Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder can cause many problems for the person suffering from it as well as those people around him. The disorder may cause disruptions of family life as well as problems in school if the sufferer is a child. The disorder also may affect adults. Along with counseling, many medications may be prescribed by a physician to help treat the symptoms of ADHD.
Stimulants
The most common drugs used in the treatment of ADHD classify as stimulants. They work to help balance neurotransmitters, scientists believe, although MayoClinic.com reports no one can say definitively how they affect the ADHD sufferer. These medicines allow the person to focus her attention better and feel less restless. Common forms of stimulants for the treatment of this disorder include dextroamphetamine, methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine-amphetamine. These medications may be administered as pills or as skin patches that gradually release the drugs. They may cause such side effects as insomnia, a reduction in both the appetite and the person's weight, and irritability.
Non-Stimulant Drug
A physician may prescribe the non-stimulant drug called atomoxetine primarily when stimulants do not achieve the desired effect. This medication also functions to decrease the symptoms of ADHD such as inattentiveness and overexcitement, with the added benefit of helping to lower anxiety levels in the person. Side effects of atomoxetine can include sedative-like effects, nausea and the same decreases in weight and appetite as stimulants. MayoClinic.com reports medical researchers have found a link with suicidal thoughts for this medication; although no direct evidence exists showing a person actually has killed himself because of atomoxetine.
Other Drugs
Along with either a stimulant drug or atomoxetine, the antihypertensive medications guanfacine and clonidine may help an ADHD sufferer who experiences problems sleeping or develops tics because she takes the other medicine, MayoClinic.com reports. These medications, which reduce the person's blood pressure, also may fight ADHD-induced aggression. Antidepressants also may work when atomoxetine and stimulants do not. They also may help when the person with ADHD also has a mood disorder.
