Posted on 10/27/2009 7:41:49 PM PDT by neverdem
Drugs that alleviate severe mental disorders can also result in troubling metabolic changes.
Many young children and adolescents taking drugs for severe psychiatric problems gain substantial weight and, in some cases, show increased levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in their blood, researchers report in the Oct. 28 Journal of the American Medical Association.
Although the data from this study need to be replicated over a longer time frame, the findings nonetheless raise worrisome questions about anti-psychotic drugs that often benefit children who have schizophrenia, autism, tics, severe bipolar disorder or aggressive behavior.
“We are between a rock and a hard place here,” says study coauthor Christoph Correll, a psychiatrist at the Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y. These mental disorders are severe and can lead to suicide or to educational problems and emotional scars, he says. On the other hand, weight gain during youth predisposes an individual to chronic health problems later in life, he says.
Weight gain has been noticed before in children and adolescents taking commonly prescribed drugs for severe psychiatric problems. But studies seeking to link that weight gain to the medications were often muddied because patients had taken one of the drugs beforehand at some point — and may have already put on weight from it or reset their body metabolism to adjust to the drug somehow.
In the new study, Correll and his colleagues monitored 272 children, ages 4 to 19, between 2001 and 2007. Of these, 257 were getting psychotropics for severe problems for the first time, and 15 others refused the drugs but agreed to be seen by a doctor. The drugs were olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel), risperidone (Risperdal) or aripiprazole (Abilify). Restricting the study to first-timers eliminated problems encountered in earlier studies.
After a median follow-up period of nearly 11...
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencenews.org ...
Yea that will do wonders for depressed girls...
Is that why we have all these passive/aggressive little butterballs?
I think kids need some freedom with structure.
We have millions of frustrated sedated kids in this country that are having their potential limited with drugs and Nanny’s.
They are taught from the time they are baby’s that they CANT be proud of their roots. That they CANT compete, and Good Lord, the world is to scary for them to experience without Gubmint oversight.
Is it any wonder we have frustrated children?
Our children yearn for independence too.
BTW
Science news is the biggest load of clap trap since Al Gore.
Follow the money.
These folks get paid to gin up new BS that they can further research and report on
Ya know what will **** up a kids mind real fast?
Tell him or her they are “broken” and then wallow in it.
Then dope them up.
They aren't talking about depression or major depressive disorder.
"Although the data from this study need to be replicated over a longer time frame, the findings nonetheless raise worrisome questions about anti-psychotic drugs that often benefit children who have schizophrenia, autism, tics, severe bipolar disorder or aggressive behavior."
A study group of 272
I’m willing to wager that most are depressed or angry because they have been pigeon holed, placed on drugs and told they are broken.
In a word..”Obamacare”
Try parenting and forget the drugs.
These drugs were being used at 3 times the rate that the supposed underlying conditions statistically occur....and THAT was 10 years ago!
It’s worse now.
Don’t bother with justifying your particular situation, if you happen to be in that 30%.
This is meant for the other 70%......
Sure thing Larry, after all my two autistic kids are a punishment from god for being a bad parent.
Netbook gravy train starts to slow as euphoria fades(what's your opinion?)
Germans Unhappy with Alternative Swine Flu Vaccine for Politicians
Vitamin D supplements show anti-diabetes potential
FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.
somewhat massive amounts of:
a. Fish Oil
b. Vitamin D
c. B Vitamins, specific emphasis Niacin, Folate, B12, Benfotiamine (B1)
and various other combined dietary strategies. They're much easier to ingest now than they were in the past.
I realize we're talking serious mental illness here, but perhaps many could get by with greatly reduced dosages of these hideous meds.
I've always suspected the Trans Fat Monster with these spikes in mental illness, though that will NEVER be proven or concluded (liability nightmare). Dietary fats can readily cross the blood-brain barrier, correct?
This is entirely predictable and really old news. These studies mirror what is seen in adults.
If you want to avoid weight gain, you go with Abilify and Geodon. Avoid olanzapine. It’s not tough.
I’ve seen a child go from shrieking, jumping out of cabinets naked, biting people, and running through the halls completely exposed to quietly talking about his Pokemon cards after one day on anti-psychotics. They’re literallly world-changers for the right parent and completely indispensible.
I don't know. Can triglycerides do that? Again, I don't know. We do know triglyceride concentraion is assayed in blood. The brain doesn't use free fatty acids for fuel, only gluose. The heart can use free fatty acids for fuel, IIRC, and newer reseach may happen to say otherwise about the blood-brain barrier.
IIRC, large molecules like proteins are usually excluded. However, some white blood cells were photographed infiltrating the blood-brain barrier.
What part of my excepting statement didn’t you understand?
“Don’t bother with justifying your particular situation, if you happen to be in that 30%.”
The message was to the other 70%, NOT you.
Prayers up!
This could be really important for T-cell leukemia treatments. Relapses for it tend to be in the central nervous system. Current treatment includes intrathecal chemo and cranial radiation, but based on this info researchers could hopefully find another mechanism. The chemo and/or steroidal treatment can cause bi-polar.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.