# New medical research says ADHD "Paradoxical Stimulant Effect" is a myth

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-medical-research-says-adhd-paradoxical-stimulant-effect-is-a-myth/709673>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 13, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-medical-research-says-adhd-paradoxical-stimulant-effect-is-a-myth/709673 "2015-01-13T02:14:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-medical-research-says-adhd-paradoxical-stimulant-effect-is-a-myth/709673/1 "2015-01-13T02:14:41Z")

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Interesting new article here. Apparently the effect of low levels of stimulants being calming is true for most people not just ADHD diagnosed.

[ADHD Myth: The Paradoxical Stimulant Effect](http://adhd.emedtv.com/adhd/adhd-myth-the-paradoxical-stimulant-effect.html?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral)

> [@](#):
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> Many parents believe that stimulants cause hyperactivity in “normal” children, but have the opposite effect in children with ADHD. Is this really how it works? As it turns out, this is a widespread and persistent myth that simply isn’t true. It was originally thought that stimulants have this “paradoxical effect” on certain individuals, but research now shows that even people without ADHD experience calming effects when low stimulant doses are used.

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**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-medical-research-says-adhd-paradoxical-stimulant-effect-is-a-myth/709673/2 "2015-01-13T04:10:01Z")

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Yep. The more hyperactive our youngest is, the more tired I know he is.

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**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-medical-research-says-adhd-paradoxical-stimulant-effect-is-a-myth/709673/3 "2015-01-13T05:22:16Z")

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If that is true then why do drugs like Sudafed make some people jittery and some people mellow?

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**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-medical-research-says-adhd-paradoxical-stimulant-effect-is-a-myth/709673/4 "2015-01-13T06:04:01Z")

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> [@Magiver](#):
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> If that is true then why do drugs like Sudafed make some people jittery and some people mellow?

Not sure what you mean - you realize the article is claiming that the myth is that the paradox only applies with normal vs ADHD? Not that the paradox doesn’t occur. They are claiming it is a matter of dose. At least that is how I read it.

So in your example - Sudafed (which would have to be the sign the book kind) - could effect people differently if they metabolized the dose differently say based on weight - or took different amounts - or with different food.