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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Kids who don't take meds are more likely to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol.  Also, they tend to suffer social isolation and low self-esteem  Stay open to meds and go to a good psychiatrist who has experience in medication combos and dosage levels beyond what a pediatrician will manage.  [/quote]
Source/reference?[/quote]

Just go to www.pubmed.com and search ADHD and substance abuse of some other drug/term. There are hundreds that discuss the increased risk.[/quote]

We've been over this.  There is no good evidence that not medicating ADHD leads to increase risk of drug abuse - the studies don't appear to compare treatments other than medical; they include cigarette smoking as drug abuse; and/or were conducted by researchers with long-standing ties to the pharmaceutical industry and a resultant huge conflict of interest.  There is *so much* conflict of interest with medical research in this area being funded by drug companies that you can't just go on pubmed - you need to look at a lot of different sources.  [/quote]

Also, take a look at the FDA's view on these claims by the drug industry that ADHD drugs reduce the risk of poor school performance and drug addiction.  They are false and misleading and unsupported by evidence:

"[the claims that the ADHD drug reduces risk of drug abuse, poor academic performance] are misleading
nonetheless because the only sensible interpretation of placing the consequences of
untreated ADHD in pieces promoting the use of Focalin XR for ADHD is to imply that
Focalin XR may reduce the likelihood or severity of the consequences of untreated
ADHD listed above (i.e., poor social–emotional development and job success, poor
academic performance, impaired driving, smoking and substance abuse) and induce
the desired treatment outcomes when this has not been demonstrated by substantial
evidence or substantial clinical experience. While Focalin XR has been shown to
improve the DSM-IV total subscale score of the Conners ADHD/DSM-IV Scales for
teachers (CADS-T), which measures ADHD symptoms such as fidgeting, restlessness,
and failure to complete tasks started, this scale does not measure the effect of
treatment on the multiple outcomes listed above (i.e., social–emotional development
and job success, academic performance, driving ability, smoking and substance abuse),
and it does not necessarily follow that improvement in the DSM-IV total subscale score
of the CADS-T is correlated with a positive effect on these outcomes.
None of the references cited2,3,4,5,6,7 in support of the presentations above from the
slide deck present data on the effect of treatment with Focalin XR on the outcomes
presented on the slides. While Focalin XR is indicated for the treatment of ADHD, F DA
is not aware of substantial evidence or substantial clinical experience demonstrating
that Focalin XR can help patients avoid these consequences."

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/ucm054000.pdf

[/quote]

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