ADD/ADHD Drugs Prompting More Calls to Poison Control Centers, Study Shows

Attention-deficit disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs are prompting an increasing number of calls to poison control centers from teens, parents, and physicians who are concerned about severe complications from the drugs, a new study shows.

According to researchers from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, such calls increased about 76 percent from 1998 to 2005. Also, there were four deaths associated with the use of ADHD stimulant drugs and 42 percent of teens involved in the study had suffered moderate to severe side-effects, with most requiring treatment in an emergency room.

What’s even scarier is that researchers say the actual number of children suffering severe, even deadly complications from ADD and ADHD drugs is even higher, since many cases do not result in calls being made to poison control centers.

ADHD and ADD Drugs Are Increasingly Being Abused

Many teens misuse their ADHD and ADD drugs and take increased doses of the medications to either achieve a high or increase their alertness. However, the misuse of the drugs has been shown to produce severe and potentially fatal symptoms, including rapid heartbeats, high blood pressure, and agitation.

For the study, researchers poured over eight years’ worth of data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers. The study findings will be published this week in the August edition of Pediatrics, according to an Associated Press report.

While the numbers of children between the ages of 10 and 19 who abuse all types of prescription medications has steadily increased, the problem is worse among ADHD and ADD drugs, the study found. Nearly one in five children have abused prescription drugs, including ADHD and ADD drugs, researchers said.

In many cases, abuse of ADHD and ADD drugs means teens crush and snort the pills, which can speed up the effects and can produce a buzz or sense of euphoria. But doing so also produces dangerous side effects, officials said.

Serious side effects associated with ADHD and ADD drugs may require emergency room treatment and the use of powerful sedatives to stabilize the patient.

Doctors said despite the study’s findings of increased abuse of drugs for ADHD and ADD, teens who really need them should still take them. Kids with ADHD who don’t get medication are at risk for abusing illicit drugs, studies have found.

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