SSRI antidepressant drugs treatment of ADHD
Drug companies have not disclosed the dangers of SSRI antidepressants prescribed to children
Drug companies withheld information showing antidepressants were ineffective and could be harmful to children and should have issued warnings on their products. Health authorities in Britain and the United States have voiced concern or advise doctors not to prescribe the drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) to children under 18 because of the potential suicide risk.
Selective serotonin uptake inhibitors are a new class of antidepressant drugs that has been increasingly used for symptom reduction ADHD. However, there is currently no scientific evidence that serotonin modulators such as paxil help ADHD. paxil has a very weak modulating effect on norepinephrine, but this is not believed to be clinically relevant (unless one takes very high doses). Most SSRI's, including Paxil, will actually lower dopamine levels.
Antidepressants carry a strong warning regarding their use in children and adolescents. This warning admonishes doctors and parents that "Patients who are started on therapy should be observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in behavior".
