Mixed messages on ADHD

Parents who are concerned about the heart risks of stimulants to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder may hear conflicting advice from doctors, depending on whom they consult.

Last week, an advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration voted 8-7 to suggest adding the agency’s strongest warning label to Ritalin, Adderall and similar medications. The panel based its decision on an FDA report that found 25 children and adults had died suddenly from 1999 to 2003 after taking ADHD drugs.

Steven Nissen, an advisory committee member, says many of the 4 million people who use the drugs may not realize that they have serious side effects. “I want parents and doctors, before they prescribe amphetamines and amphetamine-like drugs to children, to think a little harder whether they need them,” says Nissen, interim chairman of the Cleveland Clinic’s department of cardiovascular medicine.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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FDA and ADHD Stimulant Medication. Science or Stigma? Part 1 (1/8/2009)

    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 17 Feb 2006
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