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The information
contained in this article is intended to be used as
a possible resource for physicians, ADHD patients,
and parents of ADHD children. All prescribing and
dose changes with Strattera, as with all
prescription medications, must be done by a licensed
physician.
 tudies
show that children with un-treated ADHD experience
greater peer rejection, have higher injury rates,
and experience very high rates of substance abuse
and antisocial behavior. Their families
disproportionately experience parental frustration,
marital discord, and divorce. Medication alone
cannot, and should not, be relied upon by itself to
address the many psychosocial and develop-mental
needs of our ADHD children. Nonetheless, medi-cation
is often the single most important intervention one
can make when attempting to ameliorate the core ADHD
signs and symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity,
and impulsivity. That intervention has traditionally
been made by prescribing stimulant medications,
which, in numerous studies, have consistently
demonstrated their ability to treat these core ADHD
features.
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Few
nonstimulant medications have shown this degree of
effectiveness, and those that have, such as
desipramine, or the monoamine oxidase inhibitors,
have been plagued by safety concerns, drug
interactions, or other serious side effects. Now, a
unique nonstimulant drug called atomoxetine
(Strattera™) has been approved by the FDA for the
treatment of ADHD in children 6 years and older, and
in adults, and thus offers a new alternative to
treatment with stimulant medications or other
less-than-ideal nonstimulants
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Mechanism of Action
Researchers believe that the
faulty regulation of two important brain chemicals,
norepinephrine and dopamine (known as
neurotransmitters), in a few key regions of the
brain, accounts for the inattention, impulsivity,
and hyperactivity associated with ADHD. Therefore,
if a medication is going to treat all of the core
symptoms of ADHD, it needs to be able to influence
levels of both dopamine and norepinephrine in these
areas, either directly or indirectly. Strattera is a
potent norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, meaning
that the drug works by making more norepinephrine
available to those nerve receptor sites in the
brain where it is needed. Strattera appears to also
have indirect and less well understood effects on
levels of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex and the
basal ganglia, those parts of the brain that are
most involved in ADHD
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