Summer brings obstacles for managing medication

by Richard S. Winer, M.D.
Summertime is upon us. With it comes a variety of questions about how patients should take their medications during these months. Some patients ask about the necessity of taking ADHD medications when school is not in session. They wonder if it is alright to take time off from their medicine. I remind them that ADHD is a 24/7 condition. Just because school is out for the summer doesn't mean your ADHD will take the time off as well. Others ask about trying to taper down medications--often anti-depressants--during the summer. This is a strategy I am more willing to consider. For some, stress is lessened during the summer. The combination of less-structured time and longer days is more likely to make people feel good enough that they want to see how they might do off their medications. [Read More]

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For ADHD, just say “No” to drug holidays

by Richard S. Winer, M.D.
Another Memorial Day weekend has come and gone. For most students around the country, the school year has already concluded or it will be over fairly soon. For those who have been diagnosed and treated for ADHD, this time of the year has often marked the start of another holiday season--a "drug holiday" from the medication they have taken during the school year. There was a time when ADHD was thought of as a school condition that was only seen in the population under age 18. Just as schools had the policy of "no pass, no play" when it came to eligibility for sports, parents and some clinicians went by the policy of "no school, no meds" when it came to ADHD. [Read More]

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