Each year, millions of American children are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, also known as ADD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD. For parents, caring for an ADD or ADHD child can be challenging. With a variety of stimulant based prescription medications on the market, ADD and ADHD children are subjected to a treatment plan that oftentimes extends into adulthood. As an alternative to the use of FDA approved stimulants, there is a non-stimulant FDA approved drug on the market known as Strattera which may provide for a more healthy response in the treatment of ADD or ADHD. As parents, understanding the basis on which this unique drug works to control ADD and ADHD symptoms, will provide for a more educated medical decision making process when caring for your ADD child.
Strattera, manufactured and distributed by Eli Lilly and Company, is the first FDA approved ADD and ADHD prescription medication classified as a non-stimulant. This means, when Strattera is administered to the ADD child, the standard brain chemical transitions associated with other ADD and ADHD prescription medications does not occur. Instead, Strattera lends its success to the ability to uptake excessive levels of a common emotionally based hormone known as norepinephrine. In doing so, the ADD patient will experience an improvement in concentration, attention and mood.
Dosing of Strattera is generally given once per day, in the morning, with therapeutic benefits seen all day. When initiating Strattera, patients will commonly see results in as little as two weeks.
Advantages to Strattera, in the treatment of ADD and ADHD, lies in the non-controlled substance which allows for ease of refills through the physician. Because Strattera is not a stimulant, there is a reduced risk for abuse by the ADD patient. Additionally, in patients who are co morbid for mental health disorders such as anxiety, ADD may provide an added effect in the control of these symptoms as well.
Disadvantages to Strattera involve its limited use in controlling the other two main issues associated with ADD; hyperactivity and impulsivity. Without the controlled substance ingredients, Strattera will simply correct the most prominent ADD symptoms; attention deficit. Additionally, when using Strattera in the treatment of ADD and ADHD, the maximum therapeutic benefit is generally not seen for up to one month.
As with any FDA approved prescription, side effects are common. Most notably, ADD patients using Strattera will find nausea, vomiting and fatigue are quite common. As a result, the child’s pediatrician may need to adjust the dosing level and timing of the medication usage.
For parents overseeing the treatment of ADD and ADHD in child, finding the appropriate medication is crucial to the success of the child both academically as well as socially. When considering medication ,the key fact to consider is the degree to which the child suffers from the prominent ADD and ADHD symptoms of attention deficit, hyperactivity and impulsivity. When faced with attention deficit as the primary complication, consider the use of Strattera in the treatment of your child’s ADD or ADHD.
