Is adderall safe? Would you let your children take it?

Adderall(R) is a prescription stimulant drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Adderall is a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. Commonly abused, Adderall is used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy (a sleep disorder wherein a person falls asleep without warning).

Adderall has many potentially harmful side effects and must be used under strict medical supervision. Adderall side effects|Side effects of Adderall include: psychosis, loss of sleep, loss of appetite, dry mouth (leading to dental caries), weight loss, decreased growth in children, tics, and Tourette syndrome. Personally I would not allow my child to be prescribed Adderall, but I would explore other options first.

Under a physician's guidance I would try nutritional treatments for ADHD and also have my child screened for allergies.

I'm a clinical psychologist and I test individuals for ADHD and I work with a psychiatrist who prescribes different types of ADHD medications. Adderall and Ritalin are stimulant meds which some people are uncomfortable with but Strattera is a non stimulant ADHD meds and that works well for ADHD too. All meds have some side effects but ADHD medication is actually considered safe when monitored by a physician.

I have included several links about ADHD meds and safety for further information. You could always try it with your child and if you don't like it then you could easily stop the meds. Most kids, adolescents and adults that I see are struggling so much with ADHD that they love the improvements they see after starting the meds.

There can be a drastic difference in concentration, alertness, ability to focus, etc. Most young adults that I test and treat have said that they wished there parents had gotten them help and medication when they were in middle school or high school because they struggled greatly through school and it was a nightmare for them. It could be a tremendous help to your child.

It is just something to consider. Ultimately the decision is up to you as to what you think is best for your child. More parents these days are talking to their children about what they think and what they want to do regarding medication.

This would depend on the age of your child. But I have some clients who are as young as 8 or 9 that have helped make that decision and they were more than mature enough to make the decision whether they wanted to try the medication and now that they have they have expressed how much a difference it made for them.It could be very important to get your child's perspective. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/mental-health-medications/what-medications-are-used-to-treat-adhd.shtml http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_medications.htm http://www.healthyplace.com/adhd/treatment/non-stimulant-drugs-for-adhd-treatment/menu-id-53/ http://www.additudemag.com/adhd-medication.html.

Adderall is chemically almost exactly the same as cocaine. It is a severe stimulant, it is basically just speed. Yes it will make your child focus on schoolwork because it makes the user feel like things are more interesting and increases your mental energy.

This is a hotly debated subject, I personally do not believe you should be giving children who are still developing massive amounts of speed. Adderall does have lots of side effects. It seems as though everyone I went to college with was on adderall or ritalin.

Everyone was able to get massive amounts of schoolwork done into the wee hours of the morning and it seems like all of my friends who were on it had pretty extreme levels of anxiety, most of them could not get to sleep until late because they were always jacked up on the stuff. Once your child is in high school, it becomes a hot commodity and there is a huge temptation for children to start selling there prescription to other kids who really want it. It has all the same side effects as cocaine.

There is a huge element of drug abuse associated with kids who take adderal when they are older as well. There are so many other ways to help your child channel that extra energy and learn to focus, I was severely adhd and taking kung fu classes really changed me, I learned to focus and channel my extra energy into constructive things, I also used yoga and meditation. Do not underestimate the power of a children's yoga class or a meditation group, learning to sit still for a few minutes can actually help change the way the brain works.

A lot of research has been done recently into the field of nueroplasticity, that is the recent understanding that through changing our behavior we can actually physically change the way our brain is wired and become more focused, less moody, less irritable, almost anything is possible, scientists are finding out that the brain is much more flexible then they thought. Don't go down the path of adderall until you've tried some sort of behavioral therapy.

My husband as well as my sister have been diagnosed with ADHD - my husband since he was 5 and my sister when she was 13 years old. Both were given Adderall and both suffered from the side effects! My husband got addicted to it and still has problems staying away from it - he says he can better focus and stays alert more ( has given him a feeling almost as if he would be taking Cocain ... that is not a joke his doctor as well as his psychiatric had to go through sessions as if he was on stimulating dugs to get him off of it ) and he had to be treated for his addiction - my sister as well suffered from getting addicted to it since it gives you the chance of being " normal " and gives you the chance to concentrate!

Many kids who are given this drug sell it on schools because it stimulates your Brain in a way that you are awake. Concentrated and alert. You said # I think my child needs adderall # - does this mean you are not sure if he really needs it?

If he was diagnosed by a doctor and this doctor recommended this medicine he should have given you plenty of information as well as addresses and websites on where you can get information as well as talk to other Parents who have children that actually take this medicine! I am not sure which State you live in but here in NC we have a ADHD Group for Children and their Parents to exchange their experience as well as their ways of dealing with it. Maybe you can ask your doctor for such groups or maybe you can look online to find others who have the same problem.

Don't jump into conclusions if you did not talk to a doctor - maybe there are other reasons for your childs behavior - maybe there are other medications out there that have less side effects or addiction possibilities then adderall. If you doctor gave you the advice I would suggest to find a group and talk to other parents who gave this drug to their kids or talk to parents who used different medication - don't jump onto the number 1 drug that people hear about before exploring the web or talking to others! Nontheless I wish you and your kid ll the best - I can only imagine how hard it is to make the right choice.

Take care.

PLEASE READ ABOUT MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH ADDERALL: I have been on and off adderall for the past 10 years. I'm going to make this short because I'm leaving.. I've been on the regular IR aderall and then I've switched a few times to the XR. The reason I switched to XR is because I am so addicted to this drug, and I would finish my 30 day perscription in about 2 weeks, and then call the dr., tellhim It's not working like it should, and ask if I could change to XR.

I did that because he would write me a prescription that day, so then I wouldn't have to be w/out the drug. IT IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE! I want to stop taking this so bad.

I think it's ruined my life in a way. When my prescription runs out, I have bad mood swings, am always angry, want to sleep 24/7, I don't feel like doing anything at all. All of that is probably from withdrawl.So..2 weeks later I'm just getting to feel back to normal and can sleep 6-7 hours a night and feel rested, but this drug is so addicting, I end up calling my Dr. and telling him I need to pick up my persciption..go pick it up and get it filled, and it starts all over again.

Don''t let anyone tell you that it's not addicting. I was addicted since the first time a friend of a friend had me try 5 mg. 's.

I can take up to 8-10 pills in 1 day, which is what I usually do. (20 mg's of Adderall), I break them in halfs and take halfs all through the day. I'm prescribed 3 20 mg's daily, but take way more.

I wish to god I never started it. It is said to be the same thing as Crystal Meth (which is one of the most highly addicted drugs), but Adderall is what they call the legal crystal meth. If you google Crystal Meth Adderall, you'll find some of the info about that.

Adderall(amphetamine salts) is practically the pill form of Meth. Also.. because of the deaths of this drug, it is no longer available for people living in Canada. Google Canada and Aderall.. By googling alll the things I've told you to-you'll learn what this drug can do.My son is 6 years old, and I'm so sure he has ADD/ADHD but I WILL NOT allow him to be put on Adderall because of my experience w/ it.

I've tried ritalin, it didn't really work 4 me, but I think thats because I had been taing adderall and Ritalin doesn't give you the high that adderall does. PLEASE- if you decide to put your child on ADD medicine, DO NOT PICK ADDERALL! The longest I've been able to stay off of adderall is for about 8 months when I was preggo w/ my son.

I couldn't wait to get back on it. As soon as he was born, I was telling my Dr. I wanted to get my adderall back. HUGE MISTAKE AGAIN.. PLEASE DONT DO THIS TO YOUR CHILD!

Plus- 4 of my friends are addicted like me, because of me. After trying 1 of my pills, they went to my Dr. asked to get testd for ADD, ended up w/ their own perscriptions. I hope this information helps you.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.