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Adderall Related Death in Childern Rises

Excerpted from an article in www.AmericanLivewire.com titled, "Adderall Related Death Toll Rises, Ignored by FDA"

The story of Richard Fee, initially told by the New York Times on Sunday, February 2, 2013, depicts an athletic, personable college class president and aspiring medical student, and "highlights widespread failings in the system through which five million Americans take medication for A.D.H.D., doctors and other experts said." Adderall related death is being reported all over the country, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to address the issue.

Adderall Still Most Commonly Prescribed ADHD Drug

Adderall, a commonly-prescribed medication used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), can greatly improve the lives of children diagnosed with the crippling disorder; however, the amphetamine-based drug has been linked to severe psychological problems, addiction, and death. The "tunnel-like" focus the medicine provides has led growing numbers of teenagers and young adults to fake symptoms to obtain ongoing prescriptions for Adderall and other highly addictive medications, all of which can carry serious psychological dangers. These efforts are facilitated by physicians "who skip established diagnostic procedures, renew prescriptions reflexively, and spend too little time with patients to accurately monitor side effects," the New York Times reported..

Is a 1 in 400 Adderall Related Death Risk Acceptable?

A 2006 study in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence claimed that about 10 percent of adolescents and young adults who misused A.D.H.D. stimulants became addicted to them. Even proper, doctor-supervised use of the medications can trigger psychotic behavior or suicidal thoughts in about 1 in 400 patients, according to another 2006 study in The American Journal of Psychiatry. Though a vast majority of stimulant users will not experience psychosis - and a doctor may never encounter it in decades of careful practice - the sheer volume of prescriptions leads to thousands of cases every year, experts acknowledged.

In Adderall: A Mother's Heartbreak, "Cheryl" recalls the details of her own son, "Danny," who she alleges is another victim of Adderall related death. She stated that Danny was young and healthy when he took Adderall last summer. He passed away four months later. Through tears, she stated, "If I can just save one mother from the same experience, I would love the opportunity to tell you about my son, Daniel, and Adderall. I know about Adderall death so why can't this drug be taken off the market? Danny had a family history of heart disease. Cheryl attributes the amphetamine-based drug contributed to a pre-existing condition and is incensed that Danny was not tested for healthy heart function prior to the medication being prescribed. Cheryl says Danny wrestled part time in the San Antonio, Texas community and put on shows for kids. "During one wrestling match, I guess they were part way into it, Danny didn't feel well and walked over to a chair," Cheryl explained. "He sat down, apparently grabbed his chest, threw up, fell over and he was gone."

Since Danny's death, Cheryl has discovered a lot about Adderall. She found out that it was yanked from the shelves in Canada but only temporarily. "They talked about banning it here in the US and I know children have died from Adderall heart attack � I can't imagine having a ten year old with ADHD passing away. You shouldn't have to outlive your children."

Sobering Statistics Apparently Ignored by FDA

On Jan. 30, 2013, the Saratogian presented a report with frightening statistics regarding Adderall related death:

"Emergency-room visits for misuse of hyperactivity drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin have more than doubled in five years, with young adult abuse growing even faster, according to a new federal report. . Abuse among young adults can be traced, in part, to misuse by 18- to 25-year-olds using drugs for all-night study sessions, for staying conscious longer so they can drink more, and for weight loss. . ER visits whose listed reasons included an ADHD stimulant rose from 13,379 in 2005 to 31,244 just five years later, according to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration. ER visits by those 18-25 nearly quadrupled in that time, to 8,148."

The Examiner has summed the issue up nicely:

"On Aug. 27, 2010, Natural News published the article "Adderall has extreme side effects, but FDA says keep taking it," which states, "The FDA conducted its own study of Adderall's effects on children and early data pointed to the fact that the drug increases the risk of sudden death in children. But neither the study nor any of the other facts about the drug's dangerous effects prompted the FDA to actually pull the drug from the market. In fact, the FDA made a point of denying the results of its own study and insisting that patients continue to take the drug."

In 2010, NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine) wrote, "During the period January 1992-February 2005, 20 cases of sudden death during treatment with amphetamine products were reported: 14 in children (under age 19) and 6 in adults; 6 of the 14 children had structural cardiovascular abnormalities or other predisposing factors for sudden death."

How is it possible that two years after the publication of the life-threatening dangers of Adderall as a prescription drug for ADHD, 24-year-old Richard Fee lost his life due to the psychological impact of Adderall and 31-year-old Danny lost his life due to the physical impact of Adderall?

And the FDA does nothing?"