ADHD Drug Linked to Deaths - More Reasons for Natural Treatment Altnernatives

In another blow to the pharmaceutical industry, and perhaps a boon to the natural and herbal alternative industry, the FDA announced a startling find that popular ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults) drugs were linked to several deaths. In a move to protect the general public, and FDA advisory panel voted in favor of the "black box" warning after hearing about the deaths of 25 people, including 19 children, who had taken the drugs. The vote was 8-7, with one abstention. One committee member in particular, Dr. Curt Furberg, a professor of public health sciences at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, said it would be "inappropriate, unethical behavior" not to disclose that there was medical and side effect uncertainty about the safety of the drugs, especially since several deaths were linked to the drugs. Doctors prescribe popular ADHD pharmaceutical drugs to about 2 million children and 1 million adults a month. The specific family of drugs that would have to have warnings are Ritalin (the most well known ADD drug on the market), Concerta, Methylin and Metadate. Adderall and Adderall XR, both amphetamines, have included these warnings since 2004. The Drug Safety and Risk Management advisory committee also recommended that the ADHD drugs include a medication guide for patients and parents. I will put more posts up about alternative therapy and treatment for ADD and ADHD, I just don't know enough about the particular natural and herbal options for the treatment of ADD and ADHD now to inform anyone of it, or if there are even any viable and/or promising alternatives out there to report on yet. More to come as I put my investigators cap on.