A Current List of Medications For ADHD
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 02:21PM By Robert D hawkins
Not long ago the world of ADHD medications consisted of only one primary prescription treatment; Ritalin. By most current estimates Ritalin is still the most prescribed treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with upwards of 7 million prescription written annually, and if you were to take into account most recent data the number could be much higher. Why? The answer is simple, awareness. General awareness of the existence of ADHD has led to an explosion in the number of young girls, women, and adults being diagnosed in recent years.
While Ritalin sits on top of hill there are a handful of others that are solidly on the list of medications for ADHD, seeming gaining traction in the stimulant medication space; specifically Adderall and Cylert.
Adderall is popular with adolescents and teens these day and you would be hard pressed to find a teen that hasn't heard of this drug. Many doctors believe it to a good alternative to Ritalin and Dexedrine (a lesser prescribed older stimulant).
Cylert has less name recognition than Ritalin and Adderall but is the treatment of choice for some doctors. Cylert works by stimulating dopamine and has a slightly mechanism than Adderall or Ritalin. If a medical professional believes dopamine is the main neurotransmitter responsible for producing ADHD symptoms chances are this is the drug he/she will prescribe.
But make no mistake there are many others players beside stimulants vying for top honors.
No list of ADHD medications would be complete without mentioning non stimulant medications such as the new rising star Strattera. Although research is still ongoing, many of the smartest minds involved with ADHD research believe that Strattera could someday sit atop the list of medications prescribed for ADHD. Much of their optimism is pinned on a long term study, where two thirds of those taking Strattera enjoyed relief from symptoms for longer than 3 months. Nevertheless, this idea has its detractors, who rightfully state that while Strattera may last longer and produce less side effects Ritalin and other drugs in the stimulant category still are superior in controlling ADHD symptoms.
With the exception of Strattera, most other drugs on the list of medications for ADHD are considered second line medications which are only prescribed under special circumstances. For example someone who failed to respond to stimulants, couldn't tolerate the side effects, or may have had a co-existing condition such as depression, severe anxiety, or possibly anger or aggression issues would be a candidate for a second line medication.
Probably the most notable secondary drug category that can be found on the list of medications for ADHD is that of SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors). Without a doubt most people have heard of these drugs (Zoloft, Prozac, Luvox, Paxil) but may not have considered them as an option for managing ADHD symptoms. They generally work by eliminating the neurotransmitter chemical serotonin from the brains synapses, though Zoloft has a slightly different mechanism.
For most patients under a doctor's care which have been diagnosed with ADHD the chances are pretty good that they are taking a least one of the drugs above, and possibly two if a co-existing condition is present.
In summary, the good news is that a list of medications for ADHD is filled with choices. The bad news is they all come with a long list of side effects and label warnings. For this reason many of those struggling with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have chosen to take a drug free natural approach. One of the more popular ideas is combining the use of natural homeopathic remedies with behavioral counseling. This is a powerful side effect free way of treating ADHD that tends to have longer lasting results when successful, and is certainly an option worth considering.
|
R.D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate of alternative natural health products and supplements with over 10 years experience. To learn more about natural remedies for better health visit Purchase Remedies.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_D_Hawkins |
NOTICE - All Rights Reserved Except as Stipulated Below. PHOTOS MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM. Our reporters and journalists break or report stories and their sources and information are protected by the doctrine of free press as expressed in the First Ammendment, Reporters Privilege Statues, and also the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.This article if a feature or opinion piece is the opinion of the author or reports the news and opinions of others and is NOT INTENDED TO OFFER ADVICE. FOR OPINION STORIES: This story/article/ feature may be an opinion piece — and should be treated accordingly — or reporting on the opinions of others, and should never be considered as a sole source of information or as a suggestion, instruction or prescription. FOR CRIME STORIES: always read the word "allegedly" in any story mentioning "suspects" or "persons of interest". FOR BUSINESSS AND MONEY STORIES: For money/ trade and exchange stories, this magazine and its writers accept no responsibility for accuracy — always check with other sources for important decisions. FOR HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE STORIES: In the case of food/health stories, these facts have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Information stated here should be NOT be considered as medical, health, psychological or behavior advice. All information in this story and on this site is provided for educational or entertainment purposes ONLY. Always seek the advice of experts, including doctors for medical opinions. Only a licensed medical doctor can offer medical advice. FOR EXPERT, ADVICE OR HOW-TO STORIES: Legal advice or other expert advice is best referred to experts in their respective fields. NO RESPONSIBILITY: The publishers and editors, authors, researchers, employees, heirs and assigns accept no responsibility whatsoever for any advice, facts, opinions in this story, nor for resulting actions of readers of this information. ALL READERS ACCEPT THAT THIS INFORMATION IS PRESENTED ONLY AS NEWS, EDUCATION, ENTERTAINMENT OR OPINION/INFORMATION AND AGREE IN READING THIS STORY OR THIS SITE THAT USE OF THIS INFORMATION IS SOLELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE READER. Copyright by the byline author unless otherwise indicated. EXCERPTS from other magazines or media sources are posted under fair use doctrine, on the basis of no more than 5-10% of content with links and credit to source for the complete story. These are posted in the interest of providing interesting links (description as excerpt) with navigation to the source. Likewise, we encourage our many subscribers to excerpt with credit and links to our e-zines, up to 10% of content. To use more content than 10%, please contact the e-zine for permission. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED except as stipulated herein. IMPORTANT: this web content also includes a forum and comments function, which allows for posting from users not employed by this publication. We accept no responsibility for posts, content, language or accuracy of posts from outside parties but will attempt to correct any inaccuracies reported within the context of free speach. Where possible, spam, lewd or obscene comments WILL BE REMOVED.
Persona Corp. and Blogertize publishes several webzines, magazines, e-zines for news, entertainment and information, but cautions readers to read the NOTICE above:
* Secure Network News Sponsored Advertisers Jameson Bank – Canada's "It's Taken Care Of" Bank Amer.com – Technology for Life
Reader Comments