Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are simultaneously consuming stimulants and opioids, warranting necessity for research into the merits and demerits of prolonged joint-administration of these drugs.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with Medicaid Analytic eXtract data from 66,406 adults having ADHD in 29 states. Largely, 32.7% took stimulants, and 5.4% had taken stimulants and opioids concurrently for at least 30 successive days. Adults who took stimulants showed frequent long-term opioid use, contrasted with those who did not take stimulants, wrote Yu-Jung “Jenny” Wei, Ph.D., and her colleagues. The results of the report were published in JAMA Network Open.

They also noted that individuals in their 30s demonstrated a 7% higher occurrence of long-term joint use than that with individuals in their 20s. Moreover, those 41 - 50 years old showed a14% elevated incidence, and those 51 - 64 years old showed 17% elevated incidences.

Those who had pain had a 10% increased prevalence of simultaneous consumption, and other factors linked to concurrent consumption included: non-Hispanic white ethnicity, residence in the southern United States, depression, anxiety disorder, substance use disorder, or cardiovascular diseases. Schizophrenics seemed to show a 5% lesser prevalence of concurrent use.

“Although the concurrent use of stimulants and opioids may initially have been prompted by ADHD symptoms and comorbid chronic pain, continued use of opioids alone or combined with central nervous system stimulants may result in drug dependence and other adverse effects (e.g., overdose) because of the high potential for abuse and misuse,” the authors wrote. “Identifying these high-risk patients allows for early intervention and may reduce the number of adverse events associated with the long-term use of these medications.”