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American Morning

ADHD: Not Just For Kids Anymore?

Aired October 21, 2003 - 09:45   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: For sometime now attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, has been associated with children. New reports now showing adults can suffer from it as well. A look at this condition now and the new drugs designed to treat it. Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen filling in for Dr. Sanjay Gupta today at the CNN Center. Morning, Elizabeth. How much of a problem is this for adults?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Doctors used to think that kids would grow out of this, that this was a condition of childhood and that the doctors would treat it in childhood and then they'd grow out of it.

But there's increasing recognition that many adults, many children do not grow out of it. They continue to have it into adulthood. And an increasing recognition that while not all of those adults will need drugs, many of them will.

HEMMER: And the drugs in question here, how are they different, Elizabeth?

COHEN: Well there's two drugs that either are out now or some people think will be out soon. There's one drug is out there called Stratera and there's another drug called Adderall XR which is expected, the drug company expects to get FDA approval relatively soon. And they're very different.

Adderall is a stimulant, it's a amphetamine, and Stratera is not. And Stratera has actually made a big deal out of the fact that they're not an stimulant, that they're not an amphetamine. So they work in different ways.

And that's actually good news from people who suffer from ADHD because it means that if one doesn't work very well, perhaps the other once would work better. It gives people more of a choice.

HEMMER: When it comes to diagnosing this in children versus adults, is it easier or more difficult in adults?

COHEN: In some ways it's more difficult with adults because adults can have what one psychiatrists put to me as just plain modern life syndrome. In other words you've got to answer your phone calls and check your e-mails and take care of your kids and do your work, and you have all these things distracting you and all these responsibilities.

And so you might not have ADHD. You might actually have modern life. So you might think you have the signs of ADD, but just things like lack of focus, disorganization, trouble finishing up a project. But in fact you might not have ADD, you might have modern life.

And in a child there is a little bit more control. Also with children, they'll bring in the teacher, they'll bring in the school. So there's more sort of outsiders to bring in to figure out if it is ADD or not.

HEMMER: Finally here, back to the drug, Adderall. Side effects therein?

COHEN: Yes, there are some. Again, because it's a stimulant, there are definitely some side effects that people need to watch out for. Decreased appetite, stomach ache, difficulty falling asleep and irritability.

That first one, I mean I personally know people who have lost actually quite a bit of weight on this drug which could be good or bad depending on your situation. But those are all things people need to look out for when they're on this drug.

HEMMER: Thanks, Elizabeth.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired October 21, 2003 - 09:45   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: For sometime now attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, has been associated with children. New reports now showing adults can suffer from it as well. A look at this condition now and the new drugs designed to treat it. Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen filling in for Dr. Sanjay Gupta today at the CNN Center. Morning, Elizabeth. How much of a problem is this for adults?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Doctors used to think that kids would grow out of this, that this was a condition of childhood and that the doctors would treat it in childhood and then they'd grow out of it.

But there's increasing recognition that many adults, many children do not grow out of it. They continue to have it into adulthood. And an increasing recognition that while not all of those adults will need drugs, many of them will.

HEMMER: And the drugs in question here, how are they different, Elizabeth?

COHEN: Well there's two drugs that either are out now or some people think will be out soon. There's one drug is out there called Stratera and there's another drug called Adderall XR which is expected, the drug company expects to get FDA approval relatively soon. And they're very different.

Adderall is a stimulant, it's a amphetamine, and Stratera is not. And Stratera has actually made a big deal out of the fact that they're not an stimulant, that they're not an amphetamine. So they work in different ways.

And that's actually good news from people who suffer from ADHD because it means that if one doesn't work very well, perhaps the other once would work better. It gives people more of a choice.

HEMMER: When it comes to diagnosing this in children versus adults, is it easier or more difficult in adults?

COHEN: In some ways it's more difficult with adults because adults can have what one psychiatrists put to me as just plain modern life syndrome. In other words you've got to answer your phone calls and check your e-mails and take care of your kids and do your work, and you have all these things distracting you and all these responsibilities.

And so you might not have ADHD. You might actually have modern life. So you might think you have the signs of ADD, but just things like lack of focus, disorganization, trouble finishing up a project. But in fact you might not have ADD, you might have modern life.

And in a child there is a little bit more control. Also with children, they'll bring in the teacher, they'll bring in the school. So there's more sort of outsiders to bring in to figure out if it is ADD or not.

HEMMER: Finally here, back to the drug, Adderall. Side effects therein?

COHEN: Yes, there are some. Again, because it's a stimulant, there are definitely some side effects that people need to watch out for. Decreased appetite, stomach ache, difficulty falling asleep and irritability.

That first one, I mean I personally know people who have lost actually quite a bit of weight on this drug which could be good or bad depending on your situation. But those are all things people need to look out for when they're on this drug.

HEMMER: Thanks, Elizabeth.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com