ADHD - Essay PDF

Preview

Summary

Essay...

Description

1

ENG 105 04-15-2020

Hidden Dangers of ADHD Medication The costs and rewards that come with taking medication are no stranger to those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Most everyone who has been diagnosed with ADHD has experienced some form of medication aimed at smothering the disorder’s most common symptoms. However, not everything can be so easily controlled, and ADHD is no different. Research into the common drugs used in treating ADHD shows that most of these medications are separated into two categories. “Most medications used in the treatment of attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are rudimentary separated into stimulant and nonstimulant categories,” (Sanders-Dewey, 2020. para 3). Anti-depressants can also be used to treat ADHD under specific circumstances, although they are used far less often than other drugs. In using any of these medications to treat ADHD, however, attention must also be paid to the unintended consequences that come with taking drugs of any kind. The use of stimulants is common in treating patients with ADHD. In fact, stimulants are used by 70% to 80% of people using medication to treat ADHD (WebMD. para. 3). In using these drugs, doctors are betting on the idea that ADHD patients are “deficient in the neurotransmitters that are restored to a more normative state with the use of stimulant medications,” (Sanders-Dewey, 2020. para. 4). However, the use of stimulants to treat ADHD is also why so many people choose not to use medication in their treatment plan. The side effects include loss of appetite, weight loss, and other problems also associated with the use of illegal

2

stimulants. This is why treating ADHD with medication is such a controversial topic when it comes to treating children with the disorder. Long-term side effects include psychiatric problems and the risk of drug abuse (WebMD. para. 6). Although using stimulants to treat ADHD works to some degree, it often does so at the cost of unintended side effects. It is these unintended consequences that prompt the use of non-stimulant drugs to treat ADHD patients that cannot tolerate the side effects of stimulants. “In cases where stimulants don’t work or cause unpleasant side effects, non-stimulants might help,” (WebMD. para 4). However, even non-stimulant drugs used to treat ADHD come with their own list of side effects. These include an upset stomach, constipation, decreased appetite, headache, fatigue, and irritability (Sanders-Dewey, 2020. para. 8). On top of that, there is a possibility that patients will misuse their medication regardless of whether it is stimulant or non-stimulant. “A new study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy and the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital found that there were more than 156,000 calls to US Poison Control Centers regarding exposures to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications among children and adolescents 19 years of age and younger from January 2000 through December 2014, averaging 200 calls each week or 29 calls per day,” (US Poison Control. 2018. para. 1). Although the vast majority of ADHD medications fit into either the stimulant or nonstimulant categories, there are a number of other drugs, including antidepressants, that are used to treat ADHD. “Antidepressants … have been used in the treatment of ADHD with some success. The use of these medications, however, has fallen out of favor with most treatment providers because of the limiting side effects associated with the drugs,” (Dewey-Sanders, 2020. para. 14). Also, it is the issues and perceptions surrounding the use of stimulants that often lead people to experiment with lesser-used ADHD medications that may or may not work as well as

3

drugs made specifically to treat ADHD. Parents are often afraid of giving their kids drugs that could have unintended consequences, but it is this fact that often leads parents to try alternative medications that may not work as well. In the end, the treatment of ADHD using medication can be a touchy subject because the drugs that often work the best to treat the main symptoms of ADHD can be the same drugs that are abused and misused by people with and without ADHD. The use of stimulants to treat children with ADHD can be frowned upon by parents who fear the consequences of using such medications. However, the unintended consequences of not using a specific medication simply because of its classification can sometimes outweigh the risks that come with taking the medication. It would seem that doing what is best for the patient is always the best course of action but doing what is “best” can be subjective when it comes to using drugs in children. Ultimately, the use of stimulants to treat ADHD will continue to occur as long as those suffering from the disorder continue to find comfort from their use. However, attention must always be paid to the unintended consequences that come from taking any drug.

References

4

ADHD Medications and Side Effects. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/ adhd-medication-chart#1 US Poison Control Centers Receive 29 Calls Per Day About Children Exposed to ADHD Medications. (2018). The Science Teacher, 85(5), 18. https://eds-b-ebscohostcom.lopes.idm.oclc.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=3d9eac39-8640-49c3-910442871f78ae73%40pdc-v-sessmgr06&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2 NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.44843583 Sanders-Dewey, N. E. J., & Dewey, S. G. (2020). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Science. https://eds-a-ebscohostcom.lopes.idm.oclc.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=10&sid=3642c746-6a20-4223-803f5233ee7bd449%40sdc-v-sessmgr03&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcG U9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=89312009&db=ers...