What Medication to Take for Attention Deficit Disorder?

Once a diagnosis of attention deficit disorder (ADD) is obtained, the next question is how to treat it. For many people, treatment for ADD includes a medication regime using one of several available medications developed for the disorder. Knowing the differences in the medications and the role they play in treatment can help ease concerns. Understanding the potential benefits, risks and side effects of ADD medication allows the ADD patient or parents of the patient to make an educated, informed decision based on the best interests of everyone involved.

Significance

• For many people with ADD, problems with organization, time and social skills interfere with every aspect of their day and create stress for not only the person with the disorder, but also for family members, co-workers and friends.
  Beginning a medication regime can help a person with ADD focus, accomplish goals and maintain better control over every aspect of his life; however, choosing the right medication can be a daunting task.

Misconceptions

• One common misconception with regard to ADD medications is that the medicine will become a magic cure-all and life will become perfect. While it is true that ADD medications can help with focus, impulsiveness and other common ADD issues, there can still be additional problems that the ADD medication will have no impact on.
  If an ADD adult has developed lifelong poor habits when it comes to social skills and interaction with people, those habits will still be there even after beginning the medication regime. Several months of behavior modification therapy along with the medication treatment would probably be beneficial.
  Experts in the field of ADD caution parents and patients to remember that ADD is a 24-hour-a-day condition, therefore, they do not recommend only dosing during the workday or the school day and going without medication on the weekends.

Stimulants

• The most commonly used medication for ADD is a stimulant. Stimulant medication was the first FDA-approved ADD treatment medication and has been successfully implemented since the 1960s. Years of research studies indicate that stimulant medication can be highly effective in controlling ADD symptoms.
  The most commonly prescribed stimulant medications for ADD include Dexedrine, Ritalin and Adderall.
  Stimulants increase the brain's dopamine levels, which are associated with pleasure, attention and movement.
  The success rate of stimulant medications is high because it allows many who take them to focus better and boost their concentration levels. In addition, stimulants reduce impulsive thoughts and actions.
  Stimulants come in short- and long-acting forms. The short form has to be taken two to three times a day, while the extended-release pills work for eight to 12 hours.

Side Effects

• ADD medications do carry a risk of side effects that can include problems sleeping, loss of appetite, headaches, rapid heart rate, feeling shaky and jumpy, and depression. In addition, ADD medications sometimes upset the stomach.
  Most of the side effects go away as the body adjusts to taking the medication, but there are occasions in which the side effects do not dissipate or they are so bothersome that the patient is unable to continue taking the dose.
  Some people who begin the medication have changes in their personalities, such as becoming less talkative and withdrawn. Sometimes obsessive compulsive symptoms also appear.

Nonstimulant Medication

• To date, the FDA has only approved one nonstimulant drug for the treatment of ADD/ADHD. Strattera (or atomoxetine hydrochloride) was approved almost 20 years ago, but is still a relative newcomer to the scene of medications used to treat ADD/ADHD.
  While stimulant medications increase the brain's dopamine levels, Strattera boosts the brain's norepinephrine levels, which are also believed to have an impact on a person's ability to focus and concentrate.
  One of the draws for Strattera is that it lasts for more than 24 hours, thereby being active during every minute of the patient's day and evening.
  One of the risks of Strattera according to the medication's warning label is the possible increase in thoughts of suicide. If the patient has depression or is bipolar, that risk increases significantly with a Strattera regime.
  More mild side effects can include dizziness, being easily irritated, nausea or vomiting, and having headaches.

Alternative Medication Choices

• For people who cannot take stimulant medications or Strattera (for example people who have underlying heart rate conditions), there are several alternative medications that can be tried. While they have not been shown to be as effective as the stimulant medications or Strattera, they have shown a measure of effectiveness. Medication for high blood pressure is sometimes used to treat ADD as are antidepressants including Zoloft, Imipramine and Desipramine.