This is a comprehensive list of all types of medications and methods of controlling ADD. Not all of the options listed below are legal, but in making the most complete list I could I felt that these also needed to be added. While some of the people with ADD abuse these drugs to get high, most use to feel normal and function in society. However for all casses it is much safer and more effective to use legal methods of treatment.

Most types of treatment for ADD are stimulants. The stimulants trigger neurotransmitters in the brain to fire rapidly. For normal people this produces a manic state characterized by high blood pressure and heart rate. Almost all stimulants can be addictive if abused and people can develope tolerance to them. In persons with ADD this form of medication is calming and helps focus. Below are listed all of the stimulants that have in the past been used to control ADD.

  1. Ritalin: Ritalin is probably the most widely recognized perscription drug used to treat the symptoms of ADD. This can be abused as a drug for people without ADD and is sometimes snorted.
  2. Dexedrine: The second most widely used perscription for treatment in ADD. This has also been used as both an antidepressant and a appetite suppressant. It is chemically similar to the diet pill Dexatrim. A common side effect is also insomnia.
  3. Adderall: Like Dexedrine this is an amphetamine that can be used to treat ADD. This was used to treat fatigue for people in the Air Force.
  4. Cylert: Prescribed mostly by doctors who are uneasy with the thought of prescribing Ritalin. This is only effective about 50% of the time.
  5. Wellbutrin: More popularily used as an antidepressant this can also be prescribed to treat ADD. The most serious side effect is seizure, although that is a rare occurance. Unlike most of the other drugs this can cause either weight loss or weight gain where as the others usually only cause weight loss if anything.
  6. Caffeine: This is not recomended by doctors as a treatment for the disorder, but is none the less effective for some people. Many ADD children will crave chocolate, but reject other sugary foods that are offered in replacement. The main side effect is dehydration due to caffeine's diuretic nature. Caffeine can be found in any range of foods or drinks and is listed under ingredients on packaging. It can also be found in pill form, but this can lead to a caffeine hangover.
  7. Herbal Remedies: The most common of these for use in persons with ADD is Ginseng.
  8. Amphetamines: Any type of amphetamine can be used to treat ADD, but most of them are illegal. The types that are legal can only be obtained with a perscription. These drugs are highly addictive and can be fatal. Speed is the most commonly abused amphetamine in this case because they can tell that it works, they just don't know why.
  9. Cocaine: A very strong and very addictive stimulant that isn't legal anywhere that I know of. Like the other drugs it helps focus in ADD people, but is very easy to overdose on since it is almost impossible to tell how pure it is or what it was cut with.

There are only a handful of methods of control for ADD that do not involve stimulants, but most are effective none the less.

  1. Marijuana: Marijuana can only be legally prescribed in the U.S. to treat Glaucoma, but is often abused by persons with ADD becuase it is thought to be less harmful than the other illegal methods and just as effective in most cases.
  2. Vitamin Supliments: There is a company called Pfeiffer Treatment Center that treates bio-chemical disorders through vitamin supliments. ADD is just one of dozens of things that can be tested for and treated using this method. Hair and blood samples are taken and then a mix of vitamins is prescribed and ordered to treat the patient. This is not a widely known method, but is effective and a more natural way to treat ADD without negative side effects.
  3. Yoga, Karate, Meditation and other centering practices: There is no scientific research to back up the effectivness of these as a treatment for ADD, but there are many people who swear by these methods as a way to boost focus and offset the effects of ADD without altering their body chemistry in any way.

If you have been diagnosed with ADD seek the treatment of a doctor, and listen to what they have to say. If the treatment that you are put on is not right for you try suggesting some of these other methods. I have personal experience with every legal medication listed above, (except Adderall) and have found that the best way for me to control my ADD is with Caffeine, but I know too many people with ADD on too many different things to tell you which method is best. The only advice I can give you is to be open with your options.

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