NEW ENGLAND CENTER FOR PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT AND EDUCATION

SIMON EPSTEIN, M.D.
91 STRAWBERRY HILL AVE. #140
STAMFORD, CT 06902
203-348-8579

Monthly NewsNotes

Monthly NewsNote

March 2005

Email this article to a friend

ON ADDERALL

Several weeks ago Canada abruptly withdrew AdderallXR from the market. I had heard nothing about this coming and one day received several calls from anxious patients who had read about it in USA Today or the Wall Street Journal. This Monthly NewsNote will discuss the subject because it is of concern to many people, and a very helpful drug for the treatment of ADD.

Here’s the material I’ve been able to gather. From 1999 through 2003 there have been 12 cases of sudden death in patients 7 to 16 years of age. The average age was 12, and all the deaths were in males. Five of the 12 cases had cardiac risk factors, including undiagnosed risk factors. There is no specific finding relating to the remaining seven, though there was apparently a problem of one kind or another with the remaining seven.

The FDA stated that “it does not appear that the number of deaths reported is greater than the number of sudden deaths that would be expected in this population without treatment” The FDA is reviewing the cases but they do not feel the medication should be withdrawn or re-labeled.

The important message in this would be to be as sure as possible that no cardiac risk factors exist. A regular check up by your pediatrician is an important part of this. If you are an adult be sure to have annual check ups to make sure blood pressure, pulse, etc. are normal.

However, a review of the material suggests that this is a safe drug. There were 30 million prescriptions worldwide between 1999 and 2003, which certainly shows that the drug is widely used. It seems reasonable to continue the medication because it can certainly do a lot of good.

But I would add a caveat. There are many students in college and high school who are getting medication illegally and using the tablets to help them do better. This problem has become quite widespread and we don’t know how to control it because of the academic pressures students are subject to. But we now see that however rare, there are potential risks to taking Adderall. I think that it is important that these students get the message!

Back to top