Managing Side Effects of ADHD Medications

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsADHD MedicationsSide EffectsMinimizing Side EffectsEvaluate Expectations and Needs

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

ADHD Medications

Side Effects

Minimizing Side Effects

Evaluate Expectations and Needs

Children withattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)may have characteristics such as short attention spans, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Because of this, they may struggle to do well at school, have trouble making or keeping friends, and even have problems at home and with after-school activities.

Fortunately, treatments can help kids manage thesymptoms of ADHD. These treatments typically include ADHD medications and behavioral strategies, which could be more formal, such asbehavioral therapywith a child psychologist or counselor, or just simple steps that parents and teachers learn to help them get more organized, avoid distractions, and behave appropriately.

What is the most important information I should know about ADHD medications?ADHD medications such as Ritalin and Adderall can have side effects that can range from mild to severe.Discuss these side effects with your doctor; they may adjust the dose or consider switching to a different medicine.

What is the most important information I should know about ADHD medications?

ADHD medications such as Ritalin and Adderall can have side effects that can range from mild to severe.Discuss these side effects with your doctor; they may adjust the dose or consider switching to a different medicine.

ADHD medications have long been a core part of the treatment plans for many kids with ADHD.

TheseADHD medicationsnow include:

That list makes it seem like there are a lot of different ADHD medications to choose from, especially if your child has side effects on one or more of them. Your choices quickly narrow when you understand that the stimulants are just different forms and variants of the following two types of ADHD medications:

Why are there so many ADHD medications if they are so similar? In some cases, these medications simply have different delivery methods that make them last longer. For example, Concerta is supposed to last 12 hours, while Ritalin LA typically lasts about eight hours, even though they both have methylphenidate as their active ingredient.

In other cases, the way you take the medication is totally different, such as theDaytranapatch delivery system. Some medications, such as Dyanavel XR, are available as either an oral suspension or a tablet.

Managing Side Effects of ADHD Medications

ADHD Medication Side Effects

Although these ADHD medications help many kids manage their symptoms, some parents are still hesitant to start their child on a medicine like Ritalin or Adderall because they are worried about possible side effects.

In some cases, those worries are justified. Stimulants used to treat ADHD are notorious for causing:

Some parents are worried about the stigma of taking an ADHD medication, are concerned about controversies over Ritalin, or are worried that the medications will make their child angrier, more aggressive, or even too calm, like a zombie. Fortunately, these are not common side effects of ADHD medications. If they do occur, your pediatrician would make appropriate changes in the medication.

Other side effects that parents are often concerned about when starting their child on an ADHD medication can include tics, sudden death, and suicide.

Tics

Theworry over ticsis likely because all stimulants list tics as a potential side effect. Some ADHD experts do not think that stimulants, such as Ritalin, actually cause or worsen tics, though, and that ADHD and chronic tic disorders might simply occur together in some children.

Sudden Death

Stimulants also carry a warning that they may cause sudden death in children with structural heart problems or other serious heart problems, such ascardiomyopathyor serious heart rhythm abnormalities.

Remind your pediatrician about any known heart problems in your child or family history on either side before starting a stimulant. If so, an EKG oralternative medicationmight be indicated.

Suicide

It is important to note that a meta-analysis from 2014 that looked at 23 different studies reported no completed suicides in patients being treated with atomoxetine.

If your child is having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

One of the best ways to minimize the side effects of an ADHD medication is to have realistic expectations for what you think the medication is going to do for your child. For example, if your child is hyperactive and impulsive and gets in trouble every day in school, it may be okay if they still get in a little trouble for talking once every few weeks.

Pediatricians, parents, and teachers sometimes focus on increasing medication dosages to try and get total control of ADHD symptoms. In many cases, the goal should be to decrease disruptive behaviors, improve performance at school, and improve relationships with family and friends.

Other tips to minimize side effects from ADHD medications:

Tips for Specific Side EffectsDrowsiness: Ask your pediatrician if your child can take their dose of Strattera at bedtime if it is causing a lot of drowsiness.Decreased appetite: Consider a few extra healthy snacks and high-calorie foods if their main side effect is a decreased appetite, weight loss, or trouble gaining weight. Taking the medication after breakfast can help with this issue.

Tips for Specific Side Effects

Drowsiness: Ask your pediatrician if your child can take their dose of Strattera at bedtime if it is causing a lot of drowsiness.Decreased appetite: Consider a few extra healthy snacks and high-calorie foods if their main side effect is a decreased appetite, weight loss, or trouble gaining weight. Taking the medication after breakfast can help with this issue.

Another thing to note is adding an extra dose of medication in the afternoon for symptom coverage may be more helpful than simply raising the dosage. For example, if short-acting Ritalin seems to manage symptoms for only three hours, one could add an afternoon dose to provide extra coverage.

Likewise, if your child takes a long-acting agent such as Concerta and coverage is required for the afternoon, adding a short-acting methylphenidate could help manage symptoms in the afternoon/evening without interfering with sleep.

How to Manage ADHD Medication Rebound

Understand that medication may not be able to alleviate all of your child’s ADHD symptoms, especially if they are having side effects at high dosages. Simply decreasing the severity of the symptoms may have to be your goal for the medication.

Other therapies may also be needed. Children often benefit from taking medication alongside behavioral therapy, parent education, and accommodations at school.

If your child isn’t doing well after trying several ADHD medications and different dosages, something else could be going on. Instead of continuing to try higher dosages, which may increase the chance of side effects, consider re-evaluating the diagnosis or the possibility that there may be a coexisting disorder such asdepressionor alearning disability.

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wolraich ML, Hagan JF, Allan C, et al.Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(4). doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2528U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Dyanavel XR.Bangs ME, Wietecha LA, Wang S, Buchanan AS, Kelsey DK.Meta-analysis of suicide-related behavior or ideation in child, adolescent, and adult patients treated with atomoxetine.J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2014;24(8):426-434. doi:10.1089/cap.2014.0005Additional ReadingWolraich ML, Hagan JF, Allan C, et al.Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(4). doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2528

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wolraich ML, Hagan JF, Allan C, et al.Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(4). doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2528U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Dyanavel XR.Bangs ME, Wietecha LA, Wang S, Buchanan AS, Kelsey DK.Meta-analysis of suicide-related behavior or ideation in child, adolescent, and adult patients treated with atomoxetine.J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2014;24(8):426-434. doi:10.1089/cap.2014.0005Additional ReadingWolraich ML, Hagan JF, Allan C, et al.Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(4). doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2528

Wolraich ML, Hagan JF, Allan C, et al.Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(4). doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2528U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Dyanavel XR.Bangs ME, Wietecha LA, Wang S, Buchanan AS, Kelsey DK.Meta-analysis of suicide-related behavior or ideation in child, adolescent, and adult patients treated with atomoxetine.J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2014;24(8):426-434. doi:10.1089/cap.2014.0005

U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Highlights of prescribing information: Dyanavel XR.

Bangs ME, Wietecha LA, Wang S, Buchanan AS, Kelsey DK.Meta-analysis of suicide-related behavior or ideation in child, adolescent, and adult patients treated with atomoxetine.J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2014;24(8):426-434. doi:10.1089/cap.2014.0005

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What is the most important information I should know about ADHD medications?#

ADHD Medication Side Effects#

Tics#

Sudden Death#

Suicide#

Tips for Specific Side Effects#