattera to treat ADHD symptoms such as hyperactivity, impulse control, and trouble focusing.

The new findings should reassure adult patients who take ADHD drugs, but they do not rule out a modest increase in risk associated with their use, says researcher Laurel A. Habel, PhD, a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif.

“With any drug there are potential risks, and these drugs can increase blood pressure,” she tells WebMD. “But if there is an increase in [heart-related] events, our study suggests that it is slight.”



ADHD in Adults



ADHD Drugs and the Heart

Use of stimulant and non-stimulant ADHD drugs has increased rapidly among adults over the past decade, with almost one in three prescriptions now written for adults.

The drugs can increase blood pressure and heart rate. In 2006, reports of health issues led the FDA to commission the largest studies ever conducted examining ADHD drug-related heart risks in children and adults.

In the latest study, researchers followed slightly more than 150,000 adults who had been prescribed stimulant or non-stimulant ADHD medication and about 300,000 adults with no history of ADHD drug use.

The study period lasted about two decades, during which time there were 1,357 heart attacks, 296 sudden deaths from cardiac arrest, and 575 strokes recorded.

Use of ADHD drugs was not associated with an increased risk of any of these three outcomes, even among users with prior heart disease.

Although the studies do not support claims that ADHD drugs significantly increase the risk for life-threatening heart events, the researchers conclude that a modest increase in risk associated with their use cannot be ruled out.

“These studies provide an important piece of the puzzle that we have not had,” says Vanderbilt University professor of pediatrics and preventive medicine William O. Cooper, MD, who led the study in children.

ADHD Drugs: Is EKG Needed?

Cooper tells WebMD that the two studies provide the strongest evidence to date calming fears that stimulant and non-stimulant ADHD drugs raise the risk for heart attack, stroke, and sudden cardiac death.

Concerns that they did led to a 2008 recommendation by the American Heart Association that children and teens have electrocardiograms (EKGs) to check for heart problems before going on stimulant medication for treatment of ADHD.

In an editorial published with the study, ADHD researcher Philip Shaw, MD, PhD, of the National Institutes of Health concluded that there is now little evidence to support this recommendation.

American Heart Association past-President Robert Bonow, MD, says the two studies were well designed and well executed and he agrees that the findings are reassuring.

Bonow is a professor of medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago.

“There has been something of a dark cloud over these drugs with regard to their impact on the heart,” he says. “These findings should put many of these fears to rest, but it is still important to know an individual patient’s risk. Patients with heart disease and those who have a high risk for heart disease need to be monitored if they take these drugs.”

ADHD medications won't increase adults' heart risks, says study




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(CBS) Adults who take medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do not face an increased risk for major heart problems, according to the authors of a new study.


PICTURES: 15 signs you have adult ADHD

Earlier studies have shown that ADHD drugs raise blood pressure and heart rate. That sounded an alarm among researchers who thought those increases might lead to more heart attacks, strokes, or heart failure among pill-takers.


"There had been concern about the cardiovascular safety of these medications," study author Dr. Laurel Habel a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Northern Calif., told Reuters. "We didn't see any evidence that these medications increased the risk of any of these events."

For the study, researchers compared two decades' worth of data on 150,000 adults with ADHD with data from nearly 300,000 adults who don't have the disorder. The most commonly used ADHD drugs were methylphenidate, sold as Ritalin, and amphetamine, sold as Aderall. The study also looked at non-stimulant ADHD drugs.

What did the study find? No increased risk for serious heart problems among the adults who took ADHD medication. Researchers also didn't see any increased risk when they compared different ADHD drugs, or based on whether adults were new, long-term, or former users who had stopped medication.

The results were published in the Dec. 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.


"With any drug there are potential risks, and these drugs can increase blood pressure," Habel told WebMD. "But if there is an increase in [heart-related] events, our study suggests that it is slight."

The study was reassuring for the 1.5 million U.S. adults who are prescribed medication for ADHD. The results echo recent findings in children who take ADHD drugs, CBS News reported.

The study did raise key issues, according to Dr. Philip Shaw, a psychiatry researcher from the Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda. Md. Shaw wrote in an accompanying editorial that the study didn't look enough at certain groups of people who may be high risk, like adults who already have heart disease.

"Joint care by cardiologists and other physicians remains necessary for these individuals," Shaw said.

Other experts welcomed the news.


"There has been something of a dark cloud over these drugs with regard to their impact on the heart," American Heart Association past-President Robert Bonow, told WebMD. "These findings should put many of these fears to rest."

ADHD is usually first diagnosed in childhood, but often lasts through adulthood. Symptoms include inattentiveness, daydreaming, forgetting things, acting and speaking impulsively, and fidgeting or a need to be in constant motion. There is no known cause for ADHD, but possible risk factors include genetics, birth weight, environmental exposure, and alcohol or tobacco during pregnancy.

I do remember from the news story they talked about increased blood pressure having put too much strain on some kids hearts, and in both families interviewed the young adults were now on transplant lists.
But they also stressed that it was a RARE side-effect, which I noted in the original post.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

It sound like *you* changed criteria by just diagnosing any way you felt like. You criticize mental health professionals for being inconsistent then turn around and make up your own rules for what the criteria should be - including such empirical methods as "If I feel like stabbing my patient in the heart I will give them this diagnosis". Your practice was trash and wholly unethical. If you really were a psychologist your patients came to you expecting competency in the field, not someone who pulls criteria out of their ass. You ought to have your license removed if you were advertising your services as legitimate care.

As far as what changed regarding sexual orientation, medicine gained a greater understanding of the dynamics of it and based on that new knowledge determined that homosexuality is not an illness. That's the thing about science, it adjusts its view based on what's observed. Science observed new information on sexual orientation and adjusted its view on the issue. It's not a static thing no matter how much you want it to be.

If you'd like to see what changed go back and read a 1950s book on the science of homosexuality and compare it to those of 2013.

Back in 1967 I was in a group run by an MD and a LCSW. One of the men in my group was 40 and diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was 40, had a masters degree, and owned operated a business. With me so far? No history of mental illness. Ed died of a brain tumor.

It was my first wakeup call to ignore all the happy horseshit you guys imagine. Over all the years its proven to be the best attitude to take with MDs. You silly bastards usta send me phenobarbital addicts and senile dementias and Korsakov psychosis and even a few girls with bubblebath rash the doc just knew was egregious sex abuse. Got any idea how many people MDs kill?

So, bite me. I think I'm safe saying that every tag I made was the real deal. I know how to diagnose.

 

[Wat_Tyler]

I think Merc knows how to prescribe, but then it's the pharmacologists who determine that. If not, why does the DSM grow like a weed with every new edition?


Oh, right . . . adults.


I'll go kill something the old fashioned way then . . . .

 

[khbostic]

Mercury and Johnson could pioneer a govt clinic with that info on treating crack,coke,methamphetamine,and stimulants abuse.

All they d need is someone to write up the grant proposal...Now theres big thoughts,it could spread to most major metro areas,could n t it?

Or a study with one of the major gov t agencies,eh?

I see a lot of plainclothes running drug trtmt centers,maybe they d have to incl some as counselors,and some like to mix in as pts...LOL...

PS,none of that raggedy Reagan stuff on mandatory minimum sentences of 5 and 10 yrs,at a cost of 40 to 120 grand a yr per head for incarceration...

I nominate them,let them second and 3rd the motion...ahhh,if it were that simple...

St benedict enclosed for luck.He got Europe out of the dark ages by making scribes educators,and health care workers out of the monks and monastaries...a thousand yrs before the Guttenburg press/

 

[Beco]

i know of people who snort ritalin. they call it poor mans coke. it speeds them up when snorted.

strange how many years ago kids did not have access to all the sugar and tv, etc.,etc. like they do now. they actually went outside, ate a bit healthier, got a lot of excercize, had chores to do and were expected to do them. no add/adhd

Adderall is where it's at, just ask any college kid....

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Adderall is where it's at, just ask any college kid....

Adderall is Ritalin.

 

[khbostic]

I watched a 60 minute episode over the past few yrs..They said its legal to cross over to the Mexican side of the borderand get not one iota more than a 3 mo prescription,on anything you need.
The article was focusing on Arizona,and did include getting ritalin.The docs charge 40 bucks for ea prescription that you wanted,maybe they get a half doz,and switch from ritalin to dexadrine....Pharmacy was extra

My ma had her ovaries removed and doubled in weight up to 265 lbs afterwards.Her Doc put her on Ritalin just for energy in the 60s,honest injun...

More than a few yrs back,I saw a different 60 minutes episode,Sundays ,7 pm Eastern...It said they were doing the same with AIDs drugs.A whole yrs supply cost $500 bucks,vs 30 grand ,here in the StaTES FOR THE VERY SAME THING.
Once again,the law states you cannot import more than a 90 day supply of pharmaceuticals for personal use,ie,prescription drugs...

 

[RobDownSouth]

I watched a 60 minute episode over the past few yrs..They said its legal to cross over to the Mexican side of the borderand get not one iota more than a 3 mo prescription,on anything you need.
The article was focusing on Arizona,and did include getting ritalin.The docs charge 40 bucks for ea prescription that you wanted,maybe they get a half doz,and switch from ritalin to dexadrine....Pharmacy was extra.

They also showed them getting steroids for atheletes,who also take stimulants as a break period from the steroids,off n on...

Canadian pharmacies are much more reliable for 90-day supplies of maintenance medications. I get my Celebrex from there all the time. 75% cheaper than American pharmacy. Interestingly, my order goes to Vancouver Canada and I get a Swiss Post package from Delhi, India.

 

[khbostic]

I get those Canadian ads in my email,but haven t tried them.Im a viagra type candidate myself and have been prescribed it legally...the ole ticker...Cops in my area like to help themselves from time to time on stuff I order

 

[pointless]

Adderall is Ritalin.

no, it is not.

 

[mercury14]

Adderall is Ritalin.

No it's not. Strike five.

 

[RobDownSouth]

Adderall is Ritalin.

No, it's not.

 

[mercury14]

No, it's not.

James has a Ph.D though.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Both are amphetamine.

 

[RobDownSouth]

Both are amphetamine.

No they aren't.

Adderall is an amphetamine.

Ritalin is not.

Both, however, are CNS stimulants.

Strike six.

 

[khbostic]

Page 92 of Healing ADD ,by Dr dan Amen says ritalin,adderal,dexadrine all work by increasing dopamine,a neurotransmittor in brain chemistry.

Dopamine is said to be hi in schizophrenics

I read people with marijuana cravings can be sated by eating sweet potatoes,as they will legally increase dopamine

Many people with ADD complain that they have trouble getting their thoughts out of their heads and onto paper,the ADD drugs help this.So ,it may help writers block...They also say it helps with motor skills as well.

pg 236 says adderall was preferred by teachers by 70%.Adderall and concerta last for 5 to 7 hrs on adderall,10 to 11 hrs on concerta.contrasted with ritalin and dexadrines 2 to 4 hrs...

They say adderall and concerta are smoother as they kick in and as they wear off.adderall comes in 5,10 20 and 30 mg doses ,making it easier to adjust dosage.

Concerta is a slow acting form of ritalin/methylphenidate,released in the yr 2000.Theres also a slow release form of dexadrine it says as well..

I wrote myself a note that said news article said adderall xl was linked to heart attacks and strokes.2/9/2005
Another note I wrote inside the cover says Strattera is a non stimulant trtmt for ADD,also known as atamoxitine Hcl...

 

[RobDownSouth]

Page 92 of Healing ADD ,by Dr dan Amen says...

http://0-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board/a/image/1337/01/1337015141579.jpg

Daniel G. Amen, M.D. has his very own page on Quackwatch.org

Slate magazine makes fun of Dr. Amen

Salon magazine makes fun of Dr. Amen

 

[warrior queen]

Usually WQ threads start stupid because she's stupid and started the thread. Duh.
Then they turn on her and she gets all defensive. Then it goes off track for a while. Then she comes back and gets defensive about her lies again. Then everyone just writes off the thread as another WQ bullshit rant where maybe three words were true.
This one just went straight to stupid.

God - you really are a consistant cunt, aren't you?!
I make a thread, potter around a bit checking every now and then... and then, unlike you obviously, I have a real-life job I need to attend to.
For example, my big break today from lit consisted of moving sheep and cows to other paddocks, getting my power steering fixed and going to the hairdresser.
I don't have the luxury of being able to come in here every hour on the hour to check who wrote what. Seems you do though

 

[dolf]

what I love about this thread is that most people probably predicted it's path the second they saw the title.

 

[warrior queen]

what I love about this thread is that most people probably predicted it's path the second they saw the title.

So, you don't really think there's a problem with [over] prescribing stimulant drugs to developing bodies?
I think it's not surprising in the least that serious (if rare) side-effects are now showing up, given the numbers of kids that have grown up drugged-out for the last 10-20 years!

I would like to see the accepted data on it though.... but for now I haven't got the time to spend wading through what's available (hence this thread - I can always count on one or two to take it seriously and link me through )