Medication has been the most efficient option for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, for more than 50 years. In recent years the market has seen a flux of new drugs aimed at treating this disorder. Not all drugs work the same on individual people. Because of this it is helpful to know the wide variety of medications that may benefit a person suffering with ADHD.
Methylphenidate
Methylphenidate is a stimulant and has the longest history of use for the treatment of ADHD, according to Dr. Ed Hallowell in his book "Delivered From Distraction." The most popular brand of methylphenidate is Ritalin, which is prescribed more often than any other drug in the treatment of ADHD. Methylphenidate works by changing natural substances in the brain.
Amphetamine
Amphetamine is the other major stimulant used to treat ADHD and is second in popularity only to methylphenidate. The most popular brand names for amphetamine are Adderall and Dexedrine. Amphetamine works by stimulating the central nervous system and changing natural substances in the brain.
Strattera
Strattera is the only drug that is officially sanctioned by the FDA to be used in adults to treat ADHD. It is a non-stimulant medication known as a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. Similar in chemical makeup to antidepressant medication, it has the advantage of treating anxiety and depression as well as attention problems. Another benefit to Strattera is that it lasts 24 hours; therefore, it only needs to be taken once a day. The downside is that it is not as effective in treating ADHD symptoms as the stimulant medicines.
Long-Lasting Medications
A downside to using the effective stimulant medications in the past was that the effects were short lasting, only 4 to 6 hours in length, followed by a rebound effect when the drug wore off. The biggest advancement in recent years in ADHD medication, according to Ed Hallowell, M.D., is the development of long-lasting stimulant medication. Both methylphenidate and amphetamine have longer lasting forms of the drugs that last from 10 to 12 hours. The rebound effect is also smoother than in the short-acting forms. Concerta and Adderall XR are popular brand names for long-lasting methylphenidate and amphetamine, respectively.
Clonidine
Originally a drug used for the treatment of low blood pressure, a side effect of clonidine is that it happens to reduce hyperactivity. There are a few studies that show its effectiveness in treating ADHD; however, it should be considered an option only when the more standard treatments have failed.
References
- PubMed Health: Methylphenidate.
- "Delivered From Distraction"; Ed Hallowell, M.D and John Ratey, M.D, 2006
- PubMed Health: Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine
