Health Canada has found a possible increased risk of weight loss in children under six who take stimulant medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), compared with older children taking the same dose. The federal regulator says it will work with drug makers to update the safety information for all central nervous system (CNS) stimulants used to treat ADHD in Canada.
The finding comes from a safety review summarized in Health Canada’s September 2026 edition of Health Product InfoWatch, the monthly bulletin where the department recaps new safety reviews, recalls and advisories for health professionals and the public.
Which medicines were reviewed
The review looked at stimulant products used for ADHD that contain amphetamine, dextroamphetamine sulfate, lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, mixed salts amphetamine or methylphenidate hydrochloride. These ingredients are found in many of the most commonly prescribed ADHD medications in Canada, in both short-acting and long-acting forms.
The focus was a specific group: children younger than six. Health Canada describes the use of these products in that age group as off-label, meaning it falls outside the uses and ages the products are authorized for in Canada. Doctors can legally prescribe a drug off-label when they judge it to be appropriate for a patient, but the official product information does not cover that use.
What Health Canada concluded
According to the bulletin, the review concluded there is “a possible increased risk of weight loss in children under 6 years of age compared to older children taking the same dose of CNS stimulants.” Health Canada said it “will work with the manufacturers to update the safety information in the Canadian product monograph for all CNS stimulants for ADHD.”
A product monograph is the detailed, Health Canada-approved document that describes how a drug should be used, who it is for, and its known risks. Prescribers and pharmacists rely on it, and the patient information section is often the basis for the leaflet that comes with a prescription. Updating it means the possible risk for young children will be spelled out in the official information that guides prescribing.
The bulletin does not say the medicines are unsafe for the children and adults they are authorized for, and it does not call for anyone to stop treatment. It flags a possible risk in one younger age group so that it can be weighed by the people prescribing these medicines.
What families can do
Parents and caregivers of a young child who has been prescribed an ADHD stimulant may want to bring this up at their next appointment. Useful questions include how the child’s weight and growth will be tracked, and what changes in appetite or eating are worth reporting. Any decision about changing or stopping a medication should be made with the prescriber, not on your own.
Health Canada also relies on reports from the public to spot safety problems. If you think a child or adult has had a side effect from a medication, you can report it to Health Canada through the Canada Vigilance program on the MedEffect Canada site, online or by phone. Health professionals can report the same way.
Other items in this month’s safety update
The same September bulletin lists several other actions that may matter to Canadian households:
- Teva-Pregabalin 150 mg: two lots were recalled because of possible cross-contamination with sertraline, a different medication. Lot details are posted on the Government of Canada’s Recalls and Safety Alerts website.
- New Roots Herbal Probiotic Intensity: one lot was recalled because the outer box said the product contains no dairy, when it contains bovine colostrum, a dairy product. That matters for people with a milk allergy.
- Lactated Ringer’s solution: a Type I recall, the most serious category, was issued because of particulate matter. This is an intravenous fluid used in hospitals and clinics, not a product people buy at a store.
- Domperidone: a separate safety review found there was not enough evidence to link this stomach medication to severe high blood pressure in people with a rare adrenal tumour called pheochromocytoma.
The bulletin also notes a temporary authorization for an imported calcitriol injection to help address a shortage, and a list of unauthorized health products seized across Canada.
If you want to check whether a product in your medicine cabinet is affected by a recall, you can search by product name on the Recalls and Safety Alerts website. Health Canada’s InfoWatch bulletins are published monthly and are free to read.
This article is based on official guidance from Health Canada (Health Product InfoWatch, September 2026) and is provided for general public information. It’s not a substitute for medical advice, if you have questions about how this applies to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
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Sources: Health Canada, Health Product InfoWatch: September 2026; Government of Canada, Recalls and Safety Alerts; Health Canada, MedEffect Canada: Adverse reaction reporting.
