- Should Ritalin Be Banned?
QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
I was wondering if you could give me some information please, as I am very confused about Ritalin. The actual content of this drug is speed. How can a child function on speed and how can this drug safely be taken all the time? What does the drug actually do? Also, besides a screen test is there an actual physical test such as blood test or brain scan? What if the child is just naughty or needs attention and this drug is prescribed? It seems that 80% of the classroom today is on medications. How did we ever survive growing up without all these medications?
My children are all grown and I have a 9-year-old grandson. He had a birthday party sleep over and all the children were on medication. When I read the ingredients I was shocked! Are we killing our children? This drug is so powerful. I have dabbled in speed in my younger day and coming down is a nightmare then to take more the next day I know I would die! How do these children cope?
What’s Going on? I don’t know what its like in the States, but all the children here in Australia are doped-up. I feel the need to go on some kind of crusade and get them all off it. Please, could you shed some light on the matter?
ANSWER:
You asked many questions, but the emphasis seems to be on the risks and benefits of using methylphenidate (Ritalin and others).
Methylphenidate is not speed, nor is it addicting. An entire edition of the “Archives of General Psychiatry” was devoted to this topic approximately five years ago.
The inattention type of ADHD appears to be due to a genetically altered dopamine D4 receptor, primarily in the brain’s right prefrontal cortex. These individuals are extraordinarily “tuned in” to their senses, and it’s hard to stay focused on bookwork and details. They are hunters living in a detailed world. In ADHD there are abnormalities in the cerebellum as well as the right prefrontal cortex.
Methylphenidate alters the dopamine D4 receptor gene function in such a way as to allow the individual with ADHD to focus in a nearly normal fashion.
Untreated, those with ADHD are at a significantly increased risk of auto accidents, substance abuse, legal problems, cigarette smoking, divorces, and the borderline disorder. Currently the only way to diagnose the problem is through the official criteria ( http://pks.947.myftpupload.com/AD-H-Dcr.htm), although functional MRI imaging is a promising tool for the future.
After over 30 years the only long-term effects we know of are a reduction in substance abuse, auto accidents, and cancer (especially breast cancer).
If your grandson has ADHD, it’s not surprising that the friends who attended his party also have ADHD, as they understand each other better. If 80% of the children in Australia are on methylphenidate or other psychostimulants there is a problem. The numbers are more likely between 5 and 10%.
