A Full List of ADHD Medications
This is a full list of medications that are currently used for treating ADHD. There isn’t much like this online, so hope it helps.
It’s written in plain English with (we hope!) a sense of humor. At the end, we go over some common questions.
If it helps you, we’d really appreciate your helping getting the word out by sharing this page’s link with someone.
For those who are concerned they might have ADHD, see an ADHD Test Made for Adults.
Note: Focalin and Concerta and several other medications are not given an entry of their own
#1 Ritalin
Extremely popular – almost a synonym for ADHD – Ritalin has been a star since it was made in the 1940s and named after a chemist’s love, “Rita.”
Ritalin’s technical name is methylphenidate.
Ritalin acts on dopamine and norepinephrine, to block reuptake from the space in between cells. This increases the amount of time they stay there, which means that they activate signaling pathways for longer periods of time.
And that means greater focus, motivation and attention.
With therapy, up to 70% of people with ADHD experience significant benefit from Ritalin. The effects can be amazing, allowing normal living for some – to repeat, it is a powerful medication that can make normal living possible for some people.
One of the biggest downsides to instant release Ritalin – and all the stimulants – is that the benefits only last a matter of hours, from 3-6. This can mean you have to take several doses a day, which can be inconvenient.
That said, there are longer release forms which provide symptom relief for much longer periods of times, as long as 12 hours or such.
While the most effective treatment for ADHD, stimulants like Ritalin can have their fair share of side effects, however, including anxiety, weight loss, and potentially even psychiatric issues like triggering mania or psychosis. Additionally, they can cause heart problems in at risk people.
Because Ritalin has a high potential for addiction and abuse, it has the highest restriction possible while still being widely used – it’s a Schedule II drug.
Pros: With Adderall, Vyvanse and so on, the most effective chemical treatment for ADHD
Cons: Potentially serious side effects, schedule II, figuring out dose schedule can be a pain
Variants: Concerta, Focalin, Metadate, Daytrana
#2) Adderall
Adderall has become extremely popular for treating ADHD since its introduction in 1996. It is a mix of several amphetamine salts and like Ritalin is a highly effective treatment.
Some studies have shown that Adderall may be slightly more effective than Ritalin at treating some of the ADHD symptoms. This advantage is not established, but probably has to do with a slightly different mechanism of action. One dose of instant release Adderall, however, may last as long as two doses of instant release Ritalin.
Adderall may also have a slightly different side effect profile than Ritalin.
In terms of chemical action – Adderall not only blocks the reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine through cellular pumps, it also goes inside the cells and reverses the pumps. So instead of letting those chemicals in, and taking them away from “outside” the cells, it kicks them out.
Reversing the pumps may lead to the build up of free radicals, but no major study has analyzed whether this happens or has a clinical impact.
Adderall has the same downsides as Ritalin, and is also schedule II.
Pros: Among most effective treatment for ADHD
Cons: Potentially serious side effects, schedule II, dosing can be a pain
Variants: Adderall XR
#3) Vyvanse
Vyvanse is a miracle of advertising and repackaging. Fundamentally, it’s nothing more than Dexedrine, which has been around for a long time and developed a bad reputation due to its over-use as a diet pill.
That said, there is something quite good about Vyvanse/Dexedrine – it’s made only from the d-type of amphetamine with none of the the l-type. This is important because it’s quite possible that the d-type is more effective and/or has less of the side effects of the l-type.
Adderall, by contrast, is a mixture of d and l-amphetamines, which means that it more may have more of a kick as well as more or different side effects. This mix may mean that Adderall may provide more of a “punch” so to speak.
That said, Vyvanse has its fair share of side effects, and none of the stimulants are entirely safe drugs.
The good things about Vyvanse include its quite long lasting effect, possibly up to 12 hours, and its somewhat less susceptibility to abuse. It is as effective as Adderall and Ritalin for treating ADHD.
Pros: Among most effective treatment for ADHD
Cons: Potentially serious side effects, schedule II, dosing can be a pain
#4) Intuniv
Intuniv is a treatment that was initially used for lowering blood pressure and has recently become more fashionable for treating ADHD, a use for which it was recently approved. Intuniv is pretty much the opposite of the stimulants, which raise blood pressure and stimulate the body.
If it does the opposite of traditional treatment, why might it work? The key is that Intuniv acts as an alpha-2 agonist. While activation of these receptors lowers blood pressure, it may also serve to activate certain areas of the brain, especially the prefrontal cortex, meaning better focus and attention.
Intuniv is like a stronger Strattera, but hopefully avoids the problems of the stimulants, and may even be useful in combination with them. There are problems, of course. As this blog has noted, some of the trials which led to its approval had a shockingly high rate of people fainting – something like 5/262 participants fainted.
That is not a good side effect. Additionally, treatment with Intuniv just falls short of sending ADHD into “remission.”
Other issues possibly include depression and blood pressure problems.
Pros: Non-stimulant, may be moderately effective
Cons: Possibly serious side effects like fainting, less effective than stimulants. Very new and untested.
Variants: Clonidine, Guanfacine, Intuniv
#5) Strattera
Strattera used to be “the only non-stimulant treatment approved for ADHD” until Intuniv came onto the market in 2009.
Like Ritalin, Strattera also works on the norepinephrine chemical and prevents its removal from the space in between cells. Despite a similar mechanism of action, it does not have work immediately, however. It can take up to 8 weeks for Strattera to show its full benefit.
Strattera is supposed to provide all day coverage taken just once, but one study showed that taking a dose in the morning and at night provides the best release. This is still a significant advantage over the stimulants.
The history of Strattera is somewhat interesting – it was initially tested for use in depression, but didn’t seem to do much. Researchers thought that its effects on norepinephrine might have benefit in treating ADHD, and they were right.
Similar to the antidepressants, Strattera does increase your risk of becoming suicidal, which is why it has a black box warning.
The studies show that Strattera works, some say even as well as Ritalin. But those claims to efficacy seem somewhat overstated, with many people saying that Strattera is not so effective.
Strattera is worth a try when stimulants fail or are not a good idea (say you have serious anxiety or past psychosis), yet it also has some of their nasty side effects.
Pros: “Non”-stimulant, long term coverage
Cons: Suicidal ideation, may not be as effective, expensive, long time to take effect
#6) Provigil or Modafanil
There’s quite a buzz around Provigil, generic modafanil. It keeps enough of the amphetamine like behavior of Adderall to provide the kick needed to treat ADHD, while having a host of other chemical behaviors that, some argue, may make it less addictive and less risky.
Provigil, for instance, is only schedule IV, as opposed to the highest restriction placed on Ritalin and Adderall.
That said, we don’t know a lot about it. Provigil may play with the dopamine receptor like Ritalin – or it might not. It might just increase levels of dopamine by some other mechanism. This is important because the way it interacts with dopamine may determine its potential for addiction.
Other chemical behaviors of this drug? Hold your breath – it possibly has GABA, serotonin, adrenergic, histaminergic and glutamanergic effects. That’s like half of the neuro-transmitters currently in vogue, and some of them theoretically cancel each other out! (While there are hundreds of neurotransmitters, because of how little we know, we basically pretend there are only about 10. Hopefully, as we learn more, we will get even more effective treatments with fewer side effects.)
Provigil is used, in part, for sleep apnea, narcolepsy and has been proposed for schizophrenia, which is stunning, considering that traditional stimulants cause psychosis, not treat it.
As of now, however, Provigil is not approved for treating ADHD, although it seems to have decent efficacy in treating it. (Some studies have shown similar efficacy to Ritalin, one – from the manufacturer itself (!) – showed no efficacy, and so on). A major study trying to approve it for ADHD in children failed when a significant amount of children developed skin rashes.
So we don’t know how well it works. And Provigil is also extremely expensive, so playing around with it can rack up a bill.
Expect interesting things from this drug and its half-dozen chemical actions.
Pros: May be less addictive, may be as effective as stimulants, schedule IV
Cons: Expensive, new, not-approved for ADHD, not enough long-term use data
#7) Wellbutrin
Wellbutrin is a strangely behaving antidepressant. It’s an alternative treatment for ADHD, although not approved for that use like Strattera, and has been shown to be better than placebo for treating ADHD.
That said, Wellbutrin has only a modest benefit for ADHD, with some studies showing that it works to some degree and others showing that it doesn’t really work that well.
What it does is act as an inhibitor of reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine – to some degree. It also mimics them somewhat, which is interesting. Chemically, Wellbutrin is eventually converted by the body into some form of amphetamine, which might explain why it has some impact for ADHD.
So it isn’t the best treatment for ADHD, but it is used not-rarely.
Side effects can include extreme anxiety. We’re talking potentially about really bad anxiety. That said, in addition to making you less depressed, Wellbutrin might just help you stop smoking – which is another of its uses.
Pros: Moderately effective, full day coverage
Cons: Extreme anxiety, not as effective as stimulants, turns into amphetamines eventually – so may have similar problems
#8) The Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCA)
The tricylcic class of antidepressants has been shown to have significant benefit in treating ADHD, although not as strong as the stimulants. They are not so often used because of their serious potential for cardiac toxicity among other side effects.
The TCA’s benefit for ADHD is separate from their potential antidepressant effect. This is highlighted by the fact that reduction of some ADHD symptoms, especially behavioral, may start occurring in less than a week, as opposed to the 3-4 weeks it takes for the antidepressant effect.
(It’s an important distinction to make because you could feel like the King of Morroco but still have significant ADHD symptoms.)
They are many drugs in the TCA class. Of them, desipramine may be the best for ADHD, then imipramine.
That said, it is possible that other issues like antagonistic behavior may emerge with treatment, meaning that you exchange one set of symptoms for another. On the other hand, treatment with TCAs may provide almost full-time coverage. You don’t need to take 5 doses a day, for instance, as may happen with some forms of Ritalin.
Note that newer antidepressants, especially the selective serotonin reuptake inihibitors like Prozac and Zoloft have not shown similar efficacy or benefits in treating ADHD. This may be due to their more specific behavior, and lack of effect on norepinephrine.
Pros: Modest efficacy, long term coverage
Cons: Heart toxicity, overdose possibility, possible new symptoms, not as effective as stimulants
#9) Risperdal
Risdperdal is a very popular tranquilizing antipsychotic. It blocks dopamine receptors in the brain, reducing the activity of dopamine. Careful readers may wonder if that is its chemical action, then how can it treat ADHD?
The answer is most likely because Rispderal and its family of medications, the antipsychotics, are tranquilizing and can induce a sense of calm. This can be useful at night in addition to standard treatment to help fall asleep.
Use of antipsychotics as sole treatment for ADHD, however, is not a standard medical choice. It does, however, happen, which is unfortunate. Remember, Risperdal has been approved for treatment of agitation and aggression in autistic kids. Its sedative effects may make it attractive for treating kids who have ADHD and are a handful.
The risks are significant. Long term use of Risperdal may lead to permanent movement disorders, extreme weight gain, and diabetes. And long term use of antipsychotics may make concentration and attention problems worse.
Pros: Sedating, may help fall asleep, may help gain weight
Cons: Long term side effects. Is pretty much the exact opposite of traditional ADHD treatment
Variants: Any anti-psychotic class tranquilizer
#10) Exercise
Exercise is extremely helpful for people who have ADHD. Within healthy moderation, it has no side effects – though people taking stimulants should be careful – and can honestly be said to be nature’s treatment for ADHD. It relaxes the mind and body, increases concentration, and improves mood.
One kid used to be a handle in school, but when his teachers agreed to let him run around the schoolyard when he got restless, did OK. That kid? Winston Churchill, one of the greatest British leaders ever.
Exercise won’t provide complete relief from ADHD symptoms and it is not a substitute for medication. But for people who have ADHD, it can make life that much better.
Other Drugs of Interest: Pemoline or Cylert – a schedule IV drug with moderate ADHD efficacy. Withdrawn in US from market due to toxicity to liver. Desoxyn – basically methamphetamine, not used often because it is essentialy the same as the street drug “meth,” which has very bad associations
Choosing Between Ritalin, Adderall and Others
One of the most common questions people have about ADHD treatment is, What’s better? Ritalin or Adderall?
The answer? There is no clear advantage any one class of treatment has over the other. Dr. Tuckman, a clinician who has treated hundreds if not thousands of patients and is Vice President of the world ADD Association has this to say:
Roughly 1/3 of people with ADHD will respond best to an amphetamine type medication like Adderall or Vyvanse, roughly 1/3 will respond best to a Ritalin type medication like Ritalin and Focalin, and roughly 1/3 will respond equally well to both.
Dr. Tuckman also emphasizes how important it is to have patience. He says that is actually quite lucky to get the right dose on the first try and that often you just have to try several doses out until you hit get it right.
Instant Release or Extended Release?
Most ADHD medications come in the instant release or extended release form. An instant release pill will typically last 3-5 hours, while an extended release typically lasts 8-12 hours.
It is our increasingly strong opinion that extended release medications may have superior results than instant release. This is due to smoother drug release and less need to take medication. You wake up and take a pill and don’t have to take another one at work or at school.
Instead of having spikes of drug level, there is a smooth, continuous release over the course of the day.
Some studies have shown that a significantly higher amount of people will respond to extended release treatment than to instant release. Also, some studies have shown that people prefer extended release treatment to instant release.
And in theory, extended release formulations may reduce the risk for tolerance.
That said, 8-12 hours of activity does not cover the whole day. Some clinicians will prescribe an instant release to be taken at night to provide coverage for the whole day. The risk, however, is that this might cause insomnia.
On the effects of a proper dose
At the right dose, an ADHD medication should have minimal impact on how you feel. It changes how you experience things, how you perform, but shouldn’t change who you are or make you feel weird. The right dose is often very subtle in its effects.
The following is not uncommon – that someone is on an ADHD medication, feels it isn’t doing anything, but when other people are asked, they see a major change.
As such, the best person to judge if a medication is working is someone who spends a lot of time with you and doesn’t have ADHD him or herself.
Because the person taking the medication might not feel it at the right dose – finding the right dose can be a bit tricky. Doctors have different approaches, but the one that feels safest is to start at the lowest and carefully work the way up from there.
Related Articles:
- What are the long term effects of Adderall?
- Is there a physical test for ADHD?
- What sucks and what rocks about ADHD
ADHD and ADD Online Diagnostic Test
Overcoming ADHD: A Guide For Parents
This information is very helpful…I like your blog, I wish there were more like it:)
Thank You for your blog…. It is a random act of kindness. I am sitting here desperately researching side effects of Vyvanse which has been prescribed for my young child. Your info has been extremely helpful and has had a calming effect on me.
Dear Carrie,
It’s great that the information was able to help you. Vyvanse is from what I’ve seen, a fairly decent drug and if your kid is having trouble with ADD/ADHD, can be a real help. All the time, I hear about people whose lives change for the better on ADHD medications. You, of course, don’t need me to tell you this, but keep an eye out for the possible psychiatric side effects which, while rare, can happen.
If your kid, for instance, starts spending hours on homework – but also spends hours doing repetitive or mindless things – the dose is too high!
Especially make sure that your kid is getting a dose that doesn’t knock her out, make her lose her natural creativity, but helps with the symptoms. Go for the lowest dose possible, as you surely know! It’s a common misconception that an ADHD med should make you feel different – on the contrary! You should feel normal.
If there is any way that I can be of help or explore/explain better any issue, please let me know.
Best wishes,
David
Extremely informative.
Thank you so much.
Thanks!!!
I am gonna feel more confortable next time I’ll go to my son’s pediatrician. We have tried Focalin and Adderall without good results :( I hope to find the right mediine and the right dose soon. I didn’t want my little 5 year old be on medication, but I think he needs them.
Thank you very much for the information.
Katya – glad I was able to be of help =) it can be very confusing because there are so many ADHD medication options, and you just want the one that works right with the minimal side effects. it isn’t easy!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have been searching all over the internet, trying to find a “list” just like this. My child has been fortunate enough to have had GREAT success with Metadate (part of the Ritalin/Concerta family) for 4 years, but it’s no longer helpful. This blog was very helpful with the names of the medications and the pros/cons, etc. Thanks for taking the time to put this together!
I noticed your blog when I was browsing for something entirely different, but this page showed up at the top of Yahoo your website must be so popular! Keep up the awesome job!
my child takes vyvanse and it seem to make him talk slow is that what it suppose to do concerned mom
I am a 46 year old housewife who wishes she had vyvanse when she was younger! I love the focus and ability to complete all my tasks but lately have been having a problem cataching a deep breath and the tips of my left index, and middle finger are numb. I’m affraid to let my doctor know cause I don’t want him to take me off of it but I dont want to cause any damage either. Has anyone else had these problems? I;m only taking 50mg of vyvanse which actually seems to wear off around 3pm when I take it around 7am. Thanks
To Sue Moore,
Your symptoms could be related to your heart and I think you should tell you MD immediately.
My son has been on zoloft for about a month along with 2mg of intuniv. We take the zoloft in the morning and the intuniv in the afternoon. The zoloft has definitely helped with his anxiety and the intuniv has helped with sleep; however, he is very tired in the afternoon due to the intuniv. We just started him on 1/2 mg tenex and 1/2 capsule ritalin la in the morning (Thursday). I feel the ritalin is making a difference but the crying in the afternoon is unbearable. He is just sobbing like his heart is broken. He keeps saying he needs to cry, his legs hurt and his head hurts. Is this normal? I am so worried he is on too many meds at one time for a 6 year old.
i have many question ,i have two child with adhd it’s a hard situacion to address ,but i looking for help my two kids every time.
the little one is more advance because the medicine help him so much ,but my other child it so dificult to found what can work for him.not ritalin ,not concerta it’s just nothing working for him .i hope some one have some experience like my son and can help me for eventualy support kids like my lovely son .
i love my beautiful baby
My son is 6yrs. old and started out with Adderal XR in Nov. after adjusting doses as time went by we finally ran out of options with this drug. We then tried Metadate CD and hated it, next we tried Intuniv and it made him sleepy during the day and up at night. We had to adjust the time of taking it to PM. That helped but we just were not happy with the effect it had on him. We are going to start taking Vyvase in a few days after the Intuniv is out of him. We are excited to see great results after reading that it is similar to Adderal XR…thanks for your helpful website.
I started with Vyvanse for ADD. It was helpful in treating my ADD, but had one very negative side effect for me – it gave me a feeling of ‘extreme aggression.’ This concerned me, since I have always been a passive person, with a no temper issues. I explained this to my doctor, and he told me of another patient on Vyvanse, age 15, the brutally beat up his father, which was not usual behavior for this patient.
I was then taken off of Vyvanse, and placed on Concerta (an XR style of ADD med in the ritalin category).
Concerta has been an excellent choice for my individual body chemistry makeup in regards to treating my ADD.
Unfortunately, I did not receive medication for ADD until age 35, but have had ADD my entire life. Having over idealistic parents was the reason I was not treated earlier in life. I had a very difficult childhood due to my parents being in a state of denial concerning my problems with learning and concentration.
I am an educated professional in the IT field.
Vyvanse was not a good match for me.
Concerta has changed my life significantly.
If you or your childrens teachers notice ADHD patterns in your childs behavior and performance, the worst thing you can do is to do nothing.
Vyvanse is a lie, because it makes you like a zombie, and seriously it makes you ultimately shy, and worst of all you will lose most of your old friends.
What about concerta? That has been exremely effective for me. I’ve tried them all except risperdol. The concerta has been the most effective.
I have been taking Vyvanse for about a year now and I can’t even notice the side affects if any. It works all day and I can’t even tell when it wears off. I really like the way this drug handles my ADD and would not trade it for anything else. It is very effective and with out the want for more. About as close to a miracle drug as you can get. Great for Adults that suffer ADD.
How do you know if you have ADHD?
See: http://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/ncs/ftpdir/adhd/18%20Question%20ADHD-ASRS-v1-1.pdf for some adult ADHD screening questions =)
My daughter is 18 and has been medicated (ritalin, ritalin xr & vyvanse xr) for adhd since 2nd grade. In high school, she stopped taking the vyvanse because she felt alienated from her friends & was very irritable. She is outgoing and very active. She will play her sport in college so she tried first strattera (didn’t work) & now intuniv for the last 4 weeks. She got through the 3mg week & complained of serious fatigue & inability to get through her workouts. Her base bp was 116/64 prior to starting intuniv but the latest was 94/52 mid day taken at her doctor’s office. She has recently gained 10 pounds even while working out. Has water retention been linked to intuniv?
Your information is well organized and easy to read. When referring to children with any type of disability, refer to the child first, then the disability. This is called people first language. A child with autism, not an autistic child, it does make a difference to families and professionals when looking for information. Thank you for your information!
That you for putting together this site. I am an adult with ADD-PIT and was recently prescribed Adderall (pending insurance authorization, my insurance company still thinks ADD is a childhood disease and only covers it if you are under 18), and have been trying to understand how these ADD medications will affect my life.
From adult_add_patient
“Unfortunately, I did not receive medication for ADD until age 35, but have had ADD my entire life. Having over idealistic parents was the reason I was not treated earlier in life. I had a very difficult childhood due to my parents being in a state of denial concerning my problems with learning and concentration.
I am an educated professional in the IT field.
Vyvanse was not a good match for me.
Concerta has changed my life significantly.
If you or your childrens teachers notice ADHD patterns in your childs behavior and performance, the worst thing you can do is to do nothing.”
My story is very similar, I empathize. Except my Mother actually acknowledged that I possibly had ADD(Even approached me about it), and despite my academic troubles chose not to seek treatment or counselling because she “did not want me to be labeled” Now, I am a Graduate student in a highly technical field (Theoretical Mathematics), and sought diagnosis and treatment out of desperation. I cannot begin to express the pain this disorder has caused me and the incredible personal trials I have had to endure(and often fail), due to lack of focus. Although I acknowledge some strength that ADD has given me- I am very much looking forward to starting treatment and kissing many of the symptoms goodbye!
Last thought: Parents, if you think your child may have ADD- please do not hesitate! Talk to an expert about it! Take it from me, if my parents had at least looked into the possibility that I may have had ADD as a child, I firmly believe that my life would have been 1,000,000 times easier.
I’m a 51 yr old female who was on aderral xr but had to stop because of insurance changes. I was put on Vyvanse because of Shire’s Pt Asst. Vyvanse works with digestive enzymes to become effective. Lets say you’re lacking some of those enzymes, you might end up in a fugue state like I did! 7 weeks of living in a fog was such a waste of time. I also ate like I’d just smoked a joint as I recall from my youth; I ate like a pig as the drug wore off. Shire called both conditions side effects and documented the issues.
When looking at various ADHD meds, there is more to consider than just chemical make-up.
I hope this helps.
I can relate to Ryan. Without an ADHD diagnosis or even an idea that was the problem, I went through 16 cr hrs of photography plus academics and failed college miserably after my first semester. Oh to have known 20 yrs ago what I know now…
I am 47 years old and female. I was recently diagnosed ADHD as a result of problems in my personal life as well as professional. I believe I have always had ADHD symptoms but hid them very well. As I’ve aged, the symptoms of distractibilty/inattentiveness have gotten worse especially a few years ago when I suffered a concussion after a fall while ice skating. Is there any information regarding brain injury and ADD? I haven’t started any medication yet and am a little nervous to do so. I have scheduled an appointment to see my primary care physician and know he will prescribe something…I’m not completely opposed to meds especially since, I’m afraid, my job may be in jeopardy…I just want to make sure I get the “right one”. The information on this site was very helpful but any suggestions or advice would be very much appreciated.
Hello Everyone!
Ryan here again. I thought I would provide an update as I mentioned that I was supposed to begin ADD treatment.
I began treatment shortly after my last post. My Doctor started me on Wellbutrin(Bupropion). At the starter dose he had me on I noticed very ,little change, if any, in my symptoms. After doubling my dose, I noticed after a week or two that my daily routine of getting tired and sluggish around 2:00pm seemed to go away. I did not notice a big difference in other symptoms until the very end- in which case I started to notice some change but could not say for sure what the change was (from what I have been told, Wellbutrin’s effectiveness for ADD is somewhat hit or miss). Unfortunately the Wellbutrin made me very irritable so I had to stop taking it.
The doctor then prescribed Adderall, he gave me (as a starter dose) 5 mg instant release, and 10 mg XR, one of each to be taken in the morning, I noticed a difference VERY quickly. I found that for the first 3 hours after taking my dose(both pills) I was pretty focused, and although I still got distracted- it was much easier to recognize that I was getting distracted and to bring myself back to focus. After the 3 hours was up (ie when the IR tablet wore off) I would notice the focus start to wane significantly- aftr about 7 hours total I was back to normal. I did that for about 2 weeks, then told my doctor that although I noticed benefit, I still felt distracted (he told me in the beginning that he doubted that this dose would be enough and figured that I would be taking 20mg XR as my final dose).
He then prescribed me 20mg XR. 20mg worked much better (I think I am going to have to go up one or two more notches still, but a huge improvement nonetheless), unfortunately- due to my apprehension regarding taking stimulant medication, I started having panic attacks on the 20 mg XR.
I spoke with my Doctor, he and I both agreed that this was likely temporary (In addition to ADD, I also have Panic Disorder- the fact that I started having panic attacks when taking the Adderall was not a big surprise to me, I have had panic attacks after starting almost every medication I have taken as an adult- generally it does not last long). He dropped me back down to 10mg XR and plans to edge me up a bit. He also gave me 5 mg IR for study sessions.
Since then, the panic attacks continued for a very short while but stopped quickly. I have had no major panic episodes since then and have even started taking a 10mg XR and a 5 mg IR again. (On the 10+5 combo before I did have some panic attacks, just not as bad as on the 20mg XR, this has since stopped). I think things are looking really good and I have a lot of reason to believe that Adderall is going to turn things around for me once I reach my correct dose! When I have taken my Adderall, thinking is a whole new experience. Trying to read a single page in one of my textbooks before (I am working on an M.S. in Mathematics), was a several hour event (for some Math books, this is appropriate whether you have ADD or not), trying to complete homework assignments required an incredible amount of will power. I literally would have to spend the first hour of a study session just trying to motivate myself to study and stop checking my email.
When I have taken my Adderall dose for the day, I can hammer through an entire chapter of exercises without constantly looking at the clock (in fact, lately I have had the experience of sitting down to work, only to look up at the clock and realize that I have been working for 3-4 hours and not even realized it!!! This does not happen every time but does happen enough to make a huge difference). I have also found that actually DOING mathematics is easier! Each problem takes me a fraction of the time it did before because instead of starting to think about the problem, getting distracted by the squirrel climbing the tree outside, then realizing that I am thirsty and need a drink, only to realize that I have a text message of supreme importance (from a friend telling my that he saw a really cool car driving down the road), then seeing a really tasty granola bar in the pantry that I must have NOW, only to return to the book (of course on the way I need to stop and clean the algae off of my aquarium glass- yuck! Oh look at that fish swim around, etc…) to start the process over again- now I can sit down, start the problem, get distracted by the squirrel, watch it for a second, realize I have work to do, then get thirsty- decide that I will get a drink after I am done with this problem, finish the problem- grab a drink, pick up that granola bar- then walk back and eat the granola bar as I start reading the next exercise (oh, there is that squirrel again! Oh well, I have work to do- the squirrel will be back tomorrow, I can watch it then). Because these problems stay fresh in my head from moment to moment, I solve them more quickly. Of course I have not even mentioned the dramatic improvement in my ability to remember things. I can now go to the grocery store without feeling paranoid that I am going to forget to grab something if I do not carry a list.
To be very honest, I actually gave up on getting into a Ph.D. program (my life’s dream) during my senior year of college (I am now finishing my Master’s degree this spring). I have more or less just been going through the motions- hoping for a miracle! Choosing to get evaluated by a learning disabilities specialist has got to be one of the best decisions I have ever made(I only wish I had done it sooner), For the first time in 3 years, I truly feel that the Ph.D. of my dreams will be in my future, and that for the first time in my life I have the ability to be the student that I (and my professors and teachers) have always thought I had the potential to be!
So again, I would suggest that if you have ADD, or think you have ADD- there is hope! Talk to someone. I honestly felt that I was beyond all hope- now I feel like I may be able to take on the Mathematical world!
Just a quick correction, my last post in July was shortly after I had stopped Wellbutrin and was prescribed Adderall (if you are interested, so I have been on Adderall for about a month now).
How come you didn’t include Dexedrine SA and Dexedrine tabs in your review?
Good question, Heather. Will definitely keep in mind to update this post with dexedrine SA and IR. Thanks for pointing that out!
Our 13 year old daughter has been diagnosed ADHD, bipolar, defiant disorder, and PMDD. She has been on at least 20 different types of medications. Right now she is on Adderall (5MG) twice a day and Intuniv (3mg in the am and 1 mg at night) She also takes Zoloft, .05mg of Fluphenazine, and Yazz. Her grades are good, but she still has a negative attitude and threatens kids at school. What is your suggestion?
Can someone please please please help me?? I had gastric bypass a year ago. I was diagnosed with ADHD about 8months ago. I work full time and just started nursing school in the evenings. Needless to say ADHD meds are extremely important for me right now more than ever. I know my surgeon says NO meds that are EXTENDED release. My primary doctor doesn’t seem to understand that it may take several meds before i find the right one, so I am pretty much screaming for help. I wish I could have a list of all the ADHD meds that are an option for me. This article was very interesting, I enjoyed reading it. But, could you please add a list of all the ADHD meds that are NOT extended release? Meds that are Gastric Bypass friendly?? I would be soooo greateful!!!
I have tried so many w/ my son…the side affects are brutal with him. anger, crying uncontrolably, anxious, mean etc…
I need something for him that does not have such horrible side effects. his stomach always hurts, won’t eat, can’t sleep…im a mess and he’s a mess.
he’s 9 and weighs 60 pounds, which he has weighed for the past year and half.
I’ve tried changing his diet, which is brutal. have cut out a lot of sugar…but that has done nothing but get him mad at me!!! Could use some help with this. I am at my wits end.
This article did not review the Daytrana patch.
My son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was in Kindergarten. This came as no surprise to me, as I was simply waiting for the teacher to agree that he needed medication so I could take her information, as well as my own, to the doctor. My son has absolutely NO filter between thought and action. Initially, we had some trial and error, but we finally found the right medication & dose. Over the next year or two, it required tweaking as he grew and was in school for longer hours. About 3rd grade, he was put on Metadate CD and all became right with the world. He is now in 6th grade and has been having a difficult time transitioning from elementary school to middle school. Some of it is the absolutely unrealistic expectations of the school, but some of it is his ADHD. We took him to the doctor, who explained that after long periods of time on the same medication, a rebound effect can actually be seen (where the symptoms are worse with the medication than without). So we changed over from Metadate (which is the methylphenidate molecule) to Vyvanse (which is the amphetamine molecule). After only a week, there seems to be a huge difference. I don’t think we’re at the right dose quite yet, but he has gone a full week without getting a detention (he was getting 2-3 a week before the change) and is nowhere near as aggressive as he’d been. I strongly agree with those who have posted that if there is any thought whatsoever that there may be ADD or ADHD issues with your child, please, please, please, address them early. And once you have addressed them and started treatment, be patient. They don’t call it “medical practice” for nothing. Physicians do not have a crystal ball. Sometimes it takes dosage experimentation and even medication experimentation to get it right. And here’s the thing about abuse potential: many studies have shown that kids who are properly medicated for ADD have less of a recreational drug abuse problem than those who are not. These kids don’t take this medication to get high. They take them for the same reason that a diabetic takes insulin: their body needs it to function properly. Notice I didn’t say normally. ADHD is a physiologic problem that, when treated properly, does not have to interfere with life. But, just like when a diabetic person does not take their insulin, without treatment for the ADHD, the body and brain are not able to function properly, which then leads to the potential issues one sees. Sorry about the soap box. It is a personal pet peeve of mine when parents say “I don’t want my kid on medication” or “I don’t want my kid labeled” A child with ADHD that does not get treated is more likely to get labeled as “troubled” or “a discipline problem” or many other worse things than a child who is treated and has their physical disorder under control with medication.
After two intense years of trying natural approaches, we had decided that my son who is 9, could benefit from meds. As much as I hate to go for the meds option, his attention span last 5 minutes and his self esteem is start to suffering since he just can not keep the pace at school. We had our first meeting with an specialist, and for the way that our son was described to him, he is thinking to put him on INTUNIV. My son when he is really, really upset he could be very violent and have extreme rage outburst. He likes things to go his own way, he hates doing homework and lately he is showing signs of sleep problems. All this “sweet stuff” is just display at home never outside. I trust his doctor, but I would like to know more about the side effects from INTUNIV coming from the real ADHD people. Thanks to all of you that might have the time to share with me your own experience. I’m a bit stressed out about taking this huge decision .
Why didn’t you put Concerta on the list…I would think that concerta is more used for add/adhd than Wellbutrin or Intuniv.
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@Lauren
On the last line of Ritalin:
“Variants: Concerta, Focalin, Metadate, Daytrana”
I am not a doctor or health care person myself, but as I understand it Concerta is like an extended release version of Ritalin (Kind of like Adderall XR is an extended release version of Adderall). Again, there may be information here I do not know.
I really appreciate your concise summary of the medications. I am struggling because the adderall obviously helps with focus but it is unreliable in it’s effect. Sometimes it makes me ravenously hungry and and/or anxious. Sometimes it the same dose seems like too much… as if I’m a non ADD person taking speed and hopped up (which I hate!). I seem to have social anxiety with it sometimes, while other days I am comfortable, calm, and focused. I am taking prozac which seems to help the anxiety immensly. So since the IR adderall seems unreliable in it’s effects, would the extended be better. From your article it seems I should try Vyvance or dexadrine because it has less potential for anxiety. Also I am usually so so so hungry from the adderall. It has the opposite effect, I gain weight when I take it. I am confused as to the difference between ritalin and dexadrine. Dexadrine has no brand name right, only extended release which is being marketed as vyvanase?
Ryan- bless you for your posting!
I’ve had ADHD my entire life but managed it well, just never officially diagnosed. I have recently started back to chiropractic school and for the first time in my life, failed not only a test, but an entire class! I had tried Strattera in the past, so I tried it again, then suddenly started having panic attacks. For school I had to have an official diagnosis. I am now officially ‘severe ADD combined type’. I started taking 10mg Prozac for the the mild anxiety (which is really not normal for me) and it helped quite a bit. I just started on Adderrall for the first time today, taking a 5mg IR along with the 10mg Proazac.
I’d love some feedback if this seems normal. Within 10 minutes of taking the Adderrall, I felt the sensation of clarity and relaxation. My muscles just seemed to melt and I took probably one of the deepest breaths I have ever taken (despite practicing yoga for 22 years!) I was able to get through my Physics lab with more clarity than ever before and no feeling of anxiety. At exactly 4 hours, I started yawning and was ready for a nap. I have a rather high metabolism to begin with, so I am assuming that meant the Adderrall has worn off.
Does this sound typical?
I was just really impressed with the sensation of relaxation, esp since this is a stimulant. I figured that means this was REALLY needed.
… and yeah, I struggled with the whole medication vs non-medication thing… especially since I am studying to be a Chiropractor. But hey- I’ve been under chiropractic care of 20+ years and there are just some neurophysiological issues that Chiropractic can not cure. There is a time and a place for modern medicine as well as alternative medicine. The key is to find the balance that works best for each individual person. For me, I will continue this journey through school with medication as needed. If I had only known this 20 years ago I could have followed my dream back then instead of holding myself back all these years.
Best wishes to all.
i have always known that my child had ADHD in my heart…. it really was not a terrible thing until we transitioned to 1st grade, where he was in the principal’s office every day.the school provided an iep and he was officially diagnosed with ADHD. we put him on Metadate, which did not allow him to eat. There were other side effects that we were not comfortable with so we put him on Focalin. He did not go to sleep past midnight and made him aggressive. In 2nd grade, we had gone thru a new iep and the doctor prescribed Concerta. Unfortunately, it made him very violent aggressive his writings and drawings were uncharacteristically “dark” so much that now the school has opted to send him out of district because of his behavior issues. We took him off the medication for the summer and asked the school for independent evals. When we started he was just ADHD but moved on to being diagnosed with ODD. The decision to put him on meds was a painful choice for us not because we feared the labeling but because of his actions and the schools actions, he was already labeled. We noticed that his creativity, his friendliness and loving nature was compromised because we put him on those meds. Unfortunately without the meds he is just not focused in school but is not as aggressive as when he was on the previous 3. I do want to give him a fighting chance to stay in district so we are considering Intuniv but we are not sure since it is a relatively new drug how it will work for us. It works differently for every individual. There is no magic bullet! The doctor told us that it will address the high impulsive/restless issue and it will also address the ODD but we are just not sure how long term it will affect him. The meds though they work tend to stay in the body and we are worried about the residual long term effects as well as the unknown effects not discovered since this is a new drug. Also if this one does not work for us then we will try Vyvanse since a lot of the posts seem to indicate positive results. Being a parent of a special needs child who is now 8 years old and has had mostly bad experiences with the meds, it is an agonizing decision! You are left wondering if there is a better way….My child also does not like being on meds and he is desperately trying to fight a losing battle with ADHD….He told us that he feels like a zombie with the pills than without….I’ve read a lot on this topic and it seems like ADHD in children may be overdiagnosed and overprescribed. Yes, there is a pill for that…. We really want to do what’s best for our children….but we do not want to “drug” him up with different medicinal cocktails. Hopefully this will work for us…. and we can finally get on with our lives. Any more info on INTUNIV and VYVANSE will be most appreciated. Thank you.
I am currently 18 years old and a senior in high school I am taking vyvanse, which seems to really work for me. I had many changes in medications and doctors. I was taking stratera and I don’t think it was effective enough it didn’t last long enough and it barely helped. Then I took focalin and I had the same problem. So I ended up with adderall i took it for about a year and ended up losing 20 pounds from it (unintentionally) keeping in mind I was in grade 5. I then got moved to dextrostat that didn’t work either. So I got daytrana that was one interesting patch! That made me feel like crap everyday and I felt very miserable, depressed and suicidal. Then I started using vyvanse and I’m on that to this day I have been on it for about 2 years, as well as zoloft (antidepressant) I personally feel happy most times I have quite a few mood swings daily. The little things in life can both make me happy or mad. I have become more depressed through all these years from life itself and it’s hard for me to be happy while I act very cheerful. I really don’t know why I’m like this and I would like to know. Thank you for your time. :)
Thank you! Finally I found a website that breaks this all down for me!!! I’ve been trying to get a full understanding what exactly how all these meds work, which one is best, etc. This website is probably the most comprehensive site I’ve found to date! So thank you so much!
It DOES mention Concerta as a variant for Ritalin.
My son, 15, has been on Ritalin, Concerta as well as Strattera. (These are the only ADHD medication available in South Africa) The side effects off Ritalin and Concerta are quite severe. Even on the lowest dosage he has severe tics, stomach ache, vomiting, diarrrhoea. Things that he never had before he started using these drugs. Strattera is not effective. What else can I try? I also tried 5HTP.
What is the best ADHD medication for recovering addicts?
How about the best ADD medication?
This is so helpful and easy to read. Thank-you for taking the time to write this!
On my last post in November 2010, I mentioned a few things about the different side effects of each med that my child was put on. What can work for one person does NOT necessarily mean it will work for everyone else. There is no “magic” bullet with ADHD. We put our 8 year old on Intuniv in November. So far, we’ve experienced the following side effects: sleepiness (he passed out afterschool around 3 pm while doing homework), frequent urination later in the evening (wet the bed a few times), some nightmares (waking up at 5 am in the first week of taking this med), some other weird things where he would say really strange things (1-3x in the first week). All this stuff disappeared after the first 2 weeks of adjustment on 1 mg. We have not increased dosage because we chose to keep him on the lowest. Now, for the positive: washing up and getting dressed in the morning without tears – priceless! =) He even made his bed without me telling him to! Focus is definitely improved, homework time = after school he attends to it immediately without wasting time and he does it all by himself! It does not take all night to do. The only thing is that in school while he is focused, he still has tics and is still noisy but they are addressing this with a behavior plan to reduce/hopefully eliminate these behaviors. I was so stressed out from “experimenting” with what worked and agonizing over each and every side effect with each of the meds that we’ve previously tried. Metadate, Focalin and Concerta did not work for us. Intuniv, while it is not a miracle drug, seems to do the job ok. For the most part, we are relieved that this is working but still worried about the long term. I know that managing ADHD is difficult especially since I have it myself. … We take it one day at a time…. and understand that while the medicine is a tool to manage, it will not completely make the ADHD go away.
I have tried almost all ADHD mess for my son, who is 9. I’m really upset with all the side effects he has with all of them. We are now on Intuiv. Like the last who posted on this, he too goes through many of the same side effects.
I have purchased in the past Synaptol, whichvis more of a natural medicine. When I tried it before the pills were way too big for him. But now they have come out with a liquid and you use a dropper.
Has anyone tried this??? Would love to hear some feedback. Thanks