One in four US kids on chronic medications

ichy

Diamond Member
Oct 5, 2006
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http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/05/children-united-states-chronic-medications.html

I hate to sound like some sort of alternative medicine kook, but we need to stop drugging our kids at this rate! The asthma meds I understand but 24 million kids on meds for a pseudo-disease like ADHD? Good grief. I bet 80% of those so-called ADHD cases could be solved if the kids actually ran around every day rather than sitting on their plump rear ends, and got smacked upside the head when they misbehaved. Why parent when you can drug your kids into submission though?
 

SirStev0

Lifer
Nov 13, 2003
10,449
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Thank the schools. The vast majority of referrals for ADHD are from teachers, principals, or counselors.
 

Gooberlx2

Lifer
May 4, 2001
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I'm skeptical that it's really 25%, but I have no doubt the numbers are much higher than when I was a kid. Certain conditions like ADHD are probably way over-diagnosed. And then the massive rise in childhood obesity and diabetes certainly doesn't help.
 
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rivan

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2003
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I'm aghast at the statistic as well. My kids need to be more or less bleeding from the eyes to get anything more than benadryl.
 

Scotteq

Diamond Member
Apr 10, 2008
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I must have misread, and interpreted the OP as 1 in 4 students are smoking chronic.


NVM
 

Joseph F

Diamond Member
Jul 12, 2010
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I, too believe that Amphetamines are far too over-prescribed.

Sidenote: I was recently diagnosed with Tourette syndrome and I am getting tested for ADD soon as I've always had attentive problems.

I must have misread, and interpreted the OP as 1 in 4 students are smoking chronic.


NVM

I LOL'd
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
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I'd be interested to know what timespan designates use as "chronic". My daughter had reflux as an infant and was on the liquid equivalent of Pepcid for about 6 months. Is that chronic?

Also, the article rages on the medical industry but does little to wag the finger at parents that want a pill to fix all the little problems their kids have.
 

KaOTiK

Lifer
Feb 5, 2001
10,877
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I, too believe that Amphetamines are far too over-prescribed.

Sidenote: I was recently diagnosed with Tourette syndrome and I am getting tested for ADD soon as I've always had attentive problems.



I LOL'd

At least look at the bright side, you have been given a free pass to curse up an incoherent storm at anyone now.
 

Texashiker

Lifer
Dec 18, 2010
18,811
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I'd be interested to know what timespan designates use as "chronic". .

Chronic = long term. I would not call 6 months long term, it takes at least 6 months to treat tuberculosis.

Hepatitis and HIV are a chronic illnesses.
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
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Chronic = long term. I would not call 6 months long term, it takes at least 6 months to treat tuberculosis.

Hepatitis and HIV are a chronic illnesses.

I know what clinically is considered "chronic" but for the sake of OMG DRAMA HYSTERIA!!! sensationalist journalism I'd like to know their definition.
 

Joseph F

Diamond Member
Jul 12, 2010
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At least look at the bright side, you have been given a free pass to curse up an incoherent storm at anyone now.

Very true. You probably won't believe me but for quite a while one of my tics made me shout "******s!"...
 

ShawnD1

Lifer
May 24, 2003
15,987
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I, too believe that Amphetamines are far too over-prescribed.
Shens! You can never have too much Adderall. That shit is fucking awesome.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpeqCzIfFis


Stat sounds believable. I know lots of young people who are on medication. I take medication for chronic hypoglycemia, gf's sister is on thyroxine since thyroid was removed, lab partner from engineering project was on thyroxine as well, another engineering classmate was on some kind of depressant because his heart beats way the hell too fast, another class mate was type 1 diabetic.

It doesn't add up to 1/4, but those are only the medications I know about. People usually don't talk about medications they are taking.
 

Texashiker

Lifer
Dec 18, 2010
18,811
197
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One of the other issues with this situation, sewage treatment does not remove those medicines from the sewage, and its eventually dumped back into a river, or sent back into the public water supply.

Studies have shown that fish in rivers downstream from colleges, have traces of human hormones in them. If the fish build up too much of the female hormones, male fish stop producing sperm. This causes an unnatural imbalance in the fish reproduction.

So not only are we drugging our kids, the chemicals are sent into the local water supply where they have an adverse affect on the environment.
 

tcsenter

Lifer
Sep 7, 2001
18,705
430
126
I hate to sound like some sort of alternative medicine kook, but we need to stop drugging our kids at this rate! The asthma meds I understand but 24 million kids on meds for a pseudo-disease like ADHD? Good grief. I bet 80% of those so-called ADHD cases could be solved if the kids actually ran around every day rather than sitting on their plump rear ends, and got smacked upside the head when they misbehaved. Why parent when you can drug your kids into submission though?
It couldn't possibly be because we have polluted every square mile of our country with permissive allowance and lax regulations of poisons and toxic substances, many of which are proven to interfere with development of the nervous system and brains of animals (as well has humans).

Its true that we know quite a bit about how any one particular chemical can affect developing brains or nervous systems, but we don't know jack shit about combinations of them that appear together.

i.e. we do LOTS of research on how chemical A (alone) can affect development, but have almost NO understanding of what chemical A + B + C does (because nobody looks at that).
 

AyashiKaibutsu

Diamond Member
Jan 24, 2004
9,306
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It couldn't possibly be because we have polluted every square mile of our country with permissive allowance and lax regulations of poisons and toxic substances, many of which are proven to interfere with development of the nervous system and brains of animals (as well has humans).

Its true that we know quite a bit about how any one particular chemical can affect developing brains or nervous systems, but we don't know jack shit about combinations of them that appear together.

i.e. we do LOTS of research on how chemical A (alone) can affect development, but have almost NO understanding of what chemical A + B + C does (because nobody looks at that).

Why do that when we can just blame the victims. It's the thing to do on ATOT incase you haven't noticed. (I'm actually not sold on this just wanted to say that ^.^)
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
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0
One of the other issues with this situation, sewage treatment does not remove those medicines from the sewage, and its eventually dumped back into a river, or sent back into the public water supply.

Studies have shown that fish in rivers downstream from colleges, have traces of human hormones in them. If the fish build up too much of the female hormones, male fish stop producing sperm. This causes an unnatural imbalance in the fish reproduction.

So not only are we drugging our kids, the chemicals are sent into the local water supply where they have an adverse affect on the environment.

Won't somebody please think of the fish!? :p

On topic, I've been saying this for a while. People are over medicated for everything across all age groups. Even for things that should be simple, minor cough/cold, minor head ache, sleep aides, etc.
 

tcsenter

Lifer
Sep 7, 2001
18,705
430
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Why do that when we can just blame the victims. It's the thing to do on ATOT incase you haven't noticed. (I'm actually not sold on this just wanted to say that ^.^)
I'm certainly not suggesting nor do I believe that environmental exposure to pesticides and flame retardants and the thousand other things in our water, air, food, soil, and bodies - particularly during fetal development or early childhood - are causing all or most of the mentioned chronic illness or conditions (especially neurological), but it would be stupid to believe it doesn't contribute to or play a role in any of it.

Its not as simple as blaming parenting or culture for every diagnosis of ADD/ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar, depression, etc. We have plenty of evidence for things like strep infections in early childhood substantially predisposing or increasing the risk for bipolar disorder in adolescence or early adulthood, among numerous other links that (more strongly) implicate factors besides parenting and culture.
 

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
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I know what clinically is considered "chronic" but for the sake of OMG DRAMA HYSTERIA!!! sensationalist journalism I'd like to know their definition.

Heh I started laughing at this one too. I'd like to see some unbiased stats with details, but I wouldn't take them from her. I couldn't believe how hard she worked to get that statistic.