Role of Medications in ADHD

While treating children with ADHD, medication becomes an integral part of the whole treatment. Medicines are used to improve the associated symptoms so that these children can function more efficiently

Medicines to treat ADHD include:
Stimulants
Stimulants usually reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity which improve focus. The improvement with these medicines varies a lot. In some children with ADHD, the benefits are extraordinary; for others, medication is quite helpful; and for still others, the results are more modest or negligible.

Common stimulant medications used in the treatment of ADHD include Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate, Focalin)
Mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine product (Adderall, Adderall XR) Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine, Dextrostat)

Non-stimulant
Where stimulants are showing lot of side effects, then non-stimulants can be considered.

The examples of non-stimulants are:
The non-stimulants can be alone or in combination with stimulant medicines. The common example is Atomoxetine (Strattera)

Antidepressants
Antidepressants that only affect the serotonin system—serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft) and citalopram (Celexa) may be effective against co-existing conditions with ADHD.

Pharmacologically, there are five types of medicines available for the treating of ADHD:
They are:

• Methylphenidate 
• Dexamfetamine
• Lisdexamfetamine
• Atomoxetine

Guanfacine
Although medicines are not for cure but they may help in betterment of concentration, to be less impulsive, to feel calmer, and learning new skills