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There should be no judgement regarding
parents that seek medical help for children suffering
from ADHD or ADD and are using Ritalin
as treatment medication. Unfortunately more and
more children are diagnosed with ADHD and one has
to ask the questions - whether the right tests are
applied, whether the children really do have ADHD,
and why it is so easy for medical practitioners to
prescribe such a powerful drug. Is Ritalin really
the only answer to ADHD or has it become a real money
spinner for pharmaceutical companies, medical practitioners
and therapists?
Even
when telling people about the dangers of Ritalin,
you constantly hear that the doctor, who is a medical
professional, has prescribed it and wouldn't have
done so without proper cause. If it was such a dangerous
drug why then is it so widely used?
Simply search the Internet to find history of medication
that seemed great for the first few years, but is
not used today at all because of the side effects
and long term effects which could only be seen years
after the damage was already caused. It is not to
say that medication prescribed is safe. In fact, most
medication used over a long period will have some
effects on the patient. Be careful to blindly trust
the so-called experts.
Parents,
who agree to Ritalin for their children, do so because
they care about their children. They certainly don't
want all the negative side effects and are often torn
between having their children healthy and drug free
and keeping them in a state that allows the teacher
to work with them. There are alternatives to Ritalin,
which will be discussed in another article, but for
now simply look at the following information before
you decide on Ritalin as the only solution for treatment
of ADHD or ADD:
Ritalin
is a drug prescribed for the treatment of ADHD and
ADD. It a Methylphenidate and thus a central nerve
stimulant. Ritalin works for about three hours. It
is indigested and increases concentration while helping
to decrease the energy level of the child. It is a
Schedule II drug in the USA and with good reason as
abuse is extremely dangerous.
Reported side effects include that of insomnia, dizziness,
headaches, agitation, rapid heartbeats, blood pressure
problems, appetite changes, severe weight loss, and
disruption in sleeping patterns while some have also
reported singing ears (thus blood-flow noise in the
ears).
According to the DO IT NOW ORGANISATION (www.doitnow.org)
in 2005 there were more than 7800 USA emergency room
visits related to the use of dextroamphetamine and
methylphenidate, of which Ritalin is classified as
methylphenidate.
If used under strict supervision and in the prescribed
manner, the drug can help in the treatment of ADHD
and ADD, but the price of having all the side effects
should also be considered. In addition it is a Schedule
II drug, classified on the same level as cocaine and
meth. This means that the potential for abuse is exceptionally
high. According to National Drug Intelligence Center,
a component of the U.S. Department of Justice (http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs6/6444/index.htm),
the drug is widely abused by people in the USA, including
kids, street addicts, and also health professionals.
The prescription of Ritalin for the treatment of ADHD
is still controversial. There are many professionals
that believe ADHD and ADD are illnesses which were
invented by pharmaceutical companies and educational
workers who wanted to get a solution for behavioural
patterns of children which were uncontrollable. Novartis
marketed the drug aggressively up to the level where
parents and educators simply started to ignore the
side effects and long term negative effects on their
children for the sake of getting well behaved children
able to concentrate.
More recent allegations and reports show that perhaps
the drug company did not declare all side effects
from the beginning. Many people are involved in lawsuits
because long term use of the drug resulted according
to their allegations in stunted growth, suicide orientated
behaviour, and later on full addiction to the drug
and other drugs. According to some studies the drug
may also be a carcinogen. Ironically enough there
are law firms in the USA today that specialise in
Ritalin related lawsuits.
Ritalin is no light drug and parents should take note.
It is a drug in the same category as cocaine and yes,
also Speed. With the same chemical make up as Dexedrine
which is often prescribed for ADD, parents should
see the danger flags.
Some of the websites that parents of so-called ADD
or ADHD diagnosed children should visit before allowing
the prescription of Ritalin or Dexedrine are listed
below. More articles will follow on the effects of
Ritalin including the effects on the liver and brain,
but for now let's look at what others have to say
about the drug. Once again, if prescribed for the
right reason and not like it is today for any kid
that doesn't fit the system or simply irritates the
teacher, it can be effective:
Ritalin Abuse by Tina Blue in 2001 http://hyperfast.homestead.com/speed.html
Is Ritalin A Gateway Drug? By Tina Blue http://hyperfast.homestead.com/gatewaydrug.html
Ritalin - What Are The Street Names/Slang Terms?
http://www.drugfree.org/drug-guide/ritalin
Ritalin - Side Effects
http://www.add-adhd-help-center.com/ritalin_side_effects.htm
"New Study Shows Early Ritalin May Cause …
on The Brain" http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041220013546.htm
Ritalin - Stimulant for Cancer http://www.preventcancer.com/patients/children/ritalin.htm
Does Ritalin Increase Cancer Risk in Children?
http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/news/20050301/does-ritalin-increase-cancer-risk-in-children
Ritalin & Cancer by Peter
http://playattention.com/attention-deficit/articles/ritalin-and-cancer/
Is
ADHD All In Your Head by Peter
http://playattention.com/attention-deficit/articles/category/adhd-ritalin/
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