Prescribed Treatments for ADHD

Once you have been diagnosed with ADHD by a mental health professional, the next step that your doctor will recommend will be medication treatment. Medication can significantly reduce your symptoms pertaining to ADHD, and it can make your life much easier. The first choice for medication treatments are stimulant medications. In individuals with ADHD, they have a low amount of dopamine in the frontal part of their brains. Stimulant medications create dopamine which decreases the symptoms of the disorder.

Adderall is the first choice of stimulant used by mental health professionals. Adderall is an amphetamine salt, and it is the first choice because it is only necessary to take it once to twice a day. It is also less harsh to come down off of then other stimulant medications. There is also a time released version of Adderall called Adderall XR. Ritalin is the second choice of stimulant used by doctors. This has to be taken more often, and it has rebound effects that can be unpleasant for some people. Ritalin has a time released version that is called Concerta. Dexadrine is another stimulant medication that works similarly to Ritalin. And the last choice of doctors for stimulants is called Cyclert. This is very rarely used because there is a chance of liver toxicity in users. Cyclert is only used if nothing else works and medication would be helpful.

Besides stimulants, there is a fairly new drug called Strattera that works differently than the others. When Strattera came out, it was supposed to be the wonder drug for ADHD. It's not as good as doctors had first hoped, but it is an effective drug for people who do not want to take stimulants. Strattera works like an antidepressant, increasing the level of norepinephrine in your brain over a few days of taking it. It also has some antidepressant effects that may be helpful if you deal with depression and anxiety as well.

Because of the nature of ADHD, many individuals who suffer from it have issues with anxiety and depression as well. Some decide to take antidepressants along with their other medications to alleviate their symptoms. Commonly prescribed medications for depression and anxiety are called SSRI antidepressants. Popular types of SSRIs are Prozac, Paxil, Celexa, Wellbutrin, Effexor and others. These drugs can really be a lifesaver for people who have to deal with mood problems as part of their lives.

It may take a few tries to find the right medication or the right combination of medications. Do not despair if you do not find the right medication the first time. It can be very frustrating, but luckily there are quite a few psychotropic drugs out there that can really help. Just be patient and make sure you are working with an educated and qualified professional.