Adhd Medication and Children

Nicole Horne

Professor Fred Bennett

ENG123: English Composition II

Final Research Essay

April 3, 2016

ADHD Medication and Children

When prescribing medications to children, we need to look into how it will affect their lives. When a child has a simple delay such as extreme tantrums, speech delay or hyperactivity, psychiatrists and pediatricians typically jump to the conclusion that something may be wrong. The most common diagnoses is putting them on medication to control them and settle their attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, most commonly known as ADHD. Parents and doctors should consider therapy as opposed to medication for children suspected of having ADHD because medicating under the age of five may cover up any underlying issues that may resemble symptoms of this developmental delay. The medications that are prescribed have adverse side effects that do not prove to help long term in their childhood and throughout their life.

Parents sometimes feel overwhelmed when raising young children and may ask themselves, “Why is my child acting out all the time?” or “Why isn’t he acting normal, like all the other children his age?” The truth of the matter is that every child progresses at a different rate and time. Over thirty percent of children diagnosed with ADHD do not actually have the disorder, but have an underlying problem that is going undiagnosed and merely resembles similar symptoms (Holtmann 2014). Some common symptoms that can mislead one to think the child has ADHD are excessive fidgeting, having difficulty with quiet time or relaxing, irritability or “short fuse”. These children will always be on the go, running, jumping and climbing at inappropriate times (Smith 2016).

Issues such as poor sleep habits, unbalanced nutrition, limited leaning environment or stressful home environment, can all be factors that would cause the same symptoms to resemble ADHD. In 2013, a questionnaire was published about what clinicians take into account when prescribing ADHD medications. The article spoke of the areas that clinicians consider when prescribing medications to young children (Koshoff, 2013).

Some of the considerations are how optimistic the doctors are of the patient’s treatment outcome, both short and long term. Most clinicians err on the side of caution because most medications used are stimulants and have many adverse side effects. Stimulant medications including both methylphenidate, such as Ritalin and amphetamines, such as Adderall, as well as non-stimulants, Atomoxetine, Clonidine and Guanfacine, all give good reports showing positive short term effectiveness as high as eighty percent of patients. However, these patients only saw short term effectiveness and needed a higher dose or to be weaned and prescribed a new medication shortly after (Koshoff, 2013).

Another consideration is the side effects that come with taking a daily medication. The majority of children are prescribed a stimulant. Side effects of stimulant medication include stomach pain, poor appetite, sleeplessness, higher irritability than without medication and learning regression. Since most of those side effects are the same as their original symptoms, they end up becoming worse. A poor appetite quickly turns into weight loss and restlessness or sleeplessness turns into insomnia. Even irritability can become excessive, expressing itself as explosive tantrums in younger children and mood swings in older children (Holtmann, 2014).

        According to a study done in 2005 by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ADHD affects approximately five percent of children in the United States, about twice as many boys than girls.  Since 2005 though, the number has gone up to about nine percent of boys and four percent of girls in the United States that are currently on the stimulant Ritalin, as part of their treatment for hyperactivity and impulsiveness (Higgins, 2014).

        Doctors have seen an incline in diagnoses and prescribed medications for ADHD for children with a normal, age appropriate ability to focus. These children are still being prescribed stimulants and it is thought to be because there is a higher expectation in society for children to act a certain way (Higgins, 2014).

        A main concern of children taking stimulants is how it will affect them later on in life. A majority of adults that take a prescription drug for ADHD will suffer from a mental illness, such as anxiety or depression, or a drug abuse problem at one point in their adult life. In 2007 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released that there are other terrible side effects to taking prescribed stimulants so early in life, which included stunted growth and other mental disorders (Higgins, 2014). Taking a stimulant at a young age can contribute to the mental illnesses they may get in their adult life.

Another study done in 2007 showed that between 2000 and 2005 there was a twelve percent rise in prescriptions of methylphenidates and amphetamines. The study showed that not only are parents opting for their children to stay on the medication longer, through adolescence and adulthood, but also, pharmaceutical firms are offering treatments and prescriptions for adult versions of the disorder. Two new stimulants, Vyvanse and Concerta, have been offered as prescriptions to adults. The problem with this is that adults with no deficits are taking these drugs to be able to concentrate at work and school and to boost their performances in everyday life (Higgins, 2014).

Although stimulants have proven to have negative effects such as irritability, insomnia and growth stunting, they also have proven to help children focus, remain calm in stressful situations, and control their tempers. In 2012, The British Journal, showed an article, about a group of children ages nine to fourteen, and explained that taking the medication has in fact helped them more than hurt them. Their grades are up, they have great socialization skills and relationships with peers and family and do not “feel like robots” as other studies may have suggested. They also spoke of being in better control of their behavior, by pausing rather than reacting right away, thus making more informed decisions (Kmietowicz, 2012).

Many children show these adverse side effects, but others show no response to the stimulants at all. In a two-year study, over twenty-five percent of children were taken off the stimulants due to having no response or effectiveness to them at all. They continued to have the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder but also had the adverse side effects of continued irritability, decreased appetite and sleep habits and poor behavior and coping skills (Holtmann, 2014) During this study, there was no offered therapy, additional socialization, or interactive learning time with an adult role model, such as a parent, grandparent or older sibling. The only offered treatment was the prescribed stimulant.