Although current ADHD prescription medications on the market seem to all share the ability to increase concentration, focus and multitasking abilities, they also share a number of serious side effects that can negatively impact appetite, sleep and mood, especially as the medication wears off throughout the day.
As with many different types of prescription medications, side effects can sometimes initiate new problems that might be worse than the problem that brought the patient into the doctor’s office in the first place. In other cases, the side effects might not be worse than the root problem, but may not be worth dealing with. Sometimes, the side effects may even make the problem’s symptoms worse. For instance, many of the drugs used to treat ADHD run the risk of increasing irritability, which is already one of the disorder’s symptoms prior to medication.
ADHD prescription medications can help increase focus and concentration, but they also share a number of negative side effects. Speak with your doctor to see what works for you.
The following slides compare the benefits and side effects of the six most widely used ADHD prescriptions as well as possible non-prescription alternatives.