Treatment For ADHD
Psychosocial therapy is the main treatment for adding. The medications can include stimulants such as amphetamine and methylphenidate, and nonstimulants like atomoxetine, viloxazine, guanfacine, clonidine and gu.
Patients with active substance abuse issues are not advised to take stimulant medication. However, those who are in stable remission can take them into consideration. Combination treatment with antidepressants (particularly SSRIs) is also an option.
Stimulants
The effects of stimulants increase the levels dopamine and norepinephrine that are released between brain synapses. This improves concentration and reduces the intensity of impulses and hyperactivity. Most doctors prescribe medications from the stimulant class to treat ADHD. They may recommend methylphenidate (Concerta, Ritalin) or amphetamines, which are very similar to each other. The type prescribed will depend on a person's biochemistry as well as how well they react to the medication. It can take up to seven days for full effects of a medication to be apparent. The medicine will work when you notice improvements in memory, concentration, sleep, and impulsivity.
Medications in this class can have adverse effects, including decreased appetite and trouble sleeping, and they can increase heart rate and blood pressure. Some people who have a medical condition, such as high blood pressure or heart disease, should not use them. The stimulants have a high risk for abuse and are tightly controlled drugs. Only psychiatrists, paediatricians, neurologists, and in certain circumstances general practitioners can prescribe them. They are available in the form of tablets, pills patches that can be applied to the skin or in liquids.
Children and adolescents who use stimulants often suffer from weight loss and a lack of appetite. When the dose is too high, they may also develop symptoms of tics. In this situation, the doctor will reduce the dose to stop the drug from causing more symptoms.
Stimulant medicines are used for around 70 to 80% of children and adults with ADHD. The majority of children and young people experience improvement in their symptoms when they receive treatment. Iam Psychiatry is particularly true for those who have parents, teachers or other caregivers that can report improvements.
The early use of stimulants can lower the risk of developing substance use disorders later in the course of. Wilens and colleagues79,80 Katusic as well as colleagues81,82 and Biederman and colleagues83 discovered that treatment with stimulants decreases the risk for substance use disorders in adolescence, but that this protective effect wanes by early adulthood.