Pediatric Health Advisers Urge FDA to Take Action Regarding Use of Antipsychotics in Children
Because it has become scientifically fashionable to label normal childhood behaviors (such as short attention spans, higher energy levels, difficulty learning, shyness and more) as having a “disorder”, the use of antipsychotic drugs have skyrocketed in recent years, and the use of antipsychotics in children have been found to be dangerous. Increased use has revealed unquestionable bad side effects. And the use of these dangerous antipsychotics in children are questionably effective for anything but subduing normal behavior, not to mention alertness, in children and teens.
Weight gain, a common side effect of these dangerous antipsychotics used in children and teens, can and does lead to Diabetes.
On Thursday, The Pediatric Advisory Committee voted 16 to 1 to have the FDA routinely monitor the safety of the newest of antipsychotics, in children, as well as adults. However, they approved this with the caveat of having the FDA closely monitor the use of antipsychotics in children, especially Diabetes and weight gain. Apparently, in the rush to get market approval for new drugs, pharmaceutical companies have short-circuited and/or misrepresented complete drug studies. The FDA, however, should increase its warning about antipsychotic drugs. But it hasn’t yet.
The FDA did, however, announce that they will be enforcing a new warning label on Abilify within the coming weeks, because it is approved for use in children. The new label will include information about the latest clinical trials, reminders of the symptoms of Diabetes, and warn of metabolic concerns.
How our bodies metabolize drugs are by the use of enzymes already in our bodies. When two or more drugs use the same enzyme(s) it may cause adverse reactions by increasing or decreasing one or more enzymes in our bodies. However, 50% of us carry DNA alterations which cause us to metabolize (process) drugs differently. However, when studies are performed, DNA is not taken into account.
What is taken into account by psychiatrist, Dr. Robert Whitaker, who strongly criticizes the labeling of normal behaviors as disease, and the use of these dangerous antipsychotics in children, teens and adults are the numerous objections to the unpredictable and high-risk side effects of Zyprexa, one brand of antipsychotics. These side effects include rapid weight gain (as much as 100 pounds), soaring cholesterol levels, a dazed state of mind, and, over time, a shrinking of the skull, affecting learning ability. These side effects are so extreme that they cancel out any benefits these drugs are claimed to have. Losing one’s life to the complications of Diabetes obviously outweighs other concerns.
Thank you for clarifying the dangers and risks of these drugs – and the horrible side effects they have been having on unfortunate children to whom they’ve been prescribed.