Texas Foster Care Investigation - Children as young as 3 are drugged with antipsychotics

Michael Monheit, Esquire, Monheit Law, PC
Zyprexa: Lawyer: Side Effects: Weight Gain

A mother reported her son's experience with the antipsychotic drug, Zyprexa: "He put on a tremendous amount of weight, 85 pounds to be exact," she said, adding that as doctors continued to increase his medications starting at age 5, he experienced troubles in school and with the law and was hospitalized repeatedly.?

The Houston Chronicle reports that Risperdal and Zyprexa - made up half of the drugs prescribed to foster children in Texas. These drugs are among the most dangerous of psychotropic drugs. They carry new FDA-required warnings about diabetes, blood clots and strokes.

Dr. John Holcomb of the Texas Medical Association said Mrs. Strayhorn has "a serious misunderstanding" of whether off-label use of drugs is appropriate.

"Hogwash," retorted the comptroller, whose son, Mark McClellan, runs the Food and Drug Administration. "I understand the use of off-label drugs, and I understand that most of these drugs are not approved for use in children."

She questioned actions by two Texas doctors who aren't psychiatrists but have prescribed mental health medications to foster children. A third, she said, co-owns a pharmacy that dispenses the drugs.

"It is not uncommon for some [foster] children to have up to 14 different prescriptions," she said.

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