ADHD Medication Abuse on the Rise Among Teens

PR Log (Press Release) – Oct 03, 2009 – The recent increase in the amount of parents requesting ADHD medication from their pediatricians to treat their child's disorder has also been followed by an increase in the abuse of ADHD medication among teenagers.

ADHD prescriptions for youth aged 10 to 19 increased nationwide by 80 percent from the year 1998 to 2005. Prescription ADHD medication abuse for non-medical reasons by 13 to 19 year olds increased by 76 percent in the same time period. The fact that many teenagers share their prescription ADHD drugs  with their friends and classmates can be part of the reason for the growing trend of ADHD medication abuse among teenagers.

With more prescriptions being written each year there is a greater potential for abuse, and with the new release of generic versions of Adderall hitting the market, from both Impax Laboratories and Teva Pharmaceuticals, the decreased cost will make the drug more readily available to a larger number of children diagnosed with ADHD.

Now more than ever it is important for parents to understand some of the potential negative side effects of prescription drugs like Ritalin and Adderall before making the decision to use them in the treatment of their child's ADHD.

Some of those negative side effects are the constant increase of adrenaline in your child's system which puts significant strain on the heart. Thats why most pediatricians highly recommend an electrocardiogram or ECG checkup to insure that there are no heart complications once your child starts taking their ADHD medication.

Alternatives include homeopathic or natural remedies such as Attend, one of the most popular natural treatments for ADHD. Natural treatments for ADHD have been shown to have significant results without the worry of negative side effects. It is important to keep in mind that natural treatments are not approved by the FDA and will not be suggested by your doctor.

Recently the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has found that 59 percent of all prescription drugs related to mental health issues, including ADHD treatment, were written by family doctors and not by mental health professionals. Parents need to stay informed not only about the side effects of medications prescribed to their children but should also be on the lookout for signs of medication abuse.

http://www.treatmentadhd.com