Stimulant medications like Ritalin or Adderall can trigger appetite suppression and weight loss in children, which can be alarming to parents.
Sometimes the medicines most often used to treat ADHD can cause weight loss. Stimulant drugs like methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamine/dextroamphetamine (Adderall) make you less hungry and make your body burn calories faster than usual. Some of them are even used to help people lose weight or treat binge eating.
Kids with ADHD often experience loss of appetite due to the use of medications. In fact, ADHD medication and weight loss is not uncommon in the pediatric population. It's one thing for your child to lose his appetite, but another when it's compounded by weight loss and an underweight status.
Side effects of ADHD medications can include sleep problems, decreased appetite, delayed growth, headaches and nausea, tics, moodiness, and rebound (irritability when the medication wears off).
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the medications used to treat it are associated with obesity. Stimulants lead to weight loss, while antipsychotics and antidepressants lead to weight gain.
While the stimulating effects of many ADHD medications normally suppress appetite and may initially cause weight loss in children and adolescents, these drugs are also linked to the possibility of significant weight gain later in life.
ADHD medications can cause decreased appetite, especially in children. Does ADHD cause weight loss? ADHD itself is not typically associated with weight loss, but the stimulant medications that are often prescribed to treat ADHD can cause a decrease in appetite that may lead to unintentional weight loss.
Your child may need to take methylphenidate for several months or even years. They will not usually need to take it for the rest of their life. Your child will have regular check-ups, usually every 6 months or so. Your doctor may recommend stopping methylphenidate for a while, or reducing the dose.
Nervousness, trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, weight loss, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, or headache may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
ADHD and childhood obesity
Children with ADHD have a higher chance of obesity or overweight than those without.
Offer Snacks Often
A yogurt smoothie makes a great snack. The protein will keep them on track and may prevent mood swings. Add fruit and flaxseeds, which have healthy omega-3s, for an extra boost. Nuts -- also packed with protein and calories-- are good for snacks or to round out meals for light eaters.
At what age are symptoms of ADHD the worst? The symptoms of hyperactivity are typically most severe at age 7 to 8, gradually declining thereafter. Peak severity of impulsive behaviour is usually at age 7 or 8. There is no specific age of peak severity for inattentive behaviour.
An increase in appetite: Some individuals may gain weight after they discontinue Ritalin. Muscle cramps: Some individuals may experience achiness or cramping in the muscles.
The intracerebral activity of methylphenidate is incriminated in the dysregulation of appetite due to its probable effect stimulating the disgust sensation generated after the activation of the insular lobe by the drug.
The Final Word on Ritalin and Anxiety
While it is easy to imagine that a drug that seems to "calm" overexcited children would be great for your anxiety, the truth is that this drug is designed to stimulate alertness and therefore runs the risk of worsening your anxiety rather than improving it.
People who misuse high doses of Ritalin every day can become paranoid or hallucinate. This seems to go away when they stop using the drug but this may take some time. Sometimes these effects don't completely go away.
Long-term effects of Ritalin use include: Permanent damage to blood vessels. High blood pressure. Increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
“If you stop on the weekends, you basically start over on Monday,” he says. A person's body adjusts to the medication over the course of the first few months and side effects can lessen or disappear after that time.
Avoid excessive caffeine intake during use of methylphenidate derivatives. Excessive caffeine ingestion (via medicines, foods like chocolate, dietary supplements, or beverages including coffee, green tea, other teas, colas) may contribute to side effects like nervousness, irritability, nausea, insomnia, or tremor.
What are the best ADHD meds for kids? Most children with ADHD experience symptom improvement while taking a stimulant medication such as methylphenidate (Ritalin, Metadate, Concerta, Quillivant XR, Jornay PM, etc.) or amphetamine (Adderall, Dexedrine, Dynavel XR, Adzenys XR, etc.).
One of the chief attractions of Ritalin is the rapidity of its effects. Unlike some of the older antidepressants, for example, which could take up to two or three weeks to work, Ritalin begins working within twenty to thirty minutes after the child swallows it.
Whole brain metabolism when the cognitive task was given with placebo increased 21% whereas with methylphenidate it increased 11% (50% less).
Adults with ADHD often have trouble sleeping, and this can sabotage weight loss in three ways. Your body responds to fatigue the same way it responds to extreme hunger — by looking for fast energy sources like simple carbohydrates, and slowing your metabolism to hang on to calories.
When the dosage is too high, stimulants can cause children or even adults to seem “spacey” or “zombie-like,” or to be uncharacteristically tearful or irritable (a condition known as emotional lability). In general, the best way to rein in these side effects is simply to lower the dosage.