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Don't Give ADHD Meds to Undiagnosed Kids, Experts Urge

Posted 13 Mar 2013 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, March 13 – Some people call it "brain doping" or "meducation." Others label the problem "neuroenhancement." Whatever the term, the American Academy of Neurology has published a position paper criticizing the practice of prescribing "study drugs" to boost memory and thinking abilities in healthy children and teens. The authors said physicians are prescribing drugs that are typically used for children and teenagers diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for students solely to improve their ability to ace a critical exam – such as the college admission SAT – or to get better grades in school. Dr. William Graf, lead author of the paper and a professor of pediatrics and neurology at Yale School of Medicine, emphasized that the statement doesn't apply to the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. Rather, he is concerned about what he calls ... Read more

ADHD Treatments Not Working for Most Young Children

Posted 11 Feb 2013 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Feb. 11 – Most young children being treated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD ) – either with or without medication – still have serious symptoms of their condition, according to a new long-term study. The neurobehavioral disorder interferes with the ability to concentrate. ADHD also causes restlessness, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior, which can have lasting effects on children's intellectual and emotional development. "ADHD is becoming a more common diagnosis in early childhood, so understanding how the disorder progresses in this age group is critical," study lead investigator Dr. Mark Riddle, a pediatric psychiatrist at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, said in a Hopkins news release. "We found that ADHD in preschoolers is a chronic and rather persistent condition, one that requires better long-term behavioral and pharmacological treatments than ... Read more

Psychiatric Drugs More Often Prescribed in the South

Posted 1 Feb 2013 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Feb. 1 – Use of psychiatric medications is most prevalent in the southern United States and least prevalent in the West, according to a new U.S. study. Although people living in the West are the least likely to use antipsychotics, antidepressants and stimulants, the Yale researchers found that the drugs' use is 40 percent higher in a large section of the South than in other parts of the country. The study authors attributed this discrepancy to variations in local access to health care and marketing efforts within the pharmaceutical industry. "The geographic patterns we identify are striking and map onto the patterns found for a host of other medical conditions and treatments, from cognitive decline to bypass surgery," Marissa King, assistant professor of organizational behavior at the Yale School of Management, said in a school news release. "Our work suggests that access to ... Read more

ER Visits Linked to ADHD Meds Up Sharply

Posted 25 Jan 2013 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Jan. 25 – U.S. emergency department visits involving attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs more than doubled from 2005 to 2010, with the largest hike occurring among adults, says a new government report. In that period, such ER visits rose from about 13,400 to 31,200, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). "ADHD medications, when properly prescribed and used, can be of enormous benefit to those suffering from ADHD, but like any other medication they can pose serious risks – particularly when they are misused," SAMHSA administrator Pamela Hyde said in an agency news release. In adults, cases rose from about 2,100 to 8,100 among those aged 18 to 25, from about 1,750 to 6,100 among those aged 26 to 34 and from roughly 2,500 to nearly 8,000 among those over 35, during the time period. Rates among children and teens ... Read more

Continued Use of ADHD Drugs May Reduce Criminal Behavior, Study Says

Posted 21 Nov 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 21 – For teens and adults who don't grow out of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, staying on ADHD medications may help them stay out of trouble. Males with ADHD who stayed on medications for the disorder reduced their risk of criminal behavior by 32 percent, while women who did so reduced their rates of criminal behavior by 42 percent, according to a large Swedish study. "It seems as though ADHD medications decrease the risk for criminality while under treatment," said the study's lead author, Paul Lichtenstein, professor of genetic epidemiology at the Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm. Results of the study are published in the Nov. 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, in New Hyde Park, said past research has ... Read more

ADHD Drugs Didn't Raise Heart Risks for Kids, Study Finds

Posted 2 Nov 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Nov. 2 – Children who take drugs to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not at increased risk for serious heart problems, according to a new review that confirms previous findings. University of Florida researchers analyzed data from 1.2 million U.S. youths in Medicaid programs in 28 states, and found that the per-year risk of any child suffering a severe cardiac event was about one in 30,000. Severe cardiac events include sudden cardiac death, heart attack and stroke, and are typically caused by underlying heart disease. Children taking ADHD drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin did not have a greater risk of severe cardiac events than other children, according to the study published recently in the British Medical Journal. The results confirm previous studies that concluded that the use of such stimulants by children and young adults does not increase the ... Read more

FDA Medwatch Alert: Teva's Adderall 30 mg Tablets: Counterfeit Product - Contains Wrong Active Ingredients

Posted 30 May 2012 by Drugs.com

ISSUE: FDA is warning consumers and health care professionals about a counterfeit version of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries' Adderall 30 milligram tablets that is being purchased on the Internet. FDA’s preliminary laboratory tests revealed that the counterfeit version of Teva’s Adderall 30 mg tablets contained the wrong active ingredients. Adderall contains four active ingredients – dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine aspartate, dextroamphetamine sulfate, and amphetamine sulfate. Instead of these active ingredients, the counterfeit product contained tramadol and acetaminophen, which are ingredients in medicines used to treat acute pain. BACKGROUND: Adderall, which is approved to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and narcolepsy, is a prescription drug classified as a controlled substance – a class of drugs for which special controls are required for dispensing b ... Read more

FDA Warns of Fake Version of ADHD Drug Adderall

Posted 30 May 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, May 30 – A counterfeit version of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder drug Adderall, sold online, contains the wrong active ingredients, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Adderall is also used to treat narcolepsy. The drug, made by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, is currently in short supply in the United States. The counterfeit versions of Adderall are ineffective and potentially harmful, the FDA warned Tuesday. Authentic Adderall contains four active ingredients: dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine aspartate, dextroamphetamine sulfate, and amphetamine sulfate. Preliminary laboratory tests by the FDA found that the counterfeit version being sold as Adderall 30-milligram (mg) tablets contains tramadol and acetaminophen, ingredients in medicines used to treat acute pain. Genuine Adderall 30-mg tablets are round, orange/peach in color, and have ... Read more

Another Drug 'Take-Back Day' Scheduled for Saturday

Posted 26 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, April 26 – The fourth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says. The event gives Americans an opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs. At the third Take-Back Day last October, participants turned in more than 377,000 pounds (188.5 tons) of unwanted or expired medications at more than 5,300 sites located in all 50 states. In total, the three Take-Back Days have taken in nearly 1 million pounds of prescription drugs during the past 13 months. "The amount of prescription drugs turned in by the American public during the past three Take-Back Day events speaks volumes about the need to develop a convenient way to rid homes of unwanted or expired prescription drugs," DEA administrator Michele Leonhart said in an agency news release. "The DEA remains hard at ... Read more

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ADHD Diagnosis Rates Rose Sharply in Past Decade

Posted 23 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, March 23 – In the past decade, the number of children receiving a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has risen by 66 percent, new research indicates. In 2000, just 6.2 million physician office visits resulted in a diagnosis of ADHD. By 2010, that number had jumped to 10.4 million office visits. "This study is really like a 10,000 foot aerial view of this issue," said study author Dr. Craig Garfield, an assistant professor of pediatrics and medical social sciences at Northwestern University in Chicago. "We looked at the trends in visits to doctors for ADHD over the last decade, and we were interested in overlaying some of the FDA's public health advisories and the introduction of new medications to see the effect on those trends." The findings are published in the March/April issue of Academic Pediatrics. ADHD is now a common condition in children and ... Read more

Pediatricians Split on Heart Tests Before Kids' ADHD Meds

Posted 16 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Jan. 16 – Some pediatricians continue to do electrocardiograms (EKGs) on children before starting them on medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, new research suggests, even though many experts say the latest evidence shows it isn't really necessary. Several years ago, reports of sudden death, heart attack and stroke among children and adults taking stimulants to treat ADHD caused alarm among parents and health care providers about the safety of the medications. The reports prompted Canadian health authorities to briefly pull Adderall from the market in 2005, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration now requires that ADHD drugs carry a "black box" label warning about potential heart risks. Further research suggested that the risk may only be to children who had underlying heart defects, such as some congenital abnormalities and arrhythmias. On Adderall, for ... Read more

ADHD Drug Shortage Pushes Parents to Seek Substitutes

Posted 6 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 – If the current shortage of some drugs used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has left you searching for something else for your child to take, experts suggest you choose a substitute carefully because the effects of these medications can vary widely. For example, "generics can sometimes be less bioavailable [how much of the drug is absorbed into the bloodstream], and that can make it harder to get an exact dose match between medications," explained Dr. Eric Hollander, director of the Autism and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Program at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. "If the dose is too high, sometimes kids can get more withdrawn or weepy. If it's too low, they can't get adequate control of their symptoms during the day, and they can get a rebound later in the day. The new medicine may wear off faster. It's also not easy to switch from ... Read more

ADHD Drugs Don't Raise Risk of Heart Problems: Study

Posted 12 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Dec. 12 – Young and middle-aged adults taking drugs for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do not seem to face an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, a new study finds. There have been fears that these drugs can cause increases in heart rate and blood pressure, but this large, observational study found no evidence that these effects posed a risk, the researchers said. "The results of our study do not support an increased risk of myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death or stroke associated with use of ADHD medications in young and middle-aged adults," said lead researcher Laurel Habel, from the division of research at Kaiser Permanente Northern California, in Oakland. "However, as with any study such as ours, there are limitations to the data and we cannot completely rule out a modestly elevated risk." That's because the study relied on data gleaned from ... Read more

Vanderbilt Study Finds No Heart Risk in ADHD Medications

Posted 2 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov 1, 2011 - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medications do not increase the risk for heart disease or heart attack in children and young adults, according to a Vanderbilt study of 1.2 million patients taking drugs including Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta and Strattera between 1998 and 2005. The study, published online today by the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and authored by William Cooper, M.D., MPH, a Vanderbilt Professor of Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine, is the largest ever to examine potential risks posed by drugs to treat ADHD. “It should be reassuring that we found no evidence that these drugs increase the risk of serious cardiovascular events on a population basis,” Cooper said. “However, each child is unique, so families and providers need to work together to make informed decisions about the best options for their children. This is ... Read more

Little Evidence of Heart Risks From ADHD Meds

Posted 1 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Nov. 1 – Medications commonly used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder don't appear to raise the risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems in children and young adults, new research shows. And if any increased risk from stimulants such as Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta does exist, the danger in absolute numbers would be extremely low, said Dr. William O. Cooper, lead author of a study published online Nov. 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine. "This is the largest study to date, and I feel this provides reassuring information about risk," said Cooper, a professor of pediatrics and preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. Almost 3 million children in the United States take prescription medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) each year. Children with the neurobehavioral disorder have excessive levels ... Read more