By Kelly Patricia O’Meara
November 25, 2013
Recently published research in the British Medical Journal says doctors are concerned that children may be receiving an inappropriate diagnosis of ADHD. Great. It only took nearly six-and-a-half million American children being diagnosed with the alleged mental disorder before doctors finally are questioning whether ADHD is over-diagnosed.
Well, better late than never. And, credit should be given to the researchers for at least acknowledging the massive increase in diagnosing ADHD, and also that they, more or less, blamed the ever-broadening diagnostic criteria for the increase in the alleged brain disorder.
Given what the alleged ADHD has become since its unveiling in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-II) of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), published in 1968, one could hardly argue with these researchers. It only took another forty-odd years before the deep-thinkers at the APA figured out how to truly exploit natural childhood behavior.
For example, ADHD was first called Hyperkinetic Reaction of Childhood (or Adolescence) in the DSM-II. What is known today as ADHD was then characterized by “over-activity, restlessness, distractibility, and short attention span.” At that time, the APA explained that “the behavior usually diminishes in adolescence.” >>more from CCHR Int.<<
More Kids Taking Antipsychotics for ADHD: Study
Unapproved uses of these powerful drugs need further investigation, experts say
TUESDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Use of powerful antipsychotic medications such as Abilify and Risperdal to control youngsters with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other behavior problems has skyrocketed in recent years, a new study finds.
Antipsychotics are approved to treat bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, other serious mental problems and irritability related to autism. But they don't have U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for ADHD or other childhood behavior problems, and their use for this purpose is considered "off label."
"Only a small proportion of antipsychotic treatment of children (6 percent) and adolescents (13 percent) is for FDA-approved clinical indications," said lead researcher Dr. Mark Olfson, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.
"These national trends focus attention on the substantial and growing extent to which children diagnosed with ADHD and other disruptive behavioral disorders are being treated with antipsychotic medications," said Olfson.
Natural News—October 11, 2012
by J. D. Heyes
Big Pharma firm Johnson & Johnson, maker of the antipsychotic drug Risperdal, owes hundreds of millions of dollars to several states over improper marketing of the medication and for encouraging doctors to prescribe it for non-approved uses, but because the case was settled in court the company’s CEO, Alex Gorsky, won’t have to testify about allegations his company’s drug caused some young boys to grow breasts, among others.
Manufactured by J&J subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Risperdal hit the market in 1994 as a drug designed and approved to treat patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Later, it was approved to treat bipolar disorder as well, along with irritability in children with autism. Still later, in 2007, it was further approved to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in adolescents, reports said.
Throughout most of its existence; however, the drug had also been hyped for, and utilized to treat children years before it had been approved for that purpose. It was also prescribed for off-label uses like dementia, depression and anxiety.
Sensing an eventual tidal wave of claims, the company reached a settlement in court in mid-September, agreeing to pay 36 states and the District of Columbia $181 million for claims of consumer fraud. Janssen did not admit wrongdoing, mind you, but the company did agree to quit making false and misleading claims about its drug.
Some as large a ‘D cups’ >>more<<
We often search the fine print for ADHD medication labels to see if there are potentially negative drug-drug interactions. However, an equally valid question may be: are there other medications which may boost or augment the effectiveness of an ADHD medication while keeping negative side effects to a minimum? The answer to this question appears to be "yes". We have seen in a previous post how ADHD medications and treatments can often overlap those of co-occurring disorders, such as inbedwetting. We have also seen how Atomoxetine (Strattera) can be an effective treatment option for ADHD and Tourette's. We have also explored the relative safety of ADHD stimulant medications taken during pregnancy. Now we will discuss is which medication strategies are effective for ADHD and comorbid conduct disorders and evaluate the relative safety of these medication combos.
The drug Risperidone (also referred to as Risperdal or Rispen), is a relatively new antipsychotic medication which was released in 1993 for adults and was approved in 2007 as a treatment option for both pediatric schizophrenia and pediatric bipolar disorders. A year prior to this, it was used as a potential treatment medication for pediatric autism. Given the fact that individuals with ADHD are more prone to exhibiting multiple symptoms of these disorders, Risperidone is a potential agent of interest for certain forms of ADHD.
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