Can Adderall and other drugs used to treat ADHD cause depression?

Adderall in general is not used to treat depression. It has been found to be effective for treating kids and adults withADHD.

ADHD

see attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

It is possible that a child who has been prescribed Adderall, which is mixed amphetamine salts for ADHD, might begin exhibiting sad or listless behavior. There are a few explanations for this reaction. When a stimulant dose is too high for a child he may begin to look sedated or unlike himself. If this happens hispsychiatrist

psychiatrist

A physician who is trained to diagnose, treat and prevent psychiatric disorders.

needs to work with the family to adjust the prescription until they find the right dose. But a small percentage of children — about five percent — can become very dysphoric and even depressed-seeming on a mixed amphetamine. Their emotional reaction will end when they stop taking the medication. Again, this is a small percentage of children.

However, if your child does get depressed on amphetamine, you always have the option to try a different medication. There are two kinds of stimulants that doctors use to treat ADHD, amphetamine and methylphenidate. Sometimes a person may have side effects on one kind of stimulant but respond very well to the other. So if a child has a poor response or side effect to amphetamine, then his doctor should consider prescribing a methylphenidate-based medication.

Doctors should also work to think carefully about theirdiagnosis,

diagnosis

A specific set of signs and symptoms that together define a disorder. For psychiatric disorders, the criteria are based on standards established in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).

because some symptoms of depression can look a lot like ADHD. Depression makes it difficult to concentrate and can result in struggles at school, for example. It’s helpful to consider how long you’ve been seeing symptoms. Starting at a young age, kids with ADHD present achronic

chronic

A continuing or recurring condition that can be characterized by either persistent symptoms or the reappearance of symptoms after periods of otherwise normal function.

history of difficulty focusing and paying attention whereas depression symptoms are moreepisodic.

episodic

Disorders and symptoms that come and go over time.

And, of course, kids with depression experience a lot more sadness, guilt, feelings of hopelessness, and sleep problems.

For kids who have been correctly diagnosed with ADHD, it is possible that they also develop depression. Kids with ADHD are actually at a higher risk for developingmajor depressive disorder.

major depressive disorder

A mood disorder characterized by periods or “episodes” of profound sadness, crying and feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. There is a high risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors during a depressive episode. While episodes can last months or years, there are usually extended periods of relative normal mood (euthymia). This is also known as “clinical depression.”

It’s not completely clear why but it could be because they have more problems early in life, such as having trouble at school, trouble getting along with parents, and trouble with peers, which may lead to developing poor self-esteem. The good news is that kids can be safely treated for both disorders at the same time. Generally doctors begin treating the primary disorder first and then add treatment for the second later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Adderall cause depression?

Adderall rarely causes depression in kids who take it to treat ADHD. However, a child might seem sad or listless if their dose is too high, it should be reduced until they find the right dose.

And a few kids do react to stimulant medications with a depressed mood, which will go away if they go off the medication. They should try a different medication or treatment.

Can ADHD meds cause depression?

In rare cases, amphetamine stimulants can cause depression in kids taking them for ADHD. There are two kinds of stimulants doctors use to treat ADHD: amphetamine, and methylphenidate. If a child has a poor response to amphetamine, their doctor should consider prescribing a methylphenidate-based medication or a non-stimulant.

Is depression a side-effect of ADHD meds?

ADHD medication rarely causes depression. But kids with ADHD are at a higher risk for developing major depressive disorder. This could be because they tend to have trouble in school, or struggle to get along with their parents and peers. These challenges may lead to a child developing poor self-esteem and depression.