Stimulants growth suppression

Growth suppression or delay is a major concern for parents of children taking stimulants. However, the evidence of this side effect is not dear. At present, growth delay appears to be transient and to resolve by midadolescence, but more data are needed to firmly resolve this issue.10 Another concern is the risk of substance abuse with stimulant use. A diagnosis of ADHD alone increases the risk of substance abuse in adolescents and adults. However, stimulant use has not been shown to further increase this risk but actually may decrease this risk, provided ADHD is treated adequately.15... 

Besides an anticlastogenic activity, some HS appear to possess also an antitoxic activity, i.e., they were able not only to suppress plant growth depression caused by MH and ALA, but also stimulate growth. Peat, leonardite and alluvial soil HS yielded the best results also for the antitoxic activity. 

As a result of professional resistance to the facts about stimulant-induced growth suppression, very few young patients and their parents have been informed in advance that stimulant drugs will shorten the height and reduce the weight of the children. 

The growth-suppression effects of stimulants are not due primarily to loss of appetite, as many doctors have proposed. Instead, it has been known for decades that stimulants impact on the brain and pituitary gland to disrupt growth hormone production (Aarskog et ah, 1977 studies evaluated in Breggin, 1991c, 2001c). 

May be able to give drug holidays over the summer in order to reassess therapeutic utility and effects on growth and to allow catch-up from any growth suppression as well as to assess any other side effects and the need to reinstitute stimulant treatment for the next school term... 

Long-term stimulant use may be associated with growth suppression in children (controversial)... 

The most common adverse effects of stimulants and their management strategies are listed in Table 61-4. Growth suppression or delay is a possibility. Proposed mechanisms of stimulant effects on growth include alterations in growth hormone secretion and suppression of appetite leading to reduced caloric intake. One study measured the... 

According to recent studies growth suppression or delay is a possibility with stimulant use in children however, results are mixed. Some studies indicate that effects are temporary, with normalization in height and weight occurring through mid-adolescence. 

Buse P, Woo PL, Alexander DB, et al. Transforming growth factor-alpha abrogates glucocorticoid-stimulated tight junction formation and growth suppression in rat mammary epithelial tumor cells. J Biol Chem 1995 270 6505-6514. 

The results in Table I show that cell yields are lower than expected but that added hemin stimulates growth. The low yield of cells at higher glucose concentration may be caused by accumulated acids suppressing growth while allowing fermentation to proceed. 

---