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9 year old Johnny has always been an energetic kid. Now that he is starting 4th grade, his mom is starting to pay more attention to reports from his teachers. His teachers report that he is having difficulty sitting through the 30 minute lesson and his fidgeting is distracting to other students. Johnny tells his mom that he wants to learn but wishes he had the ability to pay attention. Half way through fourth grade, Johnny was diagnosed with ADHD by his pediatrician. Johnny's mother is conflicted between medicating her son or not. For Johnny's situation do you think he should be medicated or not?

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·      Significant decrease in fidgeting and other signs of restlessness.

·      Improved control of fine motor skills, such as handwriting.

·      Better management of moods and emotions.

·      Can be effective even if taken only occasionally.

·   May reduce some of the longer-term problems associated with untreated ADHD, such as depression and substance abuse.

·   Approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

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Improved ability to focus and concentrate

Reduces impulsivity and inattention

Increases attention span for longer periods of time

May lead to achieving more in academic and social settings

Can lead to stronger family and social interactions

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High abuse potential

Non prescribed use is extremely dangerous

Can be dangerous to cardiovascular health

Decreased appetite

can affect physical development in children

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What are prescription stimulants?

Prescription stimulants are medicines generally used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy-uncontrollable episodes of deep sleep. They increase alertness, attention, and energy.

What are common prescription stimulants?

dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine®)

dextroamphetamine/amphetamine combination product (Adderall®)

methylphenidate (Ritalin®, Concerta®).

Popular slang terms for prescription stimulants include Speed, Uppers, and Vitamin R.

Do Prescription Stimulants Make You Smarter?

Some people take prescription stimulants to try to improve mental performance. Teens and college students sometimes misuse them to try to get better grades, and older adults misuse them to try to improve their memory. Taking prescription stimulants for reasons other than treating ADHD or narcolepsy could lead to harmful health effects, such as addiction, heart problems, or psychosis.

How do people use and misuse prescription stimulants?

Most prescription stimulants come in tablet, capsule, or liquid form, which a person takes by mouth. Misuse of a prescription stimulant means:

taking medicine in a way or dose other than prescribed

taking someone else's medicine

taking medicine only for the effect it causes-to get high

When misusing a prescription stimulant, people can swallow the medicine in its normal form. Alternatively, they can crush tablets or open the capsules, dissolve the powder in water, and inject the liquid into a vein. Some can also snort or smoke the powder.

How do prescription stimulants affect the brain and body?

Prescription stimulants increase the activity of the brain chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine. Dopamine affects feelings of pleasure. Norepinephrine affects blood vessels, blood pressure and heart rate, blood sugar, and breathing.

Short-Term Effects

People who use prescription stimulants report feeling a "rush" (euphoria) along with the following:

increased blood pressure and heart rate

increased breathing

decreased blood flow

increased blood sugar

opened-up breathing passages

At high doses, prescription stimulants can lead to a dangerously high body temperature, an irregular heartbeat, heart failure, and seizures.

What are the other health effects of prescription stimulants?

Repeated misuse of prescription stimulants, even within a short period, can cause psychosis, anger, or paranoia. If the drug is injected, it is important to note that sharing drug injection equipment and having impaired judgment from drug misuse can increase the risk of contracting infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis.

Risk of Later Substance Use

Some people may be concerned about later substance misuse in children and teens who've been prescribed stimulant drugs to treat ADHD. Studies so far have not shown a difference in later substance use in young people with ADHD treated with prescription stimulants compared with those who didn't receive such treatment. This suggests that treatment with ADHD medication does not positively or negatively affect a person's risk of developing problem use.

Can a person overdose on prescription stimulants?

Yes, a person can overdose on prescription stimulants. An overdose occurs when the person uses enough of the drug to produce a life-threatening reaction or death (read more on our Intentional vs. Unintentional Overdose Deaths webpage).

When people overdose on a prescription stimulant, they most commonly experience several different symptoms, including restlessness, tremors, overactive reflexes, rapid breathing, confusion, aggression, hallucinations, panic states, abnormally increased fever, muscle pains and weakness.

They also may have heart problems, including an irregular heartbeat leading to a heart attack, nerve problems that can lead to a seizure, abnormally high or low blood pressure, and circulation failure. Stomach issues may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. In addition, an overdose can result in convulsions, coma, and fatal poisoning.

How can a prescription stimulant overdose be treated?

Because prescription stimulant overdose often leads to a heart attack or seizure, the most important step to take is to call 911 so a person who has overdosed can receive immediate medical attention. First responders and emergency room doctors try to treat the overdose with the intent of restoring blood flow to the heart and stopping the seizure with care or with medications if necessary.

Can prescription stimulant use lead to substance use disorder and addiction?

Yes, misuse of prescription stimulants can lead to a substance use disorder (SUD), which takes the form of addiction in severe cases. Long-term use of stimulants, even as prescribed by a doctor, can cause a person to develop a tolerance, which means that he or she needs higher and/or more frequent doses of the drug to get the desired effects. An SUD develops when continued use of the drug causes issues, such as health problems and failure to meet responsibilities at work, school, or home. Concerns about use should be discussed with a health care provider.

If a person develops an SUD and stops use of the prescription stimulant, he or she can experience withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms can include:

Points to Remember

Prescription stimulants are medicines used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy.

Most prescription stimulants come in tablet, capsule, or liquid form, which a person takes by mouth. When misusing a prescription stimulant, a person can swallow, snort, smoke, or inject the drug.

Prescription stimulants increase the activity of the brain chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine.

Prescription stimulants increase alertness, attention, and energy. Their misuse, including overdose, can also lead to psychosis, anger, paranoia, heart, nerve, and stomach problems. These issues could lead to a heart attack or seizures.

Prescription stimulant misuse can lead to a substance use disorder, which takes the form of addiction in severe cases, even when used as prescribed by a doctor.

Withdrawal symptoms include fatigue, depression, and sleep problems. Concerns about use should be discussed with a health care provider.

Behavioral therapies can be effective in helping people stop prescription stimulant misuse, including cognitive-behavioral therapy and contingency management.

How can people get treatment for prescription stimulant addiction?

Behavioral therapies, including cognitive-behavioral therapy and contingency management (motivational incentives), can be effective in helping to treat people with prescription stimulant addiction. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps modify the patient's drug-use expectations and behaviors, and it can effectively manage triggers and stress. Contingency management provides vouchers or small cash rewards for positive behaviors such as staying drug-free. Read more about drug addiction treatment in our Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction DrugFacts.

Learn More

For more information about prescription stimulants, see our:

This publication is available for your use and may be reproduced in its entirety without permission from the NIDA. Citation of the source is appreciated, using the following language: Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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Prescription stimulants are medicines generally used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy-uncontrollable episodes of deep sleep. They increase alertness, attention, and energy. dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine®) dextroamphetamine/amphetamine combination product (Adderall®) methylphenidate (Ritalin®, Concerta®). Popular slang terms for prescription stimulants include Speed, Uppers, and Vitamin R.

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ADHD in Children and Adolescents - American Psychiatric Nurses Association

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Your resource for psychiatric mental health nursing.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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The Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics has published a new study that estimates the number of young children (2-5 years of age) who currently have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and the kinds of treatment these children received. This study is important because it is the first one to provide a national estimate of the number of children 2 to 5 years of age with ADHD in the United States.

CDC researchers found that in 2011-2012, approximately 237,000 children 2-5 years of age had an ADHD diagnosis, based on parent report. This is about 57% higher than the estimate for 2007-2008. Among these children, only about 50% received behavioral treatment for their ADHD. Read the abstract of the article.

Main Findings

In 2011 to 2012, approximately 237,000 children aged 2 to 5 years in the United States had an ADHD diagnosis, based on parent report.

The number of young children with ADHD increased by more than 50% from the 2007-2008 survey.

Of the nearly quarter of a million young children with ADHD in 2011 to 2012, over 100,000 of them had received the ADHD diagnosis before the age of 4 years.

In 2011-12, more than half of young children with current ADHD had at least one co-occurring condition. The most common co-occurring conditions were developmental delays and behavioral disorders like oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder.

Approximately 44% of young children with current ADHD were reported to be taking medication for ADHD.

53% of young children with current ADHD were reported to have received behavioral treatment in the past year.

Treatment Types among Young Children with ADHD

Some children are being diagnosed early with ADHD. Therefore, it is important to continue to monitor the number of these children and their treatment for ADHD to ensure these children receive the recommended first treatment for their age group: behavior therapy.

About The Study

The study used data from the National Survey of Children's Health, a population-based telephone survey of parents that is designed to monitor the health of children living in the United States. This survey allowed researchers to produce weighted prevalence estimates of current ADHD among all U.S. children aged 2-5 years; and for those with current ADHD, the prevalence of medication treatment, ADHD severity, and presence of co-occurring conditions. Because the 2011 to 2012 National Survey of Children's Health did not have any questions about behavior therapy for ADHD, we used a second data source to answer questions about behavioral treatment: the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs, which was conducted in 2009 to 2010. Like the National Survey of Children's Health, the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs is a population-based telephone survey of parents, but it is restricted to parents of children with special healthcare needs (that is, children who meet a set of criteria for having a chronic condition and needing more medical or educational services than other children of the same age).

Reference

Danielson ML, Visser SN, Gleason MM, Peacock G, Claussen AH, Blumberg SJ. A National Profile of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment Among US Children Aged 2 to 5 Years. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Published online before print, July 18, 2017. Watch a video commentary on this study.

More Information

CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) is committed to helping children with ADHD and their families get the support they need. NCBDDD studies the prevalence of ADHD and current treatment practices, identifies factors that put children at risk for ADHD, and provides resources and information to parents, health providers, and state and local decision-makers, so that children and families can get the support they need as early as possible.

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A National Profile of ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment Among US Children

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The Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics has published a new study that estimates the number of young children (2-5 years of age) who currently have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and the kinds of treatment these children received.

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"The most common side effects  are anorexia, weight loss, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, and xerostomia" (Moore, 2014)

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attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (disease or medical condition)

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ADHD Medication for Children: Concerning Side Effects?

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New study highlights effects of drugs used to treat ADHD in children. Watch more ABC News coverage: www.abcnews.com Subscribe to WN on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ABCNews Like WN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorldNewsTonight Follow WN on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wntonight

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Bower, B. “Med-Start Kids: Pros, Cons of Ritalin for Preschool ADHD.” Science News, 2006, p. 275. Edsgbe, https://tinyurl.com/y9zumrmf. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

Long-term study proves ADDERALL XR(R) is a safe and effective option to treat adults with ADHD. (2004, May 06). PR Newswire Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/yddvzo66

Moore, S. C. (2014). Adderall and Ritalin: Potential Influence on Perinatal Health. International Journal Of Childbirth Education, 29(4), 72-78.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2014, January). DrugFacts: Stimulant ADHD medications. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/stimulant-adhd-medications-methylphenidate-amphetamines

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Med-start kids: pros, cons of Ritalin for preschool ADHD: SLUth - Search Plus

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Adderall and Ritalin: Potential Influence on Perinatal Health.: SLUth - Search Plus