In a move that is possibly decades overdue, the FDA has advised the makers of ADHD drugs like Ritalin, Adderall, and others to include warnings that their drugs may kill people, or possibly make them insane. From the release at physorg.com:
Draft versions of the guides posted on the FDA Web site include discussion of reports of increased blood pressure and heart rate in ADHD patients, as well as cases of sudden death in some who have heart problems and heart defects. In adult patients, the reported problems also include stroke and heart attack.
The alerts also cover psychiatric problems, such as hearing voices, unfounded suspicions and manic behavior, of which there is a slightly increased risk in patients who take the drugs, the FDA said. The guides also tell patients and their parents of precautions they can take to guard against the risks.
Okay, last week I posted about the "Dopamine Problem" that seems to plague all humans in some way or another. Drugs that stimulate dopamine supply also increase blood pressure and can produce psychotic symptoms like mania and hearing voices. Duh. I have known this since I was a child.
As an adult, I have found all ADHD medications to be lacking because of the side effects. The increased heart-rate and respiration side-effects of most amphetamine-like stimulants are too much for me to take on a daily basis. I took medications like these every day as a child. If I took them as an adult I would die of a heart-attack at age 45. No thank you.
What the pharmaceutical companies should focus on is finding drugs that increase dopamine supply while suppressing CNS stimulation. Something like, oh, I don't know, say marijuana or alchohol? Amphetamines can keep you sharp, but who wants to be so sharp that they snap? Sharp and mellow, that is the way I prefer to roll...
