The Drug Companies Are At It Again: Doctors Prescribing Psychiatric Drugs for Weight Loss

You may have read some of our articles on ADHD and alternative methods to the typical prescription drugs used to address the condition. Apparently people are taking notice, because the use of these drugs for treating ADHD and related conditions has decreased. Unfortunately, however, certain prescription drugs (like Adderall) are still being prescribed for other uses . . . namely weight loss. In fact a recent news article reported that celebrity Lindsay Lohan regularly uses Adderall to stay slim (perhaps too slim). Keep reading for a perfect example of how drug companies manage to keep afloat with little or no regard to your health.

It was bad enough that drug companies were promoting harmful drugs like Ritalin and Adderall for treatment of ADHD in children (many often misdiagnosed with ADHD). Many parents began to realize that these drugs were harmful for their children and took alternate approaches to dealing with ADHD.

And for good reason.

There have been numerous studies about these pharmaceuticals and the damage that they can cause after use over a period of time. The use of Ritalin was actually linked to leukemia. Because of these potential side effects, a number of parents have refused such treatments for their children and have put the drug companies that manufacture these drugs at risk for losing money.

But have no fear. These drugs are not going anywhere. They are simply being “re-packaged” and doled out to a new group of people - those who want to lose weight. Doctors are prescribing these stimulants as a way for obese adults to lose weight. This is because they believe that a chemical imbalance in the brain that is caused by ADHD prevents obese people from being able to lose weight. 

People who want to lose weight are one of the easiest targets of the drug companies. They are usually willing to do anything, especially if it seems easy (like taking a magic pill). Now, it appears that those who are overweight and desperate to do something about it are being given drugs that were created for psychiatric patients in a way to help them lose extra pounds. These drugs were never meant to be used as often as they are prescribed as it is, only in severe cases. And they were not created for weight loss. 

Negative Health Effects
How much are you willing to risk, of your health, to lose weight? Ritalin, in addition to being linked to cancer, stimulates your body in such a way that it increases your blood pressure, increases your heart rate, increases your body temperature and alertness and also suppresses the appetite. So do cigarettes, but no doctor will prescribe a carton of cigarettes to a patient who wants to lose weight. 

The fact of the matter is that someone who is obese is probably already suffering from increased blood pressure and heart rate. The last thing that they need is to increase this even more by the use of psychiatric drugs. This may not only lead to complications down the road from long term use of these drugs, but can also end up resulting in heart attack or heart disease. 

Damage to the chromosomes that are linked to cancer has been found in children who have taken Ritalin for just three months. The use of ADHD drugs other than Ritalin have also been found to increase the risk for heart attack or stroke as well as increase risk of suicide, aggressive behavior and other negative health and behavior problems. 

Don’t Do It!
If you are considering Ritalin or ADHD drugs in your effort to lose weight, you should be aware of the serious negative health consequences of these drugs. It is far safer for you to go on a sensible diet and increase your activity level to lose weight rather than rely on a magic pill to do the job . . . especially when the magic pill was never designed for weight loss in the first place.