Stimulant dosing and growth
How stimulant medication is dosed, what happens when the dose goes above the usual maximum, and what treatment does to appetite, weight, height and bone.
-
Explanation Sheet 5
Medications used in ADHD
ADHD is a genuine and treatable condition. Finding the right medication, or balance of medications, can improve mental efficiency and help a person to function more like others of their…
-
Journal article
A Randomised Open-Label Comparison of Dexamphetamine and Methylphenidate in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Symptom Response, Adherence and Weight Impact Over 12 Months
Children starting treatment for ADHD were randomly assigned to the two immediate-release stimulants used in Australia, dexamphetamine or methylphenidate, and followed for a year. Dexamphetamine caused more weight loss, but…
-
Journal article
Stimulant treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and risk of first and repeat juvenile criminal offending: a population-based cohort study
Using linked health and court records for people born in New South Wales between 1990 and 2005, we looked at whether young people treated with stimulants for ADHD were more…
-
Review
Does Dexamphetamine Cause Addiction? A Narrative Review
Dexamphetamine is a standard treatment for ADHD, yet families and clinicians often worry that it might lead to addiction. We searched the published literature for evidence of addiction to prescribed…
-
Journal article
Dose Adjustment of Stimulants for Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Retrospective Chart Review of the Impact of Exceeding Recommended Doses
The right stimulant dose for a child with ADHD is found by adjusting it over time, and a few children need more than the recommended maximum. We compared the clinical…
-
Journal article
Stimulant prescribing for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): what guides clinicians in their choice of an upper limit for dose titration?
The maximum recommended stimulant doses have little research behind them, and they differ from one state and country to the next. We surveyed clinicians who treat ADHD about what actually…
-
Review
Evaluation of Methylphenidate Safety and Maximum-Dose Titration Rationale in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Meta-analysis
Methylphenidate is the most widely used ADHD medication, but the evidence for where its maximum dose should sit is thin. We surveyed the published trials to see what happens to…
-
Letter
Involving medical students in a community-based project on ADHD: a novel learning experience
Medical students get little teaching about ADHD, even though it is a common condition. In this research letter we describe how four University of Sydney students were involved in a…
-
Journal article
High Dose Stimulant Medication for the Management of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Retrospective Cohort Study
A conference abstract describing the first stage of our study of children on high-dose stimulants: the clinical characteristics of the children whom the NSW Ministry of Health had authorised to…
-
Journal article
Stimulant medication effects on growth and bone age in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a prospective cohort study
We studied growth and bone age over the first 3 years of stimulant treatment in children with ADHD compared with their healthy siblings. Despite slower growth on treatment, the children…
-
Journal article
Weight loss on stimulant medication: how does it affect body composition and bone metabolism? – A prospective longitudinal study
34 newly diagnosed children were treated with stimulant medication for ADHD. The initial appetite suppression was associated with fat loss and reduced bone turnover. Central body fat, lean tissue and…
-
Review
Growth on stimulant medication; clarifying the confusion: a review
We reviewed 29 studies of growth in height in children with ADHD treated with stimulant medication. 11 of these were of poor quality and did not detect any slowing of…