Wellness Advocates Push ‘Natural’ and Unproven Alternatives to Adderall

These messages are cause for concern, according to ADHD experts who spoke to WIRED.

“Stimulant drugs have been around for almost 100 years, and have been approved for use in children since the 1960s,” says Kristen Leinung, a nurse psychiatrist and director of psychiatric services at the Northwest ADHD Treatment Center in Portland, Oregon. These drugs are well-trained for effectiveness and have predictable side effects, he adds, but because they can be misused, they are often stigmatized online. “These commercials increase stigma.”

Leinung believes that with their pessimistic formulation of Adderall and similar drugs, these supplement ads can lead people to stop taking the drug, which can be dangerous. “We know that untreated or undertreated ADHD carries a high risk of death and morbidity,” says Leinung, decrease in life expectancy and increase the risk of premature death; It is associated with factors ranging from lack of physical activity and excessive sleep, heavy driving and increased smoking.

US pharmacies will see fewer prescriptions for Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin, and Concerta starting in 2022. Understandablewhich helps Americans with learning and thinking disabilities including dyslexia and ADHD.

Difficulty finding these medications can lead to someone’s decision to try alternative alternatives instead, says Cindy Goldrich, a mental health consultant, teacher, and ADHD coach in Boulder, Colorado. This is what makes the extra sales feel like “nonsense” to him.

“When someone can’t get their fill of prescriptions and don’t know when they will, drugs that promise to fix the gap—or say you don’t need ‘difficult’ drugs—become very appealing, very quickly,” he says. “It’s not just selling to people who are interested in finding alternatives, it’s selling to people who are vulnerable, who are scared and passive because of a systemic failure that has nothing to do if their medicine works.”

Andrew Kahn, a psychologist and associate of technology and health at Understood, says that these supplements are no longer strictly regulated when they claim, without evidence, “the same or similar benefits as drugs.” But unlike prescription and over-the-counter drugs, he explains, “supplements do not have to be proven safe or effective by the FDA before they can be marketed.”

The same point can be a selling point. “People are wary of big drugs, they’re wary of side effects, and the ‘natural’ method is safe even before it’s been properly tested,” says Goldrich. Some of the substances that are widely used in supplements, such as omega-3s, L-theanine with caffeine, and other adaptogens “have little research on their effectiveness as cognitive or psychological support, and there is nothing wrong with using them in combination with drugs if the doctor knows.” But the main problem, he adds, is that whether a person takes medication or supplements or both, they still need to learn skills such as planning and controlling their emotions.

In the MAHA era, true, medical skepticism often spreads unchallenged. Kennedy, who swears by questionable additives like artificial dyes methylene bluein many ways it has made these products a staple of US medical equipment. In a statement to WIRED, HHS press secretary Emily G. Hilliard reiterated the department’s statement that the country is facing a problem of “overmedicalization in health care,” patients and parents are not always informed about the dangers of drugs. “Under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, HHS is introducing informed consent, transparency, and other evidence-based approaches into federal policies and practices,” Hilliard said.

Leinung, however, feels that people should think twice before making a decision based on a video they saw on social media. “I’m concerned that encouraging people to stop or avoid starting the medication they’re prescribed to treat their ADHD is going to affect their quality of life,” she says. “I would warn anyone who is thinking about giving up the incentives they have been given to have a good discussion with their health care provider.”