Drug Treatment for ADHD

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Stimulant drugs are currently being used to treat ADHD. These stimulants are effective when it comes to managing ADHD symptoms like impulsive behavior, short attention span and hyperactivity. Stimulants can be sued alone or together with other treatment like behavior therapy. This helps in the improvement of the ADHD symptoms as well as the self-0esteem of the patient, their ability to think and how they interact with family and friends. These stimulants are seen to improve the symptoms of ADHD in both children and adults. They reduce hyperactive symptoms, fidgeting and interruptive behavior and help an individual improve their relationships and finish tasks (Doggett, 2011).The improvement in attention span and behavior are seen as long as the patient takes these stimulant drugs. The prescription stimulants normally have a focusing or calming effect on a person suffering from ADHD. These drugs should be taken daily in form of capsules and tablets depending on the dosage. However, there is a potential abuse and addiction when it comes to taking stimulant medication particularly when the individual has a history of drug abuse or addiction.

ADHD is caused by a dysfunction of the brain dopamine and hence the reason why stimulants which increase the signaling of dopamine have a therapeutic benefit. The stimulants work through increasing the levels of dopamine within the brain-dopamine. Brain-dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is associated with attention, movement and pleasure. The therapeutic effect of stimulants is achieved through slowly and steadily increasing levels of dopamine that are same as the dopamine that is produced in the brain naturally (Doggett, 2011). Physicians start by prescribing low doses and then increase them gradually until a therapeutic effect is attained. When these stimulants are taken through other routes besides the ones prescribed, they end up increasing the levels of brain dopamine in an amplified and rapid way. This causes the disruption of normal communication that exists between brain cells and euphoria production. This leads to an increase in the risk of the patient becoming addicted to the stimulants.

There are various concerns when it comes to use of stimulant drugs to treat ADHD. These stimulants can increase an individual’s heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. They can also decrease a person’s appetite and their sleep. When stimulants are abused they lead to malnutrition and the consequences that come with it. The repeated abuse of stimulants can cause paranoia and hostility feeling. Incase they are taken in high doses they end up causing cardiovascular complications such as stroke. It is very easy for a person suffering from ADHD to become addicted to the prescribed stimulants (Stanford, 2012). This is because these individuals take the stimulants without medical supervision and hence might end up abusing them. Addiction occurs in cases where they are taken in different routes or doses other than the ones that have been prescribed hence induce a rapid increase in the level of dopamine within the brain. If the stimulants are abused chronically, a person can experience withdrawal symptoms like depression, fatigue, and disruption of their sleeping patterns when a person stops taking them. There can also be some complications where a person crushes the pills and injects themselves. These tablets contain insoluble fillers that can lead to the blocking of small blood vessels.

References

Doggett, A. (2011). ADHD And Drug Therapy: Is It Still A Valid Treatment? Journal of Child Health Care, 69-81.Stanford, C. (2012). Behavioral neuroscience of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and its treatment. Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.