Accidental overdoses and side effects from attention deficit drugs likely send thousands of children and adults to emergency rooms, as per the first national estimates of the problem.

Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated problems with the stimulant drugs drive nearly 3,100 people to ERs each year. Nearly two-thirds - overdoses and accidental use - could be prevented by parents locking the pills away, the scientists say.

Other patients had side effects, including potential cardiac problems such as chest pain, stroke, hypertension and fast heart rate.

Concerns over those effects have led some doctors to urge the Food and Drug Administration to require a "black box," its most serious warning, on package inserts for drugs such as Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall. Yet even doctors advising the FDA don't agree on whether that's warranted.



Posted by: Emily    Source

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