Posted by scott-d-o on February 6, 2004, at 18:30:38
In reply to Adderall versus Ritalin?, posted by Sugarpuss on February 6, 2004, at 6:49:58
my personal opinion is that ritalin is best for adhd and adderall is best for inattentive add.. i've never thought these two "disorders" should even be related in this way since a variety of dysfunctions in the cns can cause attention problems.
i think the reason ritalin is prescribed more to hyperactive kids is because ritalin is more serotonergic than amphetamines.. since these kids have excess dopamine to begin with, the serotonin reuptake blockade of ritalin is what induces the calming effect. this has been demonstrated in rats that lack the dopamine transporter (so they have excess dopamine in the extracellular space and are hyperactive). when ritalin is administered to these rats it calms them down even thou they completely lack a dopamine transporter. I apologize to any parents who are offended by my comparison of hyperactive children to hyperactive rats..
most adults (who generally are not hyperactive) prefer adderall and usually find it feels smoother, and is less anxiety-provoking.. i'm sure the fact that amphetamines cause the release of DA/NE in addition to blocking reuptake also plays a factor.. while ritalin, like cocaine, mostly just blocks the reuptake of monoamines; just not as quickly as it's natural cousin, mr. coca, does. ritalin is still much shorter acting than amphetamine however and this also makes it more likely to be abused in my opinion, another reason to go w/the adderall.
scott
poster:scott-d-o
thread:310086
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040204/msgs/310273.html