Treatment of ADD/ADHD includes modifications or accommodations at work or school, practicing strategies to increase Executive Functioning performance by using organizational tools, mindfulness practices, and even phone apps. Medication is evidenced to provide improvement and there are several options.
Pharmaceuticals
Stimulants SNRI MAO Inhibitors/ other non-dopaminergic options
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Adderall Stratera Qelbee
Adderall XR Effexor Fetizma
Vyvanse Prestique Intuniv
Concerta Cymbalta Monofradil
Ritalin Wellbuttrin
Quillivant XR
Evekekeo
Focalin
Dexedrine Spansule
Daytrana
Dynavel XR
AdzeenysXR-OTC
Adhansia XR
Aptensio XR
Mydayis
QuilliChew ER
ProCentra
Medications present several options and are unique in how they are tolerated and how effective they are. Often there is a trade off between discomfort versus benefit. Stimulants are the most widely prescribed, work on dopamine and are dependency causing. Stimulants are primarily divided into two molecules, variants of either Adderall or Methylphenidate (Ritalin). Stimulants are better at treating impulse control than SNRIs. Both help reduce impulsivity, restlessness and increase focus. They mainly work in the frontal cortex. Stimulants can be calming but can disrupt sleep and appetite. Stimulants may be restricted if one has bipolar disorder and is not on a mood stabilizer. SNRIs work on norepinephrine, primarily in cerebellum. They as well can be calming and increase focus but may cause stomach upsets. The list above are mostly similar medications in slightly different formats and delivery systems.
MAO Inhibitors and off label use of blood pressure medications offer a non-stimulant course of treatment. They have their own medical restrictions and side effects.
A prescriber can be consulted on which medication, and which delivery system is best for you. It may be that both a stimulant and an SNRI or other non-stimulant option be prescribed.
Long term research regarding the use of stimulants (from childhood to adulthood) has shown a neuroprotective effect in implicated regions of the brain. This surprised researchers who initially suspected to see damage and is encouraging since children are often prescribed stimulants early in life. Some adults I have worked with who were those children have asked me to take them off the stimulants they are now physically addicted to, which I can do with EMDR. They claim the medication have blunted their experience of emotions and they haven blocked from feeling like themselves. There is no withdrawal when I do this. Sometimes once off, the adult can now see how there ADHD is and assess whether they need a medication or not.
Medication Strategies and Considerations
Medications have pros and cons: Complicating prescribing are pre-existing conditions such as blood pressure issues, being on other medications that may prohibit some choices, having Bipolar DO or another addiction. If one has gastrointestinal illness, one might not want to aggravate that with ADHD drug side effects.
ALWAYS have a medical exam prior to meeting with a prescriber and have that information accessible to the prescriber whether the prescriber asks for it or not. This is a best practice and may be key to what medications are safely available options or not.
ADHD is a spectrum disorder which means there is a huge range of how someone is affected. Severity can vary, and presentation is unique to each individual. Some clinics will use a gene testing service ( Genesight, ClarityX, Myogenes) by taking a sample of blood and a computer then designates what should be prescribed. If you experience this-run from this clinic. Research shows these to be inaccurate and my clients have presented wild unrelated medications as suggested. They are not seeing you or listening to how you are struggling, which could be complex and multilayered. Phobias and OCD, anxiety resulting from ADHD experiences are not treated by these medications and are best treated with EMDR, involving no medications. These condition s are not managed; they are permanently eliminated. Our personal resiliency to coping with symptoms may also be a variable factor in determining whether we even need medication.
Some wish to not be on medications when not at school or work. They want to compromise: if I must be on them then I want to enjoy time not on them. The dilemma is that many ADHD medications result in physical dependency and that means being in withdrawal on the off days-not fun or ideal. If I use EMDR to switch off that dependency, sometimes a person can then go on and off without withdrawal. Another option is to replace oral consumption with the use of a chamber pendulum. A chamber pendulum is a special pendulum that has a receptacle for medication. The dosage is put in the chamber and applied to the person energetically. The pendulum delivers the dosage energetically without the person ingesting the medication. Dosing can safely be repeated as necessary. This now changes prescribing options for those with pre-existing conditions.
Another option is nutraceutical supplementation. I have done research on this topic and even tried supplements to see if there was an actual impact. One heavily reviewed to be the most effective was the only one I experienced a difference with; Feedamind. 30-40 minutes after taking the recommended dose, I felt a bump in energy and a turbocharging of focus and clarity. I can say this supplement can replace a prescription or be used in place of one when on a holiday from taking the prescribed dose. It can also be put in a chamber pendulum and used as an energetic supplement. Feedamind cost $70 for a month supply so it must be compared to what a insurance would pay for a prescribed medication. Any used with a pendulum (which cost $41.50) would only need to be purchased once as the pendulum dose is reused over and over.