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Stimulants
These drugs are considered central nervous system (CNS) stimulants and work in the brain to help increase the circulating levels of the chemicals in the brain that are believed to be low in ADHD. These drugs will help the child to concentrate better and help control the other symptoms of ADHD. Most people can take stimulants without difficulty, but sometimes there are side effects. These vary with the drug, but they can range from minor annoyances like decreased appetite and delayed sleep onset, to more troubling reactions like tics and, rarely, hallucinations. One major concern parents have is that, since these drugs can be habit-forming in the adult population, using these drugs at such an early age could turn their child into a drug addict. At this time there is no evidence to support this fear and, if used as prescribed, these drugs may even prevent addiction.
These drugs work differently in children than in adults. This is why there is a low risk of addiction in the pediatric population. This group of drugs contains amphetamines and methylphenidate (Ritalin). Most of these drugs, for example, Ritalin, Methylin, and Dexedrine, must be given more than once a day. However, there are some newer dosing forms that allow for once a day or twice a day dosing; Ritalin SR, Methylin SR, Concerta, and Adderall-XR are examples. This reduced dosing is beneficial because the child will not have to take the medication while at school. Some doctors may want to give the child a "drug holiday." This means stopping the medication periodically to assess how the child is progressing. This will usually be done on weekends or in the summer when the child is not required to concentrate or when the child can get away with being a little more hyperactive. Drugs in the class
Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine, Dextrostat)
Methylphenidate ER (Concerta, Metadate CD, Metadate ER, Methylin ER, Ritalin SR)
Dexmethylphenidate (Focalin)
Dexmethylphenidate exteded-release (Focalin XR)
Methylphenidate (Methylin, Ritalin) |
