Long term side effects??? | ADHD Information

what kind of long term effects can taking or abusing stimulant medication lead to???Well, there is a good question. If you look up each medication it will tell you some side-effects. My son hasn't grown as much as he probably would have. He's been medicated since he was 8 and is now almost 19. However, the question I keep asking myself is - what would have been the long-term effects without it?

ADHD meds are very safe from that for US.  For the general non-ADHD public it's like any amphetamine - they get high, their brain alters and expects the high and it's an endless loop as you need higher and higher amounts to achieve the same thing.

Our brains are different.  The stimulant in the meds acts as a control not a euphoric substance.  We'd take very high amounts over a long time to see any bad effect like that.

It's always best however to take the lowest dose that works.  It's not one of those cases where if one is good isn't two better?

Care with all things is a good motto.

Stratterra of course doesn't have the effect as it's non-stim - but can cause liver damage I understand if too much is taken.  Not sure of how much is too much though.

I guess Glenn W.  What i really wanna know is how adderall xr can kill you....there's all these warnings, but i dont understand how this happens? is it like Instant(bc of overdose) or can taking to high of dosages actually make you sick over time???

Chances are there would have to have a heart condition present for the medication to kill you... similar to other stimulants because of the fact that they increase blood pressure. Any drug abuse is going to lead to sickness over time. I'm sure these facts could be found easily on google

Completely depends on usage. By "abusing," I'm assuming you're referring to, 1) off and on use, 2) snorting/other alternative consumption methods, and 3) multiple day-long binges. These things will all lead to a very high tolerance very fast. High tolerance means you'll be taking a whole bunch to get whatever feeling you're chasing. Excessive amounts of any type of stimulant will inevitably lead to heart conditions, liver damage, and increased risk of overdose (just because your brain requires more to get the same feeling doesn't mean you're body is capable of processing whatever amount you need). I knew a kid who ODed (hospitalized but lived) on 120 mg of Adderall, and had been taking it for years. That's not that high of a dose, especially for recreational use, but it had been his third day of not sleeping or eating much. Just put him over the edge.

On the other hand, if you take a stimulant regularly, you develop a sensitivity instead of a tolerance, the mechanism of which is not well understood. So you can take the same dose for years without needing an increase.

Regardless, any drug, whether it be a pill, alcohol, or street drug, is going to lead to liver damage. Your liver has to process any toxin (how most drugs are treated in the body), so more work for your liver equals eventual damage. With regular use, this will occur slowly, and since most people don't take any one drug for their entire lives, their body has more time to recuperate.

I recall reading a study linking long-term ADHD medication use in children to mild retardation in mental growth, but the problem could be solved with short "drug holidays." However, I can't remember where I read it and the details, so I can't vouch for it either way. Overall, doctors usually know what they're doing as far as tolerance buildup and other long term effects, script-friendly or not, hence the benefits of taking your prescription(s) only and not lying to the good doc who gave them to you. Chasing the "high" of a prescribed medication is counterproductive anyway - even if you save up a chunk of meds by taking less than the prescribed dose, if you dump a whole bunch into your system at once, your tolerance increases dramatically and your set dose will be ineffective. Since you can't continue to increase your dose based on rapid tolerance buildup for obvious reasons, you're going to lose all the benefits of the drug unless you take a long holiday and wait for the tolerance to ease off.

depends on what meds. because when i talked to my psychiatrist we were curious and asked what would it do if say.. anyone w/o add/adhd took the meds... she informed me that some of the meds they give us to calm us down are just used for its side effects. to a normal person, concerta would probably make them hyper. i take trofranil (sp?) at night for its effects of drowsyness whereas someone else would be using it for depression.

to wat someone said about longterm adhd meds in childrens mental growth and etc., i find that hard to believe, when im in the top quarter of my 11th grade class in high school. i've always been smart and continue to be. i say that i excell in logical things and mind games. but then again, everyones different.

as for using on/off.. well idk it would just be really screwy with your system but sometimes i dont take any of my meds on the weekend til monday comes around and im actually just fine.

and i agree with person above.. what exactly do you mean by "abusing?"  i guess it all just "depends"

I have been trying to get this questioned answered also. I have been on meds for about 15 years, all day everyday too. i was wondering if having that much amphetamine in your body could do long term damage? I think I have a problem with my liver, could it be related to that?