mynameis
12-11-2007, 01:18 PM
Drugs for ADHD 'not the answer'
Craig Buxton aged 14
Craig Buxton has been on medication for a decade
Treating children who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with drugs is not effective in the long-term, research has shown.
A study obtained by the BBC's Panorama programme says drugs such as Ritalin and Concerta work no better than therapy after three years of treatment.
The findings by an influential US study also suggested long-term use of the drugs could stunt children's growth.
It said that the benefits of drugs had previously been exaggerated.
The Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD has been monitoring the treatment of 600 children across the US since the 1990s.
'Exaggerated impact'
In 1999, it concluded that after one year medication worked better than behavioural therapy for ADHD.
This finding influenced medical practice on both sides of the Atlantic, and prescription rates in the UK have since tripled.
The report's co-author, Professor William Pelham of the University of Buffalo, said: "I think that we exaggerated the beneficial impact of medication in the first study.
"We had thought that children medicated longer would have better outcomes. That didn't happen to be the case.
"The children had a substantial decrease in their rate of growth so they weren't growing as much as other kids both in terms of their height and in terms of their weight.
"And the second was that there were no beneficial effects -none."
Video diary
Panorama said GPs in the UK prescribed ADHD drugs such as Ritalin and Concerta to around 55,000 children last year - at a cost of £28m to the NHS.
The Panorama programme features disturbing footage of a 14-year-old from Stoke-on-Trent, who has been on ADHD medication for a decade.
Craig Buxton's family kept a video diary of his behaviour and captured on camera examples of just how explosive his behaviour can be - he recently assaulted three school teachers.
His mother Sharon said things had gone from bad to worse.
"He has broke down and cried when he gets into situations," she said.
"He says: 'Why am I like this mum, I don't want to feel like this, I don't want to be like this, you know, help me'.
"And all I can do is go back to the doctors and say: 'Is there anything more you can do?'
"All they say is, well, we are doing what we can."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7090011.stm
Craig Buxton aged 14
Craig Buxton has been on medication for a decade
Treating children who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with drugs is not effective in the long-term, research has shown.
A study obtained by the BBC's Panorama programme says drugs such as Ritalin and Concerta work no better than therapy after three years of treatment.
The findings by an influential US study also suggested long-term use of the drugs could stunt children's growth.
It said that the benefits of drugs had previously been exaggerated.
The Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD has been monitoring the treatment of 600 children across the US since the 1990s.
'Exaggerated impact'
In 1999, it concluded that after one year medication worked better than behavioural therapy for ADHD.
This finding influenced medical practice on both sides of the Atlantic, and prescription rates in the UK have since tripled.
The report's co-author, Professor William Pelham of the University of Buffalo, said: "I think that we exaggerated the beneficial impact of medication in the first study.
"We had thought that children medicated longer would have better outcomes. That didn't happen to be the case.
"The children had a substantial decrease in their rate of growth so they weren't growing as much as other kids both in terms of their height and in terms of their weight.
"And the second was that there were no beneficial effects -none."
Video diary
Panorama said GPs in the UK prescribed ADHD drugs such as Ritalin and Concerta to around 55,000 children last year - at a cost of £28m to the NHS.
The Panorama programme features disturbing footage of a 14-year-old from Stoke-on-Trent, who has been on ADHD medication for a decade.
Craig Buxton's family kept a video diary of his behaviour and captured on camera examples of just how explosive his behaviour can be - he recently assaulted three school teachers.
His mother Sharon said things had gone from bad to worse.
"He has broke down and cried when he gets into situations," she said.
"He says: 'Why am I like this mum, I don't want to feel like this, I don't want to be like this, you know, help me'.
"And all I can do is go back to the doctors and say: 'Is there anything more you can do?'
"All they say is, well, we are doing what we can."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7090011.stm