Treatment For ADHD
Psychosocial therapy is the main treatment for add. The drugs include stimulants such as methylphenidate amphetamine, and atomoxetine. They can also be non-stimulants, such as clonidine and guanfacine.
Patients with active issues with addiction are not advised to take stimulant medication. However, those in stable remission might consider them. Combination therapy with antidepressants (particularly SSRIs) is also an option.
Stimulants
Stimulants boost dopamine and norepinephrine levels between the brain's synapses. This improves concentration and decreases hyperactivity and impulses. Most doctors prescribe medication from the stimulant class to treat ADHD. They may recommend methylphenidate (Concerta, Ritalin) or amphetamines, which are very similar medicines. The type of medicine prescribed will depend on the person's individual biochemistry and how well they respond to the medicine. It can take up to seven days for full effects of a drug to become evident. Improvements in concentration, improved memory, better sleep, and less impulse control are all indications that the medicine is working.
Some of the side effects include a decrease in appetite, trouble sleeping and an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. People with medical conditions, like heart disease or high blood pressure should not take them. They are controlled substances with the potential for abuse. Only paediatricians, psychiatrists or neurologists, and in certain situations, general practitioners may prescribe them. They can be found in the form of tablets or pills or patches that go on the skin, or liquids.
Children and adolescents who consume stimulants often experience appetite problems and weight loss. If the dosage is excessive, they could also develop symptoms of tics. In this case the doctor will decrease the dosage to prevent the symptoms from getting worse.
Stimulant medication is used by about 70% to 80 percent of adults and children with ADHD. adhd untreated in adults of adolescents and children find that their symptoms improve when treated. This is particularly relevant for children who have parents, teachers or carers that can report improvements.
Early use of stimulants can reduce the risk of substance use disorders later on in the course of. Wilens Katusic, Wilens, and colleagues81,82, and Biederman and colleagues83, found that stimulant therapy reduces the risk of substance use disorders in the adolescent years. However, this protective effect fades by early adulthood.