|
veggie

Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,504
|
ADHD drug does more harm than good
#7738664 - 12/09/07 10:34 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
|
|
ADHD drug does more harm than good December 10, 2007 - theticker.org
It was July and a 23-year-old short brunette walked into the medical office in Midtown with sunglasses on, wearing a scarf around her neck.
A month after, the medical receptionist began receiving multiple calls and messages from her, filled with desperation, hopelessness and depression. The woman - for confidentiality let's call her Helen - was begging to refill her Ritalin prescription again. It turned out the medication was the reason she signed up to see the internist, yet another time. The doctor was not familiar with the effects of the medication and did not have the knowledge to evaluate the patient. But led by financial considerations, he let Helen get what she wanted.
Ritalin, or methylphenidate hydrochloride, is central nervous system stimulant. It is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which is recognized in impulsive behavior and inability to pay attention. In clinical studies, it produces behavioral, psychological and reinforcing effects similar to cocaine. Mental health professionals are the only ones who have the knowledge and expertise to treat ADHD patients.
However, a data released by the Drug Enforcement Administration shows that pediatricians write more than 50 percent of the methylphenidate prescriptions. According to the Physician's Desk Reference Family Guide to Prescription Drugs, the drug should not be prescribed to anyone experiencing anxiety, tension or agitation because it can aggravate these symptoms. If abused, it can lead to tolerance, dependence and psychotic episodes. Misuse may result in serious, possibly fatal heart and blood pressure problems.
Does Ritalin have a positive effect in ADHD treatment? Clinical trials, that looked at the effects of the drug, show there are no long-term benefits. Moreover, psychostimulants such as Ritalin can cause irreversible brain damage and dysfunction.
"I recognize I can't change the larger social and cultural factors," admits Dr. Larry Diller in his book, Running on Ritalin: A Physician Reflects on Children, Society and Performance in a Pill. "My job is to relieve suffering and Ritalin, in a short term will ease suffering."
A TIME Magazine cover story from Nov. 30, 1998 points out that the benefits of the medication are gone as soon as the medication wears off. Children need constant reinforcement through behavioral therapy, which is very expensive. Moreover, an ADHD child needs at least 50 sessions to benefit from it.
If you refer to Michael Moore's Sicko, you will see that the criteria used by officials to make health policy decisions - like shorter hospital stays - derive mainly from financial concerns. Pharmaceutical companies and health insurances not only make financial contributions to election campaigns of many politicians but also fund the research of medicines to produce only beneficial results. Sure, Ritalin helps, but doesn't the system use it only to temporarily ease a problem by creating larger potential risks?
Being a parent poses many uneasy dilemmas and the child's benefit arises as the single most important issue. Some parents confess that Ritalin has made a tremendous difference in their lives.
But according to the testimony of Drug Enforcement Administration Deputy Director Terrance Woodworth, the methylphenidate production level quota has increased from 1768 kg in 1990 to 14957 kg in 2000. The increase in the demand should make authorities wonder if the problem is being solved or if children are becoming addicts.
On Tuesday, The Washington Post informed the nation of a new study, which shows that ADHD stems from a developmental delay that can be outgrown. What this means to the 4.4 million children diagnosed with the disorder is that we need to question the effectiveness of the medication and fear the side effects. Harsh drug treatment might actually turn out to be unnecessary.
|
NineStorms
The Dragon



Registered: 02/28/07
Posts: 125
Loc: Existing between Heaven a...
Last seen: 9 years, 7 months
|
Re: ADHD drug does more harm than good [Re: veggie]
#7738741 - 12/09/07 10:52 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
|
|
This is really sad. I know a friend or two that has ADHD, and it always seems like they were pumped with chemicals since they were kids. It's hard for me not to really villify the pharm companies because of this, although they do help *some* people =/.
|
jellyfish


Registered: 10/02/05
Posts: 7,457
|
Re: ADHD drug does more harm than good [Re: NineStorms]
#7740784 - 12/10/07 02:00 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
|
|
My friends mom has adult add and dexedrine changed her life (made it a lot better). It's when they try to make drugs that do the same thing as real medicines but have less abuse potential/high when the problems start.
|
im_on_a_boat
Stranger

Registered: 04/06/06
Posts: 3,950
|
Re: ADHD drug does more harm than good [Re: jellyfish]
#7740828 - 12/10/07 02:09 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
|
|
aw dexedrine.. those were the days..
|
CollegeGuy
Addict


Registered: 11/30/07
Posts: 286
Last seen: 12 years, 10 months
|
Re: ADHD drug does more harm than good [Re: im_on_a_boat]
#7741239 - 12/10/07 03:38 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
|
|
Adderal is amazing but its a drug! I have had horrable withdraw from it sleepless nights seeing shit acting pretty irrational at times. It gets bad and addicting. It helps with productivity but has sideaffects. I wouldnt suggest taking it as a perscription but I still take it because I like it...Just my experiances
--------------------
All posts from this account do not contain any factual or real events only ones that could happen.
|
im_on_a_boat
Stranger

Registered: 04/06/06
Posts: 3,950
|
Re: ADHD drug does more harm than good [Re: CollegeGuy]
#7741970 - 12/10/07 06:11 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
|
|
i dont do that shit anymore.. shit fries your brain.. not even to study..
i'm convinced it's the same as speed and most people think because a doctor prescribes it and because it comes in pill form that it's not a drug or that it's not dangerous..
that might be more dangerous than chasin' some dragon..
|
Divided_Sky
Ten ThousandThings

Registered: 11/02/03
Posts: 3,171
Loc: The Shining Void
Last seen: 15 years, 7 months
|
Re: ADHD drug does more harm than good [Re: im_on_a_boat]
#7742032 - 12/10/07 06:25 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
|
|
Adderal and Dexedrine ARE speed. I think they may have some legitimate ues at low doses however. Dexedrine was pretty much the only thing that could get me to function at a normal level of organization industriousness.
The thing I don't get is when people talk about Ritalin as addictive like cocaine or something. They do both release dopamine, but you would have to PAY ME to take Ritalin. I was prescribed it a month ago for ADD and it SUCKED so much. I felt zombified, my body got sore and exhausted while I felt drowsy and disinterested all day, my moods were really weird and I felt no incentive to do anything at all. I had to stop taking Ritalin after 3 days just to GET THINGS DONE! It was totally worthless, and recent studies have shown as much. It just shuts kids up but doesn't really help with focus at all.
IMO there is nothing pleasurable about Ritalin at all and it did nothing useful for me. I could see that about the amphetamines but not Ritalin.
-------------------- 1. "After an hour I wasn't feeling anything so I decided to take another..." 2. "We were feeling pretty good so we decided to smoke a few bowls..." 3. "I had to be real quiet because my parents were asleep upstairs..."
|
hpi
Tsar Bomba




Registered: 01/17/07
Posts: 11,922
Loc: Montreal, Canada
Last seen: 8 months, 25 days
|
Re: ADHD drug does more harm than good [Re: im_on_a_boat]
#7743141 - 12/10/07 10:41 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
|
|
It is speed dude,
Amphetamines = speed, Methylphenylate(sp),dextroamphetamine,meth, Crystal Meth, levo amphetamine it's ALL Speed.
Just of different potencies and of different types of Amphetamine.
-------------------- Tohu Tehom Theli Than Leviathan Tanin'iver Taninsam! Tohu Tehom Theli Than Leviathan Tanin'iver Taninsam! There exists one lie that is the absolute worst. A lie that has successfully infiltrated many of the Western governments. This lie is Christianity, and it must be fought in every way, shape and form. Burn the churches and kill the priests. The abomination that is Christianity must be wiped from this Earth.
4-Methyl-Aminorex
|
|