Cardiovascular Side Effects of Ritalin

[Jan Drew]

http://www.adhd-report.com/adhd/ritalin/29_ritalin_side_effects.html


Cardiovascular Side Effects of Ritalin


1.Rapid heart beat (palpitations, tachycardia)
2.High blood pressure (hypertension)
3.Unusual heart rhythm (arrythmia)
4.Heart attack (cardiac arrest)


Central Nervous System Side Effects of Ritalin


5.Altered mental status (psychosis)
6.Hallucinations
7.Depression or excitement
8.Convulsions / seizures (excessive brain stimulation)
9.Drowsiness or "dopey" feeling
10.Confusion
11.Lack of sleep (insomnia)
12.Agitation, irritation, anxiety, nervousness
13.Hostility
14.Unhappiness (Dysphoria)
15.Impaired mental abilities (cognitive impairment on tests)
16.Jerky movements (Dyskinesias, tics, Tourette's syndrome)
17.Nervous habits (such as picking at skin or pulling hair)
18.Compulsive behavior
19.Depression/over-sensitivity
20.Decreased social interest
21.Zombie-like behavior


Gastrointestinal Side Effects of Ritalin


22.Eating disorders (anorexia)
23.Nausea
24.Vomiting
25.Stomach ache / cramps
26.Dry mouth
27.Constipation
28.Abnormal liver function tests


Endocrine/Metabolic Side Effects of Ritalin


29.Growth problems (pituitary dysfunction)
30.Weight loss


Other Side Effects of Ritalin


31.Blurred vision
32.Headache
33.Dizziness
34.Rash/conjunctivitis/hives
35.Hair loss
36.Inflammation of the skin (dermatitis)
37.Blood disorders (anorexia, leukoplacia)
38.Involuntary discharge of urine (enuresis)
39.Fever
40.Joint pain
41.Unusual sweating


Ritalin Withdrawal and Rebound


42.Sleep problems (insomnia)
43.Evening crash
44.Depression
45.Over-activity and irritability
46.Worsening of ADHD-like symptoms


ADHD in the UK


?In a major report from the British Psychological Society, British
physicians and psychologists are warned not to follow the Canadian and
U.S. practice of applying the label attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) to such a wide variety of behaviors in children.


Above all, the report urges restraint in the prescribing of
psychostimulants: "It must not be the first, and definitely not the
only, line of treatment."?


?The widespread appellation of ADHD in North America to difficult


children means that most classrooms, and many families, have children
who are so classified. Although ADHD is officially a term for a
category of mental disorder, the report said, "it has become so widely
used ... that it has a prominent place in the contemporary culture."


Yet in Britain, there is a stark difference, according to the report:
"The idea that children who don't attend or don't sit still in school
have a mental disorder is not entertained by most British clinicians."?

[[email protected]]

A neighbor boy was on Ritalin and had a stroke and cardia arrythmias.
Previously he had been very healthy. He is doing okay now, that was 5-6
years ago. We wanted to get our son off of meds and found a book by Dr.
David B. Stein titled "Riatalin is Not the Answer." We used the
Caregivers' Skills Program that is in the book and when we had our son
retested for ADHD nearly a year later, he no longer fit the criteria!
Stein's books are amazing. I'm now reading his "Controlling the
Difficult Adolescent." He has a website at http://www.drdavestein.com

Thanks for posting that, it was interesting.
Sarah


Jan Drew wrote:
> http://www.adhd-report.com/adhd/ritalin/29_ritalin_side_effects.html
>
>
> Cardiovascular Side Effects of Ritalin
>
>
> 1.Rapid heart beat (palpitations, tachycardia)
> 2.High blood pressure (hypertension)
> 3.Unusual heart rhythm (arrythmia)
> 4.Heart attack (cardiac arrest)
>
>
> Central Nervous System Side Effects of Ritalin
>
>
> 5.Altered mental status (psychosis)
> 6.Hallucinations
> 7.Depression or excitement
> 8.Convulsions / seizures (excessive brain stimulation)
> 9.Drowsiness or "dopey" feeling
> 10.Confusion
> 11.Lack of sleep (insomnia)
> 12.Agitation, irritation, anxiety, nervousness
> 13.Hostility
> 14.Unhappiness (Dysphoria)
> 15.Impaired mental abilities (cognitive impairment on tests)
> 16.Jerky movements (Dyskinesias, tics, Tourette's syndrome)
> 17.Nervous habits (such as picking at skin or pulling hair)
> 18.Compulsive behavior
> 19.Depression/over-sensitivity
> 20.Decreased social interest
> 21.Zombie-like behavior
>
>
> Gastrointestinal Side Effects of Ritalin
>
>
> 22.Eating disorders (anorexia)
> 23.Nausea
> 24.Vomiting
> 25.Stomach ache / cramps
> 26.Dry mouth
> 27.Constipation
> 28.Abnormal liver function tests
>
>
> Endocrine/Metabolic Side Effects of Ritalin
>
>
> 29.Growth problems (pituitary dysfunction)
> 30.Weight loss
>
>
> Other Side Effects of Ritalin
>
>
> 31.Blurred vision
> 32.Headache
> 33.Dizziness
> 34.Rash/conjunctivitis/hives
> 35.Hair loss
> 36.Inflammation of the skin (dermatitis)
> 37.Blood disorders (anorexia, leukoplacia)
> 38.Involuntary discharge of urine (enuresis)
> 39.Fever
> 40.Joint pain
> 41.Unusual sweating
>
>
> Ritalin Withdrawal and Rebound
>
>
> 42.Sleep problems (insomnia)
> 43.Evening crash
> 44.Depression
> 45.Over-activity and irritability
> 46.Worsening of ADHD-like symptoms
>
>
> ADHD in the UK
>
>
> ?In a major report from the British Psychological Society, British
> physicians and psychologists are warned not to follow the Canadian and
> U.S. practice of applying the label attention deficit hyperactivity
> disorder (ADHD) to such a wide variety of behaviors in children.
>
>
> Above all, the report urges restraint in the prescribing of
> psychostimulants: "It must not be the first, and definitely not the
> only, line of treatment."?
>
>
> ?The widespread appellation of ADHD in North America to difficult
>
>
> children means that most classrooms, and many families, have children
> who are so classified. Although ADHD is officially a term for a
> category of mental disorder, the report said, "it has become so widely
> used ... that it has a prominent place in the contemporary culture."
>
>
> Yet in Britain, there is a stark difference, according to the report:
> "The idea that children who don't attend or don't sit still in school
> have a mental disorder is not entertained by most British clinicians."?