ADHD drugs linked to hallucinations
January 26, 2009 by Personal Liberty News Desk
Medications used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children may cause hallucinations, according to new research.
Scientists at the FDA looked at the results of 49 clinical studies of drugs including Ritalin, Adderall, Strattera and other common medications used to treat ADHD – a condition affecting up to 7 percent of American children.
"The numbers of cases of psychosis or mania in pediatric clinical trials were small," the researchers wrote, according to Reuters. "However, we noted a complete absence of such events with placebo treatments."
In some of the cases analyzed, young children had the sensation that worms or insects were crawling on their bodies. Ninety percent of the time, the kids had no previous history of similar psychiatric problems.
Approximately 4.3 percent of the nation’s children take drugs to treat symptoms of ADHD, which include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
Previous research of ADHD drugs has found other dangers, including an increased risk of stunted growth among children taking Ritalin.
More common side effects of these medications include sleep problems and loss of appetite.
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