ADHD AWARENESS MONTH

 

ADHD awareness month Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a mental disorder that slows down your mind. It reduces your attention spans, calmness, and speaking skills. A person with ADHD may not be able to listen carefully or speak about anything. However, the symptoms are different in every patient.

Moreover, ADHD mostly occurs in childhood, and symptoms develop with age. Therefore, it is vital to get treatment when symptoms first appear. Delaying the medicine or taking it for granted may make them severe.

Does ADHD awareness month have a permanent cure?

According to MIT's research, ADHD may wear off completely, but it requires a constant treatment plan. You need to continue the treatment until you no longer have those symptoms go away. 

Yes, ADHD has a permanent cure, but medical supervision is essential. Without a doctor's help, you may not be able to fight this mental disorder. So, find a licensed and expert doctor to start your treatment of ADHD.

ADHD awareness month Treatment for ADHD: Physical therapy & medication

Both physical therapy and medication are beneficial for treating these troubling symptoms. However, physical therapy alone can not guarantee a complete treatment.

On the other hand, medical treatment can give instant relief from focus inabilities and speaking problems. But, the drug effects may wear off after a few hours of dosage intake. 

Thus, doctors combine medical treatment with physical therapy to combat ADHD. You also need to follow his advice throughout the medication plan.

Amphetamines: Adderall for ADHD

Adderall is a beneficial and highly prescribed drug for relieving these symptoms. It contains a few amphetamine salts that boost the brain functions. Thus, it will reduce hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, and slurred speech.

However, Adderall is only available with a prescription written by a licensed doctor. Getting or using it without order is illegal. Also, it would help if you took a few precautions to avoid side effects and drug interactions.

Adderall for ADHD: doses and strengths

Adderall comes in different strengths and two formulations. These two formulations are instant-release and time-release. Both of these forms work differently and require different dosage patterns.

Therefore, consult with an expert doctor if you need Adderall for ADHD.

• Adderall instant-release tablets: The instant-release tablets of Adderall dissolve within 20 to thirty minutes after reaching inside your body. The effects may stay for up to six hours but depends on the strength of the dosage. 
• Adderall time-release capsules: The time-release Adderall comes in the form of a capsule that dissolves slowly. Thus, it stays inside your body for longer and provides long-lasting effects. In general, these effects last for up to 12 hours, depending on the dose and health.

 

Side effects associated with Adderall

The risk of side effects is higher in extended-release capsules as it holds a higher strength. Thus, stay cautious and never remove the coating of XR capsules. Removing it will make it dissolve quickly and create an overdose.

The common side effects are dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and drowsiness. Some other adverse impacts may include hallucination, delights, chills, and clammy hands.

ADHD Medications List

 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder that causes a range of symptoms.

These include:

problems concentrating

forgetfulness

hyperactivity

an inability to finish tasks

Medications can help decrease ADHD symptoms in children and adults. In fact, many drugs are available to treat ADHD.

While not every person with ADHD takes the same drugs, and treatment approaches can vary between children and adults, the following list of drugs for ADHD can help you talk to your doctor about the options that are right for you.

Stimulants

Stimulants are the most commonly prescribed medications for ADHD. They’re often the first course of drugs used for ADHD treatment.

You might hear this class of drugs called central nervous system (CNS) stimulant medications. They work by increasing the amounts of the hormones called dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain.

This effect improves concentration and decreases the fatigue that’s common with ADHD.

Many brand-name stimulants are now only available as generic versions, which cost less and may be preferred by some insurance companies. However, other drugs are only available as brand-name products.

Amphetamines

Amphetamines are stimulants used for ADHD. They include:

amphetamine

dextroamphetamine

lisdexamfetamine

They come in immediate-release (a drug that’s released into your body right away) and extended-release (a drug that’s released into your body slowly) oral forms. Brand names of these drugs include:

Adderall XR (generic available)

Dexedrine (generic available)

Dyanavel XR

Evekeo

ProCentra (generic available)

Vyvanse

Methamphetamine (Desoxyn)

Methamphetamine is related to ephedrine and amphetamine. It also works by stimulating the CNS.

It’s not known exactly how this drug works to help ADHD symptoms. Like other stimulants, methamphetamine may increase the amounts of hormones like dopamine and norepinephrine in your brain.

It can reduce your appetite and increase your blood pressure. This drug comes as an oral tablet taken once or twice per day.

Methylphenidate

Methylphenidate works by blocking the reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine in your brain. This helps increase the levels of these hormones.

It’s also a stimulant. It comes in immediate-release, extended-release, and controlled-release oral forms.

It also comes as a transdermal patch under the brand name Daytrana. Brand names include:

Aptensio XR (generic available)

Metadate ER (generic available)

Concerta (generic available)

Daytrana

Ritalin (generic available)

Ritalin LA (generic available)

Methylin (generic available)

QuilliChew

Quillivant

Dexmethylphenidate is another stimulant for ADHD that’s similar to methylphenidate. It’s available as the brand-name medication Focalin.

Side Effects of ADHD Medication

Stimulant medications can be very effective in reducing symptoms of ADHD, but some kids do experience uncomfortable or harmful side effects. When side effects become a problem, we try to change the dosage, the release formula, or the type of medication your child is taking. The goal is to determine what will give him the most benefit, with the least side effects.

The key problems to be on the lookout for:

Sleep problems

Decreased appetite

Delayed growth

Headaches and stomachaches

Rebound (irritability when the medication wears off)

Tics

Moodiness and irritability

To get an accurate picture of side effects, we need to establish your child’s baseline before he starts taking the medication. For instance, some kids with ADHD have a hard time falling asleep to begin with. Some kids with ADHD are very picky eaters to begin with.

Identifying existing problems helps us avoid blaming the medicine for problems that were already there.

Related: Talking to Kids About Medication

Two key factors in side effects

Getting the right dosage is important for minimizing side effects. Stimulant medications work by bringing up the levels of two brain chemicals, dopamine and norepinephrine. If your child gets the right levels of dopamine and norepinephrine, he will be pretty focused. But if he gets too much, it can stress out the brain, and cause negative side effects.

It’s also important to note that there are two groups of ADHD medications, each based on different stimulants:

methylphenidate-based medications: Ritalin, Methylin, Concerta, Metadate, Daytrana Patch

dextroamphetamine-based medications: Adderall, Vyvanse, and Dexedrine.

Some children respond differently to those two groups of medications. Some even respond differently to different release formulas—the speed in which the medication goes into the bloodstream—of the same basic medicine.  Short-acting formulas are released immediately and last about 4 hours. Long-acting formulas, which release the medication gradually, last up to 14 hours. So when children get unwanted side effects we often try switching medications and formulas.

Sleep problems

If medication is keeping your child awake into the wee hours, it’s because the medication is still active at bedtime. If he’s taking a short-acting formula, it may mean that he is taking a second or third dose too late in the day, so it hasn’t worn off by bedtime. If he’s taking medication that lasts 12 or 14 hours, it may help to try one that’s not quite as long-acting.

Sleep issues caused by the medication tend to get better over time, so it’s worth giving your child four to six weeks to see if he adjusts to what he’s taking.

Donation

Trouble going to sleep may also be caused by kids being too stimulated at bedtime—often by doing something on the computer—to calm themselves down. If the medication has worn off, it may be their ADHD keeping them awake.

There are also some medicines we can try for sleep problems: Melatonin can be effective. Benadryl was commonly used until a decade ago, but it caused a hangover effect the next day, and kids did not feel as alert as they should.

Eating issues

Extended-release medicines can cause eating problems. These drugs peak about four hours after they’re taken. So some kids take the medication before breakfast and then find they lose their appetites at lunchtime.

You may be able to help by encouraging your child to eat whenever he does feel hungry. He can have a good breakfast before the medicine has kicked in, and at the end of the day when the medicine is wearing off.

If it’s a real problem for your child, breaks from medicines on holidays or weekends may help, or switch to the immediate-release tablets, which will wear off by lunch.

Delayed growth

Some kids, particularly boys, grow more slowly when they’re taking stimulant medication, especially in first year. But studies show that by the second and third year they catch up, gaining the growth they’d be expected to have gaining. And boys who took weekend breaks and summer vacations from the medication didn’t show that decrease in growth in the first year.

This side effect does not show up in girls.

Nausea and headaches

These problems tend to dissipate within a few weeks of beginning medication, and can be minimized by having your child take the medication with food, and in some cases by changing the dosage or schedule.

Rebound

Some parents describe something we call the “rebound effect.” After the medication wears off, their child becomes very irritable and aggressive. Sometimes parents tell me, “Every day at 4:30, I know it’s going to happen.”

What’s happening is that the medication is leaving the receptors in the brain too quickly. One way to try to avoid rebound, if it’s a problem, is by adding a smaller dose a half hour before it usually happens, to help your child ease off the medication more gradually.

Sometimes rebound can be a sign that the dose is too high, and needs to be adjusted. It also may be an indication that this particular medicine doesn’t work well in your child’s body, and we may want to try a different medication or a different formula.

Lastly, with kids who rebound, we want to ask whether there might be something else going on. They might have underlying anxieties or mood issues that come into play when they come off their ADHD medicine. We don’t want to miss other things that could be muddying the equation.

Tics

Some children who take stimulant medication develop tics. When that happens, the first thing we might want to do is try a different stimulant, to see if another medication will work without the tics.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Stimulant Therapy

Stimulants are an effective way of managing ADHD symptoms such as short attention span, impulsive behavior, and hyperactivity. There are many stimulants available: short acting (immediate-release), intermediate-acting, and long-acting forms.

Stimulants are an effective way of managing ADHD symptoms such as short attention span, impulsive behavior, and hyperactivity. There are many stimulants available: short acting (immediate-release), intermediate-acting, and long-acting forms.

What is stimulant therapy?

Stimulants are an effective way of managing ADHD symptoms such as short attention span, impulsive behavior, and hyperactivity. There are many stimulants available: short acting (immediate-release), intermediate-acting, and long-acting forms.

What is stimulant therapy?

Stimulant therapy is the most commonly used treatment for Attention-Deficit Disorder/ Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD.

Stimulants are an effective way of managing ADHD symptoms such as short attention span, impulsive behavior, and hyperactivity. They may be used alone or in combination with behavior therapy.

These drugs improve ADHD symptoms in about 70% of adults and 70% to 80% of children shortly after starting treatment. Improvements include reduced interrupting, fidgeting, and other hyperactive symptoms, as well as improved task completion and home relationships.

Improvements in behavior and attention span usually continue as long as the medication is taken, although benefits in social adjustment and school performance have not yet been shown to endure over the long term.

These medications are not considered to be habit-forming when used to treat ADHD in children and adolescents, and there is no evidence that their use leads to drug abuse. Nonetheless, there is a potential for abuse and addiction with any stimulant medication, especially if a person has a history of substance abuse. Recent research, nevertheless, shows that individuals with ADHD had a lower incidence of substance use disorder if they were medically treated than if they were not treated.

Common stimulants for the treatment of ADHD

There are many stimulants available: short-acting (immediate-release), intermediate-acting, and long-acting forms. Common stimulants include:

Adderall (intermediate-acting)

Adderall XR (long-acting)

Concerta (long-acting)

Daytrana (long-acting patch)

Dexedrine (short-acting)

Dexedrine Spansule (intermediate-acting)

Focalin (short-acting)

Focalin XR (long-acting)

Metadate CD (long-acting)

Metadate ER (intermediate-acting)

Methylin™ ER (intermediate-acting)

Ritalin (short-acting)

Ritalin LA (long-acting)

Ritalin SR (intermediate-acting)

Vyvanse (long-acting)

The short-acting forms of the drug are usually taken 2 or 3 times a day and the long-acting ones just once a day.

Newer forms of some stimulant drugs may reduce side effects and relieve symptoms for a longer period of time. They include Concerta (10 to 12-hour duration), Ritalin LA (6 to 8 hours), Metadate CD (6 to 8 hours), and Adderall XR (10 to 12 hours), Vyvanse (up to 13 hours), Focalin XR (12 hours) and Daytrana (10 to12 hours).

Who should not take a stimulant drug?

Patients with any of the following conditions or drug treatments should not take stimulant therapy: Allergy or sensitivity to stimulant medications.

Patients with glaucoma (a condition that causes increased pressure in the eyes and can lead to blindness).

Patients with severe anxiety, tension, agitation, or nervousness.

Patients undergoing treatment with a type of medication called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as Nardil® (phenelzine) , Parnate® (tranylcypromine), Marplan® ( isocarboxazid), or Eldepryl® (selegeline) within 14 days of starting stimulant therapy.

Patients with motor tics or a personal or family history of Tourette's Syndrome.

Patients who have current psychotic episodes or a personal history of psychosis.

Patients with overactive thyroid.

Patients with coronary artery disease.

Patients with heart or blood vessel disease.

Patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure.

Patients with certain types of the irregular heartbeat.

Patients with a history of alcohol or substance abuse.

It is important to note that this is not an all-inclusive list. Your physician will need to evaluate your complete medical history and regimen of medications, over-the-counter drugs, and dietary supplements to help determine if you would be able to take a certain stimulant.