   
Weight Gain and ADHD Meds
Q:
"My nine-year-old has oppositional defiant disorder, and he just started taking Risperdal. I heard that this medication could cause weight gain or even diabetes. Should I take him off it?" 
A:
Risperdal can cause an increase in appetite. This increase, and the resulting weight gain, is often significant enough to require a different medication. Risperdal can also impact endocrine systems, with a possible outcome of Type 2 diabetes. When a doctor prescribes Risperdal for a child, he should conduct several laboratory tests soon after starting the medication, and again every several months, to check for this possibility. Be sure to discuss this concern with your prescribing doctor.
Larry Silver, M.D., is the author of Dr. Larry Silver's Advice to Parents on AD/HD and The Misunderstood Child: Understanding and Coping with Your Child's Learning Disabilities. He is also a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
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