Wellness influencers promote “natural” and unproven alternatives to Adderall

These messages are cause for concern, according to ADHD specialists who spoke with WIRED.

“Stimulant medications have been around for nearly 100 years, and have been approved for use in children since the 1960s,” says Christine Lenong, a mental health nurse and director of psychiatric services at Northwest ADHD Treatment Center in Portland, Oregon. She adds that the drugs are well-studied for their effectiveness and have predictable side effects, but because of their potential for abuse, they are often stigmatized online. “This style of advertising increases that stigma.”

Lenong believes that with their pessimistic framing of Adderall and similar pharmaceuticals, these dietary supplement ads could lead people to stop taking their medications, which could be dangerous. “We know that untreated or untreated ADHD carries a high risk of mortality and morbidity,” which reduces life expectancy and doubles the risk of premature death, Leinong says. It is linked to factors ranging from less exercise and poorer sleep to riskier driving and an increased likelihood of smoking.

US pharmacies have seen shortages of the stimulants Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin and Concerta since 2022. Although the DEA increased production quotas last fall, various production bottlenecks have continued to create supply problems, according to the nonprofit Understood, which supports Americans with learning and thinking differences including dyslexia and ADHD.

Difficulty accessing these medications may influence someone’s decision to try unproven alternative treatments instead, says Cindy Goldrich, a mental health counselor, educator, and ADHD coach in Boulder, Colorado. This makes supplementary advertising seem “exploitative” to her.

“When someone can’t get their prescription and doesn’t know when they will, a product that promises to fill that gap — or claims you don’t need the ‘hard’ medication anyway — becomes very attractive, very quickly,” she says. “It’s not just selling to people who are curious about alternatives. It’s selling to people in crisis, who are afraid and have no options because of a system failure that has nothing to do with how well their medications work.”

These supplements also lack strong regulation, while suggesting, without evidence, “equal or similar benefits to medications,” says Andrew Khan, a psychologist and associate director of expertise and behavioral health at Understood. But unlike prescription and over-the-counter medications, he explains, “dietary supplements don’t have to prove safe or effective to the FDA before they can be sold.”

This very fact can become a selling point. “People are wary of big pharma, worried about side effects, and the ‘natural’ option seems safer even when it’s not better tested,” Goldrich says. Some of the most common ingredients in supplements, such as omega-3s, L-theanine with caffeine, and some adaptogens “have modest supporting research as general cognitive or mood support, and there is nothing wrong with someone using them alongside medication if their doctor knows about it.” But she adds that the main problem is that whether a person is taking medications, nutritional supplements, or both, they still need to learn skills like planning and emotional regulation.

In the age of MAHA, of course, medically dubious claims often circulate unchallenged. Kennedy, who swears by questionable supplements like synthetic methylene blue dye, has in many ways normalized these fringe products as the supreme authority of the vast American health care apparatus. In a statement to WIRED, Department of Health and Human Services Press Secretary Emily J. Hilliard, the department’s position is that the nation faces the challenge of “over-medicalization in behavioral health care,” with patients and parents not always being informed of the potential risks of psychiatric medications. “Under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, HHS is working to integrate informed consent, transparency, and evidence-based alternatives into federal policy and practice,” Hilliard said.

However, Linong feels that people should think twice before making that decision based on a video they saw on social media. “I am concerned that encouraging people to stop or avoid starting medications prescribed to treat ADHD could negatively impact their quality of life,” she says. “I would caution anyone considering stopping their prescribed steroids to have a thorough discussion with their healthcare provider.”