Withdrawal from ADHD Medications

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This guide to the scientific literature on withdrawal from ADHD drugs provides a review of animal studies, withdrawal syndromes, and possible tapering protocols.

The ADHD Drug Epidemic: Addiction, Abuse, and Death

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A new analysis of FDA data, published on September 10th by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today, reveals the dangers of the common prescription of...

Study Finds ADHD Drugs Alter Developing Brain

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A new study, published in the JAMA Psychiatry, investigates the effect of stimulant ‘ADHD’ drugs on the brains of children and young adults. The...

JAMA Review Questions Use of Ritalin for ‘ADHD’

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In December, MIA  reported on a systematic Cochrane review on the research for the safety and effectiveness of Ritalin (methylphenidate) that found substantial bias...

Amphetamines Have Long-Term Effects on Adolescent Brain, Study Finds

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A new study published in the journal Neuroscience finds that rats given regular doses of amphetamines during adolescence have brain and behavioral changes in adulthood....

ADHD Drugs Linked to Psychotic Symptoms in Children

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Stimulant medications like Ritalin and Adderall, often prescribed to treat children diagnosed with ADHD, are known to cause hallucinations and psychotic symptoms. Until recently these adverse effects were considered to be rare. A new study to be published in the January issue of Pediatrics challenges this belief, however, and finds that many more children may be experiencing psychotic symptoms as a result of these drugs than previously acknowledged.

Poor Evidence and Substantial Bias in Ritalin Studies

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The authors of a large scale well-conducted systematic review of methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin, conclude that there is a lack of quality evidence for the drug’s effectiveness. Their research also revealed that Ritalin can cause sleep problems and decreased appetite in children.

The ADHD Drug Abuse Crisis on College Campuses

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The abuse of ADHD drugs on college campuses has reached epidemic proportions, according to the authors of a recent review in the journal of Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry. ADHD drugs, like Ritalin and Adderall, have become so commonplace on college campuses that students abusing these drugs for studying, weight loss and partying have underestimated their risks. As a result, we have seen exponential increases in emergency room visits, overdoses, and suicides by students taking these drugs.

Prescription Stimulant Use is Associated with Earlier Onset of Psychosis

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Individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders have an earlier onset of psychosis if they have previously been exposed to prescription stimulants, according to new research currently in press in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

Many Teens Start Misusing Stimulants By Age 13

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An equal percentage of young people will start misusing ADHD-related and other stimulant drugs for the first time at age 13 as will start at age 20.

ADHD Stimulant Use Again Strongly Linked to School Accountability

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Wealthier children are more likely to take stimulants only during the school year and not during the summer, according to a study in American...

Taking “Holidays” from ADHD Drugs Helps Prevent Growth Retardation in Children

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It's common for children and adolescents to take prolonged "drug holidays" from their ADHD medications during summer months away from school, and there appear...

Better Sleep Helps With ADHD; Medications Worsen Sleep

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"Sleep-focused treatment improves mood and quality of life in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder," reports Psychiatric News, covering a presention by Dalhousie University researcher Penny...

ADHD Medication Risks Outweigh Benefits in Most Cases

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A systematic review of studies of stimulant medications for ADHD has concluded that the drugs should be used as a last resort, in rare...

More Time in Foster Care Linked to More Psychotropic Medicating

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Children as young as four in foster care are taking three or more psychotropic medications, and the length of time that children aged six...

Stimulants Double Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Children

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In what they describe as the first large-scale, long-term, nation-wide study of its kind, Danish researchers have confirmed that ADHD stimulants double the risk...

Long-term Safety of ADHD Drugs Has Never Been Studied

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Even though about 10% of American children have been diagnosed with ADHD and most are taking stimulant medications for it, Boston Children’s Hospital researchers...

Psychostimulants Harm Performance, as Well as Neuroplasticity

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A review of "potential neurobiological ramifications of the popular cognitive enhancers," in Frontiers of Systems Neuroscience, finds that stimulants reduce performance at higher dosages, and...

ADHD Medication Slows Growth, Increases Obesity

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Treating attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with stimulants affects growth and is likely to cause a higher BMI in later adolescence, according to research from...

Stimulants, But Not Cannabis, Predict Readmission for Psychosis

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Prior admissions with stimulant disorder, but not a prior cannabis disorder diagnosis, are a negative prognostic sign in first-episode psychosis according to new research...

Effects of Psychotropic Drugs on Developing Brains: Protocol

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Animal studies have raised concerns about SSRIs and ADHD stimulants inducing lasting abnormalities in the developing brain. Researchers from the University of Amsterdam are...

ADHD Medication Does Not Improve School Achievement

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The journal Science reviews the current state of research on ADHD medication, finding that the drugs do not improve school performance or achievement in...

Bipolar Patients Have High Drug Burden — Especially Women

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Over one third of people with bipolar diagnoses admitted to a Rhode Island hospital were on four or more psychiatric medications, says research published...

ADHD Drugs Linked to Prolonged, Painful Erections

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FDA regulators have updated the warning labels on methylphenidate products such as Ritalin, Focalin and Concerta to reflect reports of prolonged, painful erections (priapism)...

One in Five Diagnosed With ADHD May Develop Cocaine Habit as Adults

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Research from Boston University suggests that exposure to stimulant medications such as Ritalin during adolescence may result in cocaine addiction in later life. “You...