Treatment For ADHD
Psychosocial therapy is the most common treatment for adding. Medications can include stimulants like methylphenidate and amphetamine, and non-stimulants such as atomoxetine, clonidine, guanfacine and viloxazine.
Patients with active substance abuse issues are not advised to take stimulant medication. However, those in stable remission might consider them. Combination treatment with antidepressants (particularly SSRIs) is also an option.
Stimulants
Stimulants increase dopamine and norepinephrine levels between synapses in the brain. This improves focus and reduces hyperactivity and impulses. Most doctors prescribe stimulant medications to treat ADHD. They can prescribe methylphenidate (Concerta or Ritalin), or amphetamines. These are both very similar medications. The dosage of the medicine is contingent on the biochemistry of each person and how they react to it. It may take up to seven days for full effects of a drug to become apparent. Improvements in concentration, improved memory, better sleep and less 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. treating adult add who have medical conditions, such as high blood pressure or heart disease should not take them. The stimulants have a high risk for abuse and are tightly controlled drugs. Only psychiatrists, paediatricians, neurologists, and in some situations, general practitioners may prescribe them. They are available in the form of pills or tablets or patches that go on the skin, or liquids.
Children and adolescents who consume stimulants often experience appetite problems and weight loss. They can also develop symptoms of tics if the dosage is too high. In this situation the doctor will decrease the dose to stop the drug from worsening symptoms.
About 70-80 percent of children and adults suffering from ADHD are treated with stimulant medications. The majority of children and adolescents find that their symptoms get better when treated. This is particularly the case for children with parents, teachers or other caregivers who report improvement.
treating adult adhd of stimulants may reduce the risk of developing substance use disorders in later life. Wilens and colleagues79,80 Katusic and colleagues81,82 and Biederman and colleagues83 discovered that stimulant treatment reduces the risk of developing substance abuse disorders in adolescents, but that this protective effect wanes by early adulthood.