Hyperactivity

...ba href=/hyperactivity/a/b disorder, raising a whole new set of concerns, federal health advisers were told Wednesday.

Psychiatrists and mental health advocates said leaving the disease untreated could rival the risks the drugs may pose.

"It is important to not let the discussion of ADHD medications overshadow the public health crisis of untreated mental health disorders in children," said Cynthia Wainscott of the National Mental Health Association.

Her 16-year-old granddaughter has ADHD.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee spent Wednesday reviewing reports of heart and psychiatric risks associated with the drugs and considered how best to relay that information to the public.

A vote was scheduled for late Wednesday after hours of testimony by drug makers and the public about Ritalin, Adderall, Strattera and other medications.

The FDA is not required to follow the recommendations of its advisory committees, but usually does.

A different committee voted last month to recommend that the FDA add the strongest possible warning to some of the drugs.

The warning would alert doctors, patients and parents to the uncertainty regarding the risk that the drugs may pose to the cardiovascular system.

The FDA asked the pediatric panel to examine that same issue, as well as reports that psychosis or mania can occur in some juvenile patients when taking normal doses of any ADHD drug.

The reviews included 100 studies of the drugs and reports from doctors, parents and others.

But adding "blac...

...ba href=/hyperactivity/a/b disorder.

"Argumentative, screaming and yelling, temper tantrums, anxiety attacks, the works." said Ron Furman.

Those and other warning signs like easy distraction, inability to concentrate or complete tasks, and restlessness and impulsivity for at least six months define ADHD.

The most common type of treatment is medication.

"As a parent you always wonder if this is the right thing....

if...

putting your kid on a drug...

it's a big deal," said Furman.

“Stimulant medications are the first type of treatment doctors try, because they have been shown to successfully treat 7 out of 10 patients with ADHD,” said Mona Khanna, M.D.

“They help patients ignore distractions and focus, and complete tasks without frustration.

But now many of those medications are under fire because some users have developed rare but serious medical conditions.”The medications under the microscope are amphetamines like Dexedrine and Adderall, and methylphenidates like Concerta, Focalin, Metadate, Methylin and Ritalin.

The FDA will decide if patients need to be warned about an association with heart problems such as heart attacks, and psychiatric problems such as hallucinations, psychosis or mania in children.

Black box warnings are serious markers of possible risk.

The ADHD drug Strattera already carries a warning stating that it can increase suicidal thinking in teens."So the public understands the safety and is able to evaluate the risk of safety in light of extraordinary effective benefit ...

...ba href=/hyperactivity/a/b disorder, raising a whole new set of concerns, federal health advisers were told Wednesday.

Psychiatrists and mental health advocates said leaving the disease untreated could rival the risks the drugs may pose.

"It is important to not let the discussion of ADHD medications overshadow the public health crisis of untreated mental health disorders in children," said Cynthia Wainscott of the National Mental Health Association.

Her 16-year-old granddaughter has ADHD.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee spent Wednesday reviewing reports of heart and psychiatric risks associated with the drugs and considered how best to relay that information to the public.

A vote was scheduled for late Wednesday after hours of testimony by drug makers and the public about Ritalin, Adderall, Strattera and other medications.

The FDA is not required to follow the recommendations of its advisory committees, but usually does.

A different committee voted last month to recommend that the FDA add the strongest possible warning to some of the drugs.

The warning would alert doctors, patients and parents to the uncertainty regarding the risk that the drugs may pose to the cardiovascular system.

The FDA asked the pediatric panel to examine that same issue, as well as reports that psychosis or mania can occur in some juvenile patients when taking normal doses of any ADHD drug.

The reviews included 100 studies of the drugs and reports from doctors, parents and oth...