Common Side Effects of Pharmaceuticals
Reviewing the list of medications is a standard practice when joining the Brain Harmony telehealth practice. Since 2014 Brain Harmony therapists have served thousands of patients of all ages and diagnosis across all 50 states and 8 countries, so we have reviewed a significant number of lists of medications over the years.
Here are the trends.
Clients have not fully processed the fact that many drugs prescribed to treat attention deficit are amphetamines, the same class of drugs as methamphetamines best known for their addictive qualities and the withdrawal symptoms if you try to stop taking them.
Many of the prescriptions being consumed have the same side effects as the reason clients are taking the drug in the first place.
Since the inability to detox is a character trait of the MTHFR variants, it makes the ADULT AND CHILD more susceptible to serotonin or dopamine toxicity commonly listed side effects of psychotropics, which can result in “psychotic breaks” and suicide attempts.
Suicide rates in children as young as seven years old is now a trackable statistic.
Pairing over eight hours a day of screen time (online school, work, video games, ipad apps) increases dopamine levels in the brain to toxic levels and when paired with commonly prescribed stimulants, frequently results in violence towards the caregiver.
Vagal regulation with neurological organization can treat the root cause of Attention Deficit, Depression and Anxiety so that patients do not need compensatory strategies like pharmaceuticals.
We talk with families regularly and are provided with many terrible stories of suffering and trauma surrounding the onset of side effects from several classes of commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals. The CDC states that while 85% of adults 60 years and older have used some type of prescription drug in the last 30 days, 18% of children aged 0 to 11 years old have also been prescribed some sort of pharmaceutical medication in the last month. Furthermore, 27% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 are currently taking prescription medications[*][*].
The pharmaceutical industry is booming in the United States, with the average annual spending in 2019 hitting 500 billion dollars, and an estimated 4.5 billion prescriptions filled annually. These staggering numbers and side effects of the drugs, may make you stop and think, why are we taking prescriptions that are so addictive and potentially harmful[*]?
CDC scientists found that, as of 2016, 6.1 million children aged 2-17 years living in the U.S. had been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Among all children 2-17 years of age with ADHD, researchers also found:
6 out of 10 (62%) were taking medication for their ADHD
Of that 62% taking ADHD medication
Ages 2–5: 18%
Ages 6–11: 69%
Ages 12–17: 62%
Nearly two-thirds (64%) also had another mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder, such as conduct disorder, anxiety, depression, autism, and Tourette syndrome.
So, what gives? Is it logical to provide a 2 yo with attention medications? Are these medications actually helping us and our children, or are they making matters worse?
In this article, you’ll learn:
How prescription medications can be harmful to the nervous system
Which prescriptions are most prevalent and how to read the side effect list
How to support your nervous system to get to the root cause of Attention Deficit, Depression and Anxiety without medications.
Medications And The Nervous System: A Recipe For Disaster
The most common pharmaceuticals that clients are taking when they join our practice at Brain Harmony are psychotropics (anxiolytics, antidepressants, SSRIs), and ADD/ADHD medications (amphetamines).
While on the surface these meds may seem to be the most obvious choice, what most of our clients don’t realize is the devastating side effects that these pharmaceuticals can have.
Instead of getting to the root of the nervous system imbalances that are causing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and attention deficits, they act like a bandaid and often end up creating more issues that our clients need to manage. What makes matters worse is they usually include warning labels like this:
“If you suddenly stop using this medication, you may have withdrawal symptoms (such as depression, suicidal thoughts, or other mental/mood changes). To help prevent withdrawal, your doctor may lower your dose slowly. Withdrawal is more likely if you have used methylphenidate for a long time or in high doses. Tell your doctor or pharmacist right away if you have withdrawal.
Though it helps many people, this medication may sometimes cause addiction. This risk may be higher if you have a substance use disorder (such as overuse of or addiction to drugs/alcohol). Take this medication exactly as prescribed to lower the risk of addiction. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: signs of blood flow problems in the fingers or toes (such as coldness, numbness, pain, or skin color changes), unusual wounds on the fingers or toes, fast/pounding/irregular heartbeat, mental/mood/behavior changes (such as agitation,
aggression, mood swings, abnormal thoughts, thoughts of suicide), uncontrolled muscle movements (such as twitching, shaking), sudden outbursts of words/sounds that are hard to control, vision changes (such as blurred vision).
Get medical help right away if you have any very serious side effects, including: fainting, seizure, symptoms of a heart attack (such as chest/jaw/left arm pain, shortness of breath, unusual sweating), symptoms of a stroke (such as weakness on one side of the body, slurred speech, sudden vision changes, confusion).”
Is this ok with you? They may produce results which appear to resolve issues at first but the side effects that come with these prescriptions tell another story.
In general, instead of organizing the central nervous system and brain, these medications can push our nervous system into sympathetic responses. The result is drastic changes to our emotional states, increased violence, anxiety, and an inability to sleep -- to name a few.
Below are the three primary categories of meds and the devastating side effects that come along with this approach.
Antidepressants - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are the most common class of antidepressants prescribed today, frequently being prescribed to adults and children as young as seven years old.
SSRIs are said to treat depression by increasing levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, and blocking the reuptake of serotonin into neurons. The result is more serotonin available to improve the transmission of messages between the neurons in your brain.
Some common SSRIs include[*]:
Citalopram (Celexa)
Escitalopram (Lexapro)
Fluoxetine (Prozac)
Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva)
Sertraline (Zoloft)
Some of the common side effects associated with SSRIs include[*]:
Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
Headache
Drowsiness
Dry mouth
Insomnia
Nervousness, agitation or restlessness
Dizziness
Impact on appetite, leading to weight loss or weight gain
Dangerously abnormal heart rhythms
Increased suicidal thoughts or behaviors (especially in people under 25) In addition to this list of potential side effects, when taking SSRIs you put your loved one at risk for something called serotonin syndrome (also known as serotonin toxicity). Serotonin syndrome happens when serotonin builds up in your body to levels beyond what your nervous system can handle. This devastating condition can show up as[*]:
Severe anxiety
Agitation
High fever
Heavy sweating
Diarrhea
Headache
Confusion
Tremors
Restlessness
Lack of coordination
Major changes in blood pressure and a rapid heart rate
Muscle rigidity
Seizures
If left untreated, severe serotonin syndrome can lead to unconsciousness and death.
Because of the tragic experience of a friend of Brain Harmony whose parents thought it would be worth a shot to decrease her seven year olds anxiety by starting on an SSRI, we take the drug name and go straight to the side effects first and ask, am I ok with that?
Attention Deficit Disorder Medications (Amphetamines)
Many of our friends at Brain Harmony have been diagnosed with either ADD or ADHD, and prescribed medication to treat their symptoms. As mentioned previously, ADD/ADHD diagnosis in the US is at an unprecedented level, with millions of children and adults currently falling under these diagnoses[*].
Common symptoms of ADD/ADHD include[*]:
Impulsiveness
Disorganization and problems prioritizing
Poor time management skills
Problems focusing on a task
Trouble multitasking
Excessive activity or restlessness
Poor planning
Low frustration tolerance
Frequent mood swings
Problems following through and completing tasks
Hot temper
Trouble coping with stress
Clearly, at the root of ADD/ADHD there is a nervous system imbalance at play.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children as young at six years old can begin with medication[*].
The best known and most widely used ADD/ADHD medications are a class of stimulants that can push the nervous system into sympathetic mode: AKA the fight/flight/freeze or fold response instead of regulating the underlying autonomic nervous system.
These pharmaceuticals work by increasing the neurotransmitters dopamine and/or norepinephrine in the brain. These medications, also known as amphetamines, stimulate the central nervous system and speed up messages traveling between the brain and body.
Amphetamines gained popularity during WW2 when soldiers used these drugs to enhance cognitive and physical performance. According to Recovery.org,“Soldiers accounted for the largest number of amphetamine users between 1939 and 1945. German soldiers could march for days on end without stopping, going without sleep for up to 50 hours with the most popular drug Pervitin.1,7 Pervitin had many adverse effects, however. These included dizziness, sweating, depression, hallucinations, and addiction. Some soldiers died of heart failure, while others shot themselves during drug-induced psychoses”[*].
Some of the most common ADD/ADHD medications include:
Ritalin
Focalin
Concerta
Dexedrine
Adderall
Vyvanse
Common side effects associated with these medications include[*]:
Nervousness
Restlessness
Excitability
Dizziness
Headache
Insomnia
Fear
Anxiety
Tremor
Hallucinations
Convulsions (seizures)
Increased blood pressure and heart rate, and patients may experience palpitations of the heart.
Other, even more dangerous side effects of these medications include:
Manic episodes
Sudden death
Stroke
Heart attack
Depression
Aggressive behavior or hostility
Psychosis
Growth suppression (long-term use)
Dependence, and withdrawal symptoms
How Brain Harmony Can Help
At Brain Harmony, we understand that the attention deficit, depression and anxiety that you or your loved one is experiencing are rooted in their nervous system. When the nervous system is calm and organized, behaviors and emotional states like violence, depression, anxiousness, inability to pay attention, aggression, frustration, and so on, are no longer needed so they decrease and dissolve away.
However, when the nervous system is pushed into sympathetic mode, and our young friends feel unsafe, ungrounded, and generally on edge, it makes it incredibly challenging for them to feel comfortable in the world and behave in a calm and focused way.
Instead of using medications as a bandaid, we encourage our clients to begin with our 5-step plan of care. Our protocol addresses the root cause of many common symptoms that result in an ADHD or depression diagnosis -- without any pharmaceutical intervention necessary.
ADD/ADHD
For an ADD/ADHD diagnosis, we use the pyramid of learning (depicted below) as a guideline to assist our friends in achieving a level of attention and calm that is innate to all humans. Taking a look at the pyramid, you can see that learning, intellect, and behavior are at the very top. It’s not until we can create stability in the base of the pyramid, the foundations of the system, that attention and behavioral regulation can fall into place.
We work our way up the pyramid by shoring up the base of the central nervous system via the sensory system. As we continue to organize and build a foundation, layer by layer, in our friends central nervous system, the whole brain and body system comes online.
This is when we see drastic changes in our friends ability to pay attention because they are no longer at the whims of their nervous system, and instead have neurological organization to choose where and how to focus.
The Brain Harmony approach to ADD/ADHD is very different from pharma, which tries to shortcut the process of full body-mind organization. Instead, our friends on medications present with stunted growth, poor appetite, drastic weight loss, inability to sleep, and more. In short, they get sicker when they take meds, and they aren’t treating the root cause of the inattention. As a result they’re stuck in “revolving-door” business model of many conventional medical practices with no long term gains or change in the brain so the dosage increases as the side effects as well.
Depression and Anxiety
When our friends present with depression and anxiety, we address mood dysregulation with vagal regulating tools and protocols. Regulating vagal tone allows those with depression and anxiety to feel safe and relaxed. This opens them up to new ways of thinking and behaving, with greater self-confidence. It also promotes more restful sleep, which is crucial for mood regulation.
Next, we introduce neurological organization using sound and alpha brain waves, with an emphasis on higher frequency input. This helps to elevate their mood, enhances creativity, and promotes executive function.
During the neurological regulation step we literally reprogram the brain so it works for you, and not against you. This leads to increased emotional control and the ability to communicate and connect. What’s more, once neurological organization has taken place our friends with depression and anxiety experience more creativity and an elevated mood.
By walking our clients through the process of root-level healing they break out of the conventional medical model loop that keeps them addicted to clinic visits, blood work, and dangerous side effects from medications. Medications that, as explained previously, for many are only compensatory strategies and don’t actually address the disorganization in the brain and nervous system.
Brain Harmony Success Stories
Grant struggled with ADD, focus, nervousness, and anxiety for most of his life - preventing him from enjoying life to the fullest and performing at his peak potential at school. After working with Brain Harmony, Grant has achieved AB Honor Roll, has become more affectionate, and has tapped into his new found love for creative writing.
“Anxiety wise - before, I’d just get panic attacks just.. thinking about the future and how it’s going to effect me. But now I’ve just been thinking about now.” - Grant
“You have absolutely nothing to lose. No matter where you’re at mentally, you have room to improve always. And it can be life-changing if you’ll just give it a shot.” - Grant’s Mom
Nancy was having problems with anxiety, brain fog, and depression and was trying to find a non-pharmaceutical route. As a nurse in an intensive care unit, Nancy found that her brain fog and anxiety were getting in the way of work. She couldn’t process her thoughts or get them down on paper, word retrieval was an issue, and she experienced memory loss. On top of it all, she felt depressed and disengaged with life.
Nancy needed help and she felt that her meds weren’t working, so she sought out another type of treatment and found Brain Harmony. After beginning the program she noticed right away that her anxiety diminished using the Safe and Sound Protocol and Alpha Stim. She then gradually
felt the depression and brain fog begin to lift. She went from not being able to organize her thoughts to fully functioning at work and in life. Brain Harmony not only helped to heal her anxiety, but it lifted her brain fog, diminished her depression, and improved her sleep.
ADHD
Jennifer, a FDN and health coach, wanted to try anything she could outside of pharmaceuticals to help her son Reese with his ADHD. She heard about Brain Harmony on a podcast and decided to give it a shot.
Since Reese was three years old he was always a little different, very hyperactive, always getting in trouble. Although he was very smart, he had behavioural issues and wasn’t able to process his emotions well, which showed up as emotional outbursts.
Jennifer explained:
“Right after we did safe and sound I noticed huge changes. I guess I didn’t realize how big the sensory issue part was. I knew he had some sensory issues because he had been in OT, I just thought ADHD was more the thing, but after doing that and seeing the calmness that I never seen him have, that was really eye opening for me.
Now, instead of getting angry and not knowing what to do with his emotions, Reese can release what he’s feeling and calm himself down. In school, he no longer gets upset and emotional, and his hyperactivity has completely resolved. “
These examples are just two stories out of hundreds that we’ve heard at Brain Harmony. If you or a loved one has been taking pharmaceuticals and not seeing the results, or if you’re just ready to move on from the pharmaceutical approach altogether, contact us today for a Free Consultation.