10 Things We All Are Hating About Treatment For ADD
Treatment For ADHD
The most effective treatments for adding are medication and psychosocial therapy (psychotherapy). These medications include stimulants like methylphenidate and amphetamine, and nonstimulants like atomoxetine, clonidine, guanfacine and viloxazine.
Patients with active substance abuse issues should not take stimulant medications. However, those in stable remission can take them into consideration. Combination therapy using antidepressants particularly SSRIs, is an alternative option.
Stimulants
Stimulants increase norepinephrine and dopamine levels in the brain's synapses. This improves concentration and decreases the intensity of impulses and hyperactivity. The majority of doctors prescribe stimulant medication to treat ADHD. They may prescribe methylphenidate, (Concerta or Ritalin), or amphetamines. These are both very similar drugs. The kind of medicine prescribed is based on the biochemistry of each person and how they react to it. It can take five to seven days before the full effects of the medication become apparent. Increased concentration, improved memory, better sleep, and less the tendency to be impulsive are all indications that the medication is working.
Some of the side effects include decreased appetite, difficulty sleeping and an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. People suffering from medical conditions, such as heart disease or high blood pressure shouldn't take them. Stimulants have a high potential for abuse and are tightly controlled drugs. Only psychiatrists, paediatricians or neurologists, and in certain circumstances general practitioners can prescribe them. You can get them in the form of tablets, pills patches, or patches that are applied to the skin or liquids.
Children and adolescents who are taking stimulants often experience appetite problems and weight loss. They can also develop disorders when the dosage is too high. In this situation the doctor will decrease the dose to stop the symptoms from getting worse.
treatment for adult adhd is used by about 70% to 80% of children and adults with ADHD. A majority of children and young adults find that their symptoms improve when they receive treatment. This is especially relevant for children who have parents, teachers or carers who have reported improvements.
Early use of stimulants may lower the risk of developing addiction disorders later in life. Wilens Katusic, Wilens colleagues81,82 and Biederman and colleagues83, found that stimulant therapy reduces the risk of developing substance use disorders in the adolescent period. However this protective effect fades as we enter early adulthood.