Steven Nissen: ADHD, Ritalin, and the Heart
Should children get heart evaluations before taking stimulant medications for ADHD?
Reader Comments
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Yes you should have your child evaluated
I have 2 children, single parent - 1 on adhd meds heart normal, 1 with complex congenital heart defect who is also adhd -- You do not want to take the risk to your child get them evaulated first to make sure their heart is okay. These meds are hard on the heart, but they do help the adhd. My child never took Ritalin, but dexedrine and adderall which are similar. The benefits dexedrine provided to my child was vast, but it is not the be all end all you still need to follow up with counciling and learning help, such as tutoring. You have to help your child learn the med does not do that.
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adhd and new to this...pls help
i am a single mom of 2 boys, one recently diagnosed with adhd combined type. i always new my son was different in the sense that he never stopped... but now its confirmed...i am scared to death of this medication and stuff and i have never heard anything good about it anyways, but i would like to get as much feedback as possible from anyone who chose to medicate, not medicate, anything.. if you have any experience with adhd at all, pls help me...thanx, angie.
ps i am in canada
ADHD meds and heart problems
I'm curious as to what the rate is in patients who have a family history of heart problems. My sone took ADHD meds for 10-11 years and we have family history on both sides of the family of heart problems. My grandfather, father and uncle all died of either heart attacks or massive coronary with heart atteck preceding. My husband's mother had a heart attack and several strokes; his father had double by-pass surgery twice over a twenty year period. My husband has high blood pressure and ventricular tachycardia (treated with meds). My son ended up in the hospital at the end of the summer after he graduated (18 years old) with an irregular, rapid heard beat (200 beats per minute). It could not be reversed in the ER so he was admintted for 6 days. He had atrial tachycardia. He came home with his heart still irregular, went to see the cardiologist the next day and had to wear a 24 hour heart monitor. His heart did revert to normal on its own while he was wearing the monitor. The doctors never did officially determine why he started in the abnormal rhythm. The cardiologist thought it might have been caused by drinking too many caffienated drinks, but he actually hadn't had any in several days. I truly believe it was a combination of the ADHD meds and his family history. Funny thing is, he had seen a pediatric cardiologist about a year to a year and a half before for passing out after standing up. He had an EKG done and the dr. listened to his heart. No abnormalities in his heart were found. He did have low blood volume and low blood pressure. He was told to increase his intake of salt to increase his blood pressure, and to drink more. He still has times where his heart will race, but it settles down. He was dismissed by the cardiologist and no longer takes meds for his heart. He is no longer on ADHD meds. He does still need something, but we are concerened that a stimulant would cause damage to his heart. What can he take that will help with his focus and concentration but not interfere with his heart function?
adverse events search engine for adhd & other drugs
One can view adverse events reported for adhd (& other drugs) using a public search engine.
e.g., this link shows reports of arrhythmia in patients taking methylphenidate (though not necessarily indicating cause and effect).
http://www.fdable.com/aers/advanced_query/d7312d58b38e
Ritalin for Weight Loss in Adults? Please discuss?
I have been taking generic ritalin since Sept. 2006 for weight loss. I am now 57 years old. My weight has dropped from 220 to 190 and I am 5'8", female. Could you please discuss this subject?
ADHD and stimulant medication
The reality is that most children do not see their pediatrician for more than a few minutes before obtaining a prescription for ADHD medication. I'm quite aware of this as my son, Alex, was treated this way.
Therefore, it is prudent of any parent to follow Dr. Nissen's advice and carefully evaluate your child's situation with the child's pediatrician thoroughly -- not a simple, quick 20 minute evaluation.
Our pediatrician recommended a behavioral program (www.adhdnanny.com) and a cognitive program (www.playattention.com) to supplement his regimen. We've been very successful, but this is a difficult field to navigate for the uninitiated. We've discovered that medication, by itself, is not sufficient.
ADHD and stimulants
December 19, 2007 — A retrospective cohort study shows that incidence rates of fatal or serious manifestations of heart disease for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treated with central nervous system stimulants were low and similar to national background rates.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/567715
