Common stimulant side effects include headache, insomnia, decreased appetite, dry mouth, and feeling sweaty, jittery, or spaced out. Rare side effects include tics, psychosis, seizures, glaucoma, arrhythmia, and sudden cardiac death.
“Sudden cardiac death is extremely rare, and most are due to an underlying cardiac abnormality. The rate of sudden cardiac death in children taking ADHD medication is 0.4 per 100,000 person-years. But the rate of sudden cardiac death in the general population of children is 1.5–8.3 per 100,000 person-years. So it's actually higher in the general pediatric population,” Dr. Schubiner said.
Teens with a personal history of chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness with exertion, syncope, hypertension, palpitations, or other potential cardiac problems should be evaluated further. In addition, physicians should inquire about a family history of sudden cardiac death, myocardial infarction prior to the age of 50 years, congenital heart disease, or rhythm problems.
'I ask [teens] what their goals are, and they tend to respond well to this.' DR. SCHUBINER