The studies showed an increase in the density of dopamine transporters-those molecules that take dopamine out of action-in the brain after treatment. In 2013 they compared the brains of kids with ADHD before and after a year of treatment with stimulant medications. In recent years Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and her colleagues have done a number of imaging studies to better understand how ADHD, and the medication used to treat it, affect the brain. In over 50 years of using stimulant medications to counteract the symptoms of ADHD, and hundreds of studies, no negative effects of taking the medication over a period of years have been observed. If this happens, it likely means your child will have to adjust their dose. There’s some debate about whether the medication might start to work less well over time. Some teens with ADHD can be more prone to drug abuse, so if your teen has a history of misusing drugs, that’s something to consider.ĭoctors haven’t seen any negative long-term effects from using ADHD meds. But they can become addictive if someone takes much more than they’re prescribed. If they’re taking the lowest dose they get results from and are still feeling off, it’s time to try a different medication.Īt the doses a doctor would give them, ADHD meds are not addictive. If your child is grumpy and tearful or seems like a zombie, that’s a sign their dose is too high. Stimulants raise the level of dopamine in the brain to where they’d be for someone without ADHD.ĪDHD meds shouldn’t change your child’s personality. When a child has ADHD, their brain has an issue making and using a chemical called dopamine. Most ADHD medications, like Adderall and Ritalin, are a kind of stimulant.
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