Are there long term effects of stimulants on the development of psychiatric disorders?
There are some concerns about possible long term effects of stimulants. Investigators in Boston evaluated 112 boys with ADHD and followed them for 10 years. About three quarters of them had been treated with stimulants. Stimulants were started on stimulants at an average age of nine and used them for an average of six years. During a ten-year follow-up, those who used stimulants were significantly less likely to receive a diagnosis of major depression, conduct disorder, or oppositional defiant disorder than those who did not use stimulants. They were also significantly less likely to repeat a grade. And there was no difference in the rate of bipolar disorder diagnoses. Return to the Table of Contents Are there special considerations in treating women with stimulants? Low estrogen levels can increase the severity of ADD symptoms. Clinicians must be careful evaluating the effects of stimulants on women who may have such levels. For example, at the outset of treatment, premenstrual sympto
