New Non-Stimulant Medication For ADHD Hits the Market
Intuniv is a new medication for the treatment of ADHD in children and teens that just recently gained its approval from the FDA and was available to pharmacies in early November, 2009.
Early reports on Intuniv for ADHD are now coming in, as the medication is new to the market and many parents and physicians are curious about the initial feedback.
Intuniv is not a stimulant medication, and may be helpful to the estimated 25-30% of children with ADHD who do not benefit from stimulant medications.
Instead, Intuniv is a form of Guanfacine (Tenex) which has been used for years as a blood pressure medication in adults, and has also been used as an adjunct medication in the treatment of ADHD individuals with temper or anger problems, or oppositional defiant disorder.
Now in the form of Intuniv, this medication seems to have a wider range of symptoms that benefit from its use than just anger or oppositional behavior.
It appears that Intuniv (guanfacine) works in the pre-frontal cortex to help the brain's available supply of glutamate, and excitatory neurotransmitter.
About one-third of all neurotransmitters in the brain are glutamate, and working together with dopamine and norepinephrine, glutamate helps to improve the functioning of the pre-frontal cortex - improving focus and attention, decreasing impulsive anger and frustration.
Families will find Intuniv easier to manage then Tenex, as it is a once-a-day medication, where Tenex was twice-a-day dosing.
Also, Intuniv is not a stimulant, so it will be easier for doctors to prescribe the medication, and easier for families to pick up a refill at the pharmacy.
Also, Intuniv has no known potential for abuse or dependence, so it may be helpful for those with both ADHD and a co-morbid history of addiction.
Early reports on Intuniv indicate that the effects and benefits of the medication are not just one day, but actually have benefit for the next morning with the child or teen wakes up, and many families know that the early morning can be one of the most difficult times of the entire day.
While Intuniv can be used along with stimulant medications, for many children and teens it is proving to be good enough all by itself.
One doctor reports that he has seen positive results in his patients with "inattentive ADHD" helping them to focus better and longer.
Others report that Intuniv may also help with those difficult, angry, ODD, and perhaps early on-set bipolar disordered kids and teens.
And for those kids, Intuniv should be much safer than the antipsychotics that are often prescribed.
Obviously it is today very early in the game, and there is a lot that remains to be seen and reported.
I'm not sure that I'd want my child to get in too early on this medication.
I would rather take some time to see how others do with it, and let it get a bit of a track record.
In the studies that Shire had done for FDA approval, there were some significant side-effects reported, and something like 80% of the people who began the study dropped out over the course of the study.
The fact that the study was about two years long might explain the drop-out rate, but so might the reported side-effects.
But for many families it will be worth watching, listening, and asking questions of their physicians.
It should be a good discussion at your local CHADD meetings.
It is strongly recommended by some physicians that Intuniv not be used with certain other drugs, especially Prozac, Paxil, Luvox, Trileptal (or Tegretol), Provigil, and others in these classes.
We don't consider ourselves experts on Intuniv, but here are some websites with more information from people who are: Medicine and Technology by Dr.
Joseph Kim http://www.
medicineandtechnology.
com/2009/09/non-controlled-substance-drug-for-adhd.
html CorePsych Blog by Dr.
Charles Parker http://www.
corepsychblog.
com/2009/11/intuniv-for-adhd-dosing-details/
Early reports on Intuniv for ADHD are now coming in, as the medication is new to the market and many parents and physicians are curious about the initial feedback.
Intuniv is not a stimulant medication, and may be helpful to the estimated 25-30% of children with ADHD who do not benefit from stimulant medications.
Instead, Intuniv is a form of Guanfacine (Tenex) which has been used for years as a blood pressure medication in adults, and has also been used as an adjunct medication in the treatment of ADHD individuals with temper or anger problems, or oppositional defiant disorder.
Now in the form of Intuniv, this medication seems to have a wider range of symptoms that benefit from its use than just anger or oppositional behavior.
It appears that Intuniv (guanfacine) works in the pre-frontal cortex to help the brain's available supply of glutamate, and excitatory neurotransmitter.
About one-third of all neurotransmitters in the brain are glutamate, and working together with dopamine and norepinephrine, glutamate helps to improve the functioning of the pre-frontal cortex - improving focus and attention, decreasing impulsive anger and frustration.
Families will find Intuniv easier to manage then Tenex, as it is a once-a-day medication, where Tenex was twice-a-day dosing.
Also, Intuniv is not a stimulant, so it will be easier for doctors to prescribe the medication, and easier for families to pick up a refill at the pharmacy.
Also, Intuniv has no known potential for abuse or dependence, so it may be helpful for those with both ADHD and a co-morbid history of addiction.
Early reports on Intuniv indicate that the effects and benefits of the medication are not just one day, but actually have benefit for the next morning with the child or teen wakes up, and many families know that the early morning can be one of the most difficult times of the entire day.
While Intuniv can be used along with stimulant medications, for many children and teens it is proving to be good enough all by itself.
One doctor reports that he has seen positive results in his patients with "inattentive ADHD" helping them to focus better and longer.
Others report that Intuniv may also help with those difficult, angry, ODD, and perhaps early on-set bipolar disordered kids and teens.
And for those kids, Intuniv should be much safer than the antipsychotics that are often prescribed.
Obviously it is today very early in the game, and there is a lot that remains to be seen and reported.
I'm not sure that I'd want my child to get in too early on this medication.
I would rather take some time to see how others do with it, and let it get a bit of a track record.
In the studies that Shire had done for FDA approval, there were some significant side-effects reported, and something like 80% of the people who began the study dropped out over the course of the study.
The fact that the study was about two years long might explain the drop-out rate, but so might the reported side-effects.
But for many families it will be worth watching, listening, and asking questions of their physicians.
It should be a good discussion at your local CHADD meetings.
It is strongly recommended by some physicians that Intuniv not be used with certain other drugs, especially Prozac, Paxil, Luvox, Trileptal (or Tegretol), Provigil, and others in these classes.
We don't consider ourselves experts on Intuniv, but here are some websites with more information from people who are: Medicine and Technology by Dr.
Joseph Kim http://www.
medicineandtechnology.
com/2009/09/non-controlled-substance-drug-for-adhd.
html CorePsych Blog by Dr.
Charles Parker http://www.
corepsychblog.
com/2009/11/intuniv-for-adhd-dosing-details/
