Posted by AC75 on February 9, 2006, at 21:18:24
As someone who has taken Concerta for 3.5 years now -- and with a lot of trepidation as to its long-term effects -- I am thrilled that finally an FDA panel has shocked the system into what will surely be further study.
I have told every psych I met -- when they assure me these drugs are totally safe -- that I'm not convinced. Sure, stims have been around since the 1950s, but for most of that period they've been used on kids for some years at a time. The phenomena of adults like me being told that we can take stims till we're 70 is all new, and never been studied.
I KNOW my heart beats faster. I KNOW it feels a little irregular when I run. I KNOW it dehydrates me (by increasing frequency of urination). Every time, I've been told this is all "within the normal parameters."
Well, I'm glad someone blew a whistle that caught some attention. While I'm not looking to get off Concerta, I DO want a LOT more further study. After all, there are 3 million of us on this stuff!!
poster:AC75
thread:608122
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060205/msgs/608122.html