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Author:
Michael Russell

In this third of a series of articles on ADD we're going to focus on treatments for ADD besides simple nutrition.

The most common form of treatment for ADD is through medication.

The underlying theory on ADD is that it is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Through certain medications we can correct that imbalance and help a person with ADD to live a normal and productive life.

PET scans of patients with ADD who are taking medication for their condition show that there is significant improvement in many cases.

Medication that is given to treat ADD is to stimulate the production of two neurotransmitters known as dopamine and norephinephrine. These neurotransmitters are needed to carry a nerve impulse along a neuropathway. When one of these transmitters is under supplied the message is stopped short of it's intended destination. When this happens, whatever function that circuit is assigned to doesn't work properly.

Your brain circuits are like a computer circuit. They are either on or off. When a circuit is on it makes something happen, like helping a child concentrate on a math problem or read a passage from a novel. When other circuits are on they prevent something from happening. For instance, some circuits prevent a child from becoming over emotional about an event or situation. If this circuit is supposed to be on but isn't because the transmitter didn't work then the child ends up getting upset where a child without ADD would have remained calm.

Medicines that treat ADD are not sedatives or tranquilizers. They don't slow down the nervous system. What they do is stimulate various areas of the brain to be more active, actually the reverse of a sedative. By being more active, concentration and attention are improved. This medication helps circuits stay on when they're supposed to be on.

The most common medication for ADD is Ritalin, which is a psychostimulant. The drug appears to work very well in treating ADD. However, it has gotten a lot of bad press even though it is relatively safe and very effective. Should Ritalin not work other drugs may be used like antidepressants and beta blockers. These have both been shown to be very effective for certain patients.

Other drugs that have been used to treat ADD are Dexedrine, Desoxyn, Adderall, and Cylert, which are all stimulant drugs like Ritalin. The most common antidepressants are Desiprimine, Anafranil, Elavil, Tofranil, Wellbutrin, Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil. Then there are neuroleptics which were developed to treat serious mental disorders like psychosis and schizophrenia. In patients with severe ADD symptoms these have been very effective treatments. The most common of these drugs is Haldol and Mellaril. However the AMA cautions that these drugs should only be used in the most severe cases of ADD. Then you have mood stabilizers which are lithium based drugs that are very effective in certain cases in calming a child down.

The number of drugs to treat ADD is numerous and growing everyday. With proper diagnosis and testing it is relatively easy to find the right drug for treating the disorder in each case.

In the next article we'll discuss other treatments for ADD.

About the author:

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Attention Deficit Disorder

| Article Keywords: ADHD News

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to ADHD News... Talking to Your ADHD Child About ADHD When my son was first diagnosed with ADHD and started medication, I was so caught up in the ADHD diagnosis and the treatment that I forgot to talk to him about what was going on. I started giving him medicine, and my precious, 7-year-old ADHD son said, "Is something really bad wrong with me?" We sat down right there on the edge of the tub and had The Talk. The "You Have ADHD And It's An Illness and Not Something You Can Help" talk. Here are some things to focus on during the talk. 1. Do a Lot of Kids Have ADHD? On average, about 5% of kids, or 5 out of 100, have ADHD. That means, for instance, out of my son's fifth grade year at school, probably 5 kids have ADHD. Boys usually have ADHD more than girls--boys are two to three times more likely to have ADHD than girls, but doctors have no real idea why. 2. Did I Get ADHD From One of My Parents? It's possible. ADHD does tend to run in families, and if Mom or Dad has it, at least one kid is likely to have it. But the fact is, no one knows what causes ADHD and no one knows how to cure it. 3. Does ADHD Have Symptoms, Like a Cold? Yes. Symptoms of ADHD include having trouble paying attention, getting distracted easily, not being able to sit still, and doing things like interrupting people when they're talking. ADHD kids lose things and forget things. 4. If I Have ADHD, What Will We Do About It? The first step is a visit to the doctor to find out if you really have ADHD and make sure nothing else is wrong. From there, we'll talk with the doctor about treatment plans and medication and therapy. These are some basic questions you can start with for "The Talk." Of course, you'll need to adapt the questions and answers to your particular situation, but hopefully this will help you get started. Angie Dixon is a...