 |
ADDvisor |
 |
 |
|
|
For People with ADHD & Those Who Love Them |
||||
| Subscribe Me to the ADDvisor Newsletter | Bill Benninger | Alan Graham | ||
| |||||||||||||||||
Cogmed Working Memory Training Outline: Everything You Want To Know About ADHD
|
Return to ADDvisor Volume 4 2002 Index
Number 2 January 18, 2002 In this issue: 1. New Medications for ADHD ========================================== NEW MEDICATIONS FOR ADHD ========================================== This week, I attended a dinner sponsored by Shire to promote their new ADHD medication, Adderall XR. Adderall XR is a once a day medication similar to Concerta in duration. Adderall XR is the same formulation as regular Adderall which is a mixture of amphetamine salts. What is different about Adderall XR is the delivery system. Inside of the Adderall XR capsule are tiny beads. Some of these are immediate release beads. They release their medication immediately upon entering the body. The delayed release beads release their medication about 4 hours later. As a result, the medication appears to last up to 12 hours. Shire recommends that those individuals taking regular Adderall can be switched over to Adderall XR. This medication adds to the options that are available to manage the symptoms of ADHD. Also on the horizon is a new non stimulant medication called atomoxetine which is reportedly effective in managing the symptoms of ADHD with fewer side effects. Its release is expected sometime this year. Eli Lilly (the drug company devloping atomoxetine) researchers state that the medication will have a broader impact on patient functioning as compared to stimulant medication. They report that patients taking atomoxetine function better in family and social situations. Where stimulant medication affects dopamine levels in the brain, atomoxetine impacts norepinephrine, another brain chemical that is indicated to be important in regulating attention and contolling impulses. Another delivery system for methylphenidate is also under investigation. A transdermal patch is currently in development which may be useful with kids who have difficulty swallowing pills. Novartis, the makers of Ritalin, have just introduced Focalin, a new formulation of methylphenidate that can be given in half the dosage of Ritalin and is reported to be just as effective. CONTACT INFORMATION _____________________________ Alan R. Graham, Ph.D. Bill Benninger, Ph.D. ADDvisor.com Voice: 1-866-ADDvisor Fax: 847-824-2386 Email: Alan@ADDvisor.com Bill@ADDvisor.com Web: www.ADDvisor.com (c) Copyright 2002 ADDvisor.com, Ltd. All rights reserved The above material may be retransmitted or distributed to whomever you wish as long as not a single word is changed, added or deleted, including the contact information. However, you may not copy it to a web site. Republication of "The ADDvisor" in paper media is encouraged and permitted by organizations and associations which serve parents of ADHD children at the national, state and/or local level as long as the issue is reprinted in its entirety without charge and includes the contact information. With advance permission, we are happy to edit an issue to fit your space requirements. Republication is also encouraged under other circumstances, however, the advance permission of ADDvisor.com, Ltd. must be obtained in the event that changes in the text are desired or republication is to be made by individuals or by organizations other than those mentioned above. |
|
|
Questions or comments? Send e mail to
Alan@ADDvisor.com
|
