Children Taking ADHD Medication Urged to See Doctor

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Children Taking ADHD Medication Urged to See Doctor

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Posted: 5:51 PM Apr 24, 2008
Last Updated: 7:30 PM Apr 24, 2008
Reporter: Bill Murray
Email Address: bill.murray@wsaz.com

19 comments

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The American Heart Association wants heart check ups for all the 2.5 million American kids taking stimulant medications for ADHD -- not just those who are starting on them.

Here's why:
One in 50 children has a heart problem that is usually undiagnosed. And for reasons doctors do not understand kids with heart problems are three times more likely to have ADHD. The medications can make the heart problems worse

Vicky Neal has a daughter dealing with ADHD. After hearing the news, she says " I need to know if my medication is on that certain stimulant list. Any study that comes out, you think we need to look at this, we don't want any problems, better safe than sorry."

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: cj on Apr 29, 2008 at 05:36 AM
Here's a fine example..my grandson, who is 17 now and is now coping w/o drugs was leaving a place of training w/me. He had his bag and all his gear. It was cold outside and as we started out the door I looked down and he was barefoot. I said to him, where are your shoes? He said oh yeah and went back to his locker to get them. I have been asking him questions like that since he could dress himself. He wears a shirt that says I am not adhd I...did you just see that chicken cross the road. The attention span is unbelievable.

Posted by: Pam on Apr 27, 2008 at 08:29 AM
I just want people out there to be aware of just settling on a adhd diagnosis there are so many other things out there that your child could have. I am raising my nephew 5yrs.old and have been told after much testing that he is adhd and needs meds, well i am also raising his 3yr.old sister who we found out has pvl we are now in the process of doing further testing on my nephew because this birth defect can also mimmic adhd and so can chromozones and fragile x. I encourage every parent out there not to settle on the first diagnosis that comes up however I do commend those parents who do care enough about there children to do something i don't think that medication is always a bad thing that is a personal disicion between parents and dr. who are any of us to judge what another parent does, however i do feel at times that some kids are over medicated. and i do think that the size of some of these classrooms have a lot to do with it. Put any child in a class of 30 6yrolds and see what u get

Posted by: sandy on Apr 26, 2008 at 10:48 PM
to Anonymous on Apr 25, 2008 at 02:20 PM... we dont get SSI or welfare for our kids.. we just get our kids help. if you had a kid that couldnt sit and do class work or do a simple task at home because he/she cant keep there minds on one thing at a time then you would know what we are going through. and why punish your child for something he/she cant control? or is it maybe you just like hitting kids......

Posted by: cj on Apr 26, 2008 at 07:42 PM
Obviously we have some ignorant people out there. Do a study on adhd while you're on here. The kids are not hyper, you wouldn't put a hyper kid on uppers. It's quite the opposite. Their brains want to go to sleep. That's why they can't be still. They are stimulating their brains. Ergo if a medication can do that for them they can sit and read or whatever b/c they meds are doing the job they had to do w/their bodies, ie stay away. I guarantee you if you force an adhd child to sit still for any period of time they will go to sleep. Rt at their desks. A diabetic needs insulan to keep their body functioning normally. This is a brain chemical malfuntion. You have no idea the challenge unless you've lived w/it.

Posted by: Vicky on Apr 26, 2008 at 08:48 AM
Oh you have got to be kidding. lol What check? I just happy to afford my child's meds. If you think you can just beat it out of your child then you know nothing. This news report wasn't about if you approve of parents putting their child on the medications. This was to inform the parents that there are new studies (and new studies come out all the time) and you might want to talk to your child's doctor about having more test done to keep your child safe. Lets stay on track and stop attacking those parents.

Posted by: Anonymous on Apr 25, 2008 at 02:20 PM
disipline is the answer not drugs....been there and have done it........an old fashioned butt busting works wonders,most of these people are using the diagnosis to draw a SSI (welfare) check on their child

Posted by: concerned aunt on Apr 25, 2008 at 02:15 PM
i think that the parent has the choose on if they want to put their child on meds and it is really nobodys business but their own and if it makes the child a better person and helps them out then i say go for it and let your child have a better life and be able to sit down and watch a movie or color with thier parent. so i say it if will help your child go for it.

Posted by: Kimberly on Apr 25, 2008 at 09:48 AM
To Cindy, you obviously do not have a child with ADHD or you wouldn't be running your stupid mouth. Until you know what is like to see your child struggle and then do well. SHUT UP! I am like the other parents here that waited as long as they could before they put their child on medicine. It is to help them do better in school. It is not for making them behave so you don't have to watch them. I had well behaved children before they went on their ADHD medicine. ADHD is a struggle for children until they get on the right medicine. Sometimes it takes a long time to get the child on the right dose. You have to work with your doctor closely as well as their teacher(s). It is a continuing process. When your child goes from failing to passing with "B's" you know you made the right decision.

Posted by: Concerned Parent on Apr 25, 2008 at 09:40 AM
Most all meds have side effects, and if you had a condition and had to take meds for it every day, would you? Or would you just suffer? My daughter has ADHD, I was one of those parents that swore I would never put my child on meds, but you know what I went and talk to her Dr. and that was the best thing for her. She is a better person for it. Before the meds she was failing the first grade, now she is on the honor roll. She has quit with the temper tantrums and is no longer angry or frustrated because she can't do it. My daughter gets checked every two weeks by her Dr. For people who say that us parents are just "lazy" you need to get informed because there is more to ADHD than just being over active. Before my daughter could not sit down and color one picture with me and now my fridge is covered with her art work. There are risks to everything in life. You may have your own beliefs about this subject but don't down us as parents for helping our children get through life.

Posted by: Brenda on Apr 25, 2008 at 09:17 AM
I agree with Mark.

Posted by: AMY on Apr 25, 2008 at 08:54 AM
BTW, my son sees his dr. every 3 mos. for a medicine check. To Curious: good ?'s. Hope my answer will give some insight on a few reaons why some parents use medicine for their children.

Posted by: AMY on Apr 25, 2008 at 08:52 AM
from CONT. is that his handwriting skills also improved overnight, and improved significantly. My son doesn't wonder around the house just constantly saying, "I just don't know what to do." 50 times a day like he used to do. And, yes, I was always trying to get him to do something like play a game, read a book, etc. he just wasn't interested. Personally, I don't think that it's fair to my son to NOT give him med. He is a very caring, loving, and considerate child. Yes, he can be wild, etc., but so what??? He's a kid, and a BOY--all boy!!! Further, I also think that there are too many kids prescribed this med. because their parents want them to "calm down" or not be so "hyper", and I think that these may be some of the kids who have some of the more severe symptoms because they prolly don't need the med. I just want wants best for my son, so I try to do my best, and after consulation with 2 drs., I decided to "try" it to see how he'd be. I just wish I'd have done it sooner!

Posted by: AMY on Apr 25, 2008 at 08:45 AM
I agree completely w/ mom of child w/adhd and Vicky. I didn't want my son taking any medication for ADHD. I, too, waited a long time. My son isn't necessarily overactive; he just cannot focus or function in a classroom setting, or in any type of setting where he has to retain some type of info. I used to be one of the people who thought that "bad" parents gave their kids med.; however, that is so ignorant. I studied about the med. my son takes and I believe the benefits outweigh any possible negatives. My son had NO ngeative side effects. Immediately, overnight, his grades improved from Cs, Ds, and F's to As, Bs, and C's. My son LOVES school, but before I started him on his med., he seemed to have such a bad neg. image of himself, said he didn't know why he was stupid and not smart like the other kids. I felt terrible, and I NEVER put him down for his school work. I always encouraged him, as well as everyone else in my family. Another (unexpected) was that his CONT.

Posted by: Curious on Apr 25, 2008 at 08:21 AM
My Question is, Why is ADHD and all of these conditions exist whenever they never did before? I'm only 21, but when I was growing up I never heard of any of this. If you acted up, you got whipped. NOT ABUSED just disiplined. If they didn't then they were out of control. I'm not blaming the parents at all, I would just like to know where this is all coming from. Maybe I need further education on this, but I'm not sure why kids even need the medication. Is there some other alternative? This seems very dangerous. I'm not being negative here, so I would appreciate it if I get positive answers instead of personal attacks from parents and others thinking that i'm rude or insensitive. I'm just asking questions.

Posted by: Vicky on Apr 25, 2008 at 05:52 AM
You are putting every child on ADHD medication into one group. You cant say its the Parents fault they are on medication just because they are lazy. I debated for a long time before i took my daughter to get help. That is the part i regret the most. Everyone adjust to medication differently. You have to find what helps your child the most. I remember the day I saw the difference in my child after she started taking ADHD medicine. I cried because I should have taken her to the doctor long ago. She was able to give me more details to her day in school then she was ever able to do before. I didnt put my daughter on medication because she was "over active." I saw the doctor and we discussed what was best for her. I will see the doctor again over the new information that is out as well.

Posted by: mom of child w/adhd on Apr 24, 2008 at 11:07 PM
Yes my son has adhd and i do not feel that I am lazy or a bad parent because my child has adhd and I am scared to death for him to be on meds and I Waited as long as I could but if they have this problem it will hurt them in the long run if you do not help them. So if you do not have a child with adhd then you do not know what it is like for them and if left untreated it can effect them as a grown up like they would not be able to hold down jobs or learn anything in school. Sometimes you have to help them anyway you can

Posted by: a mom on Apr 24, 2008 at 10:28 PM
ok they wans't happy till they put these children on some kind of drugs because they can't sit still. to much (energy!) because the parents are to lazy to run after them. now they have cause these poor kids to have heart promblems.

Posted by: Cindy on Apr 24, 2008 at 08:08 PM
90% of the children on the medication for ADHD do not need it, it is poor parenting.. all children get over stimulated and have bundles of energy. My son would come home from school in elementary school, we would do outside activities and he was involved in all sports.. He is now straight A athlete... Parents quit taking the easy way out...

Posted by: Mark on Apr 24, 2008 at 07:47 PM
I have been agianst the use of any type of these drugs since it became available for use,and for you people that havnt seen what it does to a child "until there body adjust to it for the first 2 weeks " you need to watch some videos on this. I have a child that is adhd and was coached in trying this on him when he was about 9 years old by many doctors. after I seen what it was doing to him after 2 days I took him off the medicine and never return to the therapist and pediatric place agian and started what i would call home therapy and it works when we going to wise up and see that using chemicals on our childrens brains so the schools can put 50 children in a class room isnt the answer,,, now where starting to see the side affects of this.

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