What are the pros and cons of methylphenidate (Ritalin) versus Dexedrine or Adderall?
Though Ritalin is still the most widely prescribed treatment for ADHD in the United States, more and more physicians are coming to view Dexedrine and Adderall as the treatments of choice for ADHD. As we’ve seen, Ritalin has been well studied, and its effectiveness well established. In addition, it takes effect quickly and clears the system quickly, which may make it easier to adapt the dosing schedule to your child’s needs. (For example, if your child has a “slump” in the evening, a late-afternoon dose of Ritalin will help, while still clearing the child’s system by bedtime. With a longer-acting medication, you don’t have this flexibility.) However, Ritalin’s short duration of action makes it more difficult to manage the typical child’s school day. One dose lasts about three hours, so if the child takes the dose with breakfast, then gets dressed, waits for the bus, rides the bus to school, and sits through homeroom, he or she may be halfway through the first dose before the school day
