ADHD/MEDICATION- Why are they medicating our children?

Last night I did the first webinar in my series to educate and inform parents, especially those with challenging children.
It was about ADHD and other conditions and the medications that are being prescribed.

This is just some of the information shared-

-ADD-ADHD drugs have been proven to alter brain chemistry and damage vital organs like the heart and liver.

-ADD-ADHD is a set of symptoms, and does not require a medication to treat. Medication simply masks the real issues, acting like a band-aid.
Methylphenidates (like Ritalin and Adderall) have caused deaths of otherwise healthy children and teenagers.

-The chemical make-up of Methylphenidates are extremely similar to that of crack cocaine, and children using it often exhibit similar side effects as crack addicts.
Ritalin is one of the Nation's top ten abused drugs, by teens and adults. (US)

-Schools and Doctors are more likely to coerce you into you using ADD-ADHD because they receive "cash bonuses" for every child. (in US but signs of happening here in Australia)

-The FDA was aware of the potential dangers of certain ADD-ADHD medications and marketed them anyway for profit.

-ADD drugs often produce the symptoms they are supposed to be repressing. For example, the FDA received numerous reports of children using ADD-ADHD medications showing aggressive behavior. Up to 20% of these reported cases resulted in severe injury or hospitalisation

SOME OF THE MEDICATIONS BEING PRESCRIBED AND THE ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS...

RITALIN
Loss of appetite
Blurred vision
Dizziness
Lightheadedness
Headache
Dry mouth
Stomach upset
Sleeplessness
Irritability or constipation may occur the first few days as your body adjusts to the medication.

Over the years Ritalin has been implicated in all of the following:

Cardiac Arrest: There are many documented cases where heart failure in otherwise healthy children was traced back to their use of Ritalin.

Suicide: It is a disturbing fact to note that the suicide rate among children aged 5-14 more than doubled over the past 20 years. This is also the period that prescriptions for ADD-ADHD medications went through the roof.
Increased cancer risk: In 2005 Texas researchers found that after just three months, every one of a dozen children treated for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the drug methylphenidate (the active ingredient in Ritalin) experienced a threefold increase in levels of chromosome abnormalities— occurrences associated with increased risks of cancer and other adverse health effects.

Homicide: What motivates a young person to take a gun to school, point it at his schoolmates and let rip!? We desperately need answers to this question as an epidemic of school shootings wash across the nation. The one factor that is rarely reported is that prescription drugs were involved somewhere in the mix with just about every school shooting over the past 2 decades

Addiction: Like cocaine, Ritalin is a powerful stimulant that increases alertness and productivity. Ritalin and cocaine also look and act the same. Both have a similar chemical structure, and both increase dopamine levels in the brain

CONCERTA
Headache Upper respiratory tract infection
Stomach ache
Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Sleeplessness
Increase cough
Sore throat
Sinusitis
Dizziness
Reduced stature
Tics
Moodiness
Psychosis

Concerta contains the same active ingredient (Methylphenidate) as Ritalin and is therefore essentially the same drug. The only difference between the two is that
Concerta works on a 'sustained release' principle with the active ingredient being released into the blood stream over a longer period.

STRATTERA
Stomach upset
Vomiting
Constipation
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Dry mouth
Dizziness
Trouble sleeping
Menstrual cycle changes
Mood changes may occur

There are numerous instances of Strattera being implicated as the 'prime suspect' in suicides. Parents reported normally content and happy children suddenly slipping into dark moods and depression. Sometimes with tragic results: Thirteen year old
Adrian David Wade committed suicide in October 2004 after being on Strattera for only four months. His parents directly attributed his death to the drug.

Adrian's case, although desperately sad, is not unique. A report by the British Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority implicated Strattera in 130 reports of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. It also listed 766 spontaneous reports of cardiac disorders and 172 of liver injury, and about 20 completed suicides.

IF THIS IS INFORMATION THAT YOU TOO FEEL OTHER PARENTS AND TEACHERS NEED TO KNOW PLEASE PASS THIS ON.

Happy parenting,
cheers,
Lillian