ADHD medicines

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines are used to help treat ADHD symptoms.

You may be prescribed a stimulant medicine, also known as a psychostimulant. These medicines stimulate (activate) the central nervous system.

There are also non-stimulant medicines used to treat ADHD if stimulants are not suitable.

These include:

• atomoxetine
• guanfacine
• clonidine

Children, adolescents and adults may benefit from ADHD medicines. Medicine is often combined with psychological interventions to manage ADHD. Your doctor will work with you (or your child) to carefully consider all options before making a recommendation.

ADHD medicines are prescribed by a specialist doctor, such as a paediatrician or psychiatrist, depending on the person's age and needs.

Stimulant medicines are thought to treat ADHD by adjusting the amount of chemical messengers in your brain, such as dopamine and noradrenaline. These messengers play a role in improving:

• behaviour
• impulsiveness
• attention
• memory

Read more on ADHD and its symptoms.

Non-stimulant ADHD medicines such as atomoxetine and guanfacine work differently from stimulants. However, they also change how chemical messengers work in your brain.

Clonidine is another non-stimulant medicine. It can help calm you and reduce anxiety and irritability. Your doctor may prescribe this if your child:

• has ADHD
• shows signs of aggression
• has sleep problems

Stimulants are usually the first medicine your doctor will suggest you try if your ADHD impacts your life in a negative way. This group of medicines includes:

• methylphenidate (which can be short or long acting)
• dexamfetamine (also spelled dexamphetamine)
• lisdexamfetamine

Short-acting medicine works soon after you take it, but only for a limited time. Long-acting medicine is slower to start working after you take it, but its effects last for a longer time.

Your doctor will work with you to decide which formulation is best for you or your child. A long-acting formulation may be preferred for convenience. Your doctor may recommend a short-acting medicine in some situations.

Stimulant medicines work differently in different people. If one stimulant doesn't work, your doctor may prescribe a different one.

Non-stimulant ADHD medicines such as atomoxetine or guanfacine can be tried if:

• stimulants don't help your symptoms
• you can't take stimulants because of another medical condition (such as Tourette syndrome)
• you have side effects from taking stimulants

Your child or teenager may try clonidine as another option. However, it must be taken multiple times a day.

Sometimes, a combination of different medicines is prescribed.

Side effects are quite common with psychostimulant medicines. They are usually minor and often disappear when the dose of the medicine is adjusted with the help of your prescriber.

The most common side effects of psychostimulants are:

• reduced appetite
• weight loss
• increased anxiety and irritability
• insomnia
• stomach ache
• headache

Stimulants may also slow down your child's growth in height. Your child's height and weight should be monitored while they are taking stimulants.

To help manage reduced appetite, you should take stimulant medicines with or after meals.

To help prevent stimulants from impacting your sleep, you should not take them after early afternoon.

Muscle twitching of the face or neck may start when you take psychostimulants, or it may get worse if you have had any twitching previously.

Many medicines that are used to treat ADHD can affect the heart. Stimulants can cause high blood pressure. Clonidine and guanfacine can cause low blood pressure.

When stopping ADHD medicines, withdrawal symptoms may occur. It is important to talk to your doctor about the proper way to stop.

Risk of overdose

Taking too much ADHD medicine can cause overdose and toxicity, especially in children.

This is due to the effects of psychostimulants on the nervous system, which can cause problems with the heart and brain.

Your child may take too much ADHD medicine due to:

• children finding tablets around the house
• incorrect dosing or timing of treatment
• miscommunication between parents, leading to double dosing
• difficulties with giving the exact prescribed dose (for example, half-tablet doses)
• mental health crisis or recreational use

You can help prevent mistakes when giving ADHD medicine by:

• educating yourself and your child on the importance of taking ADHD medicine at the correct time and dose
• storing medicines out of reach of children and in child-proof packaging
• sticking to a regular dosing routine
• recording doses given

Prescription medicines must only be taken by the person they are prescribed for. Sharing ADHD medicines or taking someone else's medicine is unsafe and illegal in Australia.

Call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 if you think you or your child has taken too much ADHD medicine. There is no need to wait until symptoms appear.

You should see your doctor regularly while receiving treatment for ADHD. Your doctor will review the effectiveness of the treatment and check for any side effects. They can adjust the dose, add another medicine or change your medicine if needed.

You can talk to your doctor about stopping your medicine or lowering your dose — this might be because of side effects, or if the medicine is not working for you.

You should not stop taking your medicine without talking to your doctor. It may need to be reduced slowly rather than stopped suddenly.

There are many treatment options for ADHD that don't involve taking medicine or can be used in combination with medicine.

Lifestyle changes can help you manage your ADHD. These include:

• staying educated about ADHD
• eating a healthy diet
• regular exercise
• improving sleep patterns

For adults with ADHD, there are different approaches that can be effective. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), ADHD coaching or mindfulness therapy may benefit you. Other approaches include:

• changing your environment to make tasks easier
• developing strategies that focus on your strengths
• learning how to manage stress
• developing problem-solving skills

If you have a child with ADHD, non-medicine treatments for ADHD should be tried first. If your doctor prescribes ADHD medicines for your child, they are often used together with non-medicine treatments. This may include one or more of the following:

• behavioural therapy
• psychotherapy
• emotional counselling
• social skills training
• family counselling or parent skills training
• time management training
• lifestyle changes

Parent or family training can empower you to support your child. This is often led by a psychologist.

• The Agency for Clinical Innovation (NSW Government) has information on who can prescribe ADHD medicine (Opens in new tab) in NSW.
• If you live in NSW, use this Healthdirect Australia map (Opens in new tab) to locate a doctor who can prescribe ADHD medicine.
• The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne has information on how to help children with ADHD at school and home (Opens in new tab).
• The ADHD Foundation (Opens in new tab) offers support and education. You can call them on 1300 39 39 19.
• ADHD Australia (Opens in new tab) has resources and a list of support groups across Australia.
• The Australian Psychological Society has information on ADHD in adults (Opens in new tab).
• The Australasian ADHD Professionals Association has resources to help parents of children with ADHD to support their children (Opens in new tab).
• headspace provides information to help young people with ADHD with life skills (Opens in new tab).

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Languages other than English

The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne has information on ADHD in Arabic (Opens in new tab), including ways to help at school and home (Opens in new tab).

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

The Australasian ADHD Professionals Association has a fact sheet about ADHD and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples (Opens in new tab). It also offers a consumer companion guide (Opens in new tab) that explains ADHD treatments for adults and children.