Psychosis and Mania: ADHD Drug Warnings Come Too Late for Many

[enquirewithin]

By EVELYN PRINGLE

http://www.counterpunch.org/pringle03072007.html

The makers of drugs used to treat attention disorders have known about the serious health risks associated with the medications for years but instead of warning the public, the industry has consistently focused its efforts on expanding the market and colluding with FDA officials to keep warnings off the labels of ADHD drugs.

On February 21, 2007, the FDA finally directed the drug companies to develop Patient Medication Guides to inform patients about the adverse psychiatric symptoms associated with Adderall, Concerta, Daytrana, Desoxyn, Dexedrine, Focalin, Metadate CD, Methylin, Ritalin, Strattera, and the extended-release, patch and chewable versions of these drugs.

An FDA report titled, "Adverse Events Associated with Drug Treatment of ADHD: Review of Postmarketing Safety Data," by Kate Gelperin and Kate Phelan, was presented at the March 22, 2006, Pediatric Advisory Committee meeting and stated in part:

"The most important finding of this review is that signs and symptoms of psychosis or mania, particularly hallucinations, can occur in some patients with no identifiable risk factors, at usual doses of any of the drugs currently used to treat ADHD."

Between January 2000, and June 30, 2005, the FDA identified nearly 1,000 cases of psychosis or mania linked to the drugs in its own database and those from the drug makers themselves. A substantial proportion of the cases occurred in children age ten years or less, a population in which hallucinations are not common, the authors said.

"The occurrence of such symptoms in young children," they wrote, "may be particularly traumatic and undesirable, both to the child and the parents."

"The predominance in young children of hallucinations, both visual and tactile," it stated, "involving insects, snakes and worms is striking, and deserves further evaluation."

But the fact that these drugs cause psychosis is not news. The rate of psychotic events was reported in a 5-year Canadian study of children diagnosed with ADHD, by Cherland and Fitzpatrick in 1999. Among the 192 children studied, 98 had been placed on stimulant drugs, mostly methylphenidate, and psychotic symptoms developed in more than 9% of the children and ceased as soon as the medication was stopped.

Researchers reported no psychotic symptoms in children who did not receive stimulants and the authors noted that due to poor reporting, the rate of drug induced psychosis and psychotic symptoms was probably much higher....

In addition, for years there have been reports of suicide and violence in persons on ADHD drugs. For example, back on January 30, 1999, Adderall use resulted in the death of 5-week-old, Tyra Ehlis, in Grand Forks, North Dakota, when Ron Ehlis killed his daughter ten days after his doctor wrote the a prescription for Adderall.

In this case, Ron had been on Ritalin as a child, and when he went to a psychiatrist at age 26, because he was having difficulties with his college studies, without conducting any tests whatsoever, the doctor prescribed Adderall.

A few days later, Ron doubled the dose per his doctor's instructions, and he began experiencing delusions, hallucinations, and out-of-body experiences, including talks with God and his dead grandfather.

Shortly thereafter, acting under a belief that he was carrying out God's orders, Ron shot Tyra, and then himself in the stomach, but he survived.

Ron went on trial for the murder of his daughter, but the charges were dismissed after several doctors testified that Ron suffered from an Adderall-induced psychosis. The infant's mother also testified that Ron had not acted like himself from the first day that he began taking the Adderall.

Adderall also caused the violent death of 8-year-old, Jessica Curry, in Spokane, Washington. In late September 1999, she was a happy little third-grader sitting on her mother's lap in a Mustang convertible telling mom what she wanted to wear for Halloween.

After saying she wanted to be a princess, Jessica's mother, who was on Adderall at the time, stabbed her daughter 5 times and then stabbed herself. Here too, the mother lived but child did not. A short time later, a policeman came across mother and daughter still sitting in car in the driveway all covered in blood.

Jessica's mother was also found not guilty by reason of insanity brought on by the Adderall after doctors for the prosecution and the defense agreed that her mental state was so acute that she could not have distinguished right from wrong at the time that she killed her daughter.

The death of 3-year-old Nathaniel Branson must also be classified as an Adderall fatality. On March 18, 2000, Nat's mother Dawn was driving in Scottsdale, Arizona with her son in the car when she suffered a psychotic episode while under the influence of Adderall.

According to court documents, Dawn heard a voice saying: "Let go of the steering wheel and gas. God will drive the car don't you trust him?"

Dawn did as she was told and a car accident caused the death of her son and serious injuries to herself. She had never been psychotic before taking Adderall and she has had no more psychotic episodes since she quit taking the drug.

So when the FDA reported that the agency had received hundreds of reports of aggressive behavior in children taking ADHD drugs, and up to 20% resulted in a significant injury or hospitalization, this was not news either...

It hard to imagine how sales could go higher. In 2005, according to Research and Markets, the value of the ADHD market was $2.6 billion and is now the 9th largest segment of the CNS market by sales with growth of 8% year-on-year....

"ADHD drugs are creating a generation of psychopaths," he warns, "not because it is real, but because children are being brainwashed into believing they are sick."...

"I guess my up-front message, front and center," she told the panel, "is that you know that these drugs can cause serious side effects and death, including sudden death, hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, and possibly bipolar disorder."

"This being the case," she stated, "I urge you to recommend that these drugs have an appropriate black box warning placed on the label starting immediately."

Any street addict knows that crashing after taking amphetamines brings on the most severe depression, in large part, experts says, because speed almost always disrupts the appetite and sleep cycle. However, unwitting consumers of ADHD drugs would have no way of knowing this if they start feeling suicidal when they cannot eat or sleep as the speed wears....

Because the FDA system of reporting is voluntary, the agency admits that only between one and 10% of adverse reactions get recorded. Which means, because the FDA and Big Pharma intentionally delayed warning the public about the dangers of ADHD drugs, there are probably tens of thousands of ADHD victims who do not even know what happened....

[Nagognog2]

This should be required reading, with a signed acknowlegment, for any parent/parents/guardians of a child being considered for "treatment" using these drugs. I am appalled this is only coming out now. We've known about these side-effects (if you can call them that - more like a typical effect) for at least 50 years!

[Donmeka]

SWIM himself always thought he was somewhat mentally unfit regardless of the branded diagnois given by multiple docs. SWIM was recently given adderall at 10mg and hes been taking 1 a day usually just in the morning and some days if he need things to be done in the afternoon (SWIMs off work at noon)

since SWIMs 18 years of age should this be a worry? he has been taking it for a bit more than 2 weeks not EVERY day. with great success along with his alprazolam and OxyIR taking therapeutic doses and never abusing either. (and the OxyIR is only for pain as needed and does not take xanax every day and never more than myabe 1mg during the day and 2mg to sleep if insomnia is present)

[fizzle]

Thats a variety of drugs, and it is not too uncommon now for both stimulants and benzos to be perscriberd at once. Just stay up with your doc and let him know how you are doin. Just dont go overboard as you have 3 very abusable drugs in your possession.

[Donmeka]

SWIM understands the responsibility of having these medications present at all times and at a nice quantity a month (60-90) he plays it safe and shares some

[izzy31]

SWIM is thinking perhaps ppl

[stoneinfocus]

There´re millions of patients taking ADSH medication, and all things are to happen with the broad variety of people using it, so it´s murder, sudden death, psychosis.

Of course it´s thin ice, according to when a medication is really useful and when it´s just covering deficits that exist in the society as suchm doing this more in a cosmetic way (no wonder, in this religion slaved country most psycholgically predisposed will develop a religious psychosis)