Switching ADHD medications is a tough decision. Are you not getting the desired results from your medications and you are puzzled as to when to increase ADHD medications in adults? Your medications are dependent on many aspects of your body and your mental health such as the severity of your disorder, the way it affects you, and the other health and mental problems that occur to you along with ADHD. You might be wondering as to how medications work.
It changes the way your brain works and hence the symptoms are under control. To know more, this is the piece of art to rejuvenate you with important knowledge that you should not miss reading.
ADHD medication for adults
As it differs from individual to individual, it is necessary to keep on doing trial and error of medications until you can find out the best medication. Some of you may respond well to methylphenidate or dextroamphetamine whereas the others might find anti-depressants, atomoxetine, or an alpha agonist.
These medications can come in the form of short-acting drugs as well as long-acting drugs. The short-acting drugs last for 4 hours while the long-acting drugs can affect you for 8 to 12 hours. So, you need to take the short-acting drugs twice a day whereas the long-acting drugs can be consumed once a day.
You may want to switch from one stimulant to other or stimulant to non-stimulant. But the switch from stimulant to non-stimulant is more complicated rather than the changing of one stimulant to the others. Stimulants wear off easily and exist in your body for 12 hours whereas the non-stimulants tend to stay in your body for a longer period.
You should avoid taking stimulants if you are already suffering from physical ailments such as glaucoma, heart disease, or have a past of alcohol or drug abuse. There is a need to consult the doctor first before switching anti-depressant medications in adults when they have already been consuming stimulants. Along with the stimulants and non-stimulants, your doctor can give you other medications for your blood pressure that will help you deal with your symptoms of impulsivity and high activity.
You can easily take a stimulant once their effect is reduced. Can you do so in the case of non-stimulant too? This is not possible as the dosage of non-stimulant needs to be reduced slowly over days. It is significant for you to consult your doctor before you decide to make any kind of transition that is mentioned here. You need to proceed only after the recommendation of your doctor to do so.
Doctors will usually give you smaller dosages of the medications that you have started due to the ADHD medication's side effects in adults. The side effects caused by the stimulants can be dry mouth, stomach ache, and headache, loss of appetite, and sleep problems. If you take the medications through injections, have you noticed the change in the color of your skin in those portions? Not to worry, they are also side effects and they might go away in some days. Even the non-stimulants have side effects such as low sex drive, heartburn, and constipation.
They may start giving you the medication of 5 mg first and then slowly progressing with increasing of 5 mg. It is done to give your body time to adjust to the side effects. If your side effects become unbearable such as unusual tearfulness and irritability then it is required that you ask your doctor to reduce your dose. These adjustments of medications are usually done by the doctors every 3 to 7 days depending on the individual adaptation to the treatment. You might also need to take other medication to control the side effects.
As an adult suffering from ADHD, it is simpler for us to comprehend the effects of medications on the way we behave and feel. But it is very difficult for the children to do the same. To make things easier for the parents of children suffering from ADHD, Snap-IV Scale and Conners' Rating Scales will be at their assistance. You can now effortlessly comprehend the emotional and physical effects of the medication on your child. Further, it will be simpler for you to report an unusual emotion and behavior to the doctor before things begin to start becoming serious.
Hence, these are the ways of switching ADHD medications and that is how you plan your treatment along with the assistance of your doctor. Since there is no single treatment for ADHD, you need to gain knowledge of your medications and the symptoms of ADHD. You need to carefully monitor your symptoms and keep reporting it to your doctor. You are also required to strictly adhere to the portion of the medication that is recommended by the doctor. You should not overuse or underuse it.
Taking medicines or switching them without the doctor's prescription is like gifting yourself with unexpected physical as well as mental threats.
Along with the medications, counseling, and self-monitoring of your lifestyle will help you to get a quicker recovery. You can then dream and live a life beyond the shackles of your disorder. You should also have goals and aspirations in your life. And you need to maintain a proper schedule of diet and sleep that will benefit you. You should ask your doctor about the kinds of food that will decrease the absorption of medications.
Further, it is a necessity to prevent the intake of edibles and beverages containing caffeine as you are already consuming stimulants. You should try to have a stable routine and these days there are a lot of apps that will assist you to do so. If your health is not your treasure then what is? Your life is entirely your responsibility and you should cherish it to the fullest.