Teens often stop taking ADHD meds, study shows

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children who begin taking medication in elementary school to control attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to quit taking the medication in junior high or high school while they still have symptoms of the disorder. They may start up again in college.

That's according to interviews with 15 college students who were diagnosed with ADHD and who started Ritalin or other stimulant medication prior to high school.

Thirteen of the coeds were diagnosed with ADHD between kindergarten and 4th grade. Of the other two, one was diagnosed in the 7th grade and the other in the 9th grade.

Only the two who were diagnosed with ADHD in junior high school stayed on their medication through high school and into college. These students reported that the medications helped them stay focused, pay attention, and increased their academic drive and motivation.

On the other hand, 7 of the 13 coeds (54 percent) who starting taking prescription stimulants in elementary school went off them between 7th and 9th grade. Typically, it was the adolescent's decision, not their parents, to stop treatment, report Dr. Julie B. Meaux, from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, and colleagues.

Social stigma and feelings of being different from their peers were often what sparked the decision. Some adolescents also reported that while the medications improved their ability to concentrate and do their schoolwork, the drugs often made them feel lifeless or "zoned out."

Several of those who stopped using ADHD medications in junior and high school started taking stimulant medications again in college "to cope with the increasing demands of college; yet they did so without the guidance of a healthcare provider," report the researchers in the Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing.

What's concerning, they say, is that most of these individuals "fell into a pattern of taking prescription stimulant medications at night, sometimes taking more than the prescribed dose, without regard to the potential health problems."

The findings, Meaux and colleagues say, suggest that "dialogue between the child, parents and healthcare provider about the general effects, side effects, and potential abuse of prescribed stimulant medications, and careful titration of dosages based on input from the child, is essential."

They also highlight the need for education of college students about the dangers of prescription stimulant misuse and abuse.

SOURCE: Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, October 2006.