Height in children and adolescents with ADHD treated with the combination of methylphenidate and atomoxetine

Abstract

Background: Pharmacological treatment is an important part of the management of ADHD in children and adolescents. There are several studies on the effect of methylphenidate (MPH) or atomoxetine (ATX) on height, but none on the effect of both treatments. We evaluated the possible effect on height of the combination on ATX and MPH. Methods: We evaluated all 60 patients treated with ATX and MPH in our clinic. 100% were treated with this combination due to poor response to MPH monotherapy. We excluded all patients taking other medication that may affect weight. We evaluated growth using normative height tables. Results: 13 patients met inclusion criteria, the most frequent cause of exclusion was the use of medications that affected weight. We found no significant difference in final height in children, adolescents nor in the total sample (p>0.05) over a mean period of 20 months with a mean dose of ATX: 1,27mg/kg/day, MPH: 0,90mg/kg/day.
Conclusions: We found no impact on final height in patients treated with the combination of ATX and MPH for 20 months at moderate doses.