Treatment For ADHD


The main treatments for add are medication and psychosocial therapy (psychotherapy). Medications can include stimulants like amphetamine and methylphenidate, and non-stimulants like atomoxetine and clonidine, guanfacine and viloxazine.

Patients who have active issues with substance abuse should not take stimulant medications. However, those who are in stable remission might consider them. Combination therapy with antidepressants (particularly SSRIs) is also an option.

Stimulants

Stimulants boost dopamine and norepinephrine levels between synapses in the brain. This improves focus and reduces the intensity of impulses and hyperactivity. Most doctors prescribe stimulant medications to treat ADHD. They may prescribe methylphenidate, (Concerta or Ritalin) or amphetamines. These are both very similar drugs. The type of medication prescribed will depend on the person's biochemistry as well as how well they respond to the drug. It can take up to seven days for full effects of a drug to become apparent. secret info in concentration, improved memory, better sleep, and a decrease in impulsivity are all signs that the medication is working.

Some of the side effects include a decrease in appetite, trouble sleeping, and an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. Patients with medical conditions, like heart disease or high blood pressure should not take these medications. These are highly controlled drugs with a potential for misuse. Only paediatricians or psychiatrists, or in some cases general practitioners, may prescribe stimulants. They can be found in the form of pills or tablets, a patch that goes on the skin, or in liquids.

Children and adolescents who take stimulants frequently experience problems with appetite and weight loss. They can also develop symptoms of tics if the dose is too high. If this happens, the doctor may reduce the dosage to avoid the drug from causing worsening of symptoms.

Around 70 to 80 percent of adults and children with ADHD are treated with stimulant drugs. The majority of children and adolescents report that their symptoms improve after being treated. This is especially true for those who have parents, teachers, or caregivers that can report improvements.

Early use of stimulants could reduce the risk for addiction disorders later in life. Wilens and colleagues79,80 Katusic and colleagues81,82 and Biederman and colleagues83 discovered that treatment with stimulants reduces the risk of developing substance use disorders during adolescence, however that this protective effect wanes in the early years of adulthood.