ADHD Stimulant Medications & Their Side Effects

ADHD is commonly treated with stimulant drugs, which can help manage the associated symptoms. Common symptoms of ADHD include:

• Being hyperactive

• Being impulsive

• Struggling to pay attention

Some patients choose to use stimulant drugs only, while others may compliment this treatment with behavior therapy.

Stimulant drugs help reduce ADHD symptoms in around three quarters of adults. These prescriptions can support users with project and task completion, healthy relationships, mitigating hyperactivity and reducing fidgeting.

A person taking these drugs will often see an improvement in his other attention span, as well broader behavioral patterns and habits. It isn’t entirely agreed that stimulant drugs do improve school performance or social abilities, but many with ADHD have report that they see those kinds of benefits.

Stimulant Drugs And The Way They Work

In the brain of a person with ADHD, stimulant drugs work to increase the amount of specific brain chemicals, such as norepinephrine and dopamine. These chemicals are usually created in response to activities or stimuli a person enjoys. When they are boosted by using stimulants, the nerves in the brain are activated to communicate more often. The medication ensures these connections are made slowly and steadily, reflecting the way a neurotypical brain would more naturally formulate them. The result is an increase in energy, better attention span and overall alertness.

Stimulant Drugs Used For ADHD Treatment

Many types of stimulant drugs exist to treat ADHD, but they mostly come in three formats: 1) short-acting, 2) intermediate-acting; 3) long-acting.

Short-acting forms are taken up to three times everyday, whereas a long-acting form is only taken once a day. Short-acting types tend to be used for greater control over when the medication is active, but remembering to take them a few times a day can be a challenge for some people.

The long-acting types are taken just one a day, which makes them easier for patients to uss consistently without forgetting, and for some patients, they also reduce commonly reported side effects. The main challenge with long-acting stimulant drugs is that some patients report it is harder for them to relax at night. This means that many patients need to adjust the dose and timing of the medication to their needs and explore natural remedies to support rest and recovery.

Short-Acting Stimulant ADHD Drugs:

• Ritalin (Methylphenidate)

• Focalin (Dexmethylphenidate)

• ProCentra/ Dexedrine/ Zenzedi (Dextroamphetamine)

Intermediate-Acting Stimulant ADHD Drugs:

• Ritalin SR/ Metadate ER/ Methylin ER (Methylphenidate)

• Evekeo (Amphetamine Sulfate)

Long-Acting Stimulant ADHD Drugs:

• Concerta/ Daytrana/ Jornay PM/ Metadate CD/ Quillivant XR/ Quillichew ER/ Ritalin LA (Methylphenidate)

• Vyvanse (Lisdexamfetamine)

• Adderall XR (Dextroamphetamine)

• Focalin XR (Dexmethylphenidate)

• Dyanavel XR/ XR-ODT/ Adzenys (Amphetamine)

• Mydayis (Single-entity Amphetamine Mixed Salts)

The majority of the above medications are taken in tablet form, but some can be taken as a liquid, or even worn in a patch.

Reasons To Avoid Taking A Stimulant Drug For ADHD

You should not take stimulant drugs for ADHD if you have:

• Psychosis or a history of psychosis

• Tourette’s Syndrome, or Tourette’s Syndrome in your family

• Tics (uncontrolled repeated body movements)

• Nervousness

• Anxiety (that is considered severe)

• Agitation

• Glaucoma (pressure build up in the eyes)

• Taken monoamine oxidase inhibitor (such as phenelzine or tranylcypromine) within the last two weeks of when you begin taking the ADHD drug

Common Side Effects Associated With ADHD Stimulant Drugs

The most commonly reported side effects of ADHD stimulant drugs are:

• Raised blood pressure

• Tummy upsets

• Headaches

• Sleep Upset

• Stress-intolerance

• Feeling overstimulated

• Feeling overwhelmed

• Feeling shaky

• Energy/ mood crashes

These kinds of symptoms will usually subside or stop altogether after 2-3 weeks of taking the medication as your body adjusts to the drug. If the symptoms do not subside, you should contact your doctor to discuss the problem. If the problem persists, you may want to explore all natural remedies to help.

Additional side effects that are common when using ADHD stimulant drugs include:

• Reduced appetite

• Losing weight (this can be helped by eating higher calorie foods, or by taking your medication after you eat)

• Tics

• Feeling nervous or anxious

Natural Ingredients That Can Help With The Side Effects Of ADHD

There are multiple studies that support using natural ingredients to either fully or partially treat ADHD. For people who need or want to remain using traditional prescription stimulants, they may wish to instead complement those drugs with vitamins and natural ingredients that help with the side effects of ADHD medication.

Various natural ingredients may help with ADHD stimulant drug side effects and some of those are:

• Ashwaghanda

  • Ashwaghanda is made from the root and berry of a plant, and is used to help with a huge range of physical symptoms and medical conditions. When it comes to potentially reducing ADHD medication symptoms it may help with the following:

    • Anxiety

    • Trouble sleeping

    • Stress

• NALT (NAcetyltyrosine, type of L-tyrosine)

  • L-tyrosine is a bio-available amino acid type. It is used by a brain enzyme to convert into L-DOPA Decarboxylation, which is then converted into dopamine. This helps to regulate stress and can help fill the gaps where there isn’t enough dopamine for ADHD drugs like Ritalin to work at their very best. L-tyrosine can also help with the following symptoms:

    • Memory problems

    • Concentration issues

    • Executive function problems

    • Struggling to focus

    • Depressive feelings

    • Cognitive stress

• Magnesium

  • Magnesium is something every human needs for excellent brain function. Scientific papers have suggested that a lack of magnesium could be somewhat involved in neurological conditions like ADHD. It is thought that this supplement is most effective when used by those with a present magnesium deficiency. Taking magnesium when you have ADHD and use an ADHD drug can help with problems such as:

    • Calming agitation

    • Calming hyperactivity

    • Aiding rebound after ADHD medication wears off

• L-theanine

  • L-theanine is a naturally occurring amino that is naturally occurring in products like black tea, and green tea. For that reason, it is a great natural stimulant, helping to boost focus in those with ADHD. It is also known to help calm nerves, boost dopamine, and reduce anxiety, so it works really well as a natural supplement to take alongside ADHD stimulant medication.

It is also useful to be aware that some other natural ingredients can actually have a negative impact on your ADHD drugs. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), for example, removes stimulants from the body, making ADHD medication less effective. Many people aren’t aware of this, and should take note before choosing to enjoy some orange or grapefruit juice at breakfast while taking their medications.

When taken at night instead, Vitamin C can actually help reduce the stimulant effects of your medication and instead help you prepare for sleep.

As with all natural supplements and medications, it is important to consult your doctor before you take anything instead of, or alongside any medication prescribed by them.

ADHD Stimulant Drugs: Are They Addictive?

ADHD drugs when prescribed in standard doses are not thought to be habit-forming nor is there evidence to suggest that their consumption results in drug abuse. In fact, there are studies that suggest the opposite: people with ADHD who take medication to treat it are less likely to abuse substances compared to people with ADHD who do not receive treatment as prescription drugs.

Of course, there is always potential for drug abuse and addiction with any drug, and this potential rises for people with a history of substance abuse or drug addiction. If you have struggled with addiction in the past, you may want to take this into consideration when deciding whether or not to take ADHD medication.

Before You Take ADHD Stimulant Drugs

It is important to let your doctor know if you:

• Are pregnant, breastfeeding or plan to start a family soon

• Are taking, or plan to take herbal medicines

• Are taking or plan to take dietary supplements

• Are taking or plan to take nonprescription medications

• Have any current or past medical issues including: heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, high blood pressure, seizures or glaucoma

• Have a history of drug or alcohol addiction or abuse

• Have suffered with mental health issues such as psychosis, depression or bipolar disorder