There are many medications which
have been used to treat ADHD and they all have varying degrees of success with
different patients. Following is an overview of these medications:
Ritalin (methylphenidate)
variety:
There are many variants of methylphenidate
such as Focalin or Concerta -- the latter is long acting. Focalin
is an isomeric form of methylphenidate or Ritalin. It is "dexmethylphenidate"
or the right-handed isomer, analagous to Lexapro vs Celexa (Lexapro, an antidepressant,
is the right-handed stereoisomer - or enantiomer - of Celexa).
Whereas Focalin is a short acting medication - 2.5 to 4 hr half life, Focalin
XR is a long-acting form.
Amphetamine variety
This group includes dextroamphetamine in
the form of Dexedrine (short-acting), Dextroamphetamine Spansules
(long-acting), Adderall (a mixture of amphetamine salts), and Vyvanse.
Vyvanse, a newer medication, is a "prodrug" and is helpful
where abuse is an issue because it has a delayed effect requiring metabolic
degradation to work.
Other
Guanfacine (Intuniv), is a newer ADHD
medication approved in children 6 to 17 years of age at a dosage of 1 to
4mg/day.
Strattera, a noradrenergic drug with
antidepressant effects, has been shown effective in both childhood and adult
ADHD.
Wellbutrin, an excellent antidepressant
medication, is used off-label for ADHD.
Provigil and Nuvigil have also been used in
the treatment of ADHD with some success and are used off label for this
application.
In general, with ADHD medications, exercise
caution when there is a history of abuse. Blood pressure elevation and
arrhythmia are possible problems with the stimulants
Use of medication is at best empirical and
each medication must be given a therapeutic trial before trying another one.
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