New ADHD drug is a BIG Mistake!
Intuniv – a new and different once-daily ADHD drug – just got approved by the FDA for use in children as young as 6. BIG mistake! This is drug is being marketed as the ‘kinder, gentler’ ADHD medication because it’s not a controlled substance and it’s not addictive. But what it is… is very dangerous for your child.
Here are nine very good reasons you should NOT give your child this ADHD drug:
- It’s only been tested for effectiveness in two short trials: one 8-week and one 9-week. No one knows if it will work after that. But everyone knows that ADHD is not an 8-week issue.
- The two long-term safety trials lasted an average of 10 months.
- Common adverse events of this ADHD medication, happening even at the lowest possible dose, include abdominal pain, sedation, dizziness, dry mouth, constipation, hypotension (very low blood pressure), loss of appetite, sedation, and somnolence (extreme sleepiness).
- Children taking Intuniv are also at risk for bradycardia (dangerously slow heart rate) and syncope (fainting).
- 12% of subjects (on Intuniv) dropped out of the trials because of adverse events, three times as many as in the placebo group.
- In the short-term studies, a full 38% of patients suffered from excessive daytime sleepiness.
- In the long-term studies, 45% of the patients suffered from extreme sleepiness, 26% reported headaches, and 15% complained of fatigue.
- Some patients also reported psychiatric disorders, like anxiety, agitation, depression, and nightmares.
- Less common adverse reactions reported by patients to this ADHD drug included sinus arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), atrioventricular block (a disruption in the impulse that regulates the heart), chest pain, increased urinary frequency, asthma, and elevated liver enzymes.
Bottom line: Intuniv (and other pharmaceutical “solutions” for ADHD, such as Ritalin) can cause a great deal more harm than good for your child. But there are several safe, natural protocols that really can help… and you can learn more about them on this website: http://www.treatadhdnaturally.com/
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Carrie,
I do not have a blog or even know how to blog, so I hope you do not mind responding to an email address. I have a daughter who is 6 1/2 yrs old and having been going to therapists for the past year and a half for my daughters anger outburst, deviant & aggressive behavior. The current therapist we are going to has indicated that she sees signs of ADHD and ODD and suggested we see a psychiatrist and we have. He has suggested the drug Intuniv. I am so very concerned about medication for my daughter, but just talking with a therapist has not help her issues at all. I have tried to read everything I can on the drug. I am concerned with the side effects as well as her becoming a zombie if we should decide to give Intuniv a try. It is interesting that the blogs, support or non-support websites I have went to I have noticed that the drug seems to work more positively on boys vs girls. Did you find this in researching or talking to anybody about the drug? I am also concerned about the “9 week” time frame that is mentioned in all the medical literiture that I have read. The psychiatrist that suggested Intuniv indicated that my daughter would possibly taking the medication for 6 mos to a year. What kind of time frame were you give as to how long your son would be taking the drug? I guess I just want to make sure I am doing the right thing. Thank you. -
I have had my son on Intuniv (2 mg) since December. There have been both positive and negative effects. My son has minor tics. He also and rated at the high end of the impulsivity scale and was also ODD. The positives: When we increased the dosage to 2 mg we saw marked improvement in his behaviors. He was more agreeable and this was noted at school as well. His friendships seem to be gonging easier as a result. His tics also seem to have lessened.
However there have been serious negative effects and so we are probably going to discontinue the medication: (1) my son’s appetite has increased and he has gained 8 pounds in the four months that he has been on the medication, which is a noted side-effect in 7% of those taking the drug; (2) we have had a few incidents of sudden sleep onset — like on the chair lift at a ski resort in Wisconsin (this seems to have tapered off) (3) his sports performance has declined — he is now the slowest kid in his class in soccer when that was not true 6 months ago and he says it is because he is “tired” and has”chest pains,” which are both noted side effects of Intuniv (4) when we were skiing at altitude at spring break he complained of chest pains for the first several days and had real issues with his energy level (5) interestingly, he has been on the medication for 16 weeks and he seems to becoming less agreeable.
I would be interested in hearing if anyone else is having any of these same issues.
My son is 8 years old. For the last 3 years we have had so much trouble with him both at home and at school. He is OCD with symptoms of ODD, tics, anxiety, extreme impulsivity, and many symptoms of ADHD. He has been fully tested and has trouble with working memory. We have tried everything in this time: diets of all kinds, omega-3 fatty acids, behavioral therapy, etc. in a “natural” attempt to help him. He is extrememly bright, creative, and very sweet until he gets frustrated or agitated, which was a daily occurence. His anxiety at school or any group setting such as soccer was horrible to see. He has been suspended from school twice for serious aggression towards teachers and was was not capable of finishing his daily work at school. We were on a road to expulsion and testing for bipolar and schizophrenia.
Then we tried Intuniv on the advice of a behavioral neurologist. The change in his behavior has been astounding, unbelievable, amazing, and wonderful. For 2 weeks now he has finally been calm, happy, and relaxed at school. He no longer argues with us, his teachers, or his sister. He is pleasant and sweet – the boy I always knew he was underneath all the symptoms that seemed so beyond his control. His teachers report that he finishes his work every day (usually he never could) and seems so relaxed. His tics and his stuttering speech have disappeared. His handwriting has improved dramatically because he can actually focus on it. Yet he is not sedated or “drugged out”. He has energy and humor, and seems just like himself minus all that anxiety. It seems as if his true personality is finally shining through.
He has had no ill effects from Intuniv save a little drowsiness at around bedtime (not a bad thing!). We will see what the long-term effects are. We also still go to therapy and we try every other method we can think of for helping his behavior improve. It just seems like he is able to listen to us (finally!) With the help of Intuniv.
I am usually uncomfortable giving my children medication and was resistant to the idea. But you have to weigh the risks with the benefits. My son’s benefits? He finally seems happy, is doing his schoolwork, is no longer kicking his teachers, and actually is playing with his classmates at school.
And if you compare the side effects of this medication, which btw has been used for countless years as a common treatment for high blood pressure under the name Tenex, it beats all other drugs for adhd hands-down on safety. You have to remember that Intuniv is actually a reformulation for pediatric use of very well-tested medication (Tenex). It is not really a “new” drug. It is merely an extended release type of guanficine.
If my child does develop side effects, I will take him off the medicine. But for us as a very stressed out and torn-apart family, Intuniv has been nothing short of a miracle. I finally have my sweet son back after 3 painful years of struggle and anxiety.
I hope that any parent would weigh risks and benefits before automatically saying that drugs are not the answer.