If you and your doctor decide prescription medication is the best route to take concerning your ADD, you will need to familiarize yourself with the drug you will be taking and its common side effects. There are several drugs currently on the market being prescribed for the treatment of ADD. Below is a small sampling of some of the more common choices prescribed by doctors.

Adderall

Adderall is available in several dosages and is taken orally, usually with food to avoid an upset stomach. The medicine works to calm patients with ADD and helps to hone their ability to concentrate. As with any medication, patients should take the recommended dosage and consult their doctor before stopping the medication.

Common side effects of Adderall include nervousness, dry mouth, difficulty sleeping, and upset stomach. Adderall is an amphetamine, and patients should take extra caution as amphetamines can be habit forming. It is unwise for children suffering from tics or Tourette’s Syndrome to take this medicine. Patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors should consult their doctors because a potentially severe interaction could develop.

Ritalin

Ritalin is a drug commonly prescribed for ADD as well as narcolepsy. This drug works to treat ADD by stimulating the brain’s production of dopamine, as well as the cortex. Patients taking Ritalin should be aware that the sustained-release tablets must not be crushed, chewed, or broken in order to reduce the risk of overdose.

Ritalin may cause difficulty sleeping, nervousness, or reduced appetite. If patients experience more severe side effects such as chest pain or seizures, they should immediately consult their doctor or other medical professional. Patients also suffering from severe depression or Tourette’s Syndrome should not take Ritalin.

Strattera

Strattera is a more recent drug developed specifically to be a non-stimulant solution for ADD. Strattera works as a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, meaning it treats ADD differently than does Adderall or Ritalin. In effect, since Strattera is not a stimulant, it is not addictive and carries little potential for abuse.

By slowing the brain’s absorption of norepinephrine, Strattera helps patients with ADD to focus and concentrate more effectively. Strattera also has little risk for insomnia unlike most other drugs used to treat ADD.

These are just three of the most commonly prescribed drugs for ADD. For more information about each drug, consult your doctor.