Adult ADHD: Medication

Video Transcript

"There are a number of treatment options for the ADHD adults. I'll start by talking about prescription options just because that seems to be the most well known to people. It's not uncommon for people with my generation to have grown up with a number of classmates who were on Riddlin. I happen to come from the part of the country that had the most kids on Riddlin during the eighties. And it was a sort of thing where you could see for some kids how it was effective. Especially, if you saw them before they ever took the medication. And these options are available to adults as well. As I mentioned Riddlin which is generically known as Methylphenidate can be a prime method of treatment. Concerta would be another long acting form of Methylphenidate. And it's a stimulant. It causes activity to increase in the Prefrontal Cortex which instead of being stimulating and distracting for somebody with ADHD which actually is a calming and focusing thing. Adderall is another treatment. And that's a combination of Amphetamine salts. Adderall is almost more well known as a drug of abuse. Which is a shame because it can be a part of an effective treatment program for an adult with ADHD. And again it's another stimulant which increases activity in the Prefrontal Cortex. ADHD adults may also benefit from certain anti depressants that cause different activity within the Prefrontal Cortex in terms of Dopamine re-uptake. So there's more Dopamine that your Neurotransmitters are soaking in. Strattera is a non stimulant or non traditional stimulant option. And that involves inhibiting re-uptake of Norepinephrine which is found in to be helpful in adults with ADHD. It's also important for an ADHD adult who has depression or anxiety issues to have those Comorbidities properly treated. Substance abuse falls into this too. And that's why for some ADHD patients it's essential for their depression and their anxiety to be managed. So they can eliminate those factors as distractions in treating their ADHD. And have an overall better feeling about themselves in the life they lead. "