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Post by m00mma on Apr 22, 2008 13:10:59 GMT -5
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Post by Mayleng on Apr 22, 2008 15:36:36 GMT -5
I did read it, and saw a question about it over at GS, which I felt compelled to answer. This is not news. All stimulants come with safety warnings about the dangers of pre-existing heart conditions and death, which is why I always say get an ECG before going on stimulants and have regular checkups with the doctor including ECGs. I insisted the Peds send my son for an ECG before starting stimulants 6 years ago, because I do have a family history of Heart Problems. He now has an ECG annually, I still have to insist that the doctor does it.
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Post by m00mma on Apr 22, 2008 16:01:31 GMT -5
ok...thanks mayleng...i thought it seemed like it wasn't new because of a warning to tel the dr if there is any racing of the heart with my med focalin xr... but i figured i should check.
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Post by Mayleng on Apr 22, 2008 16:24:10 GMT -5
Always good to check, I think the The American Heart Association just woke up and decided it was a good idea for everyone to have an ECG/EKG prior to starting stimulants. I am surprised it took this long for them to officially do it. At least now it is easier for us to ask the prescribing doctors to do that as part of the treatment. I had to insist 6 yrs ago that it be done for my son. But not many people know to do that and the Peds and psychs prescribing these meds certainly don't tell you to do it.
Thanks for posting this.
Anytime, you feel racing heart of increase pulse etc, you should tell the doctor, doesn't matter what meds you are on, but especially on stimulants. There are warnings on their safety information and prescribing information on all the stimulants. I find it helps if I go online and checkout the prescribing info on all medications my kids and I are on, to read for myself the side effects and safety warnings. Most doctors don't tell you what to look out for. I sometimes think they don't read the prescribing info, in fact I know some don't because I had to "teach" my son's Peds all about dosing strattera when it first came out and showed him the prescribing info when he started to disagree with me. Needless to say, he doesn't question me anymore.
By the way, a couple of years ago Adderall was banned for a limited period from Canada because of 20 causes of Sudden Cadiac deaths.
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Post by Mayleng on Apr 24, 2008 16:54:22 GMT -5
This is the article cited above. Thought I would keep this up here so that newbies know to ask for an EKG from the doctors before starting their children on meds and also getting regular EKG going forward.
ADHD Treatment Comes With Heart Risk
By MedHeadlines • Apr 22nd, 2008 • Category: ADHD, Children's Health, Drugs, Heart Disease, Prevention
The American Heart Association (AHA) has just issued a statement that advises using an electrocardiogram (ECG) before beginning treatment using stimulant drugs in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) whenever possible. The full statement is available in the online journal Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Concerns arose as early as 1999 when the potential for cardiovascular events was noted in children taking tricyclic antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs and stimulants. ECG monitoring was advised at that time for the psychotropic drugs but no such monitoring for stimulant intake was recommended.
Since that time, numerous studies have indicated that stimulants commonly prescribed for children with ADHD can elevate blood pressure and speed up heart rate. Most children taking stimulants will have no problem but there is a small group of children, estimated to be about 2%, who have undetected cardiac conditions that can lead to cardiovascular events when stimulants are taken. One major concern is for sudden cardiac death (SCD), which occurs when an erratic heart rhythm cannot pump blood effectively throughout the body.
The AHA recommends adding an ECG to the standard methods of diagnosis when considering prescribing stimulants to children with ADHD, in order to detect any as-yet-unknown heart conditions that could lead to cardiac events. The ECGs are advised periodically throughout the time the child is taking the stimulant. Doing so at intervals of one to three months after beginning the stimulant and again every six to 12 months after that is recommended. Children already taking stimulants for ADHD are advised to continue medication as usual but undergo an ECG as soon as possible, especially if they began the stimulant before reaching the age of 12.
Many children’s heart conditions do not present symptoms but there is a link between children with ADHD and cardiac conditions. Pediatric cardiac patients are 33% to 42% more at risk of ADHD than children with healthy hearts. ADHD medications were prescribed for as many as 2.5 million American children in 2003. The disorder is believed to affect between 4% and 12% of all school-aged children in the US.
Because it is difficult to determine the exact number of children experiencing SCD associated with drug treatment, the AHA recommends a national database for this information. Reporting the incidence of SCD is currently voluntary and reported only to local authorities.
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Post by singermom on Jul 1, 2008 16:10:19 GMT -5
incidently, for anyone who goes through this - the machines are calibrated for adults and will likely spit out a reading that says "abnormal EKG" and list some reasons why (if the test is done on a child). You will have to wait for a pediatric cardiologist to read the results and confirm that the reading is normal for the age of the child.
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Post by lep on Aug 12, 2008 17:19:16 GMT -5
Thanks for this discussion. I requested before and our pediatrician didn't do it. I would now insist as I show him this article.
Liza
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Post by zippity on Sept 29, 2008 12:33:51 GMT -5
I am late jumping in but when a child goes to a psychiatrist for the meds, which is a doctor to prescribe meds, many are now requiring an EKG I was told.
Our dr left the medical plan and I had to seek out a new one. He insisted on an EKG for meds that have been prescribed for over two years. He wanted to protect himself.
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Post by zippity on Dec 19, 2008 19:59:23 GMT -5
Now he says the conclusive evidence is waning. One can not detect full heart abnormalities with an EKG. IF there is ANY history of heart issues then insist. He also said they should be doing a full day monitoring, not a one time EKG.
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Post by bros on Dec 19, 2008 23:31:12 GMT -5
Now he says the conclusive evidence is waning. One can not detect full heart abnormalities with an EKG. IF there is ANY history of heart issues then insist. He also said they should be doing a full day monitoring, not a one time EKG. This is true. A 24 hour holter should be used and an Echo Cardiogram should be done. |
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Post by Mayleng on Dec 20, 2008 12:27:58 GMT -5
Yup, an Echo Cardiogram should be done but very few doc's would do that unfortunately.
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Post by codyjr on Dec 20, 2008 13:39:05 GMT -5
I agree totally.. i would love to see an echo done also....!!!
One thing I wanted to add, even though your ekg and even an echo show your heart is totally fine your heart can still have problems on stimulants. my heart is normal but even
small amounts of stimulant(caffeine)causes it to beat all irregular(weird beats and fast
pounding) so I could NEVER try a stronger stimulant like adhd meds. My son's heart also checked out fine with ekg and echo but he got chest pains from adderall and we had it
checked out...which,okay,it could be a genetic link between him and myself,but maybe not.
So I guess what I"m trying to say is,even if you are okay'ed to take stims because of normal
ekg please report any chest pain/funny beats/pounding to your doc like Mayleng mentioned
above.
My cardio dr explained the chest pain to me like this: Stimulants cause reduced blood flow to the heart while at the same time requiring 'more" from the heart which can cause the pain my son was experiencing...plus it can disturb the electrical system of the heart and cause pounding/weird beats. the cardio stated that most people get by just fine on stimulants but some don't and its usually from those two reasons if the heart is okay. Obviously if there is something wrong with the heart, that would be the reason......
Just wanted to say that for safety reasons! I would never have known all that if I hadn't went to a cardiologist!!!!
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Post by codyjr on Dec 20, 2008 13:45:47 GMT -5
also wanted to add that my son is the ONLY kid I've ever known that has taken those types of meds and had heart issues so its not very common....
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Post by bros on Dec 20, 2008 13:57:39 GMT -5
You should try adding my liquid to his diet. Make him drink a gallon a day of water/juice/whatever
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Post by majorv on Dec 20, 2008 15:26:28 GMT -5
My son hasn't ever had any chest pain on stims but when we tried to up the new med he started on a few months ago he had related problems. He complained that his heart was racing and pounding in his chest, and his hands trembled a little. When we backed off the dose he was fine. Doc said we'll have to switch to something else if it becomes ineffective, since we can't increase the dose.
Even though my dad's side of the family has heart issues, neither my dad nor any of us kids has problems. DS played soccer for six years without any problems. Next time we go in, though, I may mention the family history along with son's reaction to the higher dose, and see what he thinks.
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Post by Mayleng on Dec 20, 2008 18:03:40 GMT -5
codyjr, caffiene gives my heart arrythmia too. I but can't give it up. LOL! It seems to have gotten worse in the last 6 months though.
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Post by codyjr on Dec 21, 2008 21:40:32 GMT -5
I feel sooooo deprived to not have caffeine!!! I do get a little from chocolate...i always know when I've eaten too much chocolate......get heart flutters & such. What a bummer!!!!!
I love straight Pepsi and I swear caf-free pepsi just does NOT taste as good.
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Post by bros on Dec 21, 2008 23:34:02 GMT -5
I prefer Sprite Zero, Diet Orange Soda and Sierra Mist Free to diet Colas.
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Post by codyjr on Dec 21, 2008 23:54:35 GMT -5
I go for Sierra Mist or Caf-free pepsi(grudgingly). I can't handle the diet pops...make me feel dizzy and yucky in my stomach - I'm assuming from the artificial sweetener, which is too bad because i could use zero calories to help my "fluffiness"....
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Post by londonmom on Feb 13, 2009 23:38:32 GMT -5
Gosh y'all, please google artificial sweeteners and neuro toxins  ...and also mercury content in high fructose corn syrup (which is in all sodas not to mention just about every other processed food).... Best wishes~ |
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Post by michellea on Feb 14, 2009 11:35:52 GMT -5
Hi all,
This probably goes without saying, but in addition to the initial EKG, it's important for the DR to monitor on a regular basis.
At my son's last vist, the neurologist heard a "click". My son immediatly had an EKG that was normal and within a week had a referal to a pediatric cardiologist that also heard the click. My son had the Echo which proved to be fine.
A bit of a scare, and something to keep an eye on. Even for those of us w/o extrodinary heart problems.
Those pain in the neck visits are valuable.
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Post by Mayleng on Feb 14, 2009 11:55:18 GMT -5
My son's peds insists on a 3 monthly checkup for all kids on stimulants and other meds.
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Post by bros on Feb 14, 2009 12:47:46 GMT -5
Hi all, This probably goes without saying, but in addition to the initial EKG, it's important for the DR to monitor on a regular basis. At my son's last vist, the neurologist heard a "click". My son immediatly had an EKG that was normal and within a week had a referal to a pediatric cardiologist that also heard the click. My son had the Echo which proved to be fine. A bit of a scare, and something to keep an eye on. Even for those of us w/o extrodinary heart problems. Those pain in the neck visits are valuable. My neurologist kept hearing a "missing" beat one of the last times I saw him. Of course, that was after a seizure. We still don't know how, in a month, I got an irregular heart beat. I think that something with the electricity in my brain caused the irregular heartbeat to occur. |
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Post by ccgirl on Jul 15, 2009 23:49:11 GMT -5
Just had DS take an EKG and a treadmill test to check on his heart and lungs with activity. Wanted to see the HR go up and see how his heart handled it all. They had him run till his HR reached 200 bpm.
Everything came out A ok. No issues at all. Now will look into stimulants like DD just started a few months back.
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Post by Mayleng on Jul 16, 2009 9:58:57 GMT -5
ccgirl, goodluck with ds, I hope it works as well for him as for your dd.
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Tanya
Full Member
Posts: 85
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Post by Tanya on Jun 16, 2010 10:48:05 GMT -5
odd... I insisted on getting a blessing from Daegan's cardiologist before I gave him any meds. My pediatrician (the one diagnosing and medicating for the ADHD) fully agreed to get this official blessing and contacted the cardiologist on my behalf. No response was received from the cardiologist office for a number of weeks. I had it and called the cardiologist office myself. Within the day, my pediatrician had received a very brief fax from the carrdiologist. This is the full extent of the letter:
"Sandy, please let mom and Dr. Rosner know that we are unaware of any interaction between a VSD and the proposed treatment but can offer no further comment of reassurance regarding its safety"
This letter comes from Daegan's pediatric cardiologist who has been following his care since birth (8.5yrs) at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In addition to his other medical needs, Daegan was born with two VSD's and one PDA. Over time one VDS and the PDA have spontaneously resolved, leaving behind one "tiny" VSD. We are currently being sen on a follow-up basis of once every two years for an EKG and Echocardiogram. Daegan was prescribed Concerta for his ADHD. The dosage had since been increased once then discontinued due to weight loss. He has now just started Biphentin (30mg).
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Post by Mayleng on Jun 16, 2010 14:18:50 GMT -5
I don't know what the medical protocols are in Canada versus the US.
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Post by eskie on Jan 25, 2015 15:16:02 GMT -5
My daughter has been taking adderall for a couple years now, she is 8. Its been a nightmare. We switched to this strattera today, and I am hoping for better results. She would get really crazy sometimes, doing really inappropriate things in school, mood swings at the drop of a hat, my sweet little girl lost in this thing that controls her. Her school work is below average, and often I noticed her heart running like a humming bird. I never knew what to do.
We are going to get the EKG first of the week. I am so disappointed in the doctors, who I have depended upon for the care of my daughter. We now have internet and I have begun to check everything and check it again. I am limited in both time and financial resources, and investing in this internet service was a difficult decision that the budget would not easily allow, so we trimmed the food allowance, and she packs her lunch, lights are never left on, I sew the holes in my socks, and there will be no oil changes this year. But finding a site like this... makes it all feel worth it.
A parent struggling with a precious child who has ADHD has limited resources to turn to. Friends and family don't understand. The doctors seem that just want to get to the next patient. I have been reading through this site all day and had no intention of making a post, but I just wanted to say thank you for giving a father the tools to help give him back his sweet little girl.
With sincere appreciation.
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Post by healthy11 on Jan 25, 2015 22:03:55 GMT -5
Eskie, welcome to Millermoms forum. Despite the name, we have a number of male members and people who aren't parents, including young adults with ADHD/LDs, teachers, and other education professionals such as school psychologists and SLP's. At different times, many of us have felt limited in time and/or resources, so be assured that you're not alone. We're glad that you did decide to register and post. Please feel free to ask whatever questions or talk about whatever concerns you have at any time. Although we may not be a large forum, we do feel we're one of the best when it comes to providing "practical" information, and we're not "sponsored" by any companies that may be trying to promote a specific agenda or product. Again, welcome, and please do let us know how your daughter does in the future.
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Post by Mayleng on Jan 27, 2015 9:36:55 GMT -5
Welcome Eskie. I hope you find the information you need here to help your little girl. With Strattera, pls read the long thread we have on strattera, it is a difficult medication to manage. Have your daughter tried any of the methylphenidate family ie. ritalin, ritalin la, concerta, Metadate CD. My son had horrible anger issues while on Adderall, but have done very well on Metadate CD. He started when he was 6, and he is now 19 and doing very well as a freshman in college.
And definitely do your own research on any medication before using it for daughter and your entire family. While I did the research for my son's medication, I did not do it for myself and was irreparably hurt by an anitbiotic (Levaquin (Cipro and Avelox)- Fluoroquinolone Family).
In this age, the internel is not a "toy", it is a tool when used correctly.
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