PALO ALTO KIDS WILL BE RETURNED TO SANTA CLARA COUNTY; MAY NO GO HOME

Palo Alto kids will be returned to Santa Clara County; may not go home

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_12788097

By Patrick May

pmay@mercurynews.com

Posted: 07/08/2009 05:23:40 PM PDT

Updated: 07/09/2009 09:53:19 AM PDT

Two Palo Alto children taken from their parents last month and put in a foster home after a family fight near Omaha will be returning to the Bay Area after Nebraska authorities agreed Wednesday to turn over the case to child-welfare officials in Santa Clara County.

The parents — Stanford University physicist Suwen Wang and his wife, paralegal Charlotte Fu — still face misdemeanor criminal charges in Nebraska for allegedly striking their 13-year-old son in the face during an altercation, said their attorney, Michael Nelson. Both deny hitting the boy and will plead not guilty to charges of assault, child abuse and disturbing the peace, said Nelson.

The boy and his sister, 12-year-old Alice Fuzi Wang, should be back in their home county in a matter of days following a judge's approval of the multiagency agreement at a Wednesday court hearing in Nebraska. Where they'll go after that, however, is still up in the air.

"They're residents here so we want them back," said Carol Robinson, Santa Clara County's lead deputy county counsel for the child dependency unit. After a social worker completes an investigation, she said, the children could be placed in one of several places.

"Obviously our first choice is to return them home to their parents," said Robinson. "If we can't do that, then our second choice is a relative or what we call a nonrelative extended family member. Based on news accounts, I think this family has a lot of strong friends and they'd absolutely be considered for that under our rules."

Neither parent would comment on the case. Sharon Silverman, a longtime family friend who lives in Kensington and once worked as an attorney with Fu, said the family was emotionally drained but thrilled to be getting their children back after being separated since the incident on June 6 in Plattsmouth, Neb.

"This has been an exhausting situation for them," said Silverman, one of about 10 friends who traveled from the Bay Area to support the family during Wednesday's court hearing.

"They're very, very happy. It's the very best outcome for this. They're coming back to California which is where they belong."

Wang and Fu had taken their family to Omaha because their daughter was being honored in a United Nations-sponsored international art exhibit. During a short road trip, they pulled over to the side of the road and an altercation broke out. According to police, a witness saw Fu get out of the car and punch her son in the face several times.

Nelson said the boy had been "needling his sister, and they pulled over to discipline him." The father then struck the boy in the face, a witness told police.

According to Nelson and accounts in the Omaha World-Herald, the responding officer said Fu had blood on her face from a cut on her nose and that the children appeared to be upset. The parents were arrested and spent two nights in jail before being released on bond. (but the 13 year old didn't have any marks...weird, if indeed mom "punched" him 4 or 5 times in the face and dad "puched" him once, you would expect the 13 year old to have marks on him...not the mom!)

Wang and Fu are still hoping their daughter can travel next month to South Korea as part of the international art contest that first brought her to Omaha. It's unclear whether Santa Clara County child-welfare officials will allow the family to travel out of the country.

In an interview earlier this week with the Omaha World-Herald, Fu called Alice "the ultimate victim" in this case and said that traveling to South Korea "would be a lifetime opportunity for her. It would be devastating for her to not go."

Neither the county attorney handling the criminal matter in Nebraska nor officials with that state's Department of Health and Human Services returned calls seeking comment.

Patrick May may also be reached at 408-920-5689.

INVESTIGATORS: POCA CASE AUDITOR FINDS CRACKS IN SYSTEM

Investigators: Poca case auditor finds cracks in system

http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/washington/stories/NW_070909INV-poca-independent-reviewer-KC.264ff0f7.html

11:16 PM PDT on Thursday, July 9, 2009

By SUSANNAH FRAME / KING 5 News

An independent reviewer looking into the case of the 4-year-old foster child nicknamed Poca has identified potential problems throughout the child welfare system that led to the child being in limbo her entire life.

Governor Gregoire ordered the review, led by Dr. Benjamin de Haan, one day after the KING 5 Investigators asked her several tough questions about the case in May.

Poca has spent her entire life in foster care; all but a few months of it with foster parents in Snohomish County. She was abruptly and controversially taken away from them two months ago.

In the 10-page preliminary report, Dr. de Haan writes, "Poca should have had a permanent home a long time ago."

Susan Dreyfus, the new Secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), appointed by the governor, met with KING 5 to discuss the report.

"I was pleased that in such a short time frame they were able to look at the case, figure out what they thought were the big issues that we're going to need to address at a systems level, and again, we're going to learn from this case and keep improving the system as we go," she said.

The report identifies some of the problems that led to Poca without a permanent home her entire life.

Dr. de Haan further says social worker turnover was a factor – there have been 10 on the case.

He cites a lack of competent, goal-oriented case supervision at DSHS – even for a brief time – played a role.

He also found a lack of sustained, clear direction in the case plan for Poca.

Over the years, the child's plan bounced all over the place.

Poca was born weighing just over 2 pounds. She was critically ill and remained in intensive care for 3 months.

After that she lived with her biological parents for a few weeks.

CPS removed her, and placed her in foster care after her father tested positive for meth. The mother had a prior baby die after testing positive for meth at birth.

Shortly after, the state placed Poca with new foster parents, Dick and Amy Langley, who agreed to be an adoptive option for the baby.

The Langleys raised her for 3-and-a-half years until CPS found them guilty of neglecting one of their other children.

Poca was moved to another foster home because of that.

A judge ordered her back to the Langleys after a day.

Then the state tried to move her to an aunt's home. That transition failed when the state realized she lived with a convicted criminal.

Afterward the plan was to transition her back to her birthparents. That fell apart when the parents had another child removed from CPS after it was discovered they had violated their safety plan for the boy.

The Langleys were cleared by an appeals judge of the neglect finding, which led them to believe Poca could remain in a stable home.

But she was removed anyway. State social workers and the child’s court appointed advocate told a judge the Langleys were trouble makers and meddlers who were getting in the way of reunifying Poca with her biological family.

Two months ago, she was placed in yet another home: family friends of the birthparents.



"From my standpoint, are there things we can learn from this case? Yes. Will we? Yes. But right now I just want permanency for this little girl," said Secretary Dreyfus.

The review also says Poca was let down by the Attorney General’s Office. Three times over the years DSHS asked the AG’s office to file papers to legally terminate the parent's rights so Poca could be adopted.All three times, they wouldn't do it.

“I’m disappointed in the (legal) representation in this case,” said Dreyfus. "I'm also disappointed in terms of the representation in terms of not filing three different times, when it was sought. But I don't want to blame the Attorney General's Office for this because there's plenty of blame to go around on this case, starting with us."

Secretary Dreyfus tells us she checks on Poca’s well being every week and that the child is doing well in the new placement.

The AG's office has finally filed the paperwork to terminate parental rights.

A more in-depth report on Poca's case from Dr. de Haan and an Independent Review Committee, is due to the governor next month.

As for her former foster parents, the Langleys, they want to adopt Poca if she becomes legally free from her birthparents.

Despite court filings by the Assistant Attorney General on the case, recommending Poca never be placed back with them, Secretary Dreyfus tells us the Langleys are definitely being considered as an adoption resource. She was unaware of the court filing but assured us she would look into it.

CHILD PROTECTIVE EXPERT DEFENDS PUEBLO DSS

Child Protective Expert Defends Pueblo DSS

http://www.krdo.com/Global/story.asp?S=10673417&nav=menu552_3_1

Posted: July 9, 2009 09:12 PM EDT

Updated: July 10, 2009 11:02 AM EDT

PUEBLO - The deaths of two children within the Pueblo County Department of Social Services over the past week have launched an internal investigation. It is standard for the DSS in the event of a child's death but this week has been far from standard.

Nine-month-old Iyana Perez was killed last Friday. Police have her 22-year-old cousin Kevin Buehler in custody charged with child abuse resulting in death. On Tuesday, 13-year-old Derek Gonzales was accidentally shot in the face allegedly by his brother. The 14-year-old is in custody. The link between both cases is that both victims were in the care of family members after being removed from their homes by DSS.

Foster care leaders in Pueblo say though it's easy to blame the system in circumstances like these it is not broken. Placing youth with family members, or kinship care, almost always takes top priority over foster care because it's an environment the kids are more familiar with.

"When something does happen we all get very concerned of course but I think the best efforts are being implemented," said Shannon Richter of Journeys, Inc. "We're a lot better than we used to be."

Journeys has been in Pueblo for five years. Before starting her own foster placement agency, Richter was the director of the Child Advocacy Center. She says the need for foster and kinship care has remained a constant over that time with between 400 and 500 kids moving through the system in Pueblo every year. She says some have bad attitudes but you have to understand the situations that prompt the need for temporary care.

"These kids have been hurt and this is their defense mechanism," said Richter.

She says to become a foster parent you have to go through a background check and be trained up to state standards. Richter wouldn't say if there are different standards for kinship care but says she is encouraged by a new task force in development at the state level to oversee child protective services.

"I think things need to be looked at a lot more carefully by the state and overseeing other individuals," said Richter.

Criticism has come from outside of Colorado's borders. In a 2003 report by the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform the director blasted the state's system for taking kids out of their homes.

Richard Wexler, Executive Director of the NCCPR, notes that Colorado is too quick to pull at risk youth from their homes. The figures he cites from six years ago puts Colorado in the top ten in terms of states rushing to act. He writes: Often, a family's poverty is confused with "neglect."

Richter says in her experience the system does more good than harm. She says more exposure to the issue of child abuse has kept the need for child protective services strong in Colorado.

"Everybody thinks child abuse is growing but I think there are more people reporting it," said Richter. She believes there are less cases of families just sweeping abuse under the rug or hiding a problem to protect relatives.

She also says it's hard to group the entire state together in terms of evaluation. Her argument is that every county is different in it's standards for removing a child from it's home. In her mind, today's focus should be on providing enough quality homes for kids in need.

"We're always looking for good people to help these kids," said Richter. Of foster parents she says, "they're planting a seed and we've had some kids come back to foster parents and say this is what I learned while I was staying here."

FOSTER MOM FOUND GUILTY OF KILLING 13-MONTH-OLD NEPHEW

Foster Mom Found Guilty Of Killing 13-Month-Old Nephew

Keith's Apologies Do Not Detract From Maximum Sentencing

http://www.wisn.com/news/19984261/detail.html

POSTED: 5:32 pm CDT July 7, 2009





Christopher Thomas

UPDATED: 7:41 pm CDT July 7, 2009

MILWAUKEE -- A Milwaukee foster mom gets the maximum prison sentence for the beating death of her nephew.

Twenty-five-year-old Crystal Keith was found guilty of killing 13-month-old Christopher Thomas at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

Keith publicly apologized during sentencing, but Christopher's loved ones reminded the court about what many describe as the worst child abuse case they have seen.

"I take full responsibility for my actions," said Keith. "I ask for forgiveness and leniency from the court."

Keith's apologies for beating and killing the 13-month-old and torturing his now 3-year-old sister Christyanna were not enough for his former foster parents.

"He had to have been crying a lot from the pain," said Robert Logan, a foster parent of Christopher.

Christopher's grandparents could barely listen while she spoke.

"He was just so happy," said Shantrice Freeman, Christopher's grandmother, "and Crystal took that away from us."

Keith and her attorney reminded the judge about the alleged abuse Keith endured as a child herself. They talked about her long list of mental illnesses, but Milwaukee Judge Patricia McMahon could not forget the trial testimony.

"A simple 'I didn't mean to hurt or kill' is woefully inadequate," said McMahon. "I question the remorsefulness and the understanding of the serious harm that you did."

Keith's sentence is 60 years for Christopher's death and 15 years for Christyanna's abuse.

The sentence consists of 50 years behind bars and 25 years extended supervision.

"Whatever she serve, it won't bring Christopher back to us," said Freeman, "and it won't heal Christyanna."

The judge also said this sentence should serve as a warning to others about the seriousness of child abuse.

Keith's husband, Reginald, will go to trial in August on charges of failing to protect the children.

FORMER CPS WORKER ARRESTED

Former CPS Worker Arrested

Brandy Wilcox Charged With Possession Of Controlled Substance

http://www.click2houston.com/news/19982978/detail.html?taf=hou





POSTED: Tuesday, July 7, 2009
UPDATED: 6:29 pm CDT July 7, 2009

HOUSTON -- A former Child Protective Services worker is accused of buying drugs from undercover police officers, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday.

Brandy Wilcox, 40, was arrested at a gas station on North Main and the North Freeway near downtown Houston Tuesday at about 10:30 a.m. and charged with possession of a controlled substance.

METRO police said they found crack cocaine and other drug paraphernalia when she was taken into custody.

CPS said Wilcox worked at the agency from March until late June. She was terminated for excessive tardiness and absences from work, officials said.

"We had no indication that this was happening," CPS spokeswoman Estella Olguin said. "She had only been employed here about 59 or 60 days.

Olguin said there are no concerns of mistreatment to clients.

"Since she was a probationary worker, they were just transitioning cases to her, and she still wasn't at a point where she was solely responsible for the 17 cases she had on her caseload," she said. "She still had others helping her."

She passed the normal background check and drug screening.

Two others were arrested along with Wilcox.

Watch the video here, I recognize the CPS spokes person in this video as being involved in another case. In that case a baby in foster care had a severe diaper rash that could have killed her and this "spokes person" acted like it was no big deal. I will find the video and put it on here later today.
http://www.click2houston.com/video/19984704/

PALO ALTO PARENTS FIGHT FOR CHILDREN'S RETURN FROM NEBRASKA FOSTER CARE

Palo Alto parents fight for children's return from Nebraska foster care

http://www.mercurynews.com/education/ci_12772235

By Patrick May

Mercury News

Posted: 07/07/2009 06:16:41 PM PDT

Updated: 07/08/2009 09:02:50 AM PDT

A Stanford University physicist and his wife, whose kids have been held in a Nebraska foster home for more than a month after an ugly family altercation, will appear this morning in a courtroom outside Omaha, hoping to persuade a judge to let their children come back home.

The bizarre chain of events began when the couple — Suwen Wang, a visiting scholar at Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, and his wife, paralegal Charlotte Fu — traveled to Nebraska last month so their 12-year-old daughter, Alice, could be honored in an international art competition. On June 6, a witness told police the parents had hit their son, 13, while their car was parked on a road outside Omaha.

"This is an Orwellian nightmare," said Larry Markosian, a computer scientist at NASA/Ames Research Institute and longtime friend of Wang and his family.

"Every family occasionally has difficulty raising kids, especially teenage boys. I don't know what happened. But we know they are a loving and kind family and we see no reason whatsoever to keep these kids in a foster home so far from the community they grew up in."

Both Wang and Fu deny striking their son.

According to police, a witness saw Fu get out of their car and punch the boy, sitting in the back seat, in the face several times. The couple's Omaha attorney, Michael Nelson, said "there was an incident with their son. He was needling his sister, and they pulled over to discipline him," he said. "He used an expletive to his mom, but beyond that I can't go into specifics."

Nelson said the incident lasted "probably for 20 minutes or so, as they lectured the son. A witness made the call after watching from their front lawn."

No formal charges

After the boy allegedly pushed his mom away, police said, Wang turned around from the front seat and also hit him several times in the face. Nelson said the boy was not treated for any injuries. Wang and Fu were arrested and kept in jail for two nights before posting a $250 cash bond each, said Nelson, adding that they had not been formally charged in the abuse case.

Wang and Fu declined to comment to the Mercury News about the incident. The Mercury News is not naming the boy because of the nature of the case.

But according to accounts in the Omaha World-Herald, the responding officer said Fu had blood on her face from a cut on her nose and that the children appeared to be upset.

The couple and their attorneys hope to persuade the judge to allow Nebraska child-welfare officials to work with their California counterparts and speed the children's return back home.

Alice's paintings clinched the North American division of the 2009 International Children's Painting Competition and the parents hope she'll be able to travel to South Korea for an Aug. 17 ceremony where the worldwide winner will be announced.

Nelson suggested that the parents' ethnicity may be playing a role in the case. "The parents and children are all U.S. citizens," said their attorney. But the court-appointed guardian for the children is trying to take away their passports.

"These are people of Chinese descent, and it's as if authorities see some dark cloud here or fear there's something more to this than this one incident."

However, the Omaha paper referred to "California documents" that state Wang and Fu have "a 'previous history of domestic violence,' explaining that the father restrained the mother after she threatened to leave during a 2008 argument."

In an interview with the Omaha paper, Fu seemed to be making a special plea to authorities on her daughter's behalf, saying "this whole thing has nothing to do with Alice. She has become the ultimate victim." And traveling to South Korea "would be a lifetime opportunity for her. It would be devastating for her to not go."

Kathie Osterman with Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services said her agency "is working with California to get the kids back home. I don't know what the time frame might be, because there are a lot of people to work with on this."

Paul Sullivan, the Cass County deputy attorney handling the matter, did not return phone calls for comment.

Osterman could not say how unusual it was for authorities to remove children from parents visiting from another state and hold them for weeks so far from home. She did confirm that the court order required the foster family to monitor the children's e-mail and telephone calls with their parents.

And it was details like that that have rallied dozens of supporters to the parents' side, including 10 who have made the trip to Nebraska for today's court hearing.

Emotional plea

Nebraska officials said they are simply carrying out a court order meant to protect the children. But Markosian, who is the boy's assistant scoutmaster and who helped organize a news conference Tuesday evening at the Omaha Children's Museum, said Nebraska was guilty of overkill.

"These kids are very much involved in the Palo Alto community, with Boy Scouts, art and Chinese lessons," said Markosian. "And they are being ripped away from not only their family but from their whole community."

Markosian on Tuesday read aloud from an e-mail he says Alice sent June 17 to her parents.

"Dear Mom and Dad," it said. We "love you a lot. Remember that. We know you're doing everything you can to bring us back home and we are very thankful. Love you a lot."

Markosian said the girl signed her e-mail with 10 exclamation points.





California artist to head home

http://www.omaha.com/article/20090708/NEWS01/907089927/-1/FRONTPAGE

BY KARYN SPENCER

WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. — A young award-winning artist and her brother are expected to return to California after spending a month in Nebraska foster care.

"This is absolutely the best outcome that could have happened," said Sharon Silverman, one of more than a dozen friends and supporters who flew from California to attend a Wednesday hearing in Cass County Court.

Alice Fuzi Wang, 12, the artist, and her 13-year-old brother have been in a Nebraska foster home since an argument during a family trip a month ago.

The family had traveled to Omaha for an art exhibit that features Alice's painting, which won the North American division of the International Children's Painting Competition. The family was scheduled to go to an Aug. 17 award ceremony in South Korea.

Instead, the children were put in a foster home after parents Suwen Wang, a physicist, and Charlotte Fu, a paralegal, were accused of hitting their son June 6 in Plattsmouth. The parents deny the allegation, and feared their daughter would miss the trip.

Cass County Judge John Steinheider approved an agreement to send the children home in the care of California's social services department.

Attorneys on the case came to the agreement this week after Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services staff and their California counterparts developed a plan.

The children got to visit their parents and friends at an Omaha hotel Tuesday. "The children really want to come home," Fu said, her lip quivering, before the hearing.

The parents' attorneys have said the case was moving too slowly. HHS attorney Susan Buettner said: "The most important thing has been lost: This is a case that involved alleged child abuse."

California authorities proposed requiring the parents to complete a 16-week parenting program, continue family therapy, allow social worker visits and refrain from corporal punishment, according to a copy filed earlier in Nebraska court. Lawyers did not say in court whether those were the conditions of the new plan.

ANYBODY WANT TO BUY A KID? DRUGS INCLUDED.

Austin Knightly was stolen by NH DCYF and is now up for sale.



A MESSAGE FROM AUSTINS GRANDPARENTS:

This is a picture of our grandson Austin, which DCYF had taken to look for adoptive parents, even though we were told not to worry about a thing. That the worker was advocating for Austin to be placed in our home, where we would have custody of him before adopting him. Just another lie by the almighty DCYF. After many made up excuses, we were denied placement, even though Austin spent the first three years of his life with us and the next three years visiting us every day, where he also staid weekends. Austin is now considered “Special Needs”, since being taken from his mother by DCYF and is on psychiatric medication. He has suffered dearly and tried to hang himself when first placed in foster care. All he wants is his grandfather, but all DCYF wants is money. Being special needs and on psychiatric medication, makes Austin worth more to DCYF. If he is not returned, I fear the next time he try’s to commit suicide, he will succeed. We will never give up on our grandson, illegally taken by DCYF and kept from us through illegal practices. Austin we love you.

http://www.flds.ws/2009/07/06/anybody-want-to-buy-a-kid-drugs-included/


AUSTIN DOPED OUT OF HIS MIND BY CPS


A CLOSER LOOK


HIS EYES CAN'T EVEN FOCUS

Description:



This is a picture of Austin at St. Charles Childrens Home in Rochester, NH, doped up on Adderol, which his mother never agreed to, before her rights were terminated.

Even when parents refuse to have their children taken out of state by the foster strangers or put on drugs, the Judge court orders it any way. Parents have no say once DCYF is thrown into their lives. These kids are angry, being taken away from their families.

They have good reason to be. Drugging them does not heal the pain, but the state doesn't know how to deal with the mess theyv'e made.

This is how the State handles children taken from their families. The State knows nothing about bringing up children. They drug them so the kids can't fight back and turn them into robots and zombies.

They tell them they no longer have parents. These poor kids feel like they've been disowned and their not loved or wanted, when in all reality they are very much loved and wanted by their families they were stolen from due to the decitful practices of DCYF.

Austin, you do have a Mommy who loves you and always will. Grampie and I will fight for your return for as long as it takes. We love you with all our hearts and so does the rest of your family. Don't worry buddy, you will come home, before your eighteen!

WMUR took the first picture off, because someone who said they were the mother called and wanted the picture off. I know it wasn't Austin's mother, but I do have an idea who did call. I guess the truth really hurts as to the children taken and drugged by DCYF!

So please let everyone know Austin's picture and story is back. Comment and let the State know how you feel about the drugging of children in foster care.

Adderall
Generic Name: amphetamine and dextroamphetamine (am FET a meen and DEX troe am FET a meen)
Brand Names: Adderall, Adderall XR

What is Adderall?
Adderall is a central nervous system stimulant. It affects chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control.

Adderall is used to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Adderall may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Important information about Adderall
Do not take Adderall if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), or selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam) within the past 14 days. Serious, life-threatening side effects can occur if you take Adderall before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body. Do not use this medication if you are allergic to amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, or if you have hardened arteries (arteriosclerosis), heart disease, moderate to severe high blood pressure (hypertension), overactive thyroid, glaucoma, severe anxiety or agitation, or a history of drug or alcohol addiction. Some stimulants have caused sudden death in children and adolescents with serious heart problems or congenital heart defects. Before taking Adderall, tell your doctor if you have any type of heart problems.

Long-term use of this medicine can slow a child's growth. Tell your doctor if the child using Adderall is not growing or gaining weight properly.

Adderall is a drug of abuse and may be habit-forming. Keep track of how many pills have been used from each new bottle of this medicine. You should be aware if any person in the household is using this medicine improperly or without a prescription. Using this medication improperly can cause death or serious side effects on the heart.

Before taking Adderall
Do not take Adderall if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), or selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam) within the past 14 days. Serious, life-threatening side effects can occur if you take Adderall before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from your body.

Do not use Adderall if you are allergic to amphetamine and dextroamphetamine or if you have:

heart disease or moderate to severe high blood pressure (hypertension);
arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries);
overactive thyroid;
glaucoma;
severe anxiety, tension, or agitation; or
if you have a history of drug or alcohol addiction.
Some stimulants have caused sudden death in children and adolescents with serious heart problems or congenital heart defects.

Before using Adderall, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

a congenital heart defect;
high blood pressure;
heart failure, heart rhythm disorder, or recent heart attack;
a personal or family history of mental illness, psychotic disorder, bipolar illness, depression, or suicide attempt;
epilepsy or other seizure disorder; or
tics (muscle twitches) or Tourette's syndrome.
If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take Adderall.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. It could also cause premature birth, low birth weight, or withdrawal symptoms in a newborn if the mother takes Adderall during pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Amphetamine and dextroamphetamine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use Adderall without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Long-term use of Adderall can slow a child's growth. Tell your doctor if the child using Adderall is not growing or gaining weight properly.

How should I take Adderall?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from Adderall.

Take this medication with a full glass of water. Do not crush, chew, break, or open an Adderall extended-release capsule. Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking or opening the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.

To be sure Adderall is helping your condition, your doctor will need to see you on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

This medication can cause you to have unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using Adderall.

Store Adderall at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light. Adderall is a drug of abuse and may be habit-forming. Keep track of how many pills have been used from each new bottle of this medicine. You should be aware if any person in the household is using this medicine improperly or without a prescription. Using Adderall improperly can cause death or serious side effects on the heart.

What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, or if it is already evening, skip the missed dose and take the medicine the next morning. Taking this medicine late in the day can cause sleep problems. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of Adderall can be fatal.

Overdose symptoms may include restlessness, tremor, muscle twitches, rapid breathing, confusion, hallucinations, panic, aggressiveness, unexplained muscle pain or tenderness, muscle weakness, fever or flu symptoms, and dark colored urine. These symptoms may be followed by depression and tiredness. Other overdose symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, uneven heartbeats, feeling light-headed, fainting, seizure (convulsions), or coma.

What should I avoid while taking Adderall?
Adderall can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Do not take Adderall late in the day. A dose taken too late in the day can cause sleep problems (insomnia).

Avoid drinking fruit juices or taking vitamin C at the same time you take Adderall. These can make your body absorb less of the medicine.

Adderall side effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using Adderall and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeats;
feeling light-headed, fainting;
increased blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, trouble concentrating, chest pain, numbness, seizure); or
tremor, restlessness, hallucinations, unusual behavior, or motor tics (muscle twitches).
Less serious Adderall side effects may include:

headache or dizziness;
sleep problems (insomnia);
dry mouth or an unpleasant taste in your mouth;
diarrhea, constipation;
loss of appetite, weight loss; or
loss of interest in sex, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect Adderall?
Before taking Adderall, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

blood pressure medications;
a diuretic (water pill);
cold or allergy medicines (antihistamines);
acetazolamide (Diamox);
chlorpromazine (Thorazine);
ethosuximide (Zarontin);
guanethidine (Ismelin);
haloperidol (Haldol);
lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid);
methenamine (Hiprex, Mandelamine, Urex);
phenytoin (Dilantin), phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton);
propoxyphene (Darvon, Darvocet);
reserpine;
sodium bicarbonate (Alka-Seltzer); or
antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil), amoxapine (Ascendin), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), imipramine (Tofranil), or nortriptyline (Pamelor).
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with Adderall. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?
Your pharmacist can provide more information about Adderall.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use Adderall only for the indication prescribed
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
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