What are the effects of stimulant medications on children?
What are ADHD medication side effects in children? ADHD medication side effects in children include decreased appetite, headache, anxiety, nausea, dizziness, vomiting and abdominal pain. Insomnia, dizziness, and restlessness are also common. Other side effects include weight loss, anorexia and pruritus (itching).
Do stimulants affect growth in children?
2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Stimulant medications — such as Adderall, Ritalin and Concerta — used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, won’t stunt their growth, a new study suggests. “Stimulant medication did not affect children’s final height as adults,” said study researcher Dr.
How do stimulant drugs affect hyperactive children?
The most common type of medication used to treat ADHD are stimulants. These medications increase the levels of chemicals in the brain called dopamine and norepinephrine. The stimulating effect may cause your child to have problems falling asleep, especially when they first start taking them.
What are the side effects to stimulants?
Side Effects of Stimulant Medications
- Dizziness.
- Dry Mouth.
- Headaches.
- Loss of Appetite.
- Moodiness.
- Tics.
- Trouble sleeping.
What are the long-term effects of stimulant medication?
Long-term use puts you at a higher risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and irregular heartbeat. Other long-term effects of stimulants are related to appetite suppression and increased metabolism. Stimulant abuse can cause extreme weight loss, muscle deterioration, and gastrointestinal problems.
What are the side effects of ADHD medication?
The most common side effects are loss of appetite and trouble sleeping. Other ADHD medicine side effects include jitteriness, irritability, moodiness, headaches, stomachaches, fast heart rate, and high blood pressure. Side effects usually happen in the first few days of starting a new medicine or taking a higher dose.
Does Adderall stunt puberty?
The researchers also found that taking ADHD stimulant medication could affect the rate that boys progress through puberty. “For the younger children who were between ages 12 and 14, there wasn’t any discernible difference in the stage of puberty between them and the control group.
Does Adderall stunt brain development?
Released: August 13, 2019. A common ADHD drug appears to affect the development of the brain’s white matter in children. Treatment with MPH showed changes in the brain’s white matter in boys but not adults or the placebo group. Approximately 5.2 percent of American children take medication for ADHD.
How do stimulants affect ADHD?
Stimulants are believed to work by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with motivation, pleasure, attention, and movement. For many people with ADHD, stimulant medications boost concentration and focus while reducing hyperactive and impulsive behaviors.
What stimulants are used for ADHD?
Stimulant medications including amphetamines (e.g., Adderall) and methylphenidate (e.g., Ritalin and Concerta) are often prescribed to treat children, adolescents, or adults diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
What are the long-term effects of Ritalin in children?
The study suggests that long-term use of Ritalin may affect cognitive problems with flexibility, emotional control, abstract thinking, and higher-level reasoning in individuals who began taking the drug while their brain was still developing.
What is the most common effect of ADHD?
Hyperactivity Symptoms of ADHD: Hyperactivity is probably the most noted symptom of ADHD as children who have ADHD are always moving, bouncing from one thing to the next. These symptoms may include: Fidgeting and squirming while trying to sit still. Talking a lot.
Can Adderall make a child emotional?
Side Effect: Emotional Problems When the dosage is too high, stimulants can cause children or even adults to seem “spacey” or “zombie-like,” or to be uncharacteristically tearful or irritable (a condition known as emotional lability).
Does Adderall affect growth hormone?
Stimulant medications such as Adderall or Ritalin have also been shown to increase synaptic dopamine, which inhibits the growth hormone, she said.
Do stimulants delay puberty?
Another recent study has shown a delay in the pubertal growth spurt that correlated with the duration of stimulant treatment (Harstad et al., 2014). These findings are consistent with a deceleration in the rate of physical maturation during puberty and later catch-up growth.
What does Adderall do to a child’s brain?
Most ADHD medications, like Adderall and Ritalin, are a kind of stimulant. When a child has ADHD, their brain has an issue making and using a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine helps with attention and focus. Stimulants raise the level of dopamine in the brain to where they’d be for someone without ADHD.
Do ADHD drugs cause permanent brain damage?
A.D.H.D. drugs may cause long-term brain damage, reducing motivation.
What are the effects of stimulants?
Effects of Stimulants. These cells, called neurons, are responsible for transmitting messages throughout the body and acting as the gateways for pain response, energy, behavior and attitude. When stimulants are taken, they produce stimulating effects on the central nervous system which causes pleasure, increased energy and various other effects.
What are the age ranges for pediatric stimulant and related medications?
The literature on stimulant and related medications does not have well-defined age ranges for pediatric patients. Some studies define children as patients 1 to 12 years old and adolescents as patients 13 to 17 years old. Other studies define children as patients 1 to 17 years old.
What causes the euphoric effects of stimulants?
The euphoric effects of stimulants are the result of the substance disrupting the regular functioning of the brain causing an abrupt increase in the production of dopamine. Dopamine is the chemical in the brain that is responsible for producing pleasure, happiness and euphoria.
What are the biggest concerns about medication use in children?
The gravest concerns expressed were that a child might experience adverse physical effects and be stigmatized because of using medication. An important aspect of the ongoing decision process was the willingness of the child to take the medication.