Ritalin and suicide cover-ups in Sweden

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[sSRI-Research] Ritalin and suicide cover-ups in Sweden

 

 

 

Ritalin and suicide cover-ups in Sweden

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=5058

 

 

 

Ritalin - The Cover-Up Of Suicides

Janne Larsson

10/27/2005 12:48:46 PM

 

Treatment with Ritalin has caused suicides and suicide attempts in

children.

 

The Medical Products Agency (MPA) in Sweden knew about " 21 cases of

attempted suicide and six suicides " but approved Ritalin anyway.

 

FDA has warned about " Suicide Ideation " in connection with Ritalin

treatment

- but didn't FDA know about the suicides?

 

 

 

From the depths of the archives at the Swedish Medical Products Agency

(MPA)

some astonishing papers have emerged. Papers showing that Ritalin,

prescribed to children with the diagnosis ADHD, causes depression and has

led to suicides and suicide attempts.

 

The MPA knew about these disastrous effects when approving Ritalin for

sales

in Sweden June 15 this year. No warnings were given to physicians or the

public.

 

FDA announced June 28 that Ritalin and other methylphenidate drugs had

been

linked to " visual hallucinations, suicidal ideation, psychotic

behavior, as

well as aggression or violent behaviour " . Nothing was said about

suicides or

suicide attempts.

 

The narcotic drug Ritalin has been withdrawn from the Swedish market

for 37

years - since the abuse catastrophe in the 60-ties. But Swedish

psychiatrists have in recent years demanded the right to prescribe Ritalin

and other stimulants to children - with the false pretence that the

narcotic

drug for children with the diagnosis ADHD would work as insulin for

persons

with diabetes. The expert child psychiatrist at the MPA has led the

campaign; he has assured the public there are no serious short-term or

long-term side effects from stimulant treatment of children.

 

When the British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) 2003

tried to

get approval for children for its blockbuster drug Seroxat (Paxil) it was

revealed that the company already five years earlier had known that

the drug

increased the suicide risk in children. This exposure led to the

disapproval

of the application and the British authorities instead banned Seroxat -

should not be prescribed to children.

 

History seemed to be repeating itself when pharmaceutical company Novartis

in 2004 was seeking approval for Ritalin for children in Sweden - a

country

in the unique position of having banned the drug already in the 60-ties.

Novartis had not for many years had reason to turn in documentation in

other

countries, but they had to do it in Sweden. And in the submitted documents

(written already year 2000!) it is under the heading SUICIDE revealed: " it

is known that Ritalin therapy and its sudden discontinuation may cause

depression in some patients. "

 

Under the same heading Novartis is also revealing: " A search of the

Novartis

international safety data base allowed the identification of 21 cases of

attempted suicide and six suicides, in addition to 25 reports of suicidal

ideations in patient aged 6-48 years, 56% of whom were children aged less

than 16 years. "

 

But unlike the British authorities in the Seroxat case the Swedish MPA

didn't come to the defence of the children. Instead the MPA in June 2005

approved Ritalin, and covered up the information about suicides and

suicide

attempts! The public or physicians didn't get any warnings.

 

And now the MPA has taken one step further: declared that the document

telling about the suicides is classified information. It is decided, " the

pharmaceutical company in question can be harmed " if access is granted to

the documentation.

 

The agency supposed to be for the public is, under pressure from

psychiatrists and a pharmaceutical company, approving a narcotic drug that

can cause depression and suicide. It is then hiding the disastrous results

to protect the company.

 

This medical scandal also involves the FDA. The agency can be expected to

have known about the deadly effects of Ritalin - but did not act. What is

buried in the files of the FDA?

 

 

 

 

Contact Information:

Janne Larsson

Writer - investigating psychiatry

Janne Larsson

08-7089342 (Sweden)

janne.olov.larsson