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Stimulants & Zoloft For Adhd: Helpful & Safe Or Dangerous?

Posted by admin on Saturday, November 21st, 2009

Kids downing Zoloft for ADHD? Are you spoofing me?In my former psychotherapy practice practice, we would prescribe Zoloft for adults with pretty severe psychiatric disorders. And now we’re giving this stuff to young kids and teens.When you’re through with reading this article, you’ll really get why Zoloft may not be the superior choice for managing ADHD. Ok, I’ll admit, though it is not a usually approved treatment for ADHD, Zoloft has been known to help in the diminution of signs of ADHD in some people. Zoloft for ADHD is often offered in addition to stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall.The grounds for why Zoloft and stimulants are offered in a mixture is because many people who suffer from ADHD also have problems with other disturbances such as depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety and others. Zoloft may also be helpful in treating the hyper-focused type of ADHD versus the inattentive type.The main difficulty with giving Zoloft for ADHD therapy is its dangerous side effects when consumed alone and in combination with other drugs.Potential side effects of Zoloft include anxiety, panic, irritability, aggression, problems sleeping, impulse problems, and mania.In addition to psychological side effects, Zoloft can also cause tangible signs such as muscle tissue shakes, flu-like symptoms, problems with speech, extreme skin rash, jaundice, cardiac palpitations, and clouded vision.Using Zoloft for ADHD therapy presents the most dangers when taken in adjunct with other drugs. For example, taking Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOs) even two weeks before using Zoloft can be life-threatening.Severe side effects can also occur if a client switches from Zoloft to another serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drug.One of the more debatable aspects of children and adolescents using Zoloft and ADHD treatments is the aggression, homicidal behavior and suicidal thoughts that may follow. This has resulted in plenty of lawsuits against Pfizer, the company that produces Zoloft. There have been numerous stories in the news shows about adults and children who have committed or attempted to commit homicide after using SSRI drugs like Zoloft. (In fact, the two teens who murdered their classmates and then killed themselves in the Columbine shooting were using SSRI drugs.)Finally, like most very strong prescriptive medication, research studies which help determine danger are all short-term. There are no studies on the impact of Zoloft on ADHD when taken for a 5 – 10 years or more. Such studies are too long lasting and expensive. And, yet, understanding what we now understand about how the seeds of many adult disorders are planted in childhood, do you gainsay that consuming very powerful ADHD prescriptive drugs can possibly result in serious disturbances in adulthood? I do not.So don’t go tossing the stimulants & Zoloft out of the window. Using natural alternatives for ADHD requires thinking and qualified medical professional help. But do consider alternate, safer treatments to strong prescription medications.