hi I just talked to my dr about getting on adhd meds after struggling with this for 31 years. He took blood and is going to make sure my cholestrol is ok and stuff like that. but I was looking on the internet about the meds and it had said somthing about black boxing the meds, and sudden death in some people when they take the meds, well of course this scared the crap out of me but I am going crazy due to the adhd. does anyone know about this? please help? should I get my dr to do a EKG before I take the meds?

The meds are safe and have been in use for many years. The black box fiasco is largely driven by media hype.

ME :D


hi I just talked to my dr about getting on adhd meds after struggling with this for 31 years. He took blood and is going to make sure my cholestrol is ok and stuff like that. but I was looking on the internet about the meds and it had said somthing about black boxing the meds, and sudden death in some people when they take the meds, well of course this scared the crap out of me but I am going crazy due to the adhd. does anyone know about this? please help? should I get my dr to do a EKG before I take the meds?

Thank you so much, I feel so much better....Cause I know I need to be on them, I know it will help me feel better, but I do not want to die from them..thank you so much for easeing my mind....;)

Millions of people have taken the ADHD meds, and about 20 or so deaths have been attribuited to taking them. You are more likely to be struck by lightning than to die from taking adhd meds.

ME :D

Hi Kelli And Welcome to the Forums!! :) :) :)

Speedo is absolutely correct! They're safe and well worth taking if you have ADD! :)

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Hey Speedo! This really would make a great "Site Suggestion" don't ya think?? :D (See the location of this thread!)

We can have it at the top of the Forums Idex Page in Big Bold Red Blinking Letters "The Meds Are Safe And Have Been In Use For Many Years!" LMAO :D

What cha think?? :)

Don't mind my silliness Kelli! I've been up all night and I'm feeling wonkity wonk! (Silly!) hehe :)

Thanks for putting "Wonkity Wonk" in my vocabulary Crazy~Feet! LOL :D

Peace,

Thank you so much, both of you:p

I love being silly so no worries on that;)

on top of having adhd I am a hypercondriact(sp?) so I worry alot, LOL

How long have you been coming to this forum?

Well, you are wise to worry about the details. The black box fiasco was a bad move. People are supposed to be able to rely on credible reporting of risks. It was a terribly bad move on the part of the media and the medical establishment.

I've been coming to the forums for about a year and a half.

ME :D

How long have you been coming to this forum?I'm coming up on 4 months pretty soon! :)

You can see people's "Join date" on the left side of (this) the box in their posts/replies, or you can "Right click" on their name in their post/reply to view their profile!

Don't take this seriously...... just sarcastic silly talk:

Of course these meds are safe, we (the government) have vigorously tested and thoroughly checked them and they are as safe as anything else we have sanctioned... e.g. agent orange...
seriously, my uncles friends daughters third boyfriends mothers second husbands best friend told me.


In reality... who really knows..... is flouride in our water safe?

Well, you are wise to worry about the details. The black box fiasco was a bad move. People are supposed to be able to rely on credible reporting of risks. It was a terribly bad move on the part of the media and the medical establishment.

I've been coming to the forums for about a year and a half.

ME :D
Speedo I tried following the example in your avatar, but lost consciousness after a short time. I woke up to find a strange cryptic message on my forehead:

RTY
FGH
CVB

Do you know what this means?

Seriously-With all meds for all reasons-It is a risk benefit thing. And each person reacts, metabolizes, or tolerates medications differently.

Otherwise, why would those class action lawyers make so much money?

A-ni-mal, A-ni-mal, they put the flouride in the water so our teeth are strong and we can take a "bite out of crime." (You bring out the worst in me :rolleyes: .)

Actually, forget about getting hit by lightening. If you want to compare, more people have had adverse reactions and death from aspirin and Tylenol, and there are no black boxes on them. Just remember, and read the FDA site on Adderall, there was no evidence in the occurence of sudden death issues that was different or more of the same amount for a population that was not taking Adderall. Hope I said that right.

kel; ALLWAYS be carefull its good to be safe frist 99.9% wont have any porblems to any drugs but there allways be that 0.1% that might an the word here is might keep cheak an see were things go for you if your worrdy as the goveing body maybe there know more as to black box i dont know about it dorm

there was no evidence in the occurence of sudden death issues that was different or more of the same amount for a population that was not taking Adderall. Hope I said that right.
Yup, pretty much. On that subject, while that was an epidemiological observation, that comparison (rate of something bad happening to those using drug X vs. those not using drug X) is also the reason why people insist that the experimental observations include a placebo-control group. Their job is to act the role of the otherwise "normal" individuals.

Just in case anyone was wondering about the overall numbers:

In any given month, about 3 million prescriptions for ADHD medication are dispensed.

According to the National Institutes of Health and the American Psychiatric Association, the prescription rates for ADHD medication for children have held fairly steady since 1997 (although there was a large increase in use in the late-80s and early-90s due to increased awareness/diagnosis). Prescriptions for adults are still going up, of course, as more people continue to realize that the disorder continues into adulthood for many people, and that these medications also work for adults.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/adhdmedsuse.cfm

Over the past five years, 25 people have died while taking ADHD medications. The clause "while taking" is italicized because it was not confirmed that the medications caused or even contributed to these deaths, simply that these people died while taking them. I do not know about the adult deaths, but of the 12 of those who were children, at least 6 had known, pre-existing cardiovascular abnormalities. It is possible that the other six may also have had these abnormalities.

Of course these meds are safe, we (the government) have vigorously tested and thoroughly checked them and they are as safe as anything else we have sanctioned... e.g. agent orange...
seriously, my uncles friends daughters third boyfriends mothers second husbands best friend told me.
Hehehe, yeah, the government does have a tendency to #@*! things up. On the other hand, what keeps them in check is the fact that those #@*!-ups wind up being very expensive (although on the upside, it does serve to ensure employment for many of us). Actually, with most major drug companies, I'd bet that a fear of being sued (look at what Merck's going through over Vioxx) and the very real possibility of hundreds, or even thousands of millions of dollars in damages does far more to keep them honest than the FDA could ever do. Of course, because many ADHD medications are controlled substances, companies wishing to manufacture, distribute, and market these medications must file some seriously heavy-duty paperwork to get the C-II licenses necessary to do so. Operating a facility that manufactures Adderall, for instance, without a proper DEA license would constitute manufacture of a controlled substance, which is a very serious felony offense...it would, literally, be the legal equivalent of being arrested for operating a meth lab.

In reality... who really knows..... is flouride in our water safe?
Yup. In fact, tying that in with the stuff about government, you could consider fluoridation one of the few truly successful government health programs out there, second only really to mandatory immunizations...y'know, I'm starting to think that the true sign of success in public policy can be measured by the number of quacks who rail against it.

A friend of my also said she saw on 20/20 how kids were selling their adhd meds to kids at school, so some of these kids who have died could of taken way too much or mixed them with other drugs.... has anyone else heard of this?

Thank you to everyone also, you have made me feel so much better about useing adhd meds. The dr took my blood presure and took blood to check my cholestrol ect, so hopefull things will come back okay so I can start asap...

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention about the blood pressure...if you do have abnormally high blood pressure (hypertension), then your doctor might have some concerns with putting you on ADHD meds. I guess I should have clarified that they are fairly safe for the general population (and even for the mildly hypertensive or pre-hypertensive populations, if you look at the numbers), but they may cause problems for people with cardiovascular conditions.

As for kids selling them at school...who knows. Kids who do not have ADHD are certainly capable of getting high of these meds. Many of us with ADHD would just go to sleep if we tried to take more to get high. As for mixing them with other drugs, I'd imagine that Ritalin or Adderall could be deadly if mixed with cocaine, given cocaine's known ability to cause a rapid spike in blood pressure and heart rate. As the prevalence of substance abuse is drastically higher in the ADHD population than in the population at large, this could be a serious concern. On the other hand, studies have consistently shown that medication use over the long term tends to lower the odd of substance abuse, and anecdotal reports from many ADHD patients have indicated that medication tends to remove the impulse to get high.

Kelli

This is an article I wrote for my web site. Its specifically about Adderall and you will need to talk to your doctor about your specific medication.

Most of the information comes from the FDA's own website. Links at the bottom to it and other sources.

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Adderall XR is the most prescribed ADHD medication but what are the side effects and dangers of this using drug?

Side Effects

Adderall's side effects, or contraindications as they are properly known, identified in the drug trials are in most cases mild and relatively infrequent. During Adderall's drug trials poor appetite, stomachaches, and insomnia were the generally reported side effects by parents but headaches were rated notably more significant when children were receiving higher doses of Adderall.

The frequency of these side effects do vary from trial to trial depending on dose and age of the participants. In trials on children, loss of appetite occurred 10 more often as an Adderall side effect than the placebo or chance frequency. It affected 22% of those taking Adderall. Insomnia was seven or eight times more likely and affected 17% of those on the drug. In adults headaches were twice as frequent (26% of users) and loss of appetite ten times more likely (33% of users).

The data doesn't reveal how many users suffered multiple side effects but at least 20% of all users of Adderall suffer a side effect and it could be 40% or more.

Adverse Events

An adverse event is a significant change in health whilst taking the medication. These may not be an Adderall's side effect but if it occurred during a clinical trial it has to be recorded. Generally an adverse event is serious enough to cause the patient to stop taking the medicine. Often these events are unrelated to the drug being tested. During two trials of Adderall, 2.4% of participants stop taking the medication due to adverse events but 2.7% of the patients receiving the placebo dropped out because of them. In larger trials where Adderall was assessed for side effects over longer-term usage the adverse events were:

Adverse event% of pediatric patients discontinuing (n=595) Anorexia (loss of appetite)2.9 Insomnia1.5 Weight loss1.2 Emotional lability1.0 Depression0.7 Half of these patients had been taking Adderall for 12 months or more.

Other Long Term Health Risks

In addition to trial data, longitudinal studies and individual reports by doctors have indicated other Adderall side effects.

Psychosis is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state in which thought and perception are severely impaired. Persons experiencing a psychotic episode may experience hallucinations. Amphetamines (one of Adderall ingredients) have been known to amplify exisiting psychosis. It is unclear if long term usage will cause psychosis in a previously healthy patient.

As Adderall is a relatively new drug, the longer term effects are not known but some data has indicated that it and other stimulants may stunt growth. Other research suggests that children with ADHD are more at risk of stunted growth generally. Sudden death in Adderall users is linked to those with patients with existing heart problems. Only twenty five patients have died after taking any form of ADHD medication and many of these may not be connected to the medication.

Addicition, Withdraw and the Central Nervous System

Long term use of amphetamines generally leads to the body building up a tolerance to the drug. This forces doctors to prescribe higher dosages or switch the patient to other, possibly less suitable, medications. The constant stimulation of the central nervous system may lead to dependence on the drug with severe problems when the drug is stopped. Long term usage may also increase the chance of cocaine addiction, a stimulant similar to amphetamine.

FDA Adderall Patient Information Sheet [PDF (http://www.fda.gov/CDER/drug/InfoSheets/patient/AdderallPatientSheet.pdf)] or [HTML (http://www.fda.gov/CDER/drug/InfoSheets/patient/adderallPT.htm)]

Placebo-Controlled Evaluation of Amphetamine Mixture---Dextroamphetamine Salts and Amphetamine Salts (Adderall): Efficacy Rate and Side Effects (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/107/1/e10)
Growth in Hyperactive Children Treated With Stimulant Medication. (http://www.theendocrinologist.org/pt/re/endocrinologist/abstract.00019616-200211000-00007.htm;jsessionid=G5Cb6Jwq9PDXVWrbQD6k68QSj8dMB TnJFkPbVvTRx8CDP4T8zWy2%211941873617%21-949856145%218091%21-1)

Thank you so much....:D

"Adderall XR is the most prescribed ADHD medication"Where did you read that?

Unfortunately Ritalin is the most prescribed ADHD medication. It really is unfortunate too, because I found it to be the least therapeutic of all the ADHD stimulants.

Where did you read that?

Unfortunately Ritalin is the most prescribed ADHD medication. It really is unfortunate too, because I found it to be the least therapeutic of all the ADHD stimulants.Not exactly sure where I got it from but a quick Google turns this up:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=27885

It appears the Shire, the makers of Adderall, are claiming its the most prescribed medication. Now I know the source, I may apply a large pinch of salt to the claim.

A friend of my also said she saw on 20/20 how kids were selling their adhd meds to kids at school, so some of these kids who have died could of taken way too much or mixed them with other drugs.... has anyone else heard of this?


I have read about people on college campuses who buy these drugs just to study or cram for a final exam. There is abuse of these drugs on college campuses.

I don't know how using these drugs for maybe a couple of days (at most) to study for an exam would cause death. I am not sure about that, but I would be inclined to think that short term use like that would cause NOT mortatlity. But who knows.

College students who do not consider themselves ADHD or ADD use these drugs just to make themselves hyperfocused in order to cram.

Where did you read that? That was an excellent question and I agree with the reply you got regarding the pinch of salt concept.

Unfortunately Ritalin is the most prescribed ADHD medication. It really is unfortunate too, because I found it to be the least therapeutic of all the ADHD stimulants.I am probably not the right person to argue for or against the statements regarding Ritalin or Adderal being most prescribed. I sincerely hope Hyperion or Barbyma can shed more light on that :D I value that and am very glad they are able to clear those types of things up for us here at ADDF.

I am the right person to address the second part of the quoted contention however and possibly many others are too.

I am sorry that you had a poor response to Ritalin (which is one of many forms of methylphenidate, in case you were not aware of that fact, you are now).

Unfortunate responses happen to many of us, that's what makes them unfortunate. My daughter's first RX was for Adderal XR (methamphetamine class stimulant and one of many) and I am perfectly aware that Adderal XR is effective for many people here. That's all well and good, I might add, I would never deny that what works for them is valid.

Unfortunately, it was terrible for my child (who had a psychotic reaction when titrated to max dosage) and I was fully aware that this might happen to her, and for me it does not work either.

Her next drug was Concerta (a form of methylphenidate) which works for her and she has never tried anything else, no need to. My best medication is also Concerta, but thanks to some hassles over dosage limitations with my RX plan and their resistance to paying for my required dosage I tried Metadate CD for a bit. While Metadate CD is yet another form of methylphenidate, I had a truly rotten response to that medication. I am back on Concerta and hope my days of hassling and tweaking with meds and dosage are over.

My point is this: the stimulant class of medication includes many forms of the same chemicals, but that does not mean the varying forms are the same or that a person will not respond differently to a different form of a medication in the same class chemically-speaking.

Ritalin is indeed methylphenidate, however methylphenidate does not automatically mean Ritalin alone. There are other drugs composed of methylphenidate that are not called Ritalin, nor do they perform the same as Ritalin.

HTH!

Crazy (hoping Barb or Hyperion clear this up even better)

Be careful what you read on the internet....make sure it's coming from a reliable source. It should have resources listed with it. There is a lot of stuff out their from groups that don't believe in AD/HD, and most definitely meds, that put "scare tactic" articles all over the internet that have no scientific evidence behind them.

There are always some risks to taking medication, that is true for EVERYTHING, including aspirin, cough syrup, vitamins, anything and everything. If it is abused your risk increases. If you have certain conditions, sometimes those can become worse from medication, just like throwing aspirin on top of an ulcer wouldn't be good, neither would a heart condition and stimulants be a good mix (generally).

Speaking in a general though, stimulants are safe, as everyone has said. They have been tested more then any other medication on the market, and that includes over the counter medication.
My doctor said cough syrup concerns him more then stimulants do:p .

So anyway, they need to be taken appropriately, and under a doctors care, as with all medication, but they are as safe as medication gets.

"I am sorry that you had a poor response to Ritalin (which is one of many forms of methylphenidate, in case you were not aware of that fact, you are now)."

"My daughter's first RX was for Adderal XR (methamphetamine class stimulant and one of many) and I am perfectly aware that Adderal XR is effective for many people here."Concerning the first quote, you're right, and I should have been more specific in my response concerning Ritalin and or all other forms of methylphenidate. I have taken all of the various forms of methylphenidate except the newest one called Daytrana (methylpenidate transdermal patch), and I experienced the same negative reaction to them all. I wish they worked better for me because they are very affordable, and they always seemed to be in stock. That being said, I am grateful that they are all on the market and I feel that just because something does not work best for me, does not mean that it will not work best for another. I am glad that you guys were able to find a drug that worked for you.

Concerning the second quote, Adderall is not a "methamphetamine class stimulant." Adderall is a form of a mixed amphetamine made up of amphetamine salts. It does not include methamphetamine, but does include salts of dextro-amphetamine, and levo-amphetamine. Here is how it breaks down for 10 mg of Adderall:

Dextro-amphetamine Saccharate- 2.5 mg;
Dextro-amphetamine Sulfate(USP)- 2.5 mg;
Racemic-amphetamine Aspartate- 2.5 mg;
Racemic-amphetamine Sulfate- 2.5 mg.

The only drug that is in the "methamphetamine class" as you called it, is the drug Desoxyn, which is methamphetamine hcl.

Ahh OK ty Lars! I knew it was a salts combo of some type. My bADD! It does not work for me and so I bunched it in with the "does not work" file with the other stuff :o how typical!

Crazy

Incidentally, "levoamphetamine" and "dextroamphetamine" are names for the two stereoisomers (basically mirror-image molecules) of amphetamine. Amphetamine, like many organic compounds, can come in either left-handed (levo) or right-handed (dextro) form. The makeup of the chemical is the same, and it fits together the same, it's just that the methyl (CH3) group at the alpha position can either bend left or bend right (this is slightly above my pay grade, so I may have this slightly confused).


The data doesn't reveal how many users suffered multiple side effects but at least 20% of all users of Adderall suffer a side effect and it could be 40% or more.
It should be mentioned that this number is likely to be similar for many drugs. Ever drank coffee and had to pee? Congratulations, you just had a side effect, due to the diuretic effect of caffeine. As you were using the caffeine for its' stimulant effect, not it's diuretic effect, it is technically a side-effect. It is important, when discussing side effects, to distinguish between serious side effects and minor side effects.

During two trials of Adderall, 2.4% of participants stop taking the medication due to adverse events but 2.7% of the patients receiving the placebo dropped out because of them.
I doubt that the difference is statistically significant, but this does show that the rate of sufficiently adverse events was no different with Adderall XR than could be expected in the general population. In other words, you would be equally likely to experience some sort of adverse health event whether you took Adderall or not...in general, at least. If one has specific health concerns that might be affected by Adderall, such as certain cardiovascular conditions, then there is a reasonable chance that Adderall might cause an increased risk, and you should speak with your doctor first.

Adverse event% of pediatric patients discontinuing (n=595) Anorexia (loss of appetite)2.9 Insomnia1.5 Weight loss1.2 Emotional lability1.0 Depression0.7 Half of these patients had been taking Adderall for 12 months or more.
Not a bad safety profile, actually. For instance, it tells me that taking Adderall lowers one's odds of developing depression to .7%

As Adderall is a relatively new drug
The specific ratio of amphetamine stereoisomers in Adderall may be relatively new, but amphetamines have been used to treat ADHD since the 1930s. There is not really much difference between Adderall (75%-D, 25%-L), Benzedrine (racemic amphetamine, 50%-D, 50%-L), and Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine, 100%-D). As d-amphetamine is primarily central (brain) in its stimulation, and l-amphetamine is largely peripheral (body) in its stimulation, different isomeric ratios will have slightly different side effect profiles in different people. Some people find that the levoamphetamine produces too many peripheral side effects, while some people find it useful to prevent the central action of dextroamphetamine from putting them to sleep.

However, while Adderall's specific ratio may be new, the chemical itself is not.

the longer term effects are not known but some data has indicated that it and other stimulants may stunt growth
The research I've seen has implied that it may slow growth, but that children do reach what would be their predicted height (based on siblings and parents, I assume). Oh well, I'm 24 and 6'2", I doubt that I'm going to grow much more.

Long term usage may also increase the chance of cocaine addiction, a stimulant similar to amphetamine.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/111/1/179?etoc

This study, a meta-analysis (study examining the results of several other studies) published in Pediatrics found differently, concluding that stimulant use in childhood appeared to reduce the prevalence of substance abuse disorder in adolescence and adulthood. Interestingly, it showed that the protective effect was better in adolescence than adulthood, possibly reflecting the fact that adults would be less likely to receive medication or help for their condition, which could make depression and substance abuse more likely.

However, even if these medications did lead to a higher incidence of substance abuse, any respectable risk-benefit analysis would have to weigh this against the observed correlation between untreated ADHD and substance abuse disorders (although in fairness, some studies have shown that the conduct disorders that often accompany ADHD are far better predictors of later substance abuse).

Today on the news they were talking about how kids abuse add/adhd meds in reg school and collage and they said how these drugs can cause death , they attack the liver and heart. Well my dr must of been watching cause they talked about it again and they went into further detail about how these kids take more then just one drug, LOL my dr was at home going oh no I am going to get a call from kelli thinking she is going to die, LOL http://170.171.253.91/forums/epic/images/e/eek.gif http://170.171.253.91/forums/epic/images/e/eek.gif http://170.171.253.91/forums/epic/images/e/eek.gif


They use these drugs so they can study and loose weight...

But it did not sound like they use it short term, this girl said she would pop a couple at night to study and then pop a couple more in the morning to get through the day. She also said she would take what ever she could get her hands on, including other types of drugs...

I was siting there thinking so they take these meds to make them feel like I do when I am not on meds and I am taking the meds to make myself feel more like them, oh my gosh my brain is going to blow up, LOL