ADHD TEEN

[mazzy13]

Hi glad to find an online ADHD group , I ave a 15 year old diagnosed at 7 , I'm seriously thinking about trying medication ,not for my benefit at home it's for his school just d he can get through gcse next year. As I'm so worried about the future for him (job wise) especially without GCSE's it's bad enough for the kids with them

[tomhealy]

I would recommend to try it before hand just so you can find the correct dose.

Stimulants are the most common type of medication prescribed for attention deficit disorder. They have the longest track record for treating ADHD and the most research to back up their effectiveness. The stimulant class of medication includes widely used drugs such as Ritalin, Adderall, and Dexedrine.

Stimulants are believed to work by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with motivation, pleasure, attention, and movement. For many people with ADHD, stimulant medications boost concentration and focus while reducing hyperactive and impulsive behaviours.

Usually starting with the lowest dose of stimulant medication, and increasing it periodically will work . As long as the target symptoms improve without the development of side effects. At some point, however, the dose with increase and you won’t see further improvement. At that point, the previous dose is the optimal dose and finding this is key to it working!

The most common side effects are;

Feeling restless and jittery

, difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite headaches

,upset stomach

, irritability, mood swings

, depression

, dizziness

, racing heartbeat

,tics and some more. So you will probably want to try the medication in a period where he isn't going to be needing his full potential.