FDA Approves Anti-Psychotic Drug for Teens

FDA Approves Anti-Psychotic Drug for Teens

The Food and Drug Administration approved expanding use of Johnson & Johnson’s anti-psychotic drug Risperdal to include adolescents suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, a move likely to heighten the already-fierce debate over pediatric prescriptions of such of such powerful drugs.Some doctors are concerned about the safety of treating children whose bodies are still growing with Risperdal and similar medications. They point out that the FDA’s decision is based on short-term studies. Risperdal and competing drugs have previously been tied to serious side effects including increased blood sugar, a potential precursor to diabetes.“ We definitely need to have longer-term follow-up to learn the full extent of the side-effect liabilities,” said Jeffrey Lieberman, chairman of the psychiatry department at Columbia University in New York gets research funding from drug companies.The FDA approval, which is limited to schizophrenic youngsters 13 –17 years old and short-term treatment of bipolar patients who are 10 – 17, also comes as experts continue to disagree over what symptoms justify prescribing anti-psychotics to teens and children.Risperdal is the first of the newer-generation anti-psychotic drugs known as “atypical” to win FDA approval for those conditions in young people. It was already sanctioned for irritability in pediatric patients with autism.Doctors are allowed to prescribe marketed drugs for any use they wish, even if it isn’t specifically approved by the FDA, and the use of anti-psychotics in young people is already growing rapidly. Overall, the drugs have roughly $15 billion in yearly sales, with Risperdal ringing up $4.18 billion last year. The number of doctor visits by patients 20 years and younger that included an anti-psychotic prescription grew to an estimated 1.2 million in 2002, from about 201,000 in 1993.

Here is where I must stop and ask, what happened between 1993 and 2002 that caused bipolar disorder and schizophrenia to increase in teens?

Was it Bill Clinton’s Monica Lewinsky affair? Was it the tech bubble of 200? Or was it September 11th, 2001?

Here is what I think. Perhaps it was because of the disconnection between parent and child. Let’s face it. No 13-year-old is going to get a prescription for such a dangerous drug without the parent or parent’s consent.

Are these the same 5-7-year-old children, who were prescribed Ritalin for ADD? Wow, what a pharmaceutical company dream come true!

A drug addict for life. Once this child is of the legal age, 18 in most states and 21 in others, well, they can now ask for any psychotic drug they want. In addition to five other or so drugs to counter all the side effects from the childhood years of drug abuse. Well, is it really drug abuse if I allow my doctor to prescribe a drug for my child that will allow him or her to be a more attentive student, be more sociable with others while I am working 12 hours a day, golfing, doing yoga and pilates, or is it child abuse?

I have four children. If they so much take a Tylenol over a six-month period I am upset. They all seem ok. They do well in school. They seem to follow instructions well.

I am simple man. I believe a little family participation, playing a little ball in the park, good food, sunlight and exercise can do a child a lot of good.

I am, however, a little afraid for them and myself. I am afraid that one of these abused children will forget to take his or her medication one day or two and snap. In the process, hurt someone in my family and other innocent children. Unfortunately, I do see children in our community who are troubled and are on these drugs. Frankly, I am bit more than afraid. I am terrified at the thought.

If you are one of these parents or know someone who is, get help. Learn how proper nutrition, exercise and tender care can be more powerful than any drug.

I am aware that there are truly some troubled children out there. I do not believe there are millions of troubled children out there in the U.S.

Thomas Affatato
www.infinitehealthresources.com