Posted by King Vultan on August 22, 2004, at 21:25:45
In reply to Someone tell me something about Cylert, posted by mmcconathy on August 22, 2004, at 13:39:13
The hepatotoxicity problem, although relatively rare, seems to have severely limited this drug's use. My pdoc has been in practice for around 25 years and says he has never used it. "Mosby's 2004 Drug Guide" states that "Since pemoline's marketing in 1975, 15 cases of acute hepatic failure have been reported to the FDA...Of the 15 cases reported as of December 1998, 12 resulted in death or liver transplantation, usually within 4 weeks of the onset of the signs and symptoms of liver failure. The earliest onset of hepatic abnormalities occurred 6 months after initiation of pemoline."
On the plus side, this is only a Schedule IV controlled substance, in contrast to Ritalin, which is Schedule II. While refills are less of a hassle, and there is also less potential for abuse/tolerance, pemoline seems to be considered less effective than the Schedule II drugs. When you add in the omnipresent spectre of liver failure, even though it is clearly rare, this seems to be a drug that most doctors don't care to bother with. I can't really say I blame them.
Todd
poster:King Vultan
thread:380863
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040821/msgs/381039.html