Hundreds of Reports of Side-Effects-ADHD Drugs-Aussie Parents Concerned

http://seven.com.au/todaytonight/story/?id=27793

A freedom of information request has revealed hundreds of reports of
side-effects from ADHD drugs dexamphetamine and Ritalin, worrying Aussie
parents.

Dexamphetamine and Ritalin were hailed as wonder drugs for an epidemic of
hyperactivity sweeping Australia.

But some blame the chemical cures for ADHD for a host of chilling side
effects, even death.

Kathryn Francis was told she had to put her son Brandon on Ritalin to curb
his hyperactivity, as was Julie Greatbatch for her troubled boy Ethan. Both
claim they were not told Ritalin had side effects.

"It makes them starve, it depresses them, it sends them nuts," Kathryn
claimed.

"It caused night terrors in Brandon. Severe headaches, psychotic episodes
that lasted for hours."

Julie was shocked at her son's response.

"How would you feel if your seven-and-a-half year old told you 'I wish I was
dead because this is all too hard'?" she asked.

Both boys lost weight. Drugs that were supposed to help them seemed to be
doing the exact opposite.

Shelley Wilkins from the Citizen's Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), an
organisation established by the Church of Scientology which opposes the use
of drugs to control ADHD, claimed to have identified 400 cases of
side-effects.

"There's a five year old who had a stroke while on Ritalin," Ms Wilkins
claimed. "There are seven-year-olds that have had hallucinations and
delusions, increased heart rates of a five- and seven-year-old."

"Suicide attempts, there was a seven-year-old who tried to walk in front of
some cars, then tried to jump off a roof, and this is the drug they were
on."

The reports of side-effects only came to light when the CCHR filed a freedom
of information request with the Therapeutic Goods Administration to detail
adverse reactions to psychiatric drugs.

"I wasn't surprised, but I must say I was absolutely horrified by the
content of the information we obtained," Ms Wilkins said. "This is just the
tip of the iceberg."



Both parents said they were not warned about side-effects. Kathryn Francis
was shocked at the reports.

"There's no way in hell I would have given Brandon medication if they had
told me that he could have died of a heart attack or suffered a stroke," she
said.

Head of the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of
Adelaide, Dr Jon Jureidini, believed many others may have suffered
side-effects.

"We doctors are not very good at reporting side effects," Dr Jureidini said.
"There are forms available for us to fill, but we rarely fill them in."

"It is possible for a drug to be used for a long time and have quite severe
side effects and for nobody to pick it up."

Some doctors claim Ritalin is in many cases the only solution for severe
ADHD, but Kathryn Francis and Julie Greatbatch have taken their kids off
Ritalin and called for tougher action on the drug.

"I think they are a complete and utter abomination," Julie said. "Whatever
they were designed for, God, don't tell me it was to give to our children."

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