Add & Medication

Use of medication for ADD has always been a controversial debate. However, Experts feel that medical treatment benefits patient. Here, one needs to be very particular about the dosage and timing.

Ritalin is the most widely used medication for ADHD. There are many other types of useful medications available for curing this disorder. People who do not respond to a particular medication doctors prescribe another medication or combination that will help control symptoms. Secondary medications are also available. However, these require closer monitoring during the initial phase of treatment.

Most of the time medication fails due to lack of communication between patient & doctors. Here, the medical practitioner, family & patient should be very clear about exactly what symptoms they expect the medication to treat. Patients should ask certain questions & inform doctor about any side effects they observe. One should also inform the health care practitioner if the medication does not work.

If the medication doesn’t work even after all the possible trials, it is time to reevaluate the diagnosis. Individuals with ADHD may also suffer from other disorders at the same time.
For instance, anxiety & depression may superficially resemble ADHD.

Medication is not the only solution for recovery. One requires equal support from therapy, coaching & community. The individuals also require to practice determination.

You must undertake certain steps to increase the effectiveness of medication for ADD & minimize the side effects & risks. Here are certain steps to help you:

- Educate yourself

You must learn everything you can about medication, even potential side effects.

- Exercise patience

It takes a lot of time to develop an effective medication regimen. Remember that finding the right medication & dose is a trial process. It will take some time for experimenting. Go for an honest conversation with your doctor.

- Start gradually

You should always start with a low dose & work up from there. The main goal is to find out the lowest dose possible that may relieve you.

- Keep track of effects

You should pay close attention to your body, actions & emotions. Try to keep track of any side effects that you suffer from. Tell your doctor about all the side effects you suffer from. This will help the medical practitioner to provide you the adept treatment.

- Taper off slowly

If you find something wrong with the medication or it makes you feel or want to stop taking it. You need to get good instructions from your doctor. In order to avoid withdrawal symptoms, you need these drugs to be tapered off. They should never be stopped immediately.

Medication is provided to treat ADD in order to stimulate the production of two major neurotransmitters known as dopamine & norephinephrine. These neurotransmitters are required to carry a nerve impulse along a neuropath way. In case, one of these transmitters is under supplied the message is stopped prior to reaching its intended destination. This action thwarts the function assigned by circuit.

Some drugs used to treat ADD other than Ritalin are Dexedrine, Adderall, Desoxyn & Cylert. Some of the most common anti depressants are Desiprimine, Anafranil, Elavil, Tofranil, Wellbutrin, prozac, Zoloft & Paxil. The most common of these drugs are Haldol & Mellaril.

Remember that with proper diagnosis & testing, you can easily find the right drug in treating the disorder.