When some parents ask about long-term medication use, they sometimes really mean to ask one or all of the following questions:ĭo ADHD medications harm the brain after long-term use? Will ADHD Medication Use Put My Child at Risk? All of these risks are significantly reduced or eliminated when individuals take ADHD medication - especially if they have been treated for ADHD since childhood. I know it is difficult to read this list if you are raising child with ADHD. …are more likely to experience substance use issues.…are more likely to experience unemployment.…are less likely to finish high school and college.Compared to individuals without ADHD, those with ADHD… What Are the Consequences of Untreated ADHD?ĪDHD impacts all domains of life, from educational attainment and job performance to social relations and personal finances. The benefits of ADHD medication are highly significant - and the consequences of untreated ADHD are serious.There are no serious long-lasting side effects from ADHD medications. ADHD does not go away for the vast majority of people.As a clinician, though, I can confidently say that if I had ADHD, I would continue to take medication for the rest of my life. These benefits are seen in children, adolescents, young adults, and even in older adults.īut it is ultimately up to families, after consultation with their physician, to decide at what point, if any, their child can come off medication. Once that happens, ADHD symptoms will return. Then, depending on the preparation, the medication will leave the body anywhere from four to 24 hours after a dose. Side effects may also occur while the medication is active. They begin to take effect in about 30 minutes and symptom improvement is often noticeable even after the first dose of medication. Will My Child Need to Take ADHD Medication for the Rest of Their Life?ĪDHD stimulant medications work quickly. But they strongly suggest that, over time, stimulants reduce or even eliminate some of the brain differences that may be responsible for the symptoms of ADHD. 2 3 4 5 These findings do not prove that medication “cures” ADHD. Over time, these same, smaller brain areas actually develop to reach average, adult size - no different than the brain areas of adults without ADHD. But it’s a whole different story for those adults who were treated with stimulant medication as children. Research studies reveal that individuals who were untreated for ADHD in childhood continue to exhibit the previously mentioned smaller, underdeveloped areas of the brain into adulthood. Does ADHD Medication Change the Brain in the Long-Term? It Appears So.įindings from brain imaging studies suggest, incredibly, that long-term ADHD medication use has lasting, positive effects on the brain. ADHD medications enhance neurotransmitter activity in these areas, which ultimately improve learning and behavior. Not surprisingly, these areas of the brain are critical for a child’s ability to plan, focus, learn and retain information. How Do Stimulants Affect the Brain?įirst, it is important to know that there are three areas of the brain that are smaller in children with ADHD than they are in children without ADHD 1 - the prefrontal cortex, the fronto-striatal-cerebellar projections, and the caudate nucleus. We know this from decades of research, including the hundreds of studies published every year on the efficacy of ADHD medications. On that note, does my child have to be on ADHD medication for life?”ĪDHD medications, especially stimulants, dramatically reduce the core symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which include inattention, distractibility, hyperactivity and disorganization. Q: “What do we know about the long-term effects of ADHD medication on the brain? My child has ADHD and benefits from taking medication, but I worry about what medication will do to the brain, if anything, after taking it for years.
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