Table 4. Adverse Effects in a Study of α2-Adrenergic Agonists vs Stimulants for Preschool-Age Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
| Adverse effecta | No. (%) [95% CI] | |
|---|---|---|
| α2-Adrenergic agonist (n = 175) | Stimulants (n = 321)b | |
| Daytime sleepiness | 66 (38) [30-45] | 9 (3) [1-5] |
| Moodiness/irritability | 50 (29) [21-36] | 161 (50) [43-57] |
| Disruptive behavior | 49 (28) [19-37] | 72 (22) [16-29] |
| Difficulty with sleep | 19 (11) [6-15] | 67 (21) [17-25] |
| Headaches | 16 (9) [5-13] | 16 (5) [3-7] |
| Appetite suppression | 13 (7) [3-12] | 123 (38) [33-44] |
| Stomachaches | 8 (5) [1-8] | 42 (13) [9-17] |
| Skin picking or other repetitive behaviors | 8 (5) [1-8] | 36 (11) [7-15] |
a
The data abstraction form listed many known adverse effects and an “other” category, and the presence or absence of each was abstracted from the medical records.
b
One child who was treated with stimulant medication (methylphenidate) did not have the clinician identification number available and thus was excluded from these results because the 95% CIs provided were adjusted for clustering by clinician.