ENGL147N DANGERS OF STIMULANT MEDICATIONS Week 4 Paper Final.

ENGL147N DANGERS OF STIMULANT MEDICATIONS Week 4 Paper Final. The Dangers of Stimulant Medications in Children and Teens The rate of children and teens diagnosed with ADHD is climbing over the last several years (Martinez-Raga, Knecht, Szerman, & Martinez, 2013). Parents need to be vigilant advocates for their children. Children with ADHD often require help to manage the condition, but are stimulant medications a safe treatment? While all medicines have risk and benefit (Think it through, 2018), parents need to be aware of the risk stimulant medications can have on their children. Parents may believe that if the doctor recommends a stimulant drug to help their child with ADHD, then it must be safe. That is not always the case, however. Stimulant medications for ADHD include serious risks, including the potential for cardiovascular events, the risk of abuse and addiction, and a high percentage of adverse effects. Medications are the recommended treatment for children aged six and over that have a diagnosis of ADHD (Felt, Biermann, Christner, Kochhar, & Van Harrison, 2014, pg 458). Stimulant medications may affect the cardiovascular system, not only in children but in adults as well. One study that was published in 2012 explained that “great caution is advised when considering stimulants, atomoxetine or any other medication for patients of any age with a diagnosis of ADHD and a personal or family history of cardiovascular disease, or with other risks for cardiovascular events” (Martinez-Raga, Knecht, Szerman, & Martinez, 2013, p. 16). When discussing the implementation of stimulant medications for children, doctors should be aware of the personal and family history of the child. If parents fail to disclose this information to the doctor, there is a danger of possible cardiac events occurring in the child with the implementation of stimulant medication. This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :22:51 GMT -05:00 DANGERS OF STIMULANT MEDICATIONS 3 Teens and young college students may not be aware of the risk of taking stimulant medications. A study of 18-25-year-olds attending college showed that out of 988 students, 181 students admitted to taking stimulant medication without a prescription (Kinman, Armstrong, & Hood, 2017, p. 1261). One of the oldest ADHD medications is methylphenidate, or Ritalin, which is classified as a schedule II drug (Golden, 2009). Golden (2009) explained that a pharmaceutical with a schedule II designation suggests that medicine has potentially addictive properties (p. 344). The NY Times also published that “yet these drugs are classified by the government among the most abusable substances in medicine, largely because of their effects on concentration and mood” (Schwarz, 2013). Parents need to be aware that there is a potential risk of abuse of stimulant medications and teach their children that they should not share their medicine with anyone else. Parents should also be involved with monitoring the usage of their child's medication to determine if their child is taking medications appropriately and report any signs of abuse to the doctor. Parents also need to be aware of potential side effects when considering stimulant medications for the treatment of ADHD in their child. Felt et al. (2014) describe the possible side effects like abdominal pain, poor appetite, insomnia, headaches, and stunted growth. Katherine Ellison, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, states in her article Risky Business that “at least 15 percent of these people reportedly either don't benefit from standard medications— mostly stimulants like Ritalin—or can't tolerate the side effects, which can include insomnia, anxiety, loss of appetite, cardiovascular risks and stunted growth” (Ellison, 2018, para. 5). Parents should be informed of these possible adverse reactions before initiating treatment with any stimulant medication for their child.