1. Methylphenidate does not appear to be a “gateway” drug.as a “gateway” drug that leads to other addictions. Such is not the case, according to doctors and scientists who have researched methylphenidate and patterns of addiction. Even among abusers, methylphenidate does not appear to be the drug of first choice.
Yifrah Kaminer, M.D., one of the study’s authors, notes that the majority of people who abuse methylphenidate had first used other illicit drugs and do not meet the criteria for ADHD. According to Kaminer, most patients who abuse the medication typically already have a history of drug abuse. Such was the case in this report. Although the 45-year-old man had been diagnosed with ADHD as a child, he had discontinued methylphenidate use four years before he began using other drugs.
. He tried various recreational drugs, including cocaine, amphetamines, and opiates. In addition to raiding his parent’s medicine cabinet for Quaaludes and other prescription drugs, he also claims to have smoked marijuana daily between the ages of 17 and 37, except for one 3-year period of sobriety. It is impossible to predict whether this man would have developed a substance abuse disorder if he had continued treatment for his ADHD. However, two things are clear. 1) He did not have a problem with substance abuse when he was taking medication, and 2) discontinuing medication did not result in his immediately beginning to abuse other drugs. In fact, according to the patient, his pattern of drug use began when he was attempting to self-medicate his depression and anxiety.
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