I’ve written a lot about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder. In fact, this weekend, my Raising Austin column in the paper is about the 30 percent rise in the diagnosis in the past 20 years. You can read that story here.
New today is an article published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology . The National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the Drug Abuse Warning Network, found that between 2006-2011 the misuse of the ADHD drug Adderall that lead to a trip to the emergency room increased by 67 percent in adults from 18 to 25.
Misuse of prescription drug use is actually the second highest drug use. Marijuana is the first.
Dr. Sonia Krishna is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Seton Mind Institute.
Dr. Sonia Krishna, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, says the study is a reminder to talk to your kids about not giving their medications to anyone else. Or not taking anyone else’s medication.
Adderall, which is a very effective ADHD medicine, has side effects such as heart palpitations or high blood pressure in people who don’t have ADHD. Often they are taking Adderall to increase attention, to be more productive, to pull an all-nighter for school.
For people who do have ADHD and are prescribed a drug like Adderall, the effect will be the opposite. Instead of reving them up, it actually calms them down. So, this new study is not a reason to stop taking Addrall if your doctor prescribes it.
