ADHD Drugs Send Thousands To ER Each Year

[The Straight Story]

ADHD Drugs Send Thousands To ER Each Year

POSTED: 5:03 pm EDT May 24, 2006

Accidental overdoses and side effects from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs likely send thousands of children and adults to emergency rooms, according to the first national estimates of the problem.

Scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated problems with the stimulant drugs drive nearly 3,100 people to ERs each year. Nearly two-thirds -- overdoses and accidental use -- could be prevented by parents locking the pills away, the researchers say.

Other patients had side effects, including potential cardiac problems such as chest pain, stroke, high blood pressure and fast heart rate.

Concerns over those effects have led some doctors to urge the Food and Drug Administration to require a "black box," its most serious warning, on package inserts for drugs such as Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall. Yet even doctors advising the FDA don't agree on whether that's warranted.

http://www.local6.com/health/9269097/detail.html

[derby378]

1. Isn't Scientology responsible for those "black box" labels?

Courtesy of their front group, Citizen's Commission on Human Rights.

Me, I take Ritalin, and I watch the dosage very carefully. No ER visit for me!

[Liberal Veteran]

2. Duh. It's speed.

That's why I am so amused by the outrage over methamphetamine. It's not really all that different from what millions of kids and adults are being given legally every day.

[Pavulon]

3. Bet more drown in 5 gallon buckets(nt)

[postulater]

5. Did you read the article?

It says 25 deaths from the drugs. Do you really think more than that drown in five gallon buckets? I haven't seen the stats on that.

[NMMNG]

9. Pavulon is right

25 deaths have been linked to the ADHD drugs in 4 years. An estimated 30 kids drown in buckets every year. http://www.ctsafekids.org/pdf_files/Drowning_Facts.pdf

[postulater]

10. WTF?

Who'd a thunk it?
Thanks

[postulater]

4. One of my daughter's best friends

nearly died a couple months ago after downing half her bottle of Adderall. Her mom's a nurse and thinks Adderall is the best thing for her, but ended up rushing her to the ER to have her stomach pumped of the stuff.

[BrownOak]

6. The problem wasn't with the drug

but rather the application of it.

[Morphus100]

7. Not to discount your story

but I work in a psych ER where I see overdoses on all sorts of medications. If you take half a bottle of any drug you are asking for trouble. Surprisingly, Tylenol is much more lethal than any amphetamine such as Ritalin or Adderall, as it destroys your liver. 50 Tylenol can easily kill you. Should we put a black box on Tylenol as well? Seriously, people who OD on Tylenol go to the ICU rather than the psych ER to make sure they don't die. On the other hand, I've seen many people who tried to OD on their amphetamine and all it did was increase their heart rate and keep them up for 2 days straight. Given a choice I would much rather take 50 ritalins than 50 tylenol.

I'm not saying it's healthy to take such a high dose of amphetamines, but it's hardly the danger this article makes it out to be. Hundreds of people die from ODing on Tylenol every year. Additionally I take Dexedrine for ADD, and I have never been concerned about my health. It has also been a significant benefit to me in many aspects of my life.

People who demonize these drugs have a bizarre agenda with obviously little understanding of ADD and its effective treatments.

[deFaultLine]

8. OTCs

Tylenol actually ended a pro football players career back in the 80s. Kenny Easley had his kidneys shut down after repeated use. It doesn't take 50 all at once to screw you up.

I use OTCs sparingly and switch between aspirin, ibuprofen and acetominiphen if I need a pain killer.

Another concern should be the diagnosis of any condition, a friend of mine had his kid nearly put on Ritalin when the real problem was dyslexia. The kid would act out when he couldn't do something at school.

There's lot of people that could use medication to improve their lives, you had just be prepared to get a proper diagnosis. I just went through some screening for ADD but it looks like that isn't the problem. Now I get to look forward to a spinal tap to see if I have something else.

Funny, I kind of wish I had ADD now. :(

[Odin2005]

11. 25 deaths in 4 years isn't very dangerous.

I bet more people die from taking asprin then fromtaking ritalin.