Stimulant Medication Research Paper

In this day and age, drugs are being prescribed without hesitation. In fact, many of these drugs are being prescribed for children with various disorders. One of these disorders is called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). An estimated five to ten percent of children are diagnosed with this syndrome (Taylor 11). One of the methods to treat this disorder is to use stimulants, specifically Ritalin. This method is controversial because it has many side effects and its long-term effects are unknown. It can also lead to addiction. Approximately two to three percent of elementary school children are taking some kind of stimulant to treat ADHD (Taylor 64). Since so many children are taking this medication, new problems have arisen.

Geoffrey Hosta in his editorial, Why Are We Tranquilizing Our Brightest Children? (February 12, 2018), for Newsweek, argues that children diagnosed with ADHD may be gifted and will “suffer more of the harmful effects of stimulants,” (Hosta). He supports his claim by first illustrating his own experience with his stepdaughter and her ADHD diagnoses . Then, he follows by expanding on the possible repercussions with prescribing children with ADHD medication, such as Adderall or Ritalin.

In 2005, the CDC estimated the annual cost of ADHD to the United States to be between thirty-six to fifty-two billion dollars. This estimate takes into account not only medication costs, but those doctor’s visits and lost productivity. Cost of medication is the most significant factor, however, productivity lost by adults with the condition, or having to take off work to address a child’s behavioral incidences account for nearly four billion dollars (CDC 2015). The state of Indiana alone has more than eighty percent of youth diagnosed with the condition on pharmaceutical stimulants (CDC 2015). This provides evidence that a therapeutic approach that reduces the use of these costly stimulants and teaches individuals with the condition a viable, sustainable coping mechanism for their disorder is again a worthwhile pursuit.

An online article posted on the Scientific American Mind’s website. The focus of this article is about the function and effects of stimulant medications such as Ritalin and Adderall on the human body. Because children with ADHD are hyperactive and impulsive, stimulant medication is prescribed because it stimulates parts of the brain that are responsible for attention and self-control (Higgins, 2009). According to the article, studies conducted on animals have shown that the active ingredient in these medicines, which is methylphenidate, puts the user at a higher risk for depression and anxiety in adulthood due to the function of the drugs on the brain. Due to this, the article supports the notion that doctors should be cautious when prescribing

Psychostimulants drugs are given to hundreds of children every day for the treatment of ADHD, but what the doctors don't tell people is that they have no idea why psychostimulants even work for children with ADHD. The drugs have been used for years, but they have only recently been used in mass quantity. Stimulant drugs work at reducing the symptoms, but doctors really don't understand the effect the drug will have in the long term.

Ritalin and other drugs used to treat children with ADHD and ADD have been given a lot of negative and some positive press over the years, but what is alarming is the statistics which I discovered from Suellen May, the editor of Understanding Drugs: Ritalin and Related Drugs: “In 1996, an estimated 1.5 million American schoolchildren (approximately 3-5% of all U.S. schoolchildren) were taking Ritalin daily” (9). The number clearly doubled over the years, which indicates that the use of Ritalin is increasing tremendously in America. With this in mind, while some feel that Ritalin is helpful overtime, the numbers show that Ritalin is actually not the best treatment for those who suffer from ADHD or ADD.

In most cases, all the patient’s affected skills again the skills of planning, organizing, priority setting, deciding what's important when reading, retaining information, and interpreting verbal directions. A functioning cognitive state is returned to functioning condition and the impediment of the mental disorder is rectified. Medication for Inattentive Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder corrects the deficiencies in the brain chemistry; therefore, restoring a normal cognitive function. Medication for this disorder can greatly increase achievement in academia. Along with restored functioning, stimulant medication for Inattentive ADHD is “associated with a reduction of the core symptoms of ADHD and increased academic productivity” (Loe). Stimulants have also been proven to increase “academic productivity as indicated by improvements in the quality of note-taking, scores on quizzes and worksheets, the amount of written-language output, and homework completion” (Loe). Medication greatly improves the chances of succeeding when diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD.

Various surveys report that 8% to 35% of college students say they gave used stimulant pills to help them in school (Connor, 2011, p. 14-18). One problem with such stimulant drugs is that they can be addictive. The feeling a person gets on these stimulants is that similar to a seven hour long caffeine rush. The individual becomes addicted to this feeling and wants it all the time. This can result in the abuse of these medicines. Another problem is that they are easy to obtain. Doctors are quick to give a patient who shows symptoms of ADHD one of these stimulants without realizing the potential downfalls of them. Stimulants such as Adderall and Vyvanse can cause a wide range of side effects including, insomnia, aggression, worsened anxiety, mood and behavior changes, twitching, and shaking (Connor, 2011, p. 14-18). Side effects can be more serious in some, causing a sudden increase in blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, seizures, and in the worst cases, death (Connor, 2011, p. 14-18). Drugs this dangerous should not be prescribed as easily as they are. Patients should have to go through a full physical and mental examination before taking a drug that can be this harmful.

The use of stimulant medications such as Ritalin or Adderall in children with the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) continues to rise, albeit at a slower pace than in previous decades, a new study finds. The study authors tracked data on prescription in the US 1996 to 2008. They found that the use of drugs for ADHD was higher among children of 6-12 years and increased slightly from 4.2 percent in 1996 to 5.1 percent twelve years later. However, increase more pronounced occurred in older children, ages 13 and 18. In this group, the ADHD drugs increased more than double, from 2.3 percent in 1996 to 4.9 percent in 2008. The researchers said this reflects a greater understanding

ADD/ADHD is a disease that affects many children in the U.S. Most who are diagnosed with the disease take prescription amphetamines (Hitt). The name amphetamine can be very intimidating, as it is normally associated with the extremely addictive, and illegal drug, methamphetamine. Many parents are worried about their children taking these drugs and how they will be affected (Boorady). Scientists and doctors are currently conducting research on the long term and short term side effects of these medications (Long-Term). As a result, there is much controversy over how ADHD medication affects a child’s body.

The illicit use of prescription stimulants, such as Adderall and Ritalin, by college students has been very well documented over the past years (Babcock Q & Byrne T, 2000). Although data is somewhat limited in variety and lacking concentration on specific populations, this substance abuse concern has been studied for well over a decade (Teter, 2006). A prevalence of more than 10% of college students, within the United States, self-report misusing prescription stimulants; it is apparent that these levels are the highest they have been in over the past decades (Kilmer at al, 2015). The United States has been suffering from a devastating prescription drug abuse epidemic, as declared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Given the staggering numbers of not only prescribing practices of prescription painkillers and other such medications, increases of prescription stimulant medications follow the recurrent trends of excessive prescribing. An accumulative number of Adderall, and similar prescription stimulant medications, used to treat Attention Deficient-Hyperactivity

Methylphenidate, more commonly known as “Ritalin” was synthesized in 1944 (U.S. Pharmacist, 2002). By 1954, it was being tested on humans to treat “chronic fatigue, depression, psychosis associated with depression, narcolepsy, and to offset the sedating effects of other medications.” (U.S. Pharmacist, 2002) The intent was to use Ritalin to treat the “hyperkinetic syndrome.” (U.S. Pharmacist, 2002) Which was later named Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but wasn’t introduced until the 1960s. Many studies have been conducted in order to determine the effects that it has on the brain, as well as the tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal that may be endured with being prescribed Ritalin. Within the studies, the effectiveness that this medication had on children and youth was considered. This research has shown that Ritalin does in fact have a negative impact on health. It is overprescribed to children, and it is actually unnecessary.

To add to that, the research that has been conducted on the disorder has led to a variety of effective treatments. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (2014) the most widely used medication is a stimulant. There is a wide variety of stimulants available for ADHD subjects. Although, with these stimulants come side effects including sleep problems, decreased appetite, anxiety and other diverse uncommon side effects (NIMH, 2014). Stimulants tend to calm children with ADHD. However, these medications can be detrimental to the patient in many ways. Certain medications have been subject to abuse, including Adderall and Ritalin. These medications are in some cases abused by patients who are over diagnosed. Since these patients do not have the disorder they can feel the side effects and use the drug to achieve a certain kind of high. When using these drugs for non-medical purposes they can seem to replicate the effects of cocaine

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be described as a disorder that affects the central nervous system (CNS). At the current time, the cause of ADHD is still unknown (Mohammadi & Akhondzadeh, 2007). It is considered one of the greatest prevalent chronic health disorders that affect children (ages less than or equal to 17) and rates continue to rise (Mohammadi & Akhondzadeh, 2007). Presently, ADHD has been medically managed by two categories of medications which can be classified as stimulants or nonstimulants. According to the Texas Children’s Medication Algorithm Project (CMAP) (2007) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2015), stimulants continue to be first line choice in treating ADHD and show a

Excessive levels of hyperactivity and inattention can be extremely impairing for both the afflicted child and their caretakers. Children with ADHD can experience problems with cogni-tion, poor academic achievement, troubled peer relationships, and heightened household conflict (Barkley, 1997; Loe 2007; Bagwell, 2001; Harpen, 2005). These children often present with in-creased aggression that can result in a comorbid diagnosis of conduct disorder or other disruptive behavioral disorders (Jensen, 1997). The heterogeneous symptoms of this disorder can make se-lecting a treatment course particularly challenging. While prescribing stimulant medication has become the golden standard for dealing with an attentional system gone awry, there is growing concern over the use of pharmacological interventions for children since the side effects of such use during this period of development may not yet be fully understood. Additionally these drugs do not directly curtail aggressive and defiant behavior that many of these children display but they may improve a child’s ability to benefit from other psychosocial interventions.