Medication Side Effects .info Disclaimer
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The FDA's Pediatric Advisory Committee is examining the safety of Ritalin and Concerta, drugs which contain the same active ingredient methylphenidate. Reported psychiatric Ritalin side effects include: suicidal thoughts, aggression, psychotic behavior and hallucinations. The FDA plans to add new Ritalin warnings (Ritalin Black Box Warning) and new Concerta warnings to the thier labels that emphasize the seriousness of these psychiatric side effects. Ritalin side effects are also associated with serious cardiovascular side effects including: cardiac arrhythmia, tachycardia, chest pain, and hypertension.
Ritalin side effects are also associated with other serious health issues. In one small study of 12 chidren, scientists from the University of Texas and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center found a link between Ritalin and increased risk of cancer. The 12 children in the study taking Ritalin all experienced a significant increase in their level of chromosome abnormalities, occurrences which are associated with increased cancer risk and other adverse health effects. "Assuming it holds up, this study doesn't mean these kids are going to get cancer, but it does mean they're exposed to an additional risk factor," said Marvin Legator, a professor of environmental toxicology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and the study's principal investigator and senior author. "Smoking doesn't mean you'll get cancer. It's a risk factor." The study is the first to look at the potential chromosome-damaging effects associated with methylphenidate, the generic name for Ritalin, the most widely prescribed drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ).
Additional side effects of Ritalin and side effects of Concerta include: loss of appetite, abdominal pain, sleep problems, and headaches. If Ritalin is taken long term, children may be smaller as a result of the appetite suppression side effect.
Between 1991 and 1999, U.S. sales of Ritalin and the related drugs Concerta and Metadata CD increased more than 500 percent. Of the 29 million prescriptions written for Ritalin and other ADHD drugs in 2004, 23 million were for children. Ritalin is manufactured by Novartis Pharmaceuticals. In June 2005, the FDA announced it will be investigating all ADHD drugs including Ritalin, Concerta, Strattera and Adderall.
If you or a loved one have taken Ritalin and have suffered due to a Ritalin injury or Ritalin side effects you may need to contact an Ritalin lawyer about an Ritalin lawsuit. There are several Ritalin attorneys around the country that have the necessary experience required to handle a Ritalin side effects lawsuit. Here are links to two such law firms:
Ritalin Side Effects Lawsuits - Ennis & Ennis, P.A. - A national firm taking cases nationwide.
www.yourlawyer.com - A New York law firm.