Sharyl Attkisson Explores Off Label Use of Risperdal in Children

By Kim Stagliano

Sharyl Attkisson of CBS News delves into the off-label use of Risperdal for children and it's serious side effects, including breast growth on males. Click HERE to view the video. (We removed the embedded video - the audio was automatic and kind of annoying.)

Parents of children with autism routinely use this drug. (Doctors prescribe it as a matter of course to young children.) Many of them are the very same parents who berate biomed parents for using a healthy diet, vitamins and minerals to treat autism. These parents call us "anti-vaccine" and "chelationists" (even though full chemical chelation is used in a much smaller number of kids than the general public believes.)  I hope to see some major blog entries, and perhaps even a front page spread in the Chicago Times about these "Risperdalists" who are endangering children with this drug.   

Earlier this year we ran, "What Risperdal Did To Me" by Sondra Williams and "From Risperdone to Ritalin. Lies. Lies. Lies."    Remember this gem? Psychiatrist Dr. Joseph Biederman promised postitive results to Johnson & Johnson in risperidone testing.  The psychiatrist, Dr. Joseph Biederman, outlined plans to test Johnson & Johnson’s drugs in presentations to company executives. One slide referred to a proposed trial in preschool children of risperidone, an antipsychotic drug made by the drug company. The trial, the slide stated, “will support the safety and effectiveness of risperidone in this age group.”

Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism.

Comments

[SARAH]

I HAVE A STORY JUST LIKE ONE OF YOU, AND I WAS WONDERING WHAT IS GABA? AND DOES THOSE THINGS REALLY CALM THEM? MY TWO YEAR OLD IS VERY AGGRESSIVE AND POSSESSIVE, HE WAS TOLD HE NEEDED Risperdal RIGHT AT TWO YEARS, AND ALSO HE WAS AUTISTIC, BUT I WAS DETERMINED NOT TO MEDICATE HIM, BUT THE ANGER AND AGGRESSION HE HAS IS GETTING WORSE, I NEED ANSWERS, I NEED HELP, IM A YOUNG MOTHER, 26, AND I HAVE AN OLDER DAUGHTER, SO I KNOW HIS BEHAVIOR ISNT NORMAL, BUT I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO. PLEASE PLEASE, I FEEL LIKE IM LOOSING IT,SOMETHING HAS TO MAKE HIM REASON, SOMETHING HAS TO MAKE HIM STOP AND THINK "I CANT HURT MOMMY" AND "WHEN MOM FUSSES IT MEANS STOP!" I SWEAR IF I WOULDNT PUT HIM TO BED HE WOULD NEVER STOP!!!!ITS LIKE HE NEVER GETS TIRED!!!!!CANT SOMEONE HELP ME, I DONT FEEL AS IF AUTISIM COULD BE DETECTED AT AN AGE OF 2, CAN IT?????

[John Salcedo]

Thank you for sharing the link: BRAIN STORM "Oxygen Under Pressure." This was released on Memorial Day weekend - due to it's popularity, it has been nominated as one of the top 6 International Student Films for May/June. Now eligible to compete for "Best International Student Film" for May/June 2009 - to compete for best film of the year. I appreciate your support to increase HBOT awareness.

Regards,

John Salcedo
Film Director
BRAIN STORM: "Oxygen Under Pressure"

[Stagmom]

Goedemorgen. God Morgen. Good morning! I can't believe the T-shirts are already in Sweden. I just sent them on Monday! I guess the US Postal Service is pretty good after all. We'll really value your opinions and expertise here, Milco. Get working on the submission for me! Thanks.

KIM

[M.R,Jansen]

Dear Kim thank you so much for the T shirts, they arrived here in Sweden.
I will promote and I will help where I can.
Thank you for your effort!
And yes for this article I am a dokter and yes for this article my son has risperdone...
low dosis 0,85ml(1mg/ml) and yes he has Concerta 27 mg and yes it is difficult and yes
I am split between father, dokter,farma and wat is right and what is wrong.....
Thats why the AGE of AUTISM is an important
Newspaper.....
And yes a great dokter:
1) LISTEN FIRST AND ESPECIALLY TO THE PARENTS.....They are always right!
2) Medicate and vaccinate as minimum as possible and or is necessary.....in the context of the child and where on this earth
it is living!!

Regards,
Milco

[tracy]

http://autismsciencefoundation.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/cbs-news-poo-poos-fda-approved-autism-intervention/#comments

And here we have Ms. Singer, who crawled out from under her rock, to of course advocate for the use of the drugs since drugging her own daughter is what she believes is right. Alison Singer is a disgrace.

[Terri Lewis]

Hey, Michelle.

You've got their number, and the phone is disconnected! These quacksters are a few cards shy of a full deck, and they give it all away in the first few minutes.

Always, always, always trust your gut feelings when it comes to choosing (or leaving) a doctor.

Your three-point list is great!!

Here's mine:

Bad doctors like to:

1. Intimidate
2. Medicate
3. Make $$$$$$$$$.

Good doctors:

1. Show respect.
2. Listen before they talk.
3. Safely minimize use of medication.

Terri Lewis

[Michelle]

When Nicholas was almost 2 1/2 years old, we took him to a local Neurologist who was apparently “the dr to see” in a big hospital in NJ. You know, the kind of doctor who is on Autism Boards and “really knows his stuff” You know, the one with the waiting list which is months long because everyone just has to get their kid in to see him. Before our appointment, I already knew Nicholas had autism. I was already beginning to put the biomed pieces together in my head. We had already seen a HUGE difference in Nicholas from just the addition of the Omega Fish Oil and Vitamin E. So, imagine a naive version of me (oh yeah, I was naive back then) sitting there asking this doctor why fish oils are making my child talk and babble when without it he was almost completely silent after him telling me that ABA was our only hope if we did not want to institutionalize our son and try again. So, imagine my shock when this doctor practically yelled at me about giving my child omega fish oil and then telling me that he was not giving me an Rx for ABA until I brought my son back to see him after he was medicated with risperdal. (the school requested a report or Rx for ABA so they could get Nicholas services - that was the primary reason for the appointment)

Hearing a neurologist confirm your thoughts that your child was in fact autistic was enough for one afternoon. Having such an individual tell you to put your child in an institution and try again was one of the most cruel things anyone has ever said to me in my life. Having him answer my curious question on fish oil in the manner in which he did was unprofessional and telling all at the same time. But, in the moment, I didn’t know that his response to the fish oil was telling at all. What I heard was autism and institution and risperdal. I collapsed in the parking lot shortly thereafter from a panic attack.

I went home and started looking up Risperdal. In less than five minutes, I read that this was medication for schizophrenic adults and that it was recently approved for children five years and above. In less than five minutes, I knew there was no way I was putting my son on a drug like this - my son’s behavior did not warrant it - and thinking back to the appointment I then realized that this doctor did nothing but provoke my son from the second we walked into his office - and at times, my son acted better than I thought he would there. (I truly understand some children need this medication and do not judge any parents for choosing this route for their child if they have tried everything in their power first.)

My son, as I said, was 2 1/2 years old. When I made the appointment, they told me that they had plenty of toys there so I would not need to bring any. We get there and are in the waiting room…. no toys. We are brought into the doctors office… again, no toys. My son was just starting to play with his toy phone at home and he saw a phone on the doctors desk and wanted to play with it. This doctor proceeded to taunt my child with his phone and then deny him access to play with it. And then he tells me my son is agitated and needs medication. This doctor did not choose to see my son pick up the receiver putting it to his ear and babbling like he was having a conversation. I have to wonder how different a neurotypical child would have acted in that situation.

My son was hyper as if he was driven by a motor that never shut off. “He needs medication!” exclaims the doctor, “He will not learn without it!” In my many beginning hours of research into my son’s issues, I found a list of things to try to calm him down a bit and I started trying them. Epsom Salt baths - check. Evening Primrose Oil - check. Gaba - check. L-theanine - check. I added epsom salt baths - and wow — the difference was amazing. Then I added Evening Primrose Oil - I saw less hyper. I added gaba, but knowing that would take a month or so to kick in, I also added L-Theanine - and that worked very well. Less hyper, less anxiety - and suddenly I was angry. Angry that they would rather my son be medicated — with a drug that wasn’t even approved for a 2 year old. Angry that this doctor couldn’t say - hey, magnesium is calming - why don’t you try some of that either orally or epsom salt baths and see if that works to calm him down some?? Unfortunately, we all know the answer to that question by now.

I felt like this doctor was on a misson:
1. Diagnose
2. Break down parents into believing there is nothing that can be done to help their child
3. Medicate

I still have that Rx for risperdal. I keep it as a reminder of what I’m working towards - a child who does not need to depend on anything in life — including Rx drugs like this. I’m so glad Sharyl Attkisson wrote about this. So very glad. Thank you, Sharyl. You are one of my heroes. Thank you for having the backbone to stand up for the truth!

[Chris]

Oh yes. These same people who will give their children Risperdal are the same ones who think I am abusing my daughter by doing biomed and think she should be taken away from me. Hypocritical much?

I'm waiting for the quackosphere to find a way to smear Sharyl Atkisson's character after this. You know they will@@. That's how they operate.

[Gatogorra]

I'm so impressed with Sharyl Attkisson for the coverage she's done on vaccine risks and now this. And thank you, Kim, for being of the same mind and in the same league.

Antipsychotics are the gift that keep on giving-- the same mechanism which causes gynecomastia can also lead to breast cancer:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/447031

I just mentioned to someone the other week how curious it is that J&J profits from Risperdal as well as Desitin. Wasn't the baby products/housewares industry freaking out and in big trouble circa 1986 because of the numbers of women putting off having children to seek higher education and advance their careers? Isn't there, like, a whole book about it? (thank you, Susan Faludi).

But just add a few more shots to the schedule and triple children's ethylmercury exposure and a few generations' would-be career moms are now trapped perpetually diapering further generations of children who may never be independent, and consuming housewares and baby products interminably. Profits from diapers and rash ointment had to have gone through the roof because of the epidemic and a market for deadly atypicals was born.

This is definitely a company that carries human beings from cradle to grave. Does J&J manufacture coffins or run cremation franchises by any chance?

[Media Scalpini]

So one drug grows boobs on ASD boys and the other drugs leaves them permanantly singing soprano?

Isn't there a song about this somewhere?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjZspWlMWTA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixqbc7X2NQY