The Great Mystery About The Long Term Effects Of Taking ADHD Medications

Why do I use the word 'mystery'? Think about how long Ritalin , one of the most common ADHD drugs , has been on the market. Forty years ! Now, that should be long enough to assess the long term effects of taking ADHD medications, you would have thought. Wrong again ! The studies done on Ritalin are generally very short term and no long term studies have been done and if they have, they have been locked away by the drug companies, as their findings could damage the market for Ritalin. The components which are in these drugs are a mix of amphetamines , such as methylphenidate in Ritalin and dextroamphetmaine which is in Dexedrine.

Nobody will deny that these psychostimulants work quite well for lots of kids with ADHD. Figures are put at 80% but I wonder. The immediate side effects are well known and they can range from dizziness, racing heartbeat , mood swings, insomnia, loss of appetite and stunted growth. The drug companies shrug off these side effects and say that a majority of children will not be overly stressed by these effects.

What are we giving our kids? The sad answer is that we are giving them a stimulant which will affect their dopamine levels in the brain which is merely in its infancy, as development goes. Our brains fully develop when we reach our mid twenties. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and it affects our moods, motivation, pleasure and attention. If the long term effects of taking ADHD medications are unknown, then I would look at alternatives such as homeopathic ADHD remedies.

The long term effects of taking ADHD medications are a mystery and can only be guessed at, given that the studies have not been done, or delayed or just simply not published. The alarm areas of the long term issues concern heart problems, psychiatric problems and of course the risk of substance abuse. The ADHD sites glibly state that you should make sure that your kids are not selling their drugs or are not abusing them themselves by mixing them with alcohol and other deadly cocktails. That is a warning light in itself and I, personally, would not put my kids at risk.

Why not consider ADHD homeopathic medications and forget the worry about about the long term effects of taking ADHD medications. These gentle remedies have no side effects and there is absolutely no risk that they will be on the drugs black market ! There are also no long term risks because there are no counter indications at all and you can treat your ADHD child in the confidence that these gentle and safe remedies will help your child to pay attention and be less hyperactive. If you opt for a company which is under FDA supervision and which uses trained homeopaths, then you are safe in the knowledge that these remedies are guaranteed and they are also a much cheaper option.