I have a 3 1/2 year old son, they put him on 3 10mg tabs of ritilin a day, is this harmful?

Answer 1

Actually, any doctor that would put a small 3 year old child on 10mg tablets of Ritalin 3 times a day not only should have his medical license revoked, but should also have himself examined. You should definitely get a second opinion and ask more questions as to why your pediatrician has prescribed this medication for your child and why it is such a large dosage.

Has your child been diagnosed by more than one specialist as having ADD or ADHD or some other behavioral disorder? If not, I strongly suggest another opinion. Also, what prompted this type of examination for a three year old child in the first place? Were your own complaints or the complaints of a childcare provider about your toddler's behavior the reason that he was placed on this medication? I know from firsthand experience that sometimes childcare providers don't like the energy levels of small children and will complain. Also, some preschool teachers will seem to prefer medicated children so that they don't have to deal with them.

The most common side effects of Ritalin are nervousness and insomnia (trouble sleeping). Other side effects include hypersensitivity, anorexia, nausea, dizziness, palpitations, headache, dyskinesia, drowsiness, blood pressure and pulse changes, tachycardia, angina, cardiac arrhythmia, abdominal pain, and weight loss when you take it for prolonged periods of time. Although many side effects can be managed by lowering the dose, if they continue, ask about a switch to another medicine.

Although Ritalin is well tolerated by most children, there are some children who should not take Ritalin, including children:

UNDER 6 YEARS OLD
WITH MARKED ANXIETY, TENSION, AND AGITATION
WHO ARE KNOWN TO BE HYPERSENSITIVE TO RITALIN
WHO HAVE GLAUCOMA
WITH MOTOR TICS, TOURETTE'S SYNDROME, OR A FAMILY HISTORY OF TOURETTE'S SYNDROME
TAKING MAO INHIBITORS

Please be completely sure that you are making the right decisions for your child. The young age of 3 seems quite premature for a diagnosis requiring medication of this magnitude. It is also impotant because your child's brain is still developing as well as his awareness of social settings, motor skills and his own social interaction. Do you really want him to be under the influence of medications during this critical stage in his development if it is not necessary?

If you have exhausted all of your efforts and you have taken every precaution to determine whether your child really needs this type of medication, then I wish you the best in regard to your child's health and mental awareness. If not, I strongly admonish you to take a second opinion. I have attached a few links that may help to bring some more education to your concerns. Be well and I hope this helps!

Answer 2

You should get a second opinion or evaluation because most doctors, teachers, and even parents pretend to fix behavior problems with medications when the behaviors are normal for a child that age.

In the long run it can damage the liver, cause drug dependence and severe depression upon withdrawal.

I was put on Ritalin when I was a kid and I could have functioned as a normal human being without it.

Answer 3

Has your son been tested and diagnosed with ADHD or ADD by a qualified child psychologist? If he hasn't I would take him to see one if he was put on the medication by a general practioner, family doctor or pediatrician, without these tests being conducted. Ritalin has been proven to cause the child who is on them to have arrested growth development and gaining weight, and his doctor needs to monitor this. 30mg of Ritalin is an awful large dose to give to a toddler. There have been at least 186 deaths reported in the past 10 years. Large doses can cause drug induced psychosis.

What are its long-term effects?
High doses of stimulants produce a predictable set of symptoms that include loss of appetite (may cause serious malnutrition), tremors and muscle twitching, fevers, convulsions, and headaches (may be severe), irregular heartbeat and respirations (may be profound and life threatening), anxiety, restlessness, paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions, excessive repetition of movements and meaningless tasks, and formicaton (sensation of bugs or worms crawling under the skin).

I would be looking for another opinion.

Answer 4

Yes it can be , it can compromise the liver causing living damage , also its been known to cause problems with the eyes. I cannot imagine putting a young child his age on something so powerful as Ritalin ! If I were you I would take him off !


What does it look like?
Ritalin is in pill or tablet form.
How is it used?
Ritalin is in pill or tablet form.
What are its short-term effects?
Ritalin (methylphenidate) is a central nervous system stimulant, similar to amphetamines in the nature and duration of its effects. It is believed that it works by activating the brain stem arousal system and cortex. Pharmacologically, it works on the neurotransmitter dopamine, and in that respect resembles the stimulant characteristics of cocaine. Short-term effects can include nervousness and insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, palpitations, headaches, changes in heart rate and blood pressure (usually elevation of both, but occasionally depression), skin rashes and itching, abdominal pain, weight loss, and digestive problems, toxic psychosis, psychotic episodes, drug dependence syndrome, and severe depression upon withdrawal.
What are its long-term effects?
High doses of stimulants produce a predictable set of symptoms that include loss of appetite (may cause serious malnutrition), tremors and muscle twitching, fevers, convulsions, and headaches (may be severe), irregular heartbeat and respirations (may be profound and life threatening), anxiety, restlessness, paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions, excessive repetition of movements and meaningless tasks, and formicaton (sensation of bugs or worms crawling under the skin).

Answer 5

Wow. Never heard of a 3 1/2 year old being on Ritalin or any ADD/ADHD medication. NEVER.

Take him to another doctor for a second opinion.

Answer 6

I think you should take your son to another doctor for a second opinion. I think that doctor's are way to quick to diagnose children with ADD and ADHD these days.

A 3 1/2 year old isn't going to have a long attention span. It's normal at that age.

See another doctor.

Answer 7

Your kid is too young to be on ritalin. Even if he has adhd (and it is waaay overdiagnosed), The only reason he may really need it is if he's in school and is entirely unable to pay attention. But in my opinion, 3 1/2 is far to young to be diagnosing a kid with adhd. He might grow out of it. I would suggest getting a second opinion. And if his level of activity is getting to you, take him outside as often as possible and let him run around till he's exhausted. He'll sleep better and he'll probably be able to focus better too.

Answer 8

How can a child who isn't in a structured learning environment even meet the criteria for ADD?

http://add.about.com/cs/addthebasics/a/dsm.htm

Answer 9

Why in the world did they do that?

Answer 10

seriously?