ADHD Medications

Summary

ADHD medications are prescription drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These drugs are often highly effective in helping to control symptoms such as inability to pay attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.

ADHD medications improve symptoms by boosting and balancing levels of brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters. This can have a dramatic calming effect on ADHD patients, allowing them to more easily focus on tasks such as learning and working. The drugs may also improve coordination in some patients.

Psychostimulants – often simply referred to as “stimulants” – are the chief form of medication therapy for ADHD. Up to 90 percent of patients who take them report at least some improvement in symptoms, according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Certain types of antidepressants and alpha-2 adrenergic agonists are also used to treat ADHD, often in patients who do not respond well to stimulants.

ADHD drugs are usually well-tolerated by patients. However, patients with certain medical conditions may not be good candidates for drug therapy. In addition, some medications – particularly the antidepressants known as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) – may have poor and possibly dangerous interactions with ADHD drugs.

ADHD drugs are available in tablet, capsule and injection form. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also recently approved the first transdermal (skin) patch to treat the disorder in children ages 6 to 12.

Women who are pregnant, thinking of becoming pregnant or breastfeeding are usually urged not to use ADHD medications. In addition, these drugs are not generally prescribed for children under the age of 6. Older adults may use many ADHD medications safely, but dosage levels may have to be adjusted to prevent side effects.

In some cases, young patients need to take ADHD drugs only for a year or two before a change in their symptoms renders the drugs unnecessary. However, in most cases patients will continue to take medications into adolescence and possibly into adulthood