Treating ADHD Without Stimulants
Parents might consider other drug choices and behavior management therapy
Stimulant drugs aren't the only way to tackle a child's ADHD, says Ronald Brown, a pediatric ADHD expert at Temple University. Parents vexed by today's news that heart monitoring is advised for children prescribed stimulants may want to consult their pediatrician about nonstimulant alternatives and behavior management therapy, a nonmedicinal treatment that's been shown in studies to manage symptoms as effectively as drugs can. Other drug choices include:
- Strattera. This nonstimulant medication acts on norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter in the brain, Brown says. Side effects may include nausea, appetite suppression, dizziness, fatigue, and mood swings.
- Antidepressants are also used to manage ADHD and can enhance attention and concentration. Side effects may include insomnia, dizziness, irritability, and constipation. Some types of antidepressants may carry serious heart risks, and others can't be used by people prone to seizures.
- Blood Pressure Drugs. Certain antihypertension drugs are also used to treat the hyperactivity and behavioral problems associated with ADHD, Brown says. Since they lower blood pressure, stopping medication abruptly is never advised; doing so can cause blood pressure to spike, which can be deadly.
Used alone or along with medication, behavior management therapy is typically overseen by a child psychologist and hinges upon parents and teachers who consistently reward children for good behavior and punish undesirable behavior. For younger children, that might mean treats as rewards and timeouts for punishment; for older kids, it might mean car-driving privileges or loss of those rights. But there are downsides to this treatment route: It's labor intensive, and insurers often won't foot the bill, as they would for medication. Nonetheless, Brown says, today's news serves as a reminder that medication "should be used judiciously. There are other treatments available that are evidence based, and that should be provided."
Reader Comments
ADHD in Children & Teens
There are excellent manuals for parents on behavior management for children five thru 12. As a clinical psychologist I strongly recomment behavior management study (self-sudy) or training (from behavioral psychologists) for parents of young children before beginning meds. Unfortunately the article didn't mention resources for parents.
I have found that many parents accidentally reinforce ADHD type behavior in their children and don't realize it. And they often fail to reinforce on-task adaptive behavior. The task of the behavioral psychologist is to teach and demonstrate the basic behavior management rules as well as the four basic errors of behavior management. Then consider referring the child for meds.
Help ADHD children when they are young. It is easier to help children when they are young that when they are teens! A clinical psychologist
Why drug children?
How many here know that the checklist for AD(H)D and the checklist for giftedness are very much alike?
I'm sure that during my math classes in school any teacher would have branded me as ADD because I didn't pay attention. I was BORED! (I was also in accelerated classes.)
Lots of times hyperactivity can be attributed to age and/or gender. Under 7, it's normal to have ants in the pants--especially if you're a boy. How many have seen the boys/girls ratio in special ed classes? They're mostly BOYS!
How many cases of AD(H)D can simply be attributed to normal boy behavior?
How Do I Save My Child?
I have a beautiful 21 yr. old daughter (youngest of 7) who has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, ADHD, Tourette's Syndrome, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and BiPolar. She has been prescribed at least 20 different medications to treat some or all of her illnesses. If a medication works well for OCD, it increases problems with bipolar and on and on and on. She was once 4th in the U.S. in gymnastics and a competitive ballet dancer. She is no a SSI recipient who has had over 40 jobs in the past few years. She takes geodone, luvox and was recently prescribed 300 mg. of Adderall per day. SHe had an extremely violent mania episode which resulted in the breaking of a window. She faces charges of criminal damaging, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and assault of a police officer. Prior to this situation, she did not have a criminal history. Her first diagnosis was ADHD. The others have been added over the years. I am so sad for all the parents trying to help their children. It seems this area of medicine is "hit or miss".
Add your thoughts
All comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.advertisement
