Information for Teenagers on Stimulant Medication

Why are you taking this medication?

Your doctor has started you on a medication designed to help you pay attention at school and at home. It may make it easier for you to listen to and follow directions, to think before you act, and to sit still for longer periods of time. Your doctor may have told you that you have an attention-deficit disorder, or hyperactivity, which causes you some problems, particularly when there are many distractions.

What the medication is called and how you take it.

The medication you are taking may be one of a group of medicines known as stimulants. The three types are called Ritalin (also known as methylphenidate), Cylert (also known as pemoline) and Dexedrine (also known as dextroamphetamine). After you take one of these, it works for a limited period of time to help you overcome the difficulty you may have paying attention, being calm, or following instructions. Each of these medicines works for a certain length of time. Therefore, your doctor will tell you to take it at specific times of day (usually around breakfast and lunch), and it is VERY IMPORTANT that you take it just that way. If you are taking Ritalin or Dexedrine, you may notice that it helps you right away. Cylert helps some right away, but it may work even better after a few days.

How your doctor will follow your progress.

Before starting you on this medication, your doctor will talk with you and your parent(s). He or she will want to know your height and weight, and your heart rate and blood pressure. You may also be asked to answer some written questions about how you feel and things that you do. Your teacher(s) may be asked to fill out a form about your grades and behavior in school. A psychologist may give you some tests to see how you learn best.

If you are taking Cylert, your doctor may order a blood test before starting the medicine, and occasionally afterward.

Most doctors find it best to see young people who are on Ritalin, Dexedrine, or Cylert regularly for brief examinations. You should use these visits to share any concerns you may have about your medicine and to discuss how it has or has not been helpful to you. From time to time, your physician might measure your body growth, including height and weight, and other signs of your body functioning, including heart rate and blood pressure, to be sure that you are in good health while you are taking the medication. Your doctor will also ask for regular reports from your parent(s) and teacher(s) to see how well the medicine is working.

It is very hard to say how long you will be on this medication. We now know that it sometimes is helpful to people even when they go to college and as they become adults. That is a decision that will be made by your doctor as she/he monitors your progress.

Your doctor may talk with you about times that you do not have to take your medication such as during school breaks, weekends, and vacations. This is different for each person, so you should be sure to ask your doctor if you do not understand this clearly.

How the medication makes you feel

Aside from the ways in which the medicine will help you, it may have other affects (called side effects) which could be uncomfortable. These are not harmful to your body and should not worry you. Many people never experience any of these side effects at all.

You may notice that you have more trouble getting to sleep at night or that you suddenly have more energy when it is time for bed. Your doctor can help you with this by changing the time of the day that you take your last dose of medicine.

You may find that you are not as hungry as you used to be and that you do not want to eat at mealtimes. Try to eat a good breakfast before you take the medicine. Try to eat something at lunch time. You may also be more hungry in the evening and want a snack after supper. Eating regularly will help prevent stomachaches and headaches, which are other side effects that some people have. If these feelings do not get better, talk to your doctor. She/he may be able to help you work out a schedule of several small meals during the day, or change the dose of the medicine.

You may feel unusually tired or slowed down during the day, especially during the first few weeks you take the medicine. It is best to go about your daily routine (including sports), since this is not a sign that you are sick. A regular schedule of activity will help your body adjust to this feeling so that you will begin not to notice it. It will also help you sleep better at night.

Should you notice that you have any movements of your muscles or your body that happen over and over again, that you are not doing on purpose and that are hard to stop, you should tell your doctor right away. This is very uncommon and can be helped by adjusting, stopping, or changing your medicine, but this is a decision that your doctor should make.

If you feel sad, or that nothing is fun for more than a few days, be sure to tell your parent or your doctor.

Although the fact that you take this medication is something you do not have to share with others, it certainly is not something you should feel ashamed of or embarrassed by. MANY children and teenagers are helped by stimulants, and lead fun and normal lives. Myths (things that people may believe, but which are not true) about these medicines usually are told by people who do not understand the condition for which you are being treated. You should not be concerned about this and should check out any worries you may have by talking to your doctor.

Above all, it is important that you understand that this medicine does not change your body or you as a person in any way. Any improvements you may make in your schoolwork or other areas are YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS, not those of the medicine. The medicine cannot make you do anything: it helps you do what you want to do. It helps you to be yourself in a quieter, calmer, more efficient, and more enjoyable way.

Ed Note: This information is intended to help you understand some general principles involved with some medication issues. You should always discuss your specific case with a medical professional. Individual management strategies vary from one individual to the next as well as with one individual over time, and you should expect to make changes in dosage amounts, the timing of taking medicine and perhaps even switching medicines, particularly during the initial trials in order to determine what is best for you.

You should also expect to make some adjustments as you grow older. This will be due to not only changes in your own body chemistry, but changes in your situation as you learn additional management and coping skills. There may even be situations in which you take an additional dose on some days just as there may well be times that going off the medication will be recommended.

The effectiveness of most medications used to help manage ADD is measured by your individual reactions, not by taking a dosage based solely on weight or age. Your reaction should be monitored periodically, more often at first, by talking to your doctor about your reactions and experiences. It will also be useful for your doctor to hear from your parents and/or teachers and that can be either by phone or by exchanging written information such as evaluation forms.

You and your doctor may also agree to a schedule which includes not taking the meds under certain situations. Again, comparing your reaction while on and while off the medicine will provide valuable information to your doctor.

Such adjustments are entirely normal and should even be expected.

The information regarding the author and source of this article are no longer known, but it is advice which reflects information in the "mainstream" line of management strategies. The copy of this article noted that "the duplication and distribution of these forms are encouraged".