The benefits of medications for ADHD are unparalleled
however they come at price.
"In the short term medications for ADHD buy parents and doctors time to teach behavioral strategies to control ADHD. Over the long term they need to rely on those skills."
Nathaniel Adie @ ADHDaction.com
Medications for ADHD create amazing leaps in the symptoms of ADHD focus, attention and hyperactivity for those who take them. The ADHD medications carry side effects that are equal to or possibly outweigh the therapeutic properties. A very important thing to know is that the short-term effects are studied and documented, but the long-term effects are not known. What I'm trying to do here is to give as much information as possible for you to make your decisions on the treatment of ADHD.
My best advice on medications for ADHD is:
The best therapy for ADHD is using many therapies all at once. There is no one single thing you can do to cure ADHD. In fact there is no cure. In doctor speak, all therapies must be multimodal. Meaning the best way to treat your ADHD is using every tool you can. Counseling, behavioural therapy, exercise, diet and medications for ADHD all contribute. You must know that some tools like medication can be absolutely amazing at first, but bring a whole new set of medication side effects to worry about. Taking drug holidays can keep you in touch with your symptoms and let you know just how well the medications are working. This is why the decision to take ADHD medications must be made in concert with your doctor.
My personal experience with medications for ADHD
My experience with the ADHD medications Ritalin and Cylert was that of sudden changes. They caused a complete and drastic reversal of all behaviors practically instantly. I went from an unfocused, unattentive, underachieving problem in class. To a quiet, attentive, focused, straight-A student. It seemed my entire world had changed overnight!
I had an ADHD diagnosis and I could take a pill to make me better. This was the mid-80s and ADHD and Ritalin as medication for ADHD was all very new. Success stories were a sought after headline. So saying I was a success was easy. I think the perspective was a little skewed. From my perspective everyone seemed overjoyed. They had found out that there was something wrong with me and a medication for ADHD had fixed the problem. I seem to recall some attempts at other therapy during that time. We went to some group play nights, I got to swim in the university pool. My parents attended counseling meetings for those whose children had ADHD. Many if not all of these therapies were not continued long, due to the apparent success I was achieving. After a few months they all died out. I was left with medication for ADHD as my only treatment for ADHD. The unfortunate case was that the doctors were not in council with me. I was not having discussions with someone who understood me from my perspective. There was no one taking the time to ask me how I was feeling. The Doctors, teachers and my parents thought that my outward appearance of success was the true mark of an individual who has conquered ADHD. Without a truly comprehensive treatment plan including one on one counseling, behavioural therapy, exercise, diet, and medications for ADHD. My causes of ADHD were left untreated. As time passed the ADHD medication side effects began to show through. I had little or no appetite during the days and my sleeping habits were not regular. I was frequently anxious especially in the afternoons and evenings. This is a sure sign of the withdrawal from the stimulant drug. I often felt my heart racing throughout the day and especially in the afternoons.Anxiety and worry ruled my life, a hard pill to swallow at 7 years of age. At the time it was not normal for a student to be taking medication throughout the day. Although I was never made fun of for it, the students in my classes knew that I had to take ADHD medicine. They saw I was different every time I went to take my pills. My self-esteem suffered knowing that I needed medications for ADHD, to be normal. As I grew my doses of medications for ADHD needed to be increased and altered. This often left me taking much more than I should have throughout the day. Without proper clinical evidence of what a high dosage was. I was taking more than the recommended dose.
I fell through the cracks. I remember doctors frequently altering my doses through the day. Sometimes I had to cut a pill in half and take it at lunch. I still remember the awful taste. Other times we had pills with coatings that would last throughout the day. Nothing seemed to work. While we were having difficulty with the doses we tried other newer drugs. I went from Ritalin to Cylert. This did not last long; the affects of that drug were so intense. I was a zombie and remember staring out the window for hours at a time. My mother quickly stopped the prescription of Cylert when she noticed how deeply it affected me. It's a good thing to, knowing now of the severe health dangers of the Cylert. Overall I felt like the doctors did not have a firm grip on what they are doing. It seemed more like an experiment for them and then a treatment. Now as an adult I can tell they didn't know what they were doing. There was no one-on-one counseling for me. No way for anyone to know how terrible I felt. This was an extremely difficult time for me. My motivation for creating ADHDaction.com is to help others who are having these same experiences. Now 20 years later, much more is known now about the medications for ADHD. Many more ADHD treatments are available. Teachers and the education system are far more equipped to work with students with these needs.
Even though this is still a difficult process, it is a much brighter picture for success now.
List of Medications for ADHD
Amphetamine Stimulant Medications: Adderall
Desoxyn Dexedrine Dextroamphetamine Dexamphetamine Cylert Vyvanse
Methylphenidate Stimulant Medications: Concerta Daytrana (the ADHD patch) Focalin (extended release) Metadate CD Methylin Methylphenidate Ritalin
Non-Stimulant Medications: Strattera Atomoxetine Wellbutrin
Conteracting Medications: Clonidine
Medications for ADHD and other topics
Now that I have mentioned the medications for ADHD take a look at all the other ADHD treatments. For an in depth documentary of the treatment of children with medication watch The Medicated Child. This is an interesting look at the treatment of Bipolar in children. It has some relation to how ADHD can be treated. I don't mean to say medication is bad. It is so effective for so many. I really do believe that our goals should be to use medication to get us through the tough stages of ADHD treatment. If we make enough progress then some of us may be able to stop medication. For many it will continue to provide that extra edge to stay of top of life and on top of ADHD.
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