Stimulant tolerance flagged
A clinical review reports some children can develop tolerance to stimulant ADHD medications over time, which may reduce treatment effectiveness and require changes to care plans. A separate Psychiatric Times article lists common psychopharmacology pitfalls and urges ongoing monitoring rather than a 'set-and-forget' approach to prescribing. (psychiatrictimes.com) (psychiatrictimes.com)
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is often treated with stimulant medicines, but a new clinical review says some children stop getting the same benefit over time and may need treatment changes. (psychiatrictimes.com) The review in *Psychiatric Times*, published in late 2025 and crawled April 14, 2026, describes tolerance as a drop in medication effect after repeated use. It says reports of tolerance range from early loss of benefit in some patients to reduced response during longer-term treatment. (psychiatrictimes.com) The article says clinicians have used several responses when benefit fades: switching stimulant medicines, trying a medication break, or reassessing the diagnosis and coexisting conditions. It also points to dopamine-system adaptation as one proposed biological explanation for why a dose that once worked may stop working as well. (psychiatrictimes.com) Stimulants remain a standard treatment for many children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, a condition that affects millions of families. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 7 million United States children ages 3 to 17, or 11.4%, had ever received an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis in 2022. (cdc.gov) National guidance already treats these medicines as something to adjust and monitor, not simply start and leave unchanged. The American Academy of Pediatrics says doses should be titrated to get maximum benefit with tolerable side effects, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence says people taking drug treatment should have a specialist review at least annually. (publications.aap.org, nice.org.uk) Monitoring is concrete, not abstract. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance says children and young people on medication should have height and weight tracked on growth charts, with blood pressure and heart rate checked before and after dose changes and then routinely every six months. (nice.org.uk) A separate *Psychiatric Times* article on prescribing pitfalls makes the same practical point from a broader psychopharmacology angle: clinicians can miss problems when they overprescribe, underprescribe, or fail to keep reassessing response and risk. The piece argues against a “set-and-forget” style of medication management and for ongoing follow-up. (psychiatrictimes.com) The review does not say stimulants stop working for most children, and it does not call for abandoning them. It says tolerance can occur in some patients, and when it does, the next step is usually closer monitoring and a revised care plan rather than assuming the original prescription still fits. (psychiatrictimes.com)
