adhd medications what class are they
attention deficit drugs increase concentration in the short term which is why they work so well for college students cramming for exams but when given to children over long periods of time they neither improve school achievement nor reduce behavior problems drugfacts stimulant adhd medications methylphenidate and amphetamines stimulant medications including amphetamines e g adderall and methylphenidate e g ritalin and concerta are often prescribed to treat children adolescents or adults diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder adhd pathophysiology of adhd attention deficit hyperactivity disorder adhd is usually considered to be a neurobehavioral developmental disorder this syndrome usually first evident in childhood is characterized by excessive motor activity difficulty in sustaining attention and impulsiveness concerta extended release tablets are taken once each day in the morning concerta is an extended release tablet it releases methylphenidate into your or your child s body throughout the day concerta extended release tablets can be taken with or without food what are the other health effects of prescription stimulants stimulants can increase blood pressure heart rate and body temperature and decrease sleep and appetite when they are abused they can lead to malnutrition and its consequences repeated abuse of stimulants can lead to feelings of hostility and paranoia they apparently develop a tolerance to the drug and thus its efficacy disappears many parents who take their children off the drugs find that behavior worsens which most likely confirms their belief that the drugs work but the behavior worsens because the children s bodies have become adapted to the drug adults may have similar reactions if they suddenly cut back on coffee or stop smoking three million children in this country take drugs for problems in focusing toward the end of last year many of their parents were deeply alarmed because there was a shortage of drugs like ritalin and adderall that they considered absolutely essential to their children s functioning and when we reviewed the literature on attention deficit drugs again in 1990 we found that all children whether they had attention problems or not responded to stimulant drugs the same way moreover while the drugs helped children settle down in class they actually increased activity in the playground prescription stimulants have a calming and focusing effect on individuals with adhd they are prescribed to patients for daily use and come in the form of tablets or capsules of varying dosages treatment of adhd with stimulants often in conjunction with psychotherapy helps to improve adhd symptoms along with the patient s self esteem thinking ability and social and family interactions concerta methylphenidate is a central nervous system stimulant it affects chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control concerta extended release tablets are used to treat attention deficit disorder add attention deficit hyperactivity disorder adhd and narcolepsy concerta may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide
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