Risks of ADHD Drugs
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) directed all manufacturers of medications authorized by the FDA for the treatment of ADHD (including all stimulants and Strattera) to develop Patient Medication Guides. These guides are intended to be handouts that would be given to patients and parents informing them of possible cardiovascular risks, risks of psychiatric symptoms, and of precautions that could be taken.
Similar medication information handouts are already in use, or should be in use, by physicians and pharmacies as part of patient education and informed consent when medications are prescribed and dispensed. Updated handouts for all medications are readily available for purchase from a variety of reputable sources and should always be a part of patient education. I also think it is important to review the information in the handout with the patient or parent, as it gives them a chance to ask questions while in the doctor's office rather than trying to reach him/her by telephone sometime later. Medications should not be taken unless the patient understands why the medication was prescribed, the potential risks, side effects, benefits, and alternatives to taking the medication, and has had a chance to have their questions answered.
The draft for the Patient Medication Guides for each individual ADHD medication can be found on the FDA website.
The information contained within these handouts is not new. Although extremely rare, there have been reports of sudden death in patients taking ADHD medications who have underlying serious heart problems. Therefore a careful history and evaluation should be done before starting a medication. There have also been reports of stroke or heart attack in adults with risk factors for these events. There are rare psychiatric side effects (one in 1,000) reported (hearing voices, paranoia, mania), especially in individuals with a prior history of these events, or when a close relative has experienced similar problems.
The information contained within these handouts is not intended to alarm anyone, but to educate them, as should be done with any medication or "natural" product. ADHD affects approximately 3 – 7% of children and 4% of adults to a degree that it significantly interferes with functioning in many life activities, such as school, family and peer relationships, and occupational activities. The majority of these people are healthy, do not have a serious heart problem or defect or other serious medical problem, and could benefit from treatment.
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Technorati Tags: FDA, ADHD, ADD, medication warnings
Similar medication information handouts are already in use, or should be in use, by physicians and pharmacies as part of patient education and informed consent when medications are prescribed and dispensed. Updated handouts for all medications are readily available for purchase from a variety of reputable sources and should always be a part of patient education. I also think it is important to review the information in the handout with the patient or parent, as it gives them a chance to ask questions while in the doctor's office rather than trying to reach him/her by telephone sometime later. Medications should not be taken unless the patient understands why the medication was prescribed, the potential risks, side effects, benefits, and alternatives to taking the medication, and has had a chance to have their questions answered.
The draft for the Patient Medication Guides for each individual ADHD medication can be found on the FDA website.
The information contained within these handouts is not new. Although extremely rare, there have been reports of sudden death in patients taking ADHD medications who have underlying serious heart problems. Therefore a careful history and evaluation should be done before starting a medication. There have also been reports of stroke or heart attack in adults with risk factors for these events. There are rare psychiatric side effects (one in 1,000) reported (hearing voices, paranoia, mania), especially in individuals with a prior history of these events, or when a close relative has experienced similar problems.
The information contained within these handouts is not intended to alarm anyone, but to educate them, as should be done with any medication or "natural" product. ADHD affects approximately 3 – 7% of children and 4% of adults to a degree that it significantly interferes with functioning in many life activities, such as school, family and peer relationships, and occupational activities. The majority of these people are healthy, do not have a serious heart problem or defect or other serious medical problem, and could benefit from treatment.
Related Topics:
Technorati Tags: FDA, ADHD, ADD, medication warnings
