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.
Signs your ADHD medication is too high
Depending on your medication, the most common sign that your medication is too high is when you begin to experience significant, severe, or debilitating side effects that don't subside after a week.
The following are some common signs that ADHD medication should be adjusted: irritability or increased hyperactivity when the medication is in a child's system. consistent weight loss or problems with appetite.
Initial Dose
Too little response: The medication isn't sufficiently controlling your ADHD symptoms such as inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Intolerable side effects: The medication may be working, but the side effects are severe and/or intolerable. 3.
It is the brain's reaction to the ADHD stimulant medication leaving the body, and it can result in an intense reaction or behavior change for roughly 60 minutes at the end of a dose. It occurs most often with short-acting stimulant medications, but can occur with long-acting stimulant medications, too.
It could be that your ADHD symptoms have gotten more severe and that you need more medicine or a different one to get the same results. New life events can make your symptoms worse, too. For example, stressful and demanding situations can make it even harder to focus.
The most common side effects are loss of appetite and trouble sleeping. Other ADHD medicine side effects include jitteriness, irritability, moodiness, headaches, stomachaches, fast heart rate, and high blood pressure. Side effects usually happen in the first few days of starting a new medicine or taking a higher dose.
How Long Does ADHD Medication Last? The exact length of time a stimulant lasts depends on the patient's metabolism. For example, a long-acting stimulant medication may say it lasts for 8 to 12 hours. Some patients may feel its effects for 10 hours.
Allergies, food sensitivities, and metabolism could cause your ADHD medication not to work as it should. Here, learn how to find an effective dosage that works for you, whether by addressing genetic factors or testing for food allergies.
Moreover, misuse of stimulants is associated with dangers including psychosis, myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, and even sudden death. As ADHD medications are prescribed for long-term treatment, there is a need for long-term safety studies and education on the health risks associated with misuse is imperative.
Do ADHD Medication Side Effects Go Away? Most side effects of stimulant ADHD medications should resolve in three to five days (with the exception of appetite suppression). Side effects that the patient finds intolerable, or those that last longer than three to five days, warrant a call to your clinician.
Stimulants are believed to work by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with motivation, pleasure, attention, and movement. For many people with ADHD, stimulant medications boost concentration and focus while reducing hyperactive and impulsive behaviors.
Start at the Lowest Dose
At signs of unusual irritability, tearfulness, or being in a cloud, the dose should be reduced. Did You Know: Doctors typically adjust medication dosages every three to seven days.
Can ADHD meds make ADHD worse? ADHD medications can have side effects that can make dealing with the condition more difficult, including headache, sleep problems, and low appetite. Some, like Adderall, can cause anxiety, irritability, or anger when prescribed at the incorrect dosage.
When your prescription feels too strong, you might experience headaches, nausea, and eye strain, among other things. It might not be clear why your prescription feels wrong, but it doesn't take long to notice something's off.
Medication is a highly effective treatment for ADHD, but sometimes it can stop working. If you or your child with ADHD experience a recurrence of symptoms, consider visiting a healthcare or mental health professional for a treatment update. There are several reasons a medication can lose its effectiveness.
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.
Adderall XR is the longer-lasting form, designed to be effective for 10-12 hours.
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. However, if medication is taken during the week and stopped on the weekends, possible side effects are less likely to go away, says Dr. Wiznitzer.
Immediate-release (short-acting) medications usually are taken every 4 hours, when needed. They are the cheapest of the medications. Extended-release medications usually are taken once in the morning. Extended-release (intermediate-acting and long-acting) medications are usually taken once in the morning.
In people who don't have ADHD, because Adderall produces an excess amount of dopamine, users may experience feelings of euphoria and increased energy levels, as well as possible dangerous physical and emotional side effects.
Some people need medication all day, every day. Others need coverage only for certain activities. Odds are, if your child is the one with ADHD, she needs to be on medication during the school day.
If you have ADHD, prescription stimulants can make you more alert, increase your attention, help you focus, and give you more energy.
Prescription stimulants are medicines generally used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy—uncontrollable episodes of deep sleep. They increase alertness, attention, and energy.
Some adults with ADHD find that caffeine doesn't wake them up or make them sleepy.