Month: February 2023

The widespread side effects are loss of appetite or insomnia. More ADHD medicine side effects are irritability, jitteriness, headaches, moodiness, stomachaches, racing heart rate, or high blood pressure. Here is a review of the side effects of ADHD medication.

Several Side Effects of ADHD Medicines — or Treatments

The hazards of possible ADHD medication side effects keep most parents or adults from starting these treatments. These side effects, however, are reduced over time. Parents may need to determine if their child could tolerate these reactions for a certain period or change medications, especially if they affect their child’s ability to focus.

Here are some very typical adverse reactions or treatments for these.

• Decreased appetite
• Weight loss
• Stomach Problems
• Upset stomach

“When a kid begins medication, there can be a one-to-three-pound weight loss over the first month,” Dickson says. “However, it is typical for the kid to regain the mass in the following three months.”

Treatment

• Prepare nourishing meals and snacks in advance to feed your kids when they are hungry.
• Try to eat before the medication works or once the medication wears off.
• Consume medication with milk or food.

Insomnia

• Abstain from electronics for one hour before sleep.
• Employ a White Noise Machine or Soft Music to relax.
• Try altering your medicine timing or dosage.

Irritability or Mood Alteration

“Irritability when on medication might be a side effect of the medicine or an indication that a kid may have other disorders,” Dickson states.

Consult your doctor to increase a little second dose to prevent the “rebound” once the meds fade off.

Consult a doctor for some related ailments like anxiety.

Headaches

“Give Tylenol or Motrin when needed,” Dickson states.

When headaches continue, try altering the dosage with the physician.

Dry Mouth

• Hold a water bottle.
• Take some sugar-free candy.
• Talk to your physician about other medication choices when side effects continue or impact daily living or general well-being.

Side Effects of Stimulants

While stimulant medications for ADHD hold distinct names or doses, the methods they function within the brain are almost similar. Owing to this, they would probably lead to many side effects like worsening appetite, anxiety, or tummy upsets.

Typical stimulant side effects of ADHD medication are:

• A worsening appetite may result in undesired weight loss in grownups or lower weight gain in kids
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Headaches
• Aggression
• Mood swings involving anger, agitation, or aggression
• Vomiting, nausea, or diarrhea
• Trouble falling asleep and staying asleep
• Anxiety or muscle strain
• Heightened blood pressure or heart rate
• Tics

Side Effects of Non-Stimulants

Many might imagine that taking a non-stimulant may assist them in escaping all the side effects of ADHD medication. Still, non-stimulants may trigger their list of undesirable side effects. Also, there is plenty of overlap between ADHD medicines with their side effects. Resembling all additional side effects, these might last for several weeks as the body gets used to them.

Typical Side Effects of Non-Stimulant ADHD Medication:

• Tummy aches with vomiting, nausea, or constipation
• Deteriorating agitation, depression, or anxiety
• Sleep issues
• Deteriorating appetite
• Feeling tired and exhausted
• Headache
• Dry Mouth
• Liver Damage
• Blood pressure and heart rate rising
• Sexual dysfunction or pain in urinating

Medication might also trigger these emotions:

• Mood swings: depressive moods or “lows” might be sufficiently powerful to trigger suicidal ideation or actions
• Heightened volatility and violence: this may trigger aggressive fights with others
• Heightened anxiety, worry, or physical tension

Effects on Sleep

These forms of medicine for ADHD may disturb sleep in unwanted ways.

ADHD and Anxiety often exist together.  Research suggests that 25% and to 33% of children with ADHD have a co-existing (or comorbid) anxiety disorder.  Childhood anxiety is the second most common condition co-existing with ADHD.

Where the Confusion Arises

​The significant symptoms of ADHD and Anxiety are almost the same and might get aggravated by the presence of the underlying disorder. Both diagnoses may cause children to display poor concentration, behavioral difficulties, social or learning difficulties, sleeping difficulties, and a lousy change in appetite.  Despite this, what is behind these symptoms, and even how they get treated, is distinct.

​​“Misdiagnosis” Versus “Missed Diagnosis”

One instance of how misdiagnosis might happen is when Anxiety symptoms get mixed up with a bodily concern because a kid complains of headaches or stomach aches.  When a kid has problems making friends due to their anxiety, low self-confidence, or reactive behavior, anxiety might get misdiagnosed as a Social Communication Disorder like Autism.

Where a kid displays “explosive behavior” as a component of the “fight or flight” reaction to anxiety, this can get mixed up with ODD or owing to non-explicit symptoms. Thus, anxiety might then get looked over as a comorbid diagnosis when ADHD is already pre-existent.

How Do We Discern The Differences?

Sadly, there are no magic formulas or universally recognized assessment tools for checking if a kid has ADHD, Anxiety, or all these.  Like all childhood developmental and emotional health disorders, it may require time, review, and a full assessment to know where a kid’s difficulties come from.  This may need gathering data in different settings and closely reviewing the kid’s behavior, perhaps over multiple visits.

Several Clues That Indicate Anxiety

• Children with Anxiety are at times more alert to pick up social cues (e.g., they identify and fret over how they appear to other people)
• Children with Anxiety seek reassurance and planning for games
• Children with Anxiety might have physiological symptoms (nausea, abdominal pains, dizziness, racing heart, etc.)

Children with Anxiety display less problematic behavior once they feel calm and not threatened.

​​How Do We Support a Child with ADHD and Anxiety?

Although there are resemblances between the symptoms, the cause of every symptom is distinct, and every diagnosis demands a specialized treatment and regimen.   As a universal rule, it may help to test out environmental alterations and behavioral therapy before giving the kids medication.

Cognitive-behavior Therapy with Child Psychologists is the primary treatment for anxiety in children. However, it depends on kids being capable of staying still and cognitively engaging for 50 minutes per week which may be hard for kids with ADHD.

​Medication choices are accessible for all these conditions if needed.  It is important to note that stimulant medications for ADHD act fast (days or weeks), whereas anti-anxiety medicines take a longer time (weeks to months) to see the effects.

​​Behavioral Treatments for ADHD

• Children with ADHD cope best in an organized setting that is free from mess.
• At school and at times that demand concentration, remove external distractions for your kid by seating them far from glass panes, close to instructors, and in a clean and tiny area.

​Behavioral Treatments for Anxiety

• When needed, model and compliment non-anxious actions and diminish attention on anxious actions, as delivering too much reassurance can reinforce their fears.
• Compliment and reward kids for “having a go” at the tasks they find rigid and concentrate as much as you can on the “effort” instead of the “successful completion” of any work.
• Resembling kids with ADHD, kids with Anxiety may be helped by structure and routine.