Stimulants for Life?
Many visitors to my ADHD Message Board are concerned about starting their children on stimulant medications, because they have heard that stimulants lead to addiction, and are also concerned that they will never stop taking medications.
About 60 - 70% of children with ADHD continue to have symptoms in adulthood, and the majority would continue to benefit from medications. However, "forever" is a long time, and as rapidly as our knowledge of the brain, genetics, and science is changing, I don't have any idea how ADHD will be treated 10 years from now, let alone a "lifetime" from now.
Dependence on amphetamines develops when large doses are used in a manner that causes a rapid increase of the drug in the brain, which is primarily obtained by snorting or injecting the drug. Although abuse of amphetamines is a problem in the United States, it's extremely rare for someone with AD/HD to abuse their medications. I'm more concerned about a teenager selling or giving their medications to friends than I am to them abusing it.In 25 years of practice I've never had a child come into my office and say, "Give me more of that medication doc, it's good stuff." Instead, most children don't want to take medications and parents find pills that have been spit out and hidden behind the couch.
Several excellent studies have found that children who have been treated for ADHD with medications such as Adderall, have a much lower incidence of drug use in adolescence and young adulthood than those with untreated AD/HD. The better a child does in school and in life the less chance they will hang out with the "losers" or "dopers," in school, and the greater chance their friends will be involved with sports or other activities. If you're concerned about the potential for drug use, continue treatment rather than stop it.
Related Topics: Choosing the Right ADHD Medication for Your Child, ADHD Drugs Don't Lead to Drug Abuse
WebMD Abstracts: A CDC report shows how common ADHD has become in the U.S. and how many children are receiving treatment for ADHD. The CDC research confirms ADHD is more common in boys than girls and more than half are taking medication for ADHD. New research on ADHD published by the American Medical Association's Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine is exploring potential causes, treatment and quality of life issues for ADHD children and their families.
About 60 - 70% of children with ADHD continue to have symptoms in adulthood, and the majority would continue to benefit from medications. However, "forever" is a long time, and as rapidly as our knowledge of the brain, genetics, and science is changing, I don't have any idea how ADHD will be treated 10 years from now, let alone a "lifetime" from now.
Dependence on amphetamines develops when large doses are used in a manner that causes a rapid increase of the drug in the brain, which is primarily obtained by snorting or injecting the drug. Although abuse of amphetamines is a problem in the United States, it's extremely rare for someone with AD/HD to abuse their medications. I'm more concerned about a teenager selling or giving their medications to friends than I am to them abusing it.In 25 years of practice I've never had a child come into my office and say, "Give me more of that medication doc, it's good stuff." Instead, most children don't want to take medications and parents find pills that have been spit out and hidden behind the couch.
Several excellent studies have found that children who have been treated for ADHD with medications such as Adderall, have a much lower incidence of drug use in adolescence and young adulthood than those with untreated AD/HD. The better a child does in school and in life the less chance they will hang out with the "losers" or "dopers," in school, and the greater chance their friends will be involved with sports or other activities. If you're concerned about the potential for drug use, continue treatment rather than stop it.
Related Topics: Choosing the Right ADHD Medication for Your Child, ADHD Drugs Don't Lead to Drug Abuse
WebMD Abstracts: A CDC report shows how common ADHD has become in the U.S. and how many children are receiving treatment for ADHD. The CDC research confirms ADHD is more common in boys than girls and more than half are taking medication for ADHD. New research on ADHD published by the American Medical Association's Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine is exploring potential causes, treatment and quality of life issues for ADHD children and their families.
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