Antipsychotics administered to kids?!
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Did you know almost 400,000 American children are on antipsychotic drug Risperdal?
Did you know that 240,000 of these children are under age 12? With all the brain growth a child experiences is it okay to throw in a brain-altering chemical?
With potential adverse reactions like Parkinsonism (Parkinson’s Disease), urinary incontinence, appetite/weight gain and anxiety (to name just a few), do you think it’s worth the risk to our children?
Risperdal is not even designed to treat ADHD!
Either we have lots of bipolar disordered children in our country or our medical establishment is casting its eyes in the wrong direction.
I have an adult personal training client who was on Risperdal. And it wasn’t until I diplomatically suggested to her doctor that perhaps we decrease her dosage that she became instantly communicative and social.
Before that, she was a relative zombie. No kidding. It was heartbreaking. Imagine doing that to a kid….
I was just reading an article from the NY Times (11/18/08 “Use of Antipsychotics in Children is Criticized”) indicating that a panel of experts is becoming increasingly frustrated about what they consider excessive use of antipsychotics (you know, those prescription drugs that alter your brain chemistry).
The panel unanimously rejected the Food and Drug Administration’s proposal: that the committee endorse the FDA’s fine job of monitoring Risperdol and another popular antipsychotic called Zyprexa.
Quite frankly the committee of experts says not enough is being done to discourage the growing use of these powerful drugs in our kids. Why should it?
Millions of dollars are being earned, right? Why should we care?
There are occasions where children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder might need meds.
But when the experts are feeling frustrated about overuse or over-prescribing drugs that are not even designed to treat ADHD, then we have a SERIOUS problem on our hands!
How do you feel about this? Are you as outraged as I am?
For ways to avoid the drug trap and achieve better family fitness, stay tuned for announcements about my new e-book on achieving family fitness!
-Liz Donnelly, Your Family Fitness Guru
2 Comments
December 8th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
When a common allergy medicine completely changed my son’s behavior, the pediatrician (without a comprehensive physical, allergy testing or psychological evaluation) suggested medicating him. Of course, we found a new physician and experimented with other methods to determine the biology of his behavior issues. It makes me ill that parents without our background of health and wellness might take a poorly trained doctor’s advice and medicate a child.
From my OWN experience, the field of psychiatric medication is just hit or miss, doctors are essentially using patients as guinea pigs for their own trial and error – based on very little hard evidence that these drugs work. I find it appalling in light of the hard data behind nutrition, spirituality and exercise as remedies for issues such as depression, sleep disorders, anxiety, etc.
December 10th, 2008 at 3:34 am
Jana, thanks for sharing your experience. If more people had your sense to question, then we wouldn’t be reading about such problems.
-Liz