If your child is suffering from ADHD, one option for treatment is medication. At one time, Ritalin was the only drug used to treat this condition effectively, but today there are many other choices as well. The good news is that because there are so many options, over 80% of children can be effectively treated using drugs. On the other hand, though, it can be frustrating for parents to figure out which medication is best. The most common choices other than Ritalin are as follows: Focalin, Ritalin SR, Adderall, Dexedrine, Metadate, Concerta, and Strattera.
Instructions
1. Take your child to the doctor to have the ADHD officially diagnosed. Your doctor will make a medication recommendation, but should also give you information about all of the other drug options as well.
2. Review the information and eliminate any that will interact with other medications your child is taking or any that could cause allergy concerns. Some of the most dangerous interactions come when you mix ADHD drugs with MAO inhibitors, amphetamines, and antihistamines, but even some foods, like those high in acid, can cause the drugs to not work as well, so review interaction information carefully with your doctor.
3. Compare the side effects of the remaining medications. Keep in mind that not every person will experience every side effect, but if, for example, your child already has trouble sleeping, you should eliminate any medications that may cause sleep problems.
4. Consider the dosing requirements for each medication. Some medications are given just once twice a day, while others need to be given every few hours, which may not work well with a busy schedule.
5. Compare the type of drug. If your child has trouble swallowing pills, for example, you may want to choose a medication that comes in chewable or liquid form.
6. Ask questions about cost and your insurance coverage. While price shouldn't make you choose a less effective type of ADHD medication for your child, if there are generic brands available, you may want to pick them over pricey brand-name drugs, when they are chemically the same.
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