Psychiatrist Discloses Ritalin’s Hidden Dangers to Children
Warning Contradicts Claims that Drug is Helpful
Ritalin decreases blood flow to the brain, and routinely causes other gross malfunctions in the developing brain of the child, reveals Peter R. Breggin, M.D., Director of the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology and associate faculty at The Johns Hopkins University Department of Counseling. In his new book, Talking Back to Ritalin (Common Courage Press, 1998), Dr. Breggin thoroughly documents the many scientific studies that have been ignored by Ritalin advocates.
America’s children are being exposed to a "prescription epidemic" of dangerous, addictive stimulant drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall, according to the psychiatrist, a leading critic of psychopharmaceutical practices.
"Ritalin does not correct biochemical imbalances—it causes them," Dr. Breggin says, adding that there is some evidence that it can cause permanent damage to the child’s brain and its function.
"Pediatricians, parents, and teachers are not aware of these hazards because a large body of research demonstrating the ill effects of this drug has been ignored and suppressed in order to encourage the sale of the drug," Dr. Breggin stated. Damaging effects of the drug can include:
Decreased blood flow to the brain, an effect recently shown to be caused by cocaine where it is associated with impaired thinking ability and memory loss.
Disruption of growth hormone, leading to suppression of growth in the body and brain of the child
Permanent neurological tics, including Tourette’s Syndrome
Addiction and abuse, including withdrawal reactions on a daily basis
Psychosis (mania), depression, insomnia, agitation, and social withdrawal
Possible shrinkage (atrophy) or other permanent physical abnormalities in the brain
Worsening of the very symptoms the drug is supposed to improve including hyperactivity and inattention
Decreased ability to learn
"Ritalin and other stimulants are currently prescribed to several million U.S. children in the hope of improving their supposed hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity," says Dr. Breggin. He presents evidence that these drugs "work" by producing robotic or zombie-like behavior in children. This enforced docility and obedience can produce a few weeks of subdued behavior but has no positive effect on academic achievement and no positive long-term effects at all. Contrary to claims by drug advocates, giving Ritalin to a child does not help to prevent future problems such as school failure or delinquency.
Ritalin’s lack of effectiveness has been proven by hundreds of studies but has not been revealed to doctors, teachers or parents. "Parents and teachers and even doctors have been badly misled by drug company marketing practices," Dr. Breggin says. "Drug companies have targeted children as a big market likely to boost profits—and children are suffering as a result."
Dr. Breggin describes the principles necessary to empower parents to help their children with their behavioral and school problems without resorting to drugs. He does not believe that mind-altering drugs are ever an appropriate approach to helping our children. Instead, he urges adults to learn to identify and meet the individual needs of the children in their care.
Most children receiving Ritalin have been identified for treatment by teachers who have been misled by drug company and government promotional campaigns for Ritalin and other stimulants. "Educate—don’t medicate," should be the motto of every parent or teacher who is tempted to resort to Ritalin, says Dr. Breggin.
The stimulant drugs include Ritalin (methylphenidate), Dexedrine and Dextrostat (dextroamphetamine or d-amphetamine), Adderall (D-amphetamine and amphetamine mixture), Desoxyn and Gradumet (methamphetamine), and Cylert (pemoline).
Additional information about the hazards of Ritalin and other stimulants can be found on Dr. Breggin’s web site at: http://www.breggin.com/.

Originally published August 22 2006

ADHD drugs to carry new warnings about psychotic behavior(NewsTarget) The U.S.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced yesterday that several ADHD drugs must now carry information on the labels warning consumers of the risk of heart problems and psychotic behavior associated with taking the drugs.
FDA spokeswoman Susan Bro says GlaxoSmithKline's Dexetrine drug and Novartis AG's Ritalin must now include warnings about risks of serious heart problems and sudden death. ADHD drugs act as stimulants and can raise blood pressure, possibly triggering heart trouble. Users of the drugs are also at risk of displaying behavioral problems -- which the drugs are often prescribed to treat -- such as aggression and mania.
Bro was unable to confirm whether Johnson & Johnson's Concerta drug and Eli Lilly's Strattera were also included in the warning mandate. However, Strattera already includes cautions about suicidal thoughts, and Shire Plc's Adderall warns users that abuse can cause heart problems.
Bro also could not confirm whether the warnings would be in a "black box" -- the FDA's strongest warning. However, on Monday, Glaxo's letter alerting doctors of the new warnings indicated that the caution was boxed.
The decision comes after two separate outside review panels split on whether or not to include warnings, and whether or not to enforce a black box on the warnings. Some doctors say they are concerned that the warnings could frighten patients away from using the drugs. The FDA estimates roughly 1 million adults and 2 million children fill ADHD drug prescriptions every month.
Critics of ADHD drugs say the medications are not only dangerous, but largely unnecessary and overprescribed. "Black box warnings," said Mike Adams, a consumer health advocate and critic of the practice of medicating children with psychotropic drugs, "are a clever tool used by the FDA to avoid banning dangerous drugs. By resorting to warnings that most consumers and doctors ignore, the agency can imply that responsibility for harm is shifted to the consumer. In reality, the FDA shoulders the full blame for allowing these dangerous drugs to remain on the market."

Vital Information About Ritalin, Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder and the Politics Behind the ADHD/Ritalin Movement
Summarized from Talking Back to Ritalin by Peter R. Breggin, M.D. Available in book stores or contact Common Courage Press, P.O. Box 702, Monroe, Maine 04951. Phone: 1-800-497-3207.
For the purpose of alerting the public to the dangers of stimulant drugs, this appendix to Talking Back to Ritalin by Peter R. Breggin, M.D. may be reprinted without permission in unlimited numbers provided that no fee is charged for the materials and that no profit is made from the distribution. The source must be identified and the material must be reproduced in its entirety, including this page.
Talking Back to Ritalin by Peter R. Breggin, M.D. is published by Common Courage Press, P.O. Box 702, Monroe, Maine 04951. Phone: 1-800-497-3207.
•Several million children are being treated with Ritalin and other stimulants on the grounds that they have attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and suffer from inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity. The stimulants include: Ritalin (methylphenidate), Dexedrine and DextroStat (dextroamphetamine or d-amphetamine), Adderall (d-amphetamine and amphetamine mixture), Desoxyn and Gradumet (methamphetamine), and Cylert (pemoline). Except for Cylert, all of these drugs have nearly identical effects and side effects. Ritalin and the amphetamines can for most purposes be considered one type of drug.
•The number of children being drugged has escalated several-fold in the last few years.
•Ritalin and amphetamine have almost identical adverse effects on the brain, mind and behavior, including the production of drug-induced behavioral disorders, psychosis, mania, drug abuse, and addiction.
•Ritalin and amphetamine frequently cause the very same problems they are supposed to treat--inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
•A large percentage of children become robotic, lethargic, depressed, or withdrawn on stimulants.
•Ritalin can cause permanent neurological tics including Tourette's syndrome.
•Ritalin can retard growth in children by disrupting the cycles of growth hormone released by the pituitary gland.
•The recent finding that Ritalin can cause cancer in some animals was not taken seriously enough by the drug company or the FDA.
•Ritalin routinely causes gross malfunctions in the brain of the child. There is research evidence from a few controlled scientific studies that Ritalin can cause shrinkage (atrophy) or other permanent physical abnormalities in the brain.
•Withdrawal from Ritalin can cause emotional suffering, including depression, exhaustion, and suicide. This can make children seem psychiatrically disturbed and lead mistakenly to increased doses of medication.
•Ritalin is addictive and can become a gateway drug to other addictions. It is a common drug of abuse among children and adults.
•ADHD and Ritalin are American and Canadian medical fads. The U.S. uses 90% of the world's Ritalin. CibaGeneva Pharmaceuticals (also known as Ciba-Geigy Corporation), a division of Novartis, is the manufacturer of Ritalin. It is trying to expand the Ritalin market to Europe and the rest of the world.
•Ritalin "works" by producing malfunctions in the brain rather than by improving brain function. This is the only way it works.
•Short-term, Ritalin suppresses creative, spontaneous and autonomous activity in children, making them more docile and obedient, and more willing to comply with rote, boring tasks, such as classroom school work and homework.
•Short-term, Ritalin has no positive effect on a child's psychology or on academic performance and achievement. This is confirmed by innumerable studies and by many professional reviews of the literature.
•Longer-term, beyond several weeks, Ritalin has no positive effects on any aspect of a child's life.
•Labeling children with ADHD and treating them with Ritalin can keep them out of the armed services, limit their future career choices, and stigmatize them for life. It can ruin their own self image, subtly demoralize them, and discourage them from reaching their full potential.
•There is no solid evidence that ADHD is a genuine disorder or disease of any kind.
•There is a great deal of research to confirm that environmental problems cause ADHD-like symptoms.
•A very small number of children may suffer ADHD-like symptoms because of physical disorders, such as lead poisoning, drug intoxication, exhaustion, and head injury. Physical causes may be more common among poor communities in the United States.
•There is no proof of any physical abnormalities in the brains or bodies of children who are routinely labeled ADHD. They do not have known biochemical imbalances or "crossed wires."
•ADHD is a controversial diagnosis with little or no scientific or medical basis. A parent, teacher, or doctor can feel in good company when utterly dismissing the diagnosis and refusing to apply it to children.
•Ciba spends millions of dollars to sell parent groups and doctors on the idea of using Ritalin. Ciba helps to support the parent group, CH.A.D.D., and organized psychiatry.
•The U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) push Ritalin as vigorously as the manufacturer of the drug, often in even more glowing terms than the drug company could get away with legally.
Our society has institutionalized drug abuse among our children. Worse yet, we abuse our children with drugs rather than making the effort to find better ways to meet their needs. In the long run, we are giving our children a very bad lesson--that drugs are the answer to emotional problems. We are encouraging a generation of youngsters to grow up relying on psychiatric drugs rather than on themselves and other human resources.
The material in this summary is documented with citations to scientific literature in Talking Back to Ritalin. The book also describes non-drug approaches to helping children diagnosed ADHD through identifying and meeting the basic needs of children, and through improvements in school and family life

President George Bush called for a Conference on School Safety that was held today. Oct/10/ 2006

See video here: http://mms.tveyes.com/ExpandGuest.asp?ln=141662 (it may take a minute or two to open depending on your internet connection - press the Play button in the middle)

Lisa VanSyckel.of the International Coalition for Drug Awareness http://www.drugawareness.org spoke out at the conference:

"I want to know. When are we going to hold the pharmaceutical industry responsible for putting antidepressant medications on the market that cause our children to become violent, suicidal and in the majority of cases of homicide."

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Earlier today, Ann Blake Tracy, Ph.D., Executive Director, International Coalition For Drug Awareness, announced that Ms. VanSyckel would be appearing at Bush's conference:
NJ Director of ICFDA Invited to President's Conference on School SafetyTuesday, October 10, 2006, President George Bush has called for a Conference on School Safety to be held in Washington, DC. Among those attending and contributing to this conference will be the New Jersey Director of the International Coalition for Drug Awareness, Lisa VanSyckel. Her official invitation is posted below.Her acceptance of this official invitation reads as follows: "As the New Jersey Director of the International Coalition for Drug Awareness and a resident of Raritan Twsp., NJ, whose child became violent and suicidal while taking an antidepressant, I look forward to attending this very important conference."It is my hope to educate others on the devastating effects of prescription drugs and their ability to cause a child, teen or an adult to become homicidal/suicidal."
As with all of our wonderful directors, we are grateful for Lisa's tireless efforts and proud of her for her work in educating others about the dangers of antidepressants. We only wish, as with everyone else who has had personal reasons to be counted among us, that she too did not have to learn about these drugs through such an up close and personal experience. ________________________________You are invited to a Conference on School SafetyTuesday, October 10, 2006National 4-H Youth Center7100 Connecticut AvenueChevy Chase, MD 20815Doors open at 7:00 a.m., please arrive no later that 8:00 a.m.The Conference will conclude at 2:15 p.m.This invitation is not transferable and space is limited. Please RSVP with your full name, title and organization to Ryan Tetro at RTetrointern@who.eop.gov or (202) 456-2393no later than 5:00 p.m. Monday, October 9th 2006 Photo ID is required for admittance onto the 4-H Complex
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Stop a future school shooter: http://www.petitiononline.com/TScreen/petition.html

Depression has become such a common part of modern living it is almost considered normal. Millions of prescriptions are written each year for anti-depressants, some with horrendous side effects such as suicidal tendencies. Do, they solve the problem? Not at all! At best, they temporarily relieve the symptoms of depression and in the process dull the mental abilities of those patients taking them.

Drug Company & the FDA Finally Admit Paxil Causes Increased Suicide Risk

Friday, May 12th, 2006
After years of repeated warnings by groups like the Citizens Commission On Human Rights – the United States FDA & the drug company Glaxo Smith Kline (the maker of Paxil) have admitted that patients taking Paxil have a dramatic increase in suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide. This being such a horrible side effect you would think they should have told you this earlier when they first found out about it.
In fact, its an increase of over 600%!!! Would you like to take a drug that makes you six times more likely to kills yourself? How about it you are depressed and seeking help for suicidal thoughts already? Yet that’s exactly what Paxil is prescribed for!
This is a preview of Drug Company & the FDA Finally Admit Paxil Causes Increased Suicide Risk. Read the full post (543 words, estimated 2:10 mins reading time)

Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall now top illegal street drug list

This report on illegal prescription drug use shows that children’s abuse of drugs like the psychiatric drugs Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall have now tripled.
The report found that teens who abused these types of drugs were twice as likely to use alcohol, five times as likely to use marijuana, 12 times likelier to use heroin and 21 times likelier to use cocaine.
The report also found that in 2002, controlled drugs were implicated in almost 30 percent of drug-related emergency room deaths while the number of prescription drug emergency room mentions in hospital logs increased by nearly 80 percent.
Isn’t it alarming that the very drugs pushed by psychiatrists to “help” our children cause these kinds of damaging effects?
Find out for yourself more about the false psychiatric labels like hyperactivicy, AHDH, ADD and the drugs like Ritalin used by children to supposedly treat them. Visit Psychiatry.info
Tags: ADD ADHD & Hyperactivity, Psychiatry, Drugs & Children, Ritalin

ADHD Drug Adderall Causes 20 Deaths

I just ran across this article covering Adderall Deaths and the decision of Canadian health agency to pull the drug from the market.
The author covers the curious point of why does the FDA continue to allow this drug to be prescribed to children when it has been linked to the deaths of 20 children. In the article he says:
“This uncovers a fault in the regulation of pharmaceutical drugs: the absence of ongoing monitoring of the “performance” and especially the safety of drugs. Once approved, it appears that the FDA relies on voluntary reporting by the drug companies to tell it about side effects - a bit like having the fox guard the hen house.”
This is a very good point. Why does the FDA allow drugs like Adderall to continue to be given to children? It only took the FDA two decades to realize that antidepressants were causing kids to commit suicide. American’s should write their politicians and demand that the FDA be held accountable for unleashing harmful psychiatric drugs on our society without holding the drug companies to any decent safety standard.
The article also had these great points:
“Adderall, has about 24 percent of the market share for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder treatments, which are most commonly prescribed for children. Adderall is an amphetamine, which stimulates the central nervous system and can increase the heart rate. The drug isn’t sold in Europe.
“Health Canada’s decision comes as a result of a thorough review of safety information provided by the manufacturer, which indicated there were 20 international reports of sudden death'’ in patients taking either Adderall or Adderall XR, the agency said.”
I urge you to click over and take a look at this article on the Adderall Deaths”>ADHD drug Adderall

« Tom Cruise Sparks Interest In Ritalin Dangers
Electro-Shock Therapy Caused Brain Damage - Psychiatrist Ordered To Pay $635,000 in Damages »
For more information on ADHD, Adderall & Ritalin - visit psychiatry.info
Tags: ADD ADHD & Hyperactivity, Psychiatry, Drugs & Children, Ritalin, Side Effects, FDA and Psychiatric Drugs

« Antidepressants Alleged To Have Caused Man’s Suicide
Mental Health Screening For Preschoolers? »

Adult ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - Does It Exist?

I just ran across this great article by a University Professor about Adult ADHD (Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). In it, Dr. Mike S. Adams talks about his experience with students who have been falsely labeled with this fictional disease. I call it fictional because after doing plenty of research I have yet found any conclusive scientific evidence that ADHD is a biological brain disease.
I believe that the myth of ADHD has been enforced on our society by the giant pharmaceutical and psychiatric marketing & public relations machine. It’s a convenient way to hook people for life to become legalized drug users. After all, the drugs prescribed for this “disorder” like Ritalin & Adderall are classified as stimulants and placed on the same list by the US Drug Enforcement Agency as crack cocaine.
Apparently Dr. Adams agrees with me. His story of how he deals with adults who have been labeled with ADHD proves the point that it is a matter of self-control and not a brain disease. Dr. Adams had this to say in his article:
“One of the toughest things about being a teacher is dealing with all the latest “syndromes” in our culture of victimization. Whenever a real problem like racism diminishes, there is always someone willing to redefine the problem to help maintain the population of “disadvantaged” Americans.”
Further, he goes on to say:
“Often those fictional problems take the form of “disorders” like adult ADHD.”
“After being diagnosed with ADHD, two things usually happen to the newly “disadvantaged” student. First, a psychologist tells the victim that he cannot pay attention nor control various impulses. Next, he is given a dosage of drugs. Neither one of these responses actually works. In fact, telling him that he cannot pay attention – rather than that he simply does not pay attention – usually reinforces the problem. The drugs don’t work because, again, the disorder is fictional.”
Dr. Mike S. Adams is a criminology professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
For more information about Adult ADHD, children and ADHD or Ritalin - visit Psychiatry.info
Tags: ADD ADHD & Hyperactivity, Psychiatry, Drugs & Children, Ritalin

« Tom Cruise Is Right About Child Psychiatric Drugs
Psychiatrists Abusing Patients In Turkish Psychiatric Hospitals »

ADHD Drug Strattera Causes Suicidal Thoughts In Children

The drug manufacturer Eli Lilly is admitting today that their drug Strattera prescribed to treat ADHD and hyperactivity causes children to have suicidal thoughts. This is after the FDA requested that Eli Lilly provide the data that they apparently had not disclosed showing the link between suicide and this ADHD drug. After reviewing this information the FDA seems to have requested that Strattera carry a warning on it’s label.
Based on the information that Lilly provided on Strattera the statistics are staggering. If you take the total number of children being treated for ADHD and hyperactivity with drugs like these (over 5 million kids) you get some frightening numbers. Assuming that similar drugs have the same side effects there are tens of thousands of kids experiencing suicidal thoughts from these drugs. Statistically using the same figures thatEli Lilly provided in their press release you get these numbers:
20,000 children have been having suicidal thoughts as a direct side effects of their medication. The most horrific number is the nearly 4,000 children who have likely acted on these thoughts and attempted suicide. Who knows how many of the 4,000 were successful.
This is an enormous amount of damage. Think of the preschoolers who are on this drug. Imagine a poor 6 year old child experiencing suicidal thoughts. Now imagine 20,000 of them! it’s almost too terrible to believe.
Facts like these are everywhere when it comes to psychiatric drugs and treatments. All you need to do is look in the news and go beyond the psychiatric drug companies propaganda. The facts are there to be seen. Their treatments cause suicide and psychosis as direct side effects. The amount of damage they are inflicting on society and our children is immeasurable. It’s time that psychiatry and the drug companies pay for this damage and are stopped from harming our kids once and for all.
For more information on ADHD drug side effects or Strattera and Suicide, visit - psychiatry.info
Tags: ADD ADHD & Hyperactivity, Deaths Caused By Psychiatry, Psychiatry, Drugs & Children, Side Effects, FDA and Psychiatric Drugs, Strattera