Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Medications

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Medications

Medicines are used to help control the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention.

Most often, stimulant medicines are used to treat ADHD. These medicines are effective for people of all ages, although more research is needed on how adults respond. In general, stimulant medicines improve symptoms in about 70% of people who have ADHD.⁷ There are often quick and dramatic improvements in behavior.

Other types of medicines may be used to treat ADHD.

• Atomoxetine (Strattera) is a nonstimulant medicine for ADHD.
• Some antihypertensives, designed to treat high blood pressure, can also help control aggressive and impulsive behaviors in some people.
• The antidepressant bupropion or a tricyclic antidepressant may be needed if psychostimulants do not improve symptoms.

Medicine may be needed to treat other mental health conditions, such as anxiety disorders, that often occur along with ADHD.

If you are giving your child medicine for ADHD, it is important to make sure it is taken consistently. In addition, you will need to regularly monitor the effects of the medicine and communicate closely with your child's doctor.

For more information, see:

Should my child take medicines for ADHD?

Medication Choices

The following medicines are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD):

• Stimulants, such as Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate CD, Focalin, Dexedrine, Adderall, and Daytrana
• Atomoxetine (Strattera), an approved nonstimulant medicine for children, teens, and adults with ADHD

• Antihypertensives, such as Catapres and Tenex, which may be used to treat aggression and impulsivity not controlled by ADHD medicines
• Antidepressants, such as bupropion (for example, Wellbutrin)

FDA Advisories. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued:

• An advisory on Strattera. It suggests parents and other caregivers closely watch for warning signs of suicide in children and teens taking this medicine.¹⁵
• An advisory on antidepressants to closely monitor adults, teens, and children taking this medicine for warning signs of suicide.

The FDA does not recommend that people stop using these medicines. Instead, a person taking these medicines should be watched for warning signs of suicide.

All medicines approved for the treatment of ADHD come with an FDA warning about possible heart-related or mental health problems. Before starting a medicine for ADHD, tell your doctor if you or your child has any heart problems, heart defects, or mental health problems.

What To Think About

All of a child's behavior problems may not be controlled by medicine for ADHD. The child may still have a higher level of some behavior problems than other children the same age. In addition, it has not been established that medicine improves the long-term educational, occupational, and social functioning of a person who has ADHD.

New longer-acting medicines allow many people to take one pill a day for their ADHD symptoms, avoiding the multiple dosages that were standard in the past.

Although short-term studies have shown stimulant medicines are safe, long-term effects have not been studied. In a recent 3-year study, children who took stimulant medicine grew almost a year slower than those children not on medicine. The study followed 540 youngsters with ADHD who were ages 7 to 9 at the start of the study. More studies are needed to find out if growth is affected at other ages (younger than age 7, older than age 9) or whether children taking these medicines might catch up over a period of time.^{9 10} As with any medicine, parents should think about not only the benefits their child might receive from these medicines but also the potential risks.

Most medicines to treat ADHD are approved by the FDA for children age 3 and older. But there are few studies on the use of ADHD medicine for children age 5 and younger. Most doctors do not prescribe medicines for a child who has ADHD symptoms until he or she starts school. Younger children are more likely to have side effects from medicines. But they may be prescribed for younger children when symptoms severely affect a child's behavior and quality of life.

Some medicines used to treat ADHD (such as stimulants) can be abused. Make sure your child knows not to sell or give medicine to other people. An adult should supervise the medicine.

Last updated:	April 17, 2008
Author:	Jeannette Curtis
Reviewed By:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Mina Dulcan, MD - Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC