The 'atypical' dilemma - Skyrocketing numbers of kids are prescribed powerful antipsychotic drugs

St. Petersburg Times (FL) ^ | July 29, 2007 | ROBERT FARLEY

[Sopater]

There is almost no research on the long-term effects of such powerful medications on the developing brains of children. The more that researchers learn, the less comfortable many are becoming with atypicals.

Initially billed as wonder drugs with few significant side effects, evidence is mounting that they can cause rapid weight gain, diabetes, even death.

JUST SAY NO!

[Red Badger]

Oh, brave new world, that has such people in it!........

[AdamSelene235]

Last year, when Risperdal became the first and only atypical approved for use in children....the association warned against potentially serious side effects, including lactation in boys

Billy's much better behaved now that he's finally started lactating.

[MD_Willington_1976]

SOMA, it’s a brave new world folks...

[Clara Lou]

I’m going to say that the root of some significant part of this is poor parenting skills.

[Red Badger]

Oh, That’ll really go over big in gym class!.........

[azcap]

Matthew's doctors are "leaning toward" a diagnosis of oppositional defiance disorder

 

That's a new one for me. I believe in previous generations that was called "bullheaded." and was often cured over a matter of weeks with a prescription of leather or wood.

 

[Tax-chick]

The ever-increasing number of kids who come through the doors of pediatrician Esther Gonzalez's office lead chaotic lives. There's more divorce and more drug use, more domestic violence and physical and sexual abuse. Working parents are overwhelmed.

I'm sure it's difficult for Esther. She can't force the parents of her patients to start living in ways that are healthy for themselves and the children.

However, isn't she potentially making it even worse for the children by prescribing powerful and under-tested drugs?

[OldBullrider]

There is an alternative to putting unruly and out of control children back on track, it is called discipline. This society has gone off the deep end we all think the 60’s adage “better living through pharmacy”, doctors are not the cure-all.

[Tall_Texan]

Only a fraction of these children really need the drugs. Of course, if parents were still allowed to swat the rumps of their little darlings without liberal condemnation, you’d probably see less out of control children.

[dakine]

Shoot, in the old days, we had to steal to get/buy drugs...now free?

[cinives]

In prior years some of this type of behavior was handled by sending the kid out to work at a trade or milk the farm cows instead of sitting in a room with nothing to do except create mischief.

Now, parents not only have no physical outlet for the kids to burn off energy and aggression, but physical discipline is also a no-no.

Drugs are absolutely not the answer, but some type of social accommodation for these kids to have a place to be useful to themselves and their families needs to happen. In this society, I don’t know what that would be.

[backhoe]

Last year, when Risperdal became the first and only atypical approved for use in children....the association warned against potentially serious side effects, including lactation in boys
Billy's much better behaved now that he's finally started lactating.

For whatever it's worth, I covered some of this years ago:

Rx Nation- are our children being medicated to death?

[Grizzled Bear]

Not prescribing drugs to a child who needs them, she said, “it’s like seeing someone dying and not giving them CPR.”

---

What happens when you give CPR to someone who doesn’t need it?

[sweet_diane]

I recently found out a child we know has been on Prozac. In the past we took her to church and youth activities and tried to teach her some manners. She responded well and got to where she'd behave appropriately when she was with us. I remember her coming into our home and plopping down on the couch saying "ahhhh... a family!".

Her mother has repeatedly told me she didn't want her, but agreed to the pregnancy because her Husband found out his kids from previous marriage probably weren't his. Her mother has always been more interested in ANYTHING that wasn't her and wonders why the child is loud, rude, nosey and obese. Her mother is waiting for her to start her period so she can get her on birth control so "she won't be pregnant at 15 like me, her aunts and her older sister".

Maybe the Prozac will help and she won't end up like her older siblings..her sister whose latest husband is abusive to her and their kids (she luuuvvvs him), her brother who killed himself drunk driving (it was the cops fault for trying to stop him) or her other brother who was recently beaten and drug down the road (it was 'the blacks' fault) during a drug deal turned bad.

Society - Hell - Handbasket

IMHO of course

[Politicalmom]

My son is bi-polar and has ADHD. Risperdal has been a life saver-for him and our entire family.

I am not a lazy parent. My son comes from a loving, intact family.

I fought medication for YEARS. The improvement has been so wonderful I wish I had done it sooner.

[radioman]

However, isn't she potentially making it even worse for the children by prescribing powerful and under-tested drugs?

But it makes her so much money!
.

[darkangel82]

Sounds like this doctor needs a visit from the “authorities”.

[Snoopers-868th]

Simple: Herding the masses.

[southlake_hoosier]

I’m going to say that the root of some significant part of this is poor parenting skills.

More like unwilling to participate in any parenting skills. It's all about 'ME', not the kids. I see this everyday. You have parents that would spend money on a tattoo and not on a child's meal, or glasses, and so on.

(I am not picking on the tattoo and pierce crowd, it is just a generalization)

It is like the War on Terror, it is not over in one afternoon, so people complain. With kids, they have to be looked after and their parents don't want to put in the 18 or so years of service the kids require. After a couple of years they are tired of it already and want to 'drug' the kids so they don't have to do their job. Another example is full day kindergarten. This is just another way to get day care, and get rid of the kids as soon as possible.

We treat kids in this country worse than Vick treats dogs (allegedly).