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Antipsychotics Have Dramatic Consequences in Kids, Study Shows
Filed under: In The News, Alcohol & Drugs, Health
Children can experience dramatic weight gain and insulin resistance just weeks after taking the drugs for the first time. Credit: Getty Images
Doling out antipsychotic to kids for the first time can be a case of the cure being worse than the disease.
Researchers found children can experience dramatic weight gain and insulin resistance just weeks after taking the drugs for the first time, Medscape.com reports.
Lead researcher, John W. Newcomer, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Miami, tells Medscape that prescribing antipsychotics has become trendy in the past 15 years or so -- even though there is no sudden epidemic of schizophrenia in children.
"The increase was due to the rising use of antipsychotics for disruptive behavior disorders," he says.
In other words, your kid acting a little hyper? Bomb him with meds.
Newcomer led the study while he was at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo. Researchers studied 125 kids who were prescribed Aripiprazole, Risperidone or Olanzapine for behavior problem. Newcomer admitted kids were less aggressive and irritable on the drugs.
"They got a lot better," Newcomer tells Medscape. "I was actually stunned at how much better they got. It gave me some margin of sympathy that I didn't have before for why the child psychiatrists and the pediatricians are using so much of these drugs."
But at what cost?
Kids who participated in the study showed significant weight gain and their bodies became less receptive to insulin. Their body fat shot up an average of 8.98 percent while their sensitivity to insulin decreased by an average of 3 percent.
"There was quite a bit of variability among the treatments in terms of increased fat, but just about everybody sloped upwards," Newcomer tells Medscape.
Kids on Olanzapine plumped out the most, he adds. The weight gain with Risperidone and Aripiprazole was much less.
The moral of the story for parents?
"If you have to use antipsychotics, with the emphasis on the 'have to,' then you want to pick the agents with the lower risk for metabolic outcomes," Newcomer recommends.
To view the original article on Medscape, click here to login.
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ReaderComments (Page 2 of 2)
7-02-2011 @ 4:53PM
Poison Girl said...I did need the medications I was on as a teenager and still need the ones I am on now at 23 sadly but when I was 15 even though I was refusing to eat before hand they put me on Zyprexa and I gained up to 300pounds by the end of a year while on it. I have yet to lose most of that weight. I wasn't excatly health before starting it but it just went from one end of the spectrum to the other.
6-22-2011 @ 12:14PM
Josiepkat said...Ok.. I just gotta say this here. I was MISDIAGNOSED over ten years ago.. chronic sleepiness, they said was depression ( which I actually never believed ) but was actually a thyroid. These drugs are extremely powerful even in small doses and NO ONE, should be using this crap off label even though Doctors do it all the time. No one should use this unless they are actually psychotic and very few people are.. any sort of psych illness is extremely hard to diagnose in a child so I have little doubt these pills are being given as an experiment on kids.. I went through 5 years of being over medicated and told that it was all "normal" by doctors. I have fought like crazy to get my health back. On Zyprexia I was in a coma most of the time ( so hey, great.. if your kid is a problem give them this and put them into medical restraint! ). I gained 40 lbs in 5 weeks! I was only on the drug at the lowest dose for a few months. 6 years later I still have trouble getting all the weight off.. even with being a dancer and going to the gym etc. No parent should be putting their kids on these type of drugs at all. There is no telling what sort of permanent horrible side effects ( and I have seen them!) your giving your kids. Change your childs diet.. ( no sugar and processed foods..) by all means take them to therapy but DO NOT allow drugs until they are at least 18. There is no telling what will happen in an adult when you mess with brain chemistry and there's a very real chance of making depression worse or dramatic negative personality changes ( I know this personally! These drugs made me act out in ways I NEVER would have before or since and most of the time I was a living dead person.. a fate I wouldnt wish on anyone ).
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6-25-2011 @ 2:59PM
trand1114 said...News flash: I just reported this article to NAMI.ORG.
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6-22-2011 @ 4:15PM
Roz said...STIGMABUSTERS.COM also needs to be notified.
6-22-2011 @ 11:55AM
Elssa Green said...Find yourself a new writer who can use better judgement than to write"crazy pills" to describe medication for serious illmess. There is enough stigma to have to overcome and enough heartache for people dealing with these issues.
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6-22-2011 @ 12:05PM
Kate said...CAREFUL WITH THE CRAZY PILLS???!!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!!! HOW DARE YOU !!! I THINK WHOEVER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE ARTICLES THAT ARE ALLOWED TO POST ONLINE IS THE CRAZY ONE!!!!! My child has Aspergers syndrome and is NOT CRAZY!!!! He has a mild form of AUTISM you uninformed BUTTHEAD!!!! He has been on Resperidone for 3yrs and has gained ALOT of weight from it, HOWEVER .... It has also alowed him to control his emotions better and thus improved his life dramatically!!! He was in a special school for special Ed. kids and is now doing ABOVE grade level work in a regular classroom with 28 other "norm" kids!!! (btw I dont like to use the word normal at all and usually avoid it at all costs) His weight is now a real problem, but compared to his quality of life before the drug, there is no comparison! Your derogitory description of antipsychotics as "crazy pills" may sway a parent from possiably trying this med on advice from there doctor ... it is a very scary decision to medicate your child and there is ALOT to consider... but it should only be based on what is best for YOUR child and facts!!!! Not the uninformed opinions of others who obviouslly dont have any clue what it is like to have a loved one who may benifit from this drug! FYI please keep in mind that any medication is just a piece of the whole picture, Therapy, Lots of love, excellent specialists and the proper use and dosage of prescribed meds are all equally important to the wellness of a child... or anybody thats born "special". And I truly feel (this is just my personal opinion and based on my own experiences) that family support and a positive atmosphere are expecially important to you and your loved one in need. Having a child that has difficulties can put a huge strain on family life and marriages.... And my husband and I almost divorced (seperated for 1yr) before he finally recieved the special services and treatment for his Aspergers, We had to fight tooth and nail for every milestone our child reached. (after all you are your childs only advocate!) My husband and I realized that our family and love were worth the fight and it was better for us and our child to work it out... So therapy can be key for family members as well as for your child, There is NO shame in seeking help! Our child has deff. benifitted from having a stable home situation. I know this may not hold true for everyone, And every marriage has there own personal struggles and pains. So it may not be poss. to save every marriage or relationship and some are better off apart. So in short I guess what is most important is that the parents are happy and mentally healthy/strong so that we can be the best we can be for ourselves and in turn the best parent possiable for our childs well being and growth. I give you all of this advice from my own experiences, we have had MANY ups and downs, Victorys and failures alike. And if anyone could benifit from my life I welcome it!! ....... My son is an insperation to me, He is sooooo smart and incrediably loving and even though not every day is a walk in the park, I wouldnt change a thing..... Thru all of his trials in life, He (and myself) have become stronger for it and appreciate things that others take for granted. And just to clarify this one more time, ANTIPSYCHOTICS ARE NOT CRAZY PILLS!!! THE EDITOR RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ARTICLE IS!!! WHAT INCREDIBLE IGNORANCE!!! btw, My spelling is horrid!! I know this!! I wrote this quickly and from my heart and spellcheck is the least of my worries..... I'm blessed to just have enough free time to write it!! Parents stay strong, and be informed.... network with other parents and gain insite from others struggles. Research, research, research!!! NEVER give up hope.... with hard work and due dilligence it will all pay off in the end. - I send my love and respect to all who are fighting for their child or other loved one. - Kate
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6-22-2011 @ 12:25PM
Josiepkat said...As for the article.. Well of course these drugs made kids more docile.. on the lowest dose I was literally OUT like light the second it hit my system. I would wake up in my clothes passed out in the corner of my room because I didn't even make it to the bed. I slept for DAYS! I see Lindsey's story above and it pretty much mirrors my own..as an adult. I was told at one point I would never live a normal life and would have to be put in a home. All this from someone who before just had an excessive sleepiness problem. Yes.. off these drugs I am normal and productive, if only those doctors saw me now! Please realize that MOST medical studies are done by doctors who are receiving money from the drug companies for writing studies and so on for medical journals. You can't believe ANYTHING they say!
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6-22-2011 @ 12:53PM
JULIUS said...ridelin was prescribed to my daughter after my exwife listened to a lazy teacher at my daughers school in millville, nj who i think just didn't want to be bothered trying to control my daughers high energy.
i was not told of this until i noticed on weekends when i picked her up that she had no appitite and was losing weight very fast, so fast that she even started passing out, she had been a very normal weight active 8yr old. myself and my sister told my ex wife we would take her to court unless my daughter was taken off of this nasty stuff. ever since that time, my daugher developed a weight problem, gained weight very fast and has ever since had a overweight problem.
i myself to this day 13yrs later blame that needless drug for this and still think i might persue a law suit against the drug company and the school system and the teacher involved.
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6-22-2011 @ 2:36PM
Roz said...Amen, Rebecca!
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6-22-2011 @ 1:11PM
kendalldek said...I tried several drugs for schizophrenia and finally got some help with Geodon. I gained a lot of wieght in the process and am now on a 2000 calorie diet. I've lost some of the weight. I need to lose much more to reach my goal. At least I am more stable mentally now. My Daughters sent me a Jack LaLanne juicer for Fathers Day and birthday. I hope to get better nutrition using it. I'm not much of a cook. I juiced up an orange, 2 limes and 2 carrots for breakfast this morning. It was great.
anyway I don't much care if someone calls my pills crazy pills. The drugs help me be a better person.
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6-22-2011 @ 1:30PM
Roz said...CRAZY PILLS??? This is an example of the fact that the hideous stigma surrounding mental illness is alive, active and continuing to hurt those people suffering from all forms of mental illnesses. I'm reporting this to stigmabusters.com Shame Shame Shame
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6-22-2011 @ 2:39PM
harvey.heathermarie said...Thank you all for expressing your outrage against this article. I have been on anti-depressants since the age of 18 and am tired of the stigma that seems ever-present concerning mental disorders. I am NOT crazy, nor are ANY sufferers of mental disorders. I urge everyone to write to ParentDish.com directly, as I have done, to further demand the removal of this distasteful and hurtful comment. This snide remark is especially disgusting considering it opens an article about CHILDREN'S mental disorders. To call a child suffering from such an ailment "crazy" is so incredibly irresponsible that it warrants immediate and serious action.
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6-22-2011 @ 2:46PM
Roz said...The benefits of psychotropic medication have been replicated in numerous peer-reviewed studies for decades. Off-label prescribing has been found effective as well in the hands of American Board Certified psychiatrists. Systematic trials of medication used in treatment that fail can lead to what "will" work. However, that takes perseverence and patience as many take up to 6 weeks to fully take effect. Child and Adolescent Board Certified psychiatrists are the most educated in treatment of children, some of whom reveal psychosis as young as 3 y/o. Yes, there is always the potential for side-effects, but these MUST be reported ASAP to the prescribing physician so that he/she can adjust either dosage, or change of medication. Until one walks in the shoes of those in pain, or of parents tested by the extraordinary challenges of children with mental illnesses, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE SHOULD HOLD THE GUN OF JUDGMENT TO THEIR HEADS. The lead graph in this article is an abomination, and the writer should retract it with apology,
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6-22-2011 @ 7:15PM
NYEiya said..."Crazy pills"??? How dare you!
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