ADHD in Adults Slideshow Pictures Take the ADHD Quiz ADHD Symptoms in Children Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Medications for ADHD in Adults

The medications available for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can have slightly different effects from individual to individual, and currently no way exists to tell which will work best. Medications indicated for ADHD are thought to work by improving the imbalance of neurochemicals that are thought to contribute to ADHD. Some commonly prescribed medications include the following:

• Stimulants
• Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate)
• Dexmethylphenidate (Focalin)
• Dextroamphetamine or pre-Dextroamphetamine (Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat, Vyvanse)
• Pemoline sodium (Cylert); no longer available in the United States due to severe liver toxicity
• Antidepressants
• Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
• Venlafaxine (Effexor)
• Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
• Desipramine (Norpramin)
• Imipramine (Tofranil)
• Nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor)
• Nonstimulants
• Atomoxetine (Strattera)
• Guanfacine (Tenex, Intuniv)
• Clonidine (Kapvay)

If one medication does not work effectively, the others should be tried because individuals may respond quite differently to each one. Medications in different groups used in combination may be more effective than each medication alone for some people. In general, the medications used to treat ADHD in adults are the same ones used to treat ADHD in children.

Certain antidepressants such as imipramine, desipramine, and nortriptyline along with bupropion and perhaps venlafaxine or duloxetine may be tried. Other medicines and combinations of medicines are also available. Proper dose levels are determined on a case-by-case basis, not exclusively by weight or age.

Antidepressant medications and atomoxetine may increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior as side effects of the medication, particularly in individuals with a history of bipolar disorder, or a personal or family history of suicidal behavior. Those negative emotional effects can occur with virtually any psychiatric medication, including all of those that treat ADHD.

Medication should help some or all of the following areas:

• Academic underachieving and inattentiveness
• Hyperactivity or fidgeting
• Verbal and/or behavioral impulsivity (for example, blurting out, interrupting others, acting before thinking)
• Difficulty falling asleep at night
• Trouble waking up (not getting out of bed in the morning)
• Excessive irritability without cause and/or easy frustration
• Episodic explosiveness, emotional outbursts, or temper tantrums
• Unexplained and persistent emotional negativity

If your ADHD medication is not significantly helping with a number of these concerns or is causing uncomfortable or problematic side effects, ask about changing the dosage or changing medicine.

While a number of natural remedies and changes in diet to treat ADHD have been tried, research indicates that many such interventions are either too restrictive to daily life to implement in a realistic way or have yet to be found to have a significant impact on ADHD symptoms.