Non stimulant medication is an alternative option for the stimulants. In some cases (around 10%), the children do not react well to the stimulant (such as Ritalin, Adderall…). The stimulant medications may not make any improvement on the kids or the children cannot handle the side effects cause by the use of drugs. In this case, if the children want to continue the medication treatment, switch to non-stimulant is necessary.
Common non-stimulant for ADHD
There are quite many non-stimulant for ADHD. The most common one are Strattera and Intuniv. Strattera helps the user increase the attention as well as reduce the hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Intuniv has the same effects as Strattera.
Non-stimulant medications are usually called “off-label” drugs as they are mainly used for older children/adult and not usually prescribed for young children. With that said, you should study well about the effectiveness, side effects and the use of this type of treatment.
Advantages of non-stimulant in treating ADHD
Non-stimulants have some advantages over stimulants:
- It doesn’t cause agitation or sleeplessness
- User don’t have to worry about the risk of addiction
- Have longer effects
Side effects of non-stimulants
Just like stimulants, non stimulants do have potential side effects that the users may experience. Such as:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Decrease appetite
For more information about the usage of non-stimulant drugs, you should check out this page
Just like other types of drug, non-stimulant drugs can bring good results as well as potential harmful side effects. It is always recommended for you to consult the doctor before taking or let your child take the non-stimulant drugs.