Stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall are actively promoted and prescribed as a treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These drugs are found to have a short-term effectiveness of 60- to 80 percent in reducing the symptoms of ADHD in school-age children. The medications reduce a child's hyperactivity and improve their inability to focus, work and learn. The ADHD medications may also improve physical coordination, such as handwriting and ability in sports.

If your child takes Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall to treat symptoms of ADHD, you need to be concerned about possible deadly side effects. Doctors should carefully weigh these effects against the benefits before prescribing ADHD medications.

Ritalin

The generic name for Ritalin is methylphenidate. It was derived from Dexedrine in the 1950s, initially to minimize the side effects of appetite suppression and insomnia. It is now the most prescribed stimulant drug for ADHD, and at the center of most controversies involving such drugs.

Ritalin is available in both a short and long acting form. The short acting form generally begins working about 30 minutes after it is administered, peaks at two hours and is gone at four hours. It must be taken several times daily. Ritalin sustained release tablets last about eight hours.

Ritalin affects children in the same way that related stimulants like cocaine affects adults. It sharpens the short-term attention span when the drug kicks in and produces equally predictable valleys when Ritalin wears off.

Common Ritalin side effects are headaches, abdominal pain, nervousness, insomnia, dizziness, cardiac arrhythmia and weight loss. Long-term use has also been linked to abnormalities in brain development similar to those found with cocaine. Safety and effectiveness has not been established in children under 6 years of age.

Concerta

Concert is one of the newest ADHD medications to appear on the market, and is the longest acting. The FDA approved the 12-hour Concerta in 2000.

Concerta contains methylphenidate, the same medication found in Ritalin, though the medical community has not yet determined the long-term effects of having methylphenidate in the bloodstream for prolonged hours every day.

The time-released Concerta tablet provides longer, more even action than Ritalin. It has an outer coat of medication that dissolves quickly and then two small compartments of medication inside that release gradually. The benefit is that children do not need an extra dose during school hours. The downside is that, because of the drug-release system, you cannot cut the Concerta pill to decrease the dosage or chew the Concerta tablet because that will destroy the release mechanism.

In addition, Concerta tablets are not completely digested and remnants can often be seen in stools. Concerta is not recommended for children with gastrointestinal narrowing and digestive problems. Concerta is not recommended for children under the age of 6.

The most common Concerta side effects are headache, upper respiratory tract infection, stomach ache, vomiting, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, increased cough, sore throat, sinusitis and dizziness. Other side effects are reduced stature, tics, moodiness and psychosis.

The drug is not meant for people with marked anxiety or agitation, glaucoma or tics. It is also contraindicated during any treatment with monoamine oxidase inhibitors.

Adderall

Adderall was approved for unrestricted use for the treatment of ADHD by the FDA in 1996 and is quickly becoming one of the more widely prescribed ADHD medications. Though Adderall is a fairly new drug in the treatment of ADHD, Adderall was first developed about 20 years ago under the name Obetrol and was marketed for weight loss and diet control.

Adderall is a "cocktail" drug that combines four drugs from the amphetamine family to provide a broad spectrum of coverage. The effects of Adderall can be felt after only a few doses but often takes additional time to achieve the full effect.

Adderall last about six hours per dose, which alleviates the need for children to take doses during the school day. Doctors and people using this ADHD medication report that Adderall can be less "harsh" than Ritalin, with less peaks and valleys.

The most common side effects of Adderall are restlessness, dizziness, insomnia, headache, dryness of the mouth and weight loss. Adderall has a high potential for abuse and addiction, especially among people who do not have ADHD.

ADHD drugs and fatalities

The FDA has received reports that ADHD drugs may be linked to sudden death, strokes, heart attacks and hypertension in adults and children. In Canada, Adderall was pulled from the market for 6 months in response to 20 sudden deaths and 12 strokes in adults and children using the drug.

In February of 2006, the FDA reported 81 fatalities in patients using ADHD drugs, and recommended that black-box warnings be placed on the packaging of stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall. From 1999 to 2003, the FDA also said there were 54 non-fatal cardiovascular events linked to ADHD drugs. Despite the advisory panel's opinion that black-box warnings be put on these drugs, no label change would be forthcoming any time soon.

Parents need to be clear about the benefits, as well as the potential side effects of ADHD medications Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta. The Military Personnel Procurement Manual lists the prescribed use of Ritalin as a "permanent disqualifier" for joining the military.

Studies show that stimulants cause especially severe reactions in young children. Studies remain inconclusive on the effects of ADHD medications to the development of the very young child's brain. All ADHD medications are closely related to illegal street drugs. These include dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine, street name "dexies"), methamphetamine (street name "crystal meth") and cocaine.

Parents of children diagnosed with ADHD often feel overwhelmed and trapped in a very bad situation. The physician's first line of defense in treatment is typically powerful ADHD medications like Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta. The debate on whether stimulant ADHD medications prescribed to children lead to drug addiction later in life still bubbles.

These ADHD medications do work effectively for the majority of children but also have potentially harmful side effects. Many parents questioning whether administering ADHD medications like Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta is in their child's best interest often seek drug-free treatment as an alternative to ADHD medications.

If you or your child has experienced any cardiovascular problems, including heart attack, stroke, hypertension, palpitations and arrhythmia, Ritalin, Concerta or Adderall may be to blame.