Non Stimulants

The opposite method of medication is the non-stimulant method with drugs such as Strattera and Intuniv. both of these have alternative methods to help with ADHD symptoms, which we briefly covered in the stimulant page, but this time it will be covered in greater detail. There are two styles of non-stimulants which do different things in the brain, and so I will be covering them one at a time below.

Strattera:
Strattera can be a great alternative or in combination with stimulants, depending on your situation and what issues you are experiencing. Strattera, unlike stimulants, does not suppress the limbic system, instead, it works to boost the norepinephrine in the frontal part of the brain more than stimulants, activating the executive system and thus allowing a person to self-regulate their emotional state. An example of this is the anxiety that some people can suffer from when the unregulated fight or flight response is triggered. Strattera medication like  Atomoxetine allows a person with ADHD to be able to better control this response without losing their emotion's entirely, which high doses of stimulants can create.

This is the biggest advantage of Strattera medications is that it works straight to the cause of ADHD which is the executive functions so it can also control impulsive tendencies. It doesn't work on dopamine like the stimulants, which relates to your working memory and motivation, so this is why clinicians are tending to mix stimulants and Strattera together, as it means lower doses and less risk of the side effects that these medications can bring.
Because of the methods that Strattera uses to medicate the brain, it doesn't bring the agitation which stimulants can cause, nor does it affect your sleep patterns, which is great but what are the side effects and risks of Strattera? Looking into the side effects, using Atomoxetine as the example you may get an upset stomach and nausea, which then, of course, leads to a loss of appetite. Other possible side effects are dizziness, overall fatigue and like stimulants, mood swings could happen so something to keep in mind.

The above side effects are mild but overall manageable there are though a few more serious side effects that are rare but if you do find any of these happen to stop taking Atomoxetine and consult your doctor as soon as possible.
Jaundice and overall liver problems can rarely occur, so if your skin starts going yellow or the white parts of your eyes, seek immediate medical attention bringing the Atomoxetine with you so they know exactly the cause.

Suicidal thoughts are another possibility that Atomoxetine can bring. Again this is rare but if you are taking this medication and you start to think about killing yourself for whatever reason, first remember it is the medication you took is causing the thoughts and that they are not your own. Secondly, you need to obviously stop taking the medication and report these issues to your doctor.
Finally one last serious side effect happens occasionally with certain people being allergic to Atomoxetine. If you are allergic you can get rashes, hives, swelling or a combination. As mentioned before it is rare that this happens but if you are allergic obviously stop taking and consult your doctor.

Now I know I used the word finally before but there is one other rare side effect that can affect men, and that is with erections. Some men can experience erections which can last for up to 4 hours. Now some men may be smiling at this point and feel that this is a great thing. However, if you are taking Atomoxetine with stimulants in the morning, then if you do get this side effect you're going to have an erection for the first four hours of your day, which is not so great when you are heading to work.

Intuniv:
The other non-stimulant Intuniv is a guanfacine extract. It has a benefit for people with ADHD as it is an Alpha 2 regulator. Now what Alpha 2 is the ports in-between nerve cells which controls how much signal is sent, so if the alpha 2 is open too largely the signals get noise and disruption, and what guanfacine does is to latch onto the alpha 2 ports and fine tunes the ports for these nerve cells. With the ports made to be more tighter means stronger cleaner signals being sent across, so of course being able to concentrate higher.

So the Intuniv has a real benefit for the people with ADHD, and if it is combined with stimulants the people with ADHD will have not only increased dopamine for cognitive function, but the signals from nerve cells are now improved. Which of course means not only is the concentration ability improved, but the ability to recall memories and being able to use this is improved.

Side effects on the minor side are very similar to Strattera, in that it can cause in some people dizziness, dry mouth, and feeling tired, and potentially constipation. It is, however, the more serious side effects where the differences lie. With Intuniv the more serious side effects can be related to heart rate is faster or chest tightness, or a possible feeling of numbness and wanting to pass out, so if you do drive make sure you test yourself on Intuniv before you start driving These side effects are of course  rare and compared to Strattera a lot less scary, so if you did find that the more serious side effects occur, switching to Intuniv would be a smart choice. Of course with any side effects in medication, consult your doctor.

A point I would like to conclude with is that 70% of what the medications do to the brain for ADHD is shared, and 30% of the three have their own methods of helping, which tends to be in connection to the emotional side of the brain.
 A real benefit to combining stimulants and non-stimulants is that with the two drugs working together meaning that dosages will be lower. The reasoning to why it is lower is down to the 70% mentioned before, as both stimulants and non-stimulants work in the same ways which are why they are ADHD Medication. So with both complimenting each other, you are lowering the risk of side effects from both drugs, so it is the safest option for someone who is using prescribed medication.