The Best & Safest Medication for Children With ADHD & OCD

There are medications used to treat ADHD (attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder) and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) which are considered safe, and effective. To say there are safest or best medications for these disorders isn't really productive as there are medications that are safe, and there are medications that are best suited for particular groups of people. For example, many people experience side effects with certain drugs while other people do not.

Ritalin

• Perhaps the most well-known medication used for ADHD in children is Ritalin. While it is a stimulant, Ritalin works well in ADHD children because it corrects a biochemical condition in the child's brain that interferes with attention and impulses. Ritalin works to reduce destructive behavior in children as well as improve academic performance through reduced attention disorder symptoms. Ritalin effectively and safely treats ADHD in between 70 and 80 percent of children. The other 20 to 30 percent of children do not receive benefits from using Ritalin. In these cases, another form of medication would be used. According to Dr. Alan Wachtel in his book, The Attention Deficit Answer Book, "Dexedrine and Ritalin are two of the safest medications administered to children--and both have the track record to prove it. In the very low doses used to treat ADHD, they don't create a risk of addiction or make children more predisposed to drug abuse problems later in life."

Tricyclic Antidepressants

• In some cases, the doctor will prescribe tricyclic antidepressants such as Clomipramine or Amitriptyline for ADHD in children. In the case where there were no benefits while taking stimulants and in the case where there were negative side effects while taking stimulants, antidepressants may be prescribed. The effectiveness of these medications has been studied thoroughly and in many cases, tricyclic antidepressants have been the best and safest medication for kids with ADHD.

Therapy

• For parents apprehensive to use medication for their child's ADHD, many doctors will allow the family to first rule out all non-medicine treatments such as behavioral, educational and therapeutic methods.

Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

• The most common medication used to treat OCD is serotonin reuptake inhibitors. There are two different kinds of serotonin reuptake inhibitors and either of these categories have worked as the best and safest medications for different groups of children suffering from symptoms of OCD. This group of drugs works in treating the symptoms of OCD because it affects the serotonin neurotransmitters, which directly affect the obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

Chlomipramine

• The generic term for Clomipramine is anafranil. This serontonin reuptake inhibitor is the most studied of the SRIs. Eighty percent of children taking Clomipramine notice an improvement in their OCD symptoms. Clomipramine is one of the safest and most effective medications for OCD in children.

Clonazepam

• The generic term for Clonazepam is rivotril. Clonazepam is in the benzodiazepine family of medications used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. This family of drugs has a calming effect and can greatly reduce anxiety in children. The benzodiazepines have a higher chance of creating a drug dependency in adults however they are one of the safest medications used to treat OCD in children. Clonazepam may be the most effective benzodiazepine in treating symptoms of OCD.