The number of teenagers abusing medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is up 76 percent since 2002, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics.

These medications are actually stimulants that have a paradoxical, calming effect on hyperactive children. Teenagers who do not have ADHD and abuse these drugs may appear agitated, hyperactive, and have increased pulse and blood pressure.

"Parents should know the risk and benefits of medication, when the child is taking it, and how long a prescription should last," said Jennifer Setlik, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and author of the new study on ADHD drug abuse.

Labels: prescription drugs, adhd, adderall, ritalin, drug_abuse

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Adderall, a stimulant drug used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children, is becoming a problem on college campuses.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 6.4 percent of students use Adderall for non-medical reasons, with the most common being to get through finals week on very little sleep. Some graduate students and professors are also taking the drug to enhance their academic performance.

Many university health centers are aware of the Adderall problem, and are taking measures to combat it. Doctors are familiar with students who fake ADHD symptoms in order to obtain prescriptions for the drug.

The most common way to get the drug, many students report, is from other students who already have a prescription. These stockpile their supplies and sell their excess medication.

Some students who abuse Adderall report having withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches and lethargy, once they stop using the drug.

Labels: prescription drugs, adderall, abuse

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The final weeks of the school semester bring the promise of warm summer days, no classes, and the chance – finally – to sleep late. The final weeks also often bring the dangerous abuse of attention-deficit medications like Adderall.

According to director of health services for Dowell Health Center Jane Halpern, students should understand that prescription medication should not be used simply as a study aide. "I understand that temptation because you want to stay up, stay awake, study and be focused, and I’m sure in most people, it does that…[but]… you’re getting it illegally from someone who’s selling it illegally." [Source: The Towerlight (Towson University)]

Halpern believes taking medication that wasn’t prescribed to you is no different than taking steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs. In addition to the legal issues, misuse of prescription medication can have dangerous consequences, not the least of which is accidental overdose.

 

Labels: adderall, abuse, medications

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