Mentioning the findings of the Mayo Clinic, Stannard (“Dangers of ADHD Medication”, 2010) has highlighted on the fact that stimulants like methylphenidate, dextroamphetamine-amphetamine, etc, which are commonly prescribed medications for ADHD, can have serious side effects encompassing heart problems, and the author has particularly revealed how such medications have, in some rare occurrences, caused heart-related deaths (in case of children and adolescents who took the concerned stimulant for ADHD treatment). Stannard’s article also points out that for an attention boost, patients of ADHD often abuse the prescribed drugs meant for treatment and such drug abuse often pose risk to the health condition of individuals already suffering from the disorder (“Dangers of ADHD Medication”, 2010). Pathetically, the hidden dangers of ADHD medications also include the danger of triggering aggravated symptoms of several other psychiatric disorders that include paranoia, depression, hostile behavior, aggression, and even higher degree of anxiety (Stannard, 2010).

Not only Stannard’s article, but there are several other writings on side effects of ADHD medications which point toward the negative impact of the administration of the concerned drugs on the individuals suffering from the disorder. Edmund S. Higgins article, “Do ADHD Drugs Take a Toll on the Brain?”, is among those writings that have specifically hinted on the severe side effects of ADHD medications. Going through the article it can be known how ADHD medications have the potential of stunting the growth of the individuals upon whom they are administered and these drugs also are known to contribute to the emergence of psychosis apart from other mental disorders (Higgins, 2009). Higgins (2009), in his article, has also revealed how some specific drugs used as ADHD medication show some similarities with cocaine in terms of the potential of causing harm to the patient. The author has pointed out that most of the drugs used for treating ADHD affects the brain’s reward circuitry and such process raises the specter of addiction, and moreover, as methylphenidate, a major component of ADHD medication, has a chemical structure similar to that of cocaine, the degree of the medicine’s negative impact on the brain equates to that of cocaine (Higgins, 2009). Higgins (2009) has also cited the example of a research whose outcome has revealed that in ways similar to that of cocaine, methylphenidate has the potential to alter the brain’s functions. Also, mentioning the findings of different other scientific studies on the negative impact of ADHD medications, Higgins (2009) has stated that components like amphetamines pose a serious threat to the cognitive wellbeing of the patients upon which they are administered and the long term use of such medicines can cause cognitive impairment accompanied by long-lasting behavioral oddities like hallucinations. So, it is evident that among the different hidden dangers of ADHD medications is the danger of the brain getting negatively impacted.

To know more about the hidden dangers of ADHD medications the article “ADHD update: New data on the risks of medication”, has been reviewed and it has been found that, apart from posing risk to the functioning of the brain, some specific ADHD medications pose serious threat to the condition of the heart of the patient. Citing the FDA panel report on the negative impact of ADHD drugs, the article has revealed how seriously the stimulants used for treating ADHD can cause high blood pressure and heart problems (“ADHD update: New data on the risks of medication”, n.d.). The article, which is a form of report, also cites experiments that confirmed the negative impact of ADHD medications on the growth of children who suffer from ADHD. The article mentions one study with a broad focus in which children ages between 7 and 9 were followed for two years and at the end of the study it was found that those children who continuously took ADHD medication during that time were, on average, half inch shorter and 8 pounds lighter than those children who never took such medications (“ADHD update: New data on the risks of medication”, n.d.).

So, it can also be said that apart from affecting the cognitive potentials, the brain, and the heart, ADHD medications also have the potential to stunt the growth of individuals on whom such drugs are continuously administered.

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References

ADHD update: New data on the risks of medication (n.d.). THE HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL: FAMILY HEALTH GUIDE. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/ADHD-update-New-data-on-the-risks-of-medication.shtml

Higgins, E.S. (2009). Do ADHD Drugs Take a Toll on the Brain? Scientific America Mind. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from http://amphetamines.org/adhd/drugsbrain.html

Stannard, L. (2010). Dangers of ADHD Medications. Livestrong.com. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/89135-dangers-adhd-medication/