Children are at the mercy of parents and physicians when it comes to pharmaceuticals. If a grownup says “take your medicine,” there’s not much a kid can do. And that is happening more and more often these days.
According to national pharmacy statistics, prescription drug use is increasing more rapidly among children than any other sector of the population, including senior citizens.
The most commonly prescribed medicines for kids are used to treat allergies, asthma and infections, but increasingly children are being given powerful mood-modifying medications. Spending for Ritalin, Adderall and other stimulants used to treat ADHD has increased more than 120 percent over the last four years.
Many medicines originally developed for adults, such as antidepressants and sedatives, are increasingly prescribed for youngsters, even though they may not have been tested in children. And mistakes are common.
Two recent studies documented that children treated in emergency rooms too often get the wrong medicine or the wrong dose. One evaluation of medical records (Pediatrics, Oct, 2002) revealed that 10 percent of these pediatric prescriptions were incorrect.
The potential for problems is higher the more medicines a child is taking. One parent wrote to share the following experience: “My 12-year-old son has had a very sad trip into the world of medications. When he was 9 he suffered from anxiety about a major move, learning problems and an upcoming surgery. A psychiatrist gave him a series of medications to address his anxiety, beginning with Paxil. None of us realized that the Paxil made him agitated.
“She tried to counter the agitation with Risperdal, Neurontin and other anti-anxiety drugs, none of which helped. They only made him more anxious and agitated. She even gave him a short trial of lithium upon deciding he was bipolar. Thank goodness he is not, but he became almost suicidal from the drugs.
“We took him off everything and ended up with a depressed boy with moderate to severe anxiety. We switched doctors to a child psychiatrist, who tried half a dozen different types of drugs with the same agitated response. With her guidance, we put him on Sam-e and omega-3 fish oil capsules plus a B vitamin.
He is no longer agitated but still doesn’t feel good. He has insomnia along with a lot of angry, depressed and anxious feelings, but at least he’s not suicidal.”
Risperdal is a drug for schizophrenics and Neurontin is for epilepsy; neither drug has been approved for anxiety or depression in children. Agitation can be a serious complication of Risperdal and Neurontin, which can also cause hostility and mood swings.
Since kids often can’t stick up for themselves, parents must become advocates for their children. They need to double-check doses and verify that no mistakes are being made.
Adults must also be alert to detect possible side effects children may be experiencing. Don’t expect young people to volunteer such information. They may not even realize that insomnia or a stomachache could be a drug reaction. If such problems occur, parents must contact a physician promptly.
