Once a parent starts to suspect ADHD and observe symptoms such as inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity their next step is likely to start to learn more about possible treatment options.
In this pursuit they are likely to find a sometimes confusing smorgasbord of treatment options including prescription medication, behavioral therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, natural options such as vitamins and herbs, as well as many other less known alternatives such as repatterning therapy.
In this article we will focus on prescription medications for ADHD.
It is generally accepted that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a condition caused by brain chemical messenger imbalances.
The two brain chemical messengers that prescription medications for ADHD target are norepinephrine or dopamine, with the medication working to increase the amount of these neurotransmitters in the synapses (the areas between transmitting and receiving).
The idea is that by increasing the levels of norepinephrine and/or dopamine it helps the brain to rebalance not only the areas linked with these two chemical messengers but others as well.
Dopamine, which many of the more popular prescription medications for ADHD focus, is responsible for the strength of signals coming into the brain and for filtering capacity in the areas that select out what a person tends to pay attention to.
Norepinephrine is responsible for alertness and the clarity of brain processes.
Prescription medications for ADHD that focus on dopamine and/or norepinephrine are Ritalin, Adderall, Cylert, Provigil, Dexedrine, and Desoxyn.
Not all prescription medications for ADHD actually focus on ADHD.
Instead they are prescribed, sometimes in addition to the primary medication for co-existing conditions such as depression or anxiety.
The brain messenger targeted is normally serotonin.
Serotonin plays an intricate role in calming other processes in the brain.
Ironically, in some areas of the brain serotonin actually mitigates the effectiveness of dopamine and norepinephrine while in other area of the brain dopamine and norepinephrine inhibit serotonin activity.
 Prescription medications that fall into this category are Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, Luvox, and Celexa.
  What Next? While prescription medication for ADHD work well for some others find the side effect (tics, loss of appetite, headaches, insomnia etc...
) intolerable.
This has sparked a great deal of interest in natural ADHD treatments.
 Prescription drugs may alleviate the symptoms of the problem but they are only putting a band-aid on a bigger issue and with potentially serious consequences.
 Natural ADHD treatments such as homeopathy work safely and effectively to treat ADHD symptoms like hyperactivity, erratic behavior, and lack of concentration without putting your child's health in jeopardy.