Dexedrine, Cylert, and Adderall in the Treatment of ADHD

Dexedrine is not prescribed very often for theADDerall
treatment of ADHD out here in California, but those
patients that we've seen on it have done well. TypicallyAdderall is no longer a "new" drug in the treatment of
it is prescribed to patients who have not responded toAttention Deficit Disorder. The patients that we know
Ritalin very well. It has the advantage of having a verywho have tried it really have come to like it.
nice long-lasting product (one dose per day). Usually it
will not be prescribed to teenagers, or to individualsIt is a "cocktail" drug, or a mixture of four drugs, all from
with a history of substance abuse. It can have retailthe amphetamine family. As a result it has a broad
value in the high school parking lot, and can be misusedspectrum of symptom coverage. It also tends to last
and abused.for about six hours per dose, so it can cover the entire
school day. It can be less "harsh" than Ritalin. ADDerall
Cylert (Sodium Pemoline)might be worth talking to your doctor about as either
the first or second medication to try.
Cylert seems to be prescribed most by neurologists
and by the few pediatricians who are afraid toADDerall tablets come in 5, 10, 20, and 30 mg doses
prescribe Ritalin.offering great flexibility to a physician in targeting the
optimum dose for any patient. Even greater flexibility is
We don't recommend Cylert at all, and wonder whyoffered because the tablets are double-scored so
anyone actually prescribes it at all any more. It onlythey can be accurately split into halves or quarters.
works about half the time with patients, and can haveThis means that ADDerall can be administered in
very serious side-effects. We have been told that itincrements as low as 1.25 mg, or adjusted in 1.25 mg
causes hepatitis in 1/1000 of patients. We cannot verifyincrements.
this, but it's good enough for us to not recommend it to
patients anyway. Even the manufacturer recommendsADDerall begins to work more gradually than Ritalin, or
against it as the first medication tried in treatingDexedrine, and the "drop-off" slope is also much more
Attention Deficit Disorder.gradual, meaning that there is less of a "trough" time at
the end of the dose.
Besides Attend works as well or better and is much
healthier and safer, so why mess with a medicationYou can learn more about ADHD and the various
that can cause such serious problems?treatment options for it at the ADHD Information
Library.