adhd - Drugs for ADHD

With the introduction of concerta and then adderall XR, most users of ADHD medications switched to extended release formulas. To combat this loss of sales, ritalin introduced two versions, ritalin LA and Ritalin SR. For more information see adderall XR and Slow Release ADHD Medications.

There are three main ADHD Medications: Ritalin (the original ADHD medication), Adderall and concerta (although new medications are being added all the time.) Each has its own advantages. Ritalin is the oldest, the simplest chemical formulation, and the cheapest because it can be purchased as a generic medicine. Made up of methylphenidate, it is taken two or three times a day. Ritalin has been used since the 1960s as medication for ADHD.

Concerta, like Ritalin, uses methylphenidate as its active ingredient. Unlike Ritalin and other ADHD medications at the time, it was specially designed to provide a steady stream of medication throughout the day. Allowing parents to give their child one tablet in the morning before school and the medication will be effective all through the school day and into the evening. Concerta does this by placing the medication in a very cleverly design tablet which includes a laser drilled hole that allows the methylphenidate to slowly seep out.

Adderall is unlike the other ADHD medications because it uses a mix of different forms of stimulants. In theory this gives a smoother trip up to and down from the medication’s peak effectiveness. This avoids sudden peaks and troughs in the child’s attention span and energy levels. Adderall XR is a variant on standard Adderall designed to give a whole day’s supply in a single tablet, similar to the Concerta tablet.