What are some alternatives to ritalin (methylphenidate) and other stimulants, when treating adhd in a child?

Nonstimulants: Nonstimulants such as atomoxetine (strattera), guanfacine, or Clonidine are useful alternatives to stimulants like Ritalin (methylphenidate) for the treatment of adhd in kids. These take between 4-6 weeks to take effect.

Therapy/nonstimulant: Non stimulants can be very helpful, especially now that there are long-acting ones (kapvay and intuniv). Studies have consistently shown that stimulants are the most effective but there is also considerable evidence that certain therapies (cognitive behavioral therapy, applied behavioral analysis, parent-child interaction therapy, etc) can be beneficial alone, but especially in addition to meds.

Ritalin (methylphenidate): Non-stimulants such as intuniv, kapvay, wellbutrin, (bupropion) remeron, omega 3-6, and strattera, all have been used , with mixed results.

Find the cause : There are many underlying medical and educational causes of adhd symptoms. Those should all be tested for and treated prior to giving a diagnosis of adhd and prior to prescribing adhd drugs. In my book, no more adhd, i recommend a course of action to help find the real cause of the symptoms.

Alternatives: The biochemical cause of ADHD is well known. Therefore those medications that treat that imbalance are the best treatment and stimulants are first line. When a child does not tolerate stimulants due to side effects alternatives include Provigil, Nuvigil, Imipramine and Strattera (atomoxetine). If anxiety accompanies ADHD adding medications such as Intuniv can help. Amantadine is uncommonly used but can help