22nd July 2008
Pulskaki,
Your question deserved its own thread, because I'm sure there are many others with the same question.
The simplest description of ADHD as I can muster, and we're working from my understanding, so it's got to be simple: ;)
When someone is ADHD, there is a portion (or portions) of their brain that is hypoactive. This part of the brain is the part that is responsible for many important things that "normal" people take for granted, such as impulse control, focus, organization and others.
The Adderall, and most other ADHD medications is a stimulant, part of the Amphetamine family, which stimulates that part of the brain that for us is underactive and causes it to work harder, thus giving us more ability to focus, etc; this is the reason for the irony of ADHD in which stimulants calm us down.
Unfortunately, Adderall, like all stimulants, has side effects. Science has yet to find a medication that stimulates only the part of our brain responsible for ADHD, so the meds effect everything. Thus, you will find that your grandson may have difficulty sleeping, depending on when he takes his meds, and whether his dose is appropriate, and you will also find that he seldom gets hungry. Unfortunately, he's going to have to learn to eat anyway, because he needs as much or more food (the stimulant will increase his metabolism) as any other growing boy.
Your question deserved its own thread, because I'm sure there are many others with the same question.
The simplest description of ADHD as I can muster, and we're working from my understanding, so it's got to be simple: ;)
When someone is ADHD, there is a portion (or portions) of their brain that is hypoactive. This part of the brain is the part that is responsible for many important things that "normal" people take for granted, such as impulse control, focus, organization and others.
The Adderall, and most other ADHD medications is a stimulant, part of the Amphetamine family, which stimulates that part of the brain that for us is underactive and causes it to work harder, thus giving us more ability to focus, etc; this is the reason for the irony of ADHD in which stimulants calm us down.
Unfortunately, Adderall, like all stimulants, has side effects. Science has yet to find a medication that stimulates only the part of our brain responsible for ADHD, so the meds effect everything. Thus, you will find that your grandson may have difficulty sleeping, depending on when he takes his meds, and whether his dose is appropriate, and you will also find that he seldom gets hungry. Unfortunately, he's going to have to learn to eat anyway, because he needs as much or more food (the stimulant will increase his metabolism) as any other growing boy.