The Health Sciences Institute is intended to provide cutting-edge health information.
Nothing on this site should be interpreted as personal medical advice. Always consult with your doctor before changing anything related to your healthcare.

What to do with a hot potato

What are we doing to our kids?

That’s the unspoken question that runs through an e-mail I received last week from an HSI member named Carrie who began by saying: “URGENT suggestion: Why don’t you write about the drug Risperdal?”

Carrie did some research on her own, so she was able to make a wise decision about Risperdal. In other words, she didn’t have to learn the hard way what a dangerous drug this is. Unfortunately, many parents who trust their pediatricians’judgment may be in for a shock. But just as unfortunate are the elderly Alzheimer’s patients who are also given Risperdal – with sometimes grave consequences.

Drug abuse
Risperdal (the brand name for risperidone) is the most frequently prescribed antipsychotic medication in the U.S. The FDA has approved Risperdal for the treatment of schizophrenia, but it is not approved for children. Of course, that doesn’t prohibit doctors from prescribing the drug for a child – even if the young patient has been diagnosed with a condition far less severe than schizophrenia.

Here’s Carrie’s experience, in her own words: “Doctors are giving Risperdal to children in droves. However, I called the drug company up and they do not recommend it for kids, nor has it been approved by the FDA for children.

“A doctor prescribed it for my son who is 8. I dropped the doctor like a hot potato. They are using Risperdal on children with ADHD to help control them. It can cause incurable disease in children and it is causing strokes and killing the elderly. I talked with a lawyer and was told some parents are giving it to their children who are only 2 and 3 years old.”

If you’re a longtime HSI member and regular e-Alert reader, then you’re probably not wondering how a large group of doctors – independent of one another – would decide to prescribe a potent schizophrenia drug to young children. They do it because salespeople for the drug company encourage them to prescribe “outside the box.” Meanwhile, the manufacturer’s customer service representatives are telling people on the phone that the drug is not recommended for kids.

Great system: Give the “insider” spin to doctors to pump up sales; give the politically correct spin to consumers; everybody wins. Except the kids.

Into the unknownagainRisperdal is manufactured by a division of Johnson & Johnson, called Jannsen Pharmaceuticals. Approved by the FDA almost 10 years ago, Risperdal was known at the outset to cause a number of possible side effects, including anxiety, dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat, and sleepiness. Some Risperdal users feel lightheaded when they stand up too quickly. And in a few cases, patients experienced tremors, and even uncontrollable facial twitches.In recent years, however, this list of side effects has come to include irregular blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and muscle rigidity. These problems have led to 37 confirmed reports of stroke in elderly patients, resulting in 16 deaths.

If these numbers were attached to ephedra instead of Risperdal, the mainstream press would be howling for a ban. Instead, last April Johnson & Johnson quietly distributed letters to U.S. doctors, warning that Risperdal raises the risk of stroke among seniors.

What permanent damage this drug may be doing to kids, however, is pure speculation, because no studies have been conducted to determine the effects of Risperdal in very young subjects. And it’s doubtful that such studies could ever take place. Imagine how unethical it would be to test a psychotropic drug on children and infants. There’s no telling what permanent damage such a potent drug would have on developing brains.

And yet doctors and psychiatrists are conducting that very test every day by prescribing Risperdal to young people who are diagnosed with “conduct disorders.”

I think Carrie has the right idea: these doctors should be dropped like hot potatoes.

 

Skin deep One of the most unfortunate aspects of Alzheimer’s is when patients develop “conduct disorders.” Needless to say, these patients are sometimes inclined to forget or even reject their medication. But Johnson & Johnson has a plan to take care of that problem.

Two years ago Johnson & Johnson acquired Alza Corporation – one of the first developers of sustained-release medications. Alza invented “the patch” for smokers. This is Alza’s specialty: devising new ways to conveniently deliver drugs. A recent Alza innovation is a device called Duros – a rod about the size of a one inch pencil lead – that is implanted just under the skin where it releases small amounts of a drug for up to one year.

Risperdal is one of the J&J drugs that are currently being developed for application with Duros. But if a Risperdal Duros reaches the market, you can bet it won’t be cheap. As it is, Risperdal costs more than $7 per day. When the new delivery device is added, you have to imagine that the cost will go up, and Jannsen salespeople will, in turn, step up their sales efforts to make the new generation of Risperdal a success.

Suddenly the idea of kids being over-prescribed psychotropic drugs seems almost tame compared to the idea of Risperdal or Ritalin implants.

No wonder Johnson & Johnson executives spent more than $13 billion to purchase Alza. They saw the future of medication – and its name is “Convenience.”

 

Ka-boom The information package that comes with Risperdal warns that once a patient is feeling better they must continue to take their dosage to prevent symptoms from returning. So what does this mean for a patient who’s 3 or 6 or 10? Are they embarking on a lifetime commitment to a medication that they’ll never remember not having?

Earlier this year a study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine reported that the use of psychotropic drugs by children in the U.S. more than doubled during the 1990s, and has almost matched adult usage of the same drugs.

That’s not growth – that’s explosion.

In her e-mail, Carrie made this closing request: “Please advise parents to search the web for every drug their children are prescribed so they can make safe choices for them.” If every parent were as diligent in avoiding potent, untested drugs as Carrie has been, we could all feel much better about the health of our children. And this is another place the HSI network can work so well. If you know someone with young children – or aging parents – please forward this e-mail to them. The risks of Risperdal are too great to not spread the word.

Carrie didn’t mention what sort of alternative to Risperdal she finally settled on for her son. But if you have a child or grandchild who has had one of these drugs recommended to address disorderly conduct or ADHD, I urge you to read the e-Alert “How To Dismantle An ’89 Ford” (6/2/02), in which HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., outlines a nutritional regimen that might make all the difference between a child with a clear mind and a child with a mind clouded by pharmaceuticals.

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

Health Sciences Institute

Sources:

“About Risperdal” Risperdal web site, risperdal.com

“Risperdal Children” A Drug Recall.com, adrugrecall.com

“Psychotropic Practice Patterns for Youth” Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Vol. 157, No. 1, January 2003, archpedi.ama-assn.org

“A Long Way from Tiny Time Pills” Philip Siekman, Fortune, 7/7/03, fortune.com

“Company to Warn of Possible Risperdal Stroke Risk” Reuters Health, 4/11/03, reuters.com

Get a free copy of 5 Household Items that Cause Cancer

By texting HSI to 844-539-1128, you are providing your electronic signature expressly consenting to be called and texted (including by prerecorded messages, using an autodialer, and/or automated means) with alerts, stories, reports, and marketing communications from Institute of Health Sciences, LLC. and its authorized representatives at the phone number you provide, including landlines and wireless numbers, even if the phone number is on a corporate, state or national Do Not Call list. You also consent and unconditionally agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including the arbitration provision and class action waiver contained therein. Msg&data rates may apply. 15 Msgs/Month. You are not required to agree to this as a condition of making a purchase.

Terms & Conditions

The following Terms and Conditions apply to your use of the website located at hsionline.com (the “website”) and any text messages that you send to or receive from the Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C. These Terms and Conditions constitute a binding agreement (“Agreement”) between you (“you”) Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C (“we”, “us”, etc.)  Please read these terms carefully. 

By providing your telephone number to us, texting us a short code listed on the website, or otherwise indicate your agreement to these Terms and Conditions, you are agreeing to the mandatory arbitration provision and class action waiver below. 

ARBITRATION IS MANDATORY AND THE EXCLUSIVE REMEDY FOR ANY AND ALL DISPUTES RELATED TO THIS WEBSITE, THIS AGREEMENT, AND ANY TELEPHONE CALLS, EMAILS, OR TEXT MESSAGES THAT YOU RECEIVE FROM OR ON BEHALF OF US, UNLESS SPECIFIED BELOW OR UNLESS YOU OPT-OUT.

Text Messaging and Telemarketing Terms and Conditions

When you provide your telephone number on this website or send a text message to us with or from a short-code, you agree to receive alerts and communications, and marketing messages including those sent via automated telephone dialing system, text messages, SMS, MMS, and picture messages from Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C at the phone number you provide on this website or the phone number from which you text the short code, including on landlines and wireless numbers, even if the phone number is on a corporate, state or national Do Not Call list. You also agree to the mandatory arbitration provision and class action waiver below. Your consent is not required to purchase goods or services. Message & data rates may apply.

You may opt-out at any time by texting the word STOP to the telephone number from which you receive the text messages.  Call 1-888-213-0764 to learn more.  By providing your telephone number, you agree to notify us of any changes to your telephone number and update your account us to reflect this change. Your carrier may charge you for text messages and telephone calls that you receive, or may prohibit or restrict certain mobile features, and certain mobile features may be incompatible with your carrier or mobile device. Contact your carrier with questions regarding these issues.

Dispute Resolution by Binding Arbitration and Class Action Waiver

Any dispute relating in any way to telephone calls, emails, or text messages that you receive from or on behalf of Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C this website, or this Agreement (collectively “Disputes”) shall be submitted to confidential arbitration and shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the State of Maryland, excluding its conflict of law provisions.  For the avoidance of doubt, all claims arising under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and state telemarketing laws shall be considered “Disputes” that are subject to resolution by binding individual, confidential arbitration.

If a Dispute arises under this Agreement, you agree to first contact us at 1-888-213-0764 or help@hsionline.com. Before formally submitting a Dispute to arbitration, you and we may choose to informally resolve the Dispute.  If any Dispute cannot be resolved informally, you agree that any and all Disputes, including the validity of this arbitration clause and class action waiver, shall be submitted to final and binding arbitration before a single arbitrator of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) in a location convenient to you or telephonically. Either you or we may commence the arbitration process by submitting a written demand for arbitration with the AAA, and providing a copy to the other party.  The arbitration will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the AAA’s Commercial Dispute Resolutions Procedures, Supplementary Procedures for Consumer-Related Disputes, in effect at the time of submission of the demand for arbitration.  Except as may be required by law as determined by the arbitrator, no party or arbitrator may disclose the existence, content or results of any arbitration hereunder without the prior written consent of both parties. Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C will pay all of the filing costs.  Without limiting the foregoing, YOU EXPRESSLY AGREE TO SUBMIT TO ARBITRATION ALL DISPUTES RELATING TO ANY TEXT MESSAGES OR TELEPHONE CALLS YOU RECEIVE FROM OR ON BEHALF OF US OR ANY ENTITY WITH WHOM WE MAY SHARE YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER.  Further, we both agree that all entities with whom we share your telephone numbers shall be third party beneficiaries of this Agreement to Arbitrate Disputes, and that those entities have the same rights as Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C to enforce this arbitration provision.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following shall not be subject to arbitration and may be adjudicated only in the state and federal courts of Maryland: (i) any dispute, controversy, or claim relating to or contesting the validity of our or one of our family company’s intellectual property rights and proprietary rights, including without limitation, patents, trademarks, service marks, copyrights, or trade secrets; (ii) an action by us for temporary or preliminary injunctive relief, whether prohibitive or mandatory, or other provisional relief; (iii) any legal action by us against a non-consumer; or (iv) interactions with governmental and regulatory authorities.  You expressly agree to refrain from bringing or joining any claims in any representative or class-wide capacity, including but not limited to bringing or joining any claims in any class action or any class-wide arbitration.

The arbitrator’s award shall be binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, no arbitration under this Agreement may be joined to an arbitration involving any other party subject to this Agreement, whether through a class action, private attorney general proceeding, class arbitration proceedings or otherwise.

YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WOULD HAVE HAD A RIGHT TO LITIGATE IN A COURT, TO HAVE A JUDGE OR JURY DECIDE YOUR CASE AND TO BE PARTY TO A CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION.  HOWEVER, YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO HAVE ANY CLAIMS DECIDED INDIVIDUALLY AND ONLY THROUGH ARBITRATION.  You shall have thirty (30) days from the earliest of the date that you visit the website, the date you submit information to us through the website, or the date that you send a text message to us, to opt out of this arbitration agreement, by contacting us by email at help@hsionline.com or by mail Health Sciences Institute, PO Box 913, Frederick, MD 21705-0913. If you do not opt out by the earliest of the date that you visit the website, the date you submit information to us through the website, or the date that you send a text message to us, then you are not eligible to opt out of this arbitration agreement.

Electronic Signatures

All information communicated on the website is considered an electronic communication.  When you communicate with us through or on the website, by text message or telephone, or via other forms of electronic media, such as e-mail, you are communicating with us electronically.  You agree that we may communicate electronically with you and that such communications, as well as notices, disclosures, agreements, and other communications that we provide to you electronically, are equivalent to communications in writing and shall have the same force and effect as if they were in writing and signed by the party sending the communication.

You further acknowledge and agree that by clicking on a button labeled “ORDER NOW”, “SUBMIT”, “I ACCEPT”, “I AGREE”, “YES”, by texting a short code to us in response to a request on this website, or by clicking or similar links or buttons, you are submitting a legally binding electronic signature and are entering into a legally binding contract.  You acknowledge that your electronic submissions constitute your agreement and intent to be bound by this Agreement.  Pursuant to any applicable statutes, regulations, rules, ordinances or other laws, including without limitation the United States Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, P.L. 106-229 (the “E-Sign Act”) or other similar statutes, YOU HEREBY AGREE TO THE USE OF ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES, CONTRACTS, ORDERS AND OTHER RECORDS AND TO ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF NOTICES, POLICIES AND RECORDS OF TRANSACTIONS INITIATED OR COMPLETED THROUGH THE WEBSITE.  Furthermore, you hereby waive any rights or requirements under any statutes, regulations, rules, ordinances or other laws in any jurisdiction which require an original signature, delivery or retention of non-electronic records, or to payments or the granting of credits by other than electronic means You may receive a physical paper copy of this contract by contacting us at help@hsionline.com.

Privacy Policy

Please read our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference.  In the event of any conflict between these Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy, these Terms shall control.

Contact Us

You may contact us by telephone at 1-888-213-0764 or by email at help@hsionline.com.