Treatment For ADD: 11 Things You've Forgotten To Do

Treatment For ADHD

Psychosocial therapy is the most common treatment for add. The drugs include stimulants such as methylphenidate, amphetamine and atomoxetine. They can also be nonstimulants, like clonidine and guanfacine.

Patients who have active issues with substance abuse should not take stimulant medications. However, those in stable remission might take them into consideration. Combination therapy using antidepressants especially SSRIs, is another option.

Stimulants

Stimulants boost the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine between brain synapses. This improves focus and reduces hyperactivity and impulses. Most doctors prescribe medications from the stimulant class to treat ADHD. They may recommend methylphenidate (Concerta, Ritalin) or amphetamines, which are very similar medications. The type of medication prescribed will depend on a person's biochemistry as well as how well they respond to the medication. It could take anywhere from five to seven days before the full effects of the medication are apparent. Increased concentration, improved memory, better sleep and less the tendency to be impulsive are all indications that the medicine is working.

Some of the side effects can include decreased appetite, difficulty sleeping and an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. People with medical conditions, such as heart disease or high blood pressure, should not use them. Stimulants are tightly controlled drugs with the potential for abuse. Only paediatricians, psychiatrists or neurologists, and in some circumstances general practitioners can prescribe them. They can be found in the form of pills or tablets or patches that go on the skin, or liquids.

Children and adolescents who take stimulants are often afflicted with appetite issues and weight loss. They can also develop tics when the dose is too high. In this instance the doctor will decrease the dose to stop the drug from worsening symptoms.

adhd treatment in adults  is used by around 70 to 80% of children and adults with ADHD. The majority of children and young people find that their symptoms improve through treatment. This is especially the case for children who have teachers, parents, or carers who can observe improvements.

Early use of stimulants can reduce the risk of addiction disorders later in the course of. Wilens and colleagues79,80 Katusic as well as colleagues81,82 and Biederman et al83 found that treatment with stimulants decreases the risk of developing substance use disorders in adolescence, but that this protective effect wanes in the early years of adulthood.