Generation RX and "The drugging of our children" movies

[wannabepos]

Hi all,

I am really not doing very well this morning. Last night, whilst searching on Youtube for something I happened upon the Generation RX and "The drugging of our children" movies. I have to say it left me cold! My 9 year old son has been on first ritalin for a month and now moved to Concerta for the past 3 months now and I am already not comfortable with my decision to medicate so watching these movies just pushed me over the edge!!

I know that my son is better (at school) for the meds as I see how well they work for him at school. His teachers are happy with his progress and he is doing well but I am starting to see a good few psychotic issues coming through at home. He gets over emotional and has "hyper-focus temper tantrums", often complains that he cant breathe or has a sore neck or chin when there is nothing wrong, has lost interested in all his outside of school activities and last week said he wishes he was dead!! He hardly ever smiles anymore and seems very somber most of the time or scowling and angry.

Another child in class with him has been on meds since aged 6 and he freaks out regularly about moths on his back when there are none and goes to the toilet 20 times a day as he thinks he needs to go! Is this the long term result of taking the meds?? Will my boy reach even higher levels of psychotic "episodes" with long term use??

I often take out books in the library about ADHD and sometimes I end up with the anti meds books which go on about the effects of the meds on the brain of a child and how long term use can cause brain damage etc. I often close the books very fast as I cannot bear the guilt the make me feel!!

I am so scared that the meds are going to cause my son long term damage and that perhaps one day he will resent me for abusing my position of power and trust as a parent by drugging him!!

I am sorry I am rambling here but I have tears streaming down my face as I type this!! I just dont know what is the right decision anymore!!

If you are still reading this, thanks for listening. I really just needed to get that out.

[spunkysmum]

Originally Posted by wannabepos

Another child in class with him has been on meds since aged 6 and he freaks out regularly about moths on his back when there are none and goes to the toilet 20 times a day as he thinks he needs to go! Is this the long term result of taking the meds?? Will my boy reach even higher levels of psychotic "episodes" with long term use??

This is unfortunate (about the other child who freaks out about the moths) but not the norm if a patient is taking a safe, effective dose of medication. It's possible too that this behavior isn't caused by the medication but by a co-morbid condition that child has.

Also, psychotic is probably a strong term for your son's reactions.

[ginniebean]

Originally Posted by wannabepos

Hi all,

I am really not doing very well this morning. Last night, whilst searching on Youtube for something I happened upon the Generation RX and "The drugging of our children" movies. I have to say it left me cold! My 9 year old son has been on first ritalin for a month and now moved to Concerta for the past 3 months now and I am already not comfortable with my decision to medicate so watching these movies just pushed me over the edge!!

These nutcases that make these movies do so to target your every insecurity. They are made by scientologists who think dead alien ghosts cause mental health problems but they won't tell you that.

I know that my son is better (at school) for the meds as I see how well they work for him at school. His teachers are happy with his progress and he is doing well but I am starting to see a good few psychotic issues coming through at home. He gets over emotional and has "hyper-focus temper tantrums", often complains that he cant breathe or has a sore neck or chin when there is nothing wrong, has lost interested in all his outside of school activities and last week said he wishes he was dead!! He hardly ever smiles anymore and seems very somber most of the time or scowling and angry.

When your son was given meds did anyone talk to you about side effects that you should be watching for?


sore neck/jaw - the meds can cause a 'clenching' side effect, it can be REALLY uncomfortable. It can be caused by the wrong dose (too high) or the wrong med. It can take months to find the right med and the right dosage for your son.

The change in temper and temper tantrums AGAIN a side effect of meds wearing off, it can cause people to feel like I dunno an electrical current is going thru you.. children cannot vocalize this so they ACT OUT. (when the right med and right dose is found there should be no to minimal side effects)

Depression, suicidal ideation, and change in personality all indicate a bad reaction to this specific drug or this specific dose.

None of these symptoms are psychotic in ANY way. Please call the doctor and share with him/her what your child is going thru.

Another child in class with him has been on meds since aged 6 and he freaks out regularly about moths on his back when there are none and goes to the toilet 20 times a day as he thinks he needs to go! Is this the long term result of taking the meds?? Will my boy reach even higher levels of psychotic "episodes" with long term use??

The moths on his back where there are none, that child is experiencing a side effect called formication, please tell his mother. The meds can cause vasoconstriction in little boys anatomy, and this should be mentioned to his doctor.

Your little boy is not having psychotic episodes. He has a doctor AND a pharmicist who did NOT TAKE THE TIME to tell the parents what to look for in terms of side effects.

I often take out books in the library about ADHD and sometimes I end up with the anti meds books which go on about the effects of the meds on the brain of a child and how long term use can cause brain damage etc. I often close the books very fast as I cannot bear the guilt the make me feel!!

I am so scared that the meds are going to cause my son long term damage and that perhaps one day he will resent me for abusing my position of power and trust as a parent by drugging him!!

I am sorry I am rambling here but I have tears streaming down my face as I type this!! I just dont know what is the right decision anymore!!

If you are still reading this, thanks for listening. I really just needed to get that out.

Are you looking for a reason not to medicate your child? All of the books and the you tube videos etc are there to deny the existence of or to trivialize the condition we all know as adhd. There is nothing trivial about failing school, failing socially, and having your family thinking you're doing things on purpose or not doing things you could be doing but just choosing not to.

While you're out there reading, how about looking up long term outcomes of adhd?

http://psychcentral.com/lib/2007/mor...hildren/all/1/

http://wwwapps.nimh.nih.gov/health/t...treatmen.shtml

It might not hurt to google your child's medication and look at the potential side effects so you can tell your doctor. If the dose is too high side effects happen pretty frequently at proper levels they don't.




Please see your doctor about your childs side effects, please tell the other mom about the formication issue. That child needs to have his meds changed.

[LynneC]

Thanks, Ginnie...

[happytexas]

Originally Posted by wannabepos

Hi all,
I am really not doing very well this morning. Last night, whilst searching on Youtube for something I happened upon the Generation RX and "The drugging of our children" movies. I have to say it left me cold!

I think pp have addressed this better than I can (and I agree with them).

Originally Posted by wannabepos

My 9 year old son has been on first ritalin for a month and now moved to Concerta for the past 3 months now and I am already not comfortable with my decision to medicate so watching these movies just pushed me over the edge!!

If you were content with the results of the medication I think it would be a lot more difficult to push you over the edge, particularly if you were dealing with extremely hyperactive and/or aggressiveness.

Originally Posted by wannabepos

I know that my son is better (at school) for the meds as I see how well they work for him at school. His teachers are happy with his progress and he is doing well but I am starting to see a good few psychotic issues coming through at home. He gets over emotional and has "hyper-focus temper tantrums", often complains that he cant breathe or has a sore neck or chin when there is nothing wrong, has lost interested in all his outside of school activities and last week said he wishes he was dead!! He hardly ever smiles anymore and seems very somber most of the time or scowling and angry.

Call his doctor ASAP! When a person is showing depressive symptoms and says they wish they were dead that is a giant red flag that the medication/dose is wrong!

I believe Ritalin and Concerta are essentially the same medication with different delivery systems; it may be time to move on from methelphenidate meds to amphetamine meds. ADHD medication is not supposed to cause a wholesale personality change; if it does it's the wrong one. My ds started on Concerta, and it was a big improvement overall...initially, then his impulsivity (stealing treats out of lunchboxes in particular) gradually got a lot worse and his aggressiveness started increasing again. We tried upping his dose of Concerta which made things worse, including making him hyper-emotional. We then switched to Vyvanse which he has been on for almost 2 years (two different dosages). I've also been taking Vyvanse for the past year and I haven't had any problems with it. Vyvanse seems to work well for a wider range of people than other ADHD meds.

ADHD Parent Medication Guide prepared by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and American Psychiatric Association
http://www.parentsmedguide.org/ParentGuide_English.pdf

The Hows and Whys of ADHD Medication
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/8673.html
ADHD Medication Chart: Compare Drugs for ADHD

A Full List of ADHD Medications ADHD Stimulant Medications

ADHD Non-Stimulant Medications

Originally Posted by wannabepos

Another child in class with him has been on meds since aged 6 and he freaks out regularly about moths on his back when there are none and goes to the toilet 20 times a day as he thinks he needs to go! Is this the long term result of taking the meds?? Will my boy reach even higher levels of psychotic "episodes" with long term use??

That isn't even a "normal negative" reaction; some medications can cause a similar reaction but it's an incompatibility of the med with the person, not specifically due to long-term use. It's also possible that there he has an incorrect diagnosis or a co-morbid condition that is untreated or aggravated by stimulant use. You can't judge your decision by what you think you know about another child.

There can also be consequences for untreated ADHD.
NAMI | ADHD and Juvenile Delinquency

[CrazyLazyGal]

Originally Posted by wannabepos

Hi all,
I know that my son is better (at school) for the meds as I see how well they work for him at school. His teachers are happy with his progress and he is doing well but I am starting to see a good few psychotic issues coming through at home.

Everything happytexas said is correct. It sounds like it is not the right medication for him. However, the fact that he responds well in some ways is a hopeful sign that there is some medication that will help him without the negative side effects.

Ritalin and Concerta were both not right for me, but I've had good results with Vyvanse and Adderall XR. Remember that you can stop at any time. And you definitely should stop the Concerta now!

Originally Posted by wannabepos

Another child in class with him has been on meds since aged 6 and he freaks out regularly about moths on his back when there are none and goes to the toilet 20 times a day as he thinks he needs to go! Is this the long term result of taking the meds?? Will my boy reach even higher levels of psychotic "episodes" with long term use??

This is a very unusual behavior and is not caused by ADHD or ADHD meds. The moths issue suggests there may be a sensory problem. He may have been misdiagnosed or incompletely diagnosed.

Originally Posted by wannabepos

I often take out books in the library about ADHD and sometimes I end up with the anti meds books which go on about the effects of the meds on the brain of a child and how long term use can cause brain damage etc. I often close the books very fast as I cannot bear the guilt the make me feel!!

I am so scared that the meds are going to cause my son long term damage and that perhaps one day he will resent me for abusing my position of power and trust as a parent by drugging him!!

These books are bulls***. Here is the real evidence:

• ADHD brains are different from non-ADHD brains. They are smaller in certain parts of the brain. However, medication makes ADHD brains change to become more similar to non-ADHD brains. Long term brain damage? No, it's long-term healthier brain development. Article here.

• All medications have risks. Look at how many kids react badly, sometimes very seriously, to penicillin. With the right ADHD medication--and it sounds like Concerta is not the right one for your son--you actually reduce some serious risks:

• ADHDers are more likely to have difficulties with illegal substance abuse. However, medication reduces the risk of this happening. There are many studies documenting this. Read the second section here.

• ADHDers are more likely to get into car accidents. However, medication reduces the risk. See here.

• As should be obvious to you now, children with ADHD also have a higher risk of school problems such as dropping out, but medication helps with this.

[Dizfriz]

Something to keep in mind, the effects of not taking medication for ADHD can be much more serious than those involved in taking them.

This we know pretty much for sure. Study after study support the existence of the sometimes devastating effects of being unmedicated ADHD.

Just something to help put things into context.

Dizfriz

[sarahsweets]

I hate stuff like these scare tactics, they can all go f**k themselves.

[wannabepos]

Thanks everyone for the comments and links which I will go and read.

I just received his school report today for the first semester. The report includes results from the first term (unmedicated) and 2nd term (medicated) What a difference it has made!!!

I think perhaps also we havent given it enough time to settle before making clear observations regarding his symptoms as they could be related to other issues too. It is the end of the school semester and he is tired which could be the reason he has lost interest in outside activities. Perhaps he just needs a well earned rest this holidays.

I think I need to start keeping a diary of his symptoms so that I can take them to the follow up appointment at the ped in Semtember.

No I am definetly not trying to find a reason to stop the meds just really got a shock looking at those movies! They are really scary! Yes I totally agree that unmedicated I am sure he would have hurt himself or someone else by now!! (1 month before the meds he knocked his little brother over and his brother knocked out his two front teeth on the floor!!!)

Thanks again everyone for the input. I wish the makers of those movies could live one week with my son unmedicated and then give me an alternative if they say medicating is not the way!!!! What then is the way!!!

[happytexas]

Originally Posted by wannabepos

I think perhaps also we havent given it enough time to settle before making clear observations regarding his symptoms as they could be related to other issues too. It is the end of the school semester and he is tired which could be the reason he has lost interest in outside activities. Perhaps he just needs a well earned rest this holidays.

Now I think you're going too far in the other direction. What you wrote below is something that should be addressed now. Depressive thoughts and suicidal ideations should be taken seriously, even in young children. The hyper-emotionality, tantrums, and other physical symptoms are not normal either. Concerta is a med that can appear to give good results at first, then things go downhill; this was my son's first med and I've heard this from others as well.

Originally Posted by wannabepos

He gets over emotional and has "hyper-focus temper tantrums", often complains that he cant breathe or has a sore neck or chin when there is nothing wrong, has lost interested in all his outside of school activities and last week said he wishes he was dead!! He hardly ever smiles anymore and seems very somber most of the time or scowling and angry.

Transitions (like the end of the school year) can result in increased negative behavior but he doesn't appear to have been on a single medication long enough without negative symptoms for an accurate comparison to be made. Even if the end of the school year is making the negative symptoms worse, they still exist, and that is reason enough to go to the doctor.