ADHD Medications Can Cause These Side Effects
Prescription medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, helps millions of children and adolescents in the U.S. manage the condition, says Dr. John T. Walkup, chair of the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. "The science is crystal clear: Prescription medications can be extremely effective for people who have been diagnosed with ADHD."
The vast majority of people diagnosed with ADHD are kids and adolescents, though some adults can have it, too. The condition is one of the most common mental disorders in children; An estimated 8% of kids have ADHD, according to the American Psychiatric Association, and about 2.5% of adults in the U.S. have the condition. In individuals who were diagnosed with ADHD in childhood or early adolescence, about one-third cease having symptoms in adulthood, says Ty S. Schepis, associate professor of psychology at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. About a quarter to one-third of people diagnosed with ADHD as youngsters will continue to have symptoms, which will change or diminish over time. Finally, about a third of people diagnosed with ADHD as kids will continue to have symptoms in adulthood, he says. Generally, the later the ADHD diagnosis is made, the more likely the person will continue to have symptoms. "Like most psychiatric disorders, (the prevalence) of ADHD varies over development or by age," Schepis says.
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ADHD Medication Side Effects
While medication is beneficial for many people with ADHD, up to 30% of those who take prescription drugs for the condition experience side effects, says Dr. Jyoti Bhagia, a childhood and adolescent psychiatrist and director of the ADHD Clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The severity of the side effects vary from person to person, she says. Some individuals might have more than one side effect at a time. Side effects are mild, transient and manageable most of the time.
Here are some of the most widely prescribed medications for ADHD:
-- Ritalin.
-- Concerta.
-- Adderall.
-- Vyvanse.
-- Focalyn
-- Dexedrine.
Some ADHD medications are short-acting, which typically means their effects last for about four hours, Bhagia says. Some commonly used ADHD medications are longer-acting, which means their effects last for between eight and 12 hours.
Regardless of whether they are short- or long-lasting, ADHD medications can cause these side effects in some patients:
-- Decreased appetite.
-- Stomach aches.
-- Headaches.
-- Slightly to moderately increased blood pressure.
-- Agitation/irritability.
[See: 10 Concerns Parents Have About Their Kids' Health.]
ADHD Medication Side Effects Worth the Risk
Parents of kids or teenagers with ADHD shouldn't let the chances of medication causing side effects deter them from trying prescription drugs, Bhagia says. Side effects can often be eliminated or minimized by adjusting the dosage or trying different medications, she says. "The benefits (of taking medication) far outweigh the negatives," she says.
Pharmacological Treatment for ADHD
About two-thirds of children in the U.S. diagnosed with ADHD receive pharmacological treatment, according to research published in 2018 in PLoS One, a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Pharmacological treatment for ADHD can help kids at school and in social settings, Bhagia says. "Medications help children with attention and concentration, which in turn helps them improve their school performance," Bhagia says. "If a child can pay attention, he or she is more focused on schoolwork rather than being disruptive. (Prescription medication) provides these students the opportunity to work to their potential if they're not distracted."
[See: 10 of the Biggest Health Threats Facing Your Kids This School Year.]
ADHD medication can also help youngsters and teenagers with their behavior at home and in social settings. "Most parents with kids who have ADHD struggle to get their children to do their homework," Bhagia says. "They can't pay attention, they procrastinate, they tell their parents they don't have any homework. Medication can help them focus so they can do their homework."
Some kids with ADHD have relatively few friends and have difficulty interacting with classmates. Some of their peers may see them as hyperactive, impulsive troublemakers and therefore shy away from them, Bhagia says. With the help of medication, many kids with ADHD "think before they act," she says. "Medication helps quite a bit with impulsivity and hyperactivity."
