I cannot find one thread on whats overall is the best adhd med on the market? Can anybody give me some insight? thanks.

you won't be able to find a thread on what the best medication is because because there isn't one that's the best for everyone.
ADHD meds work differently for everyone; what's best for me might not be best for you. Some people, like me, are lucky and get it right on the first try, while others have to try several meds to figure out what's best for them.

I agree with livingcahaos.

Saying that there is one overall best medication for this condition is the same thing as saying that there is one overall best fruit, or vegetable, or candy, etc.

It simply boils down to personal preference.

All that being said, here are the best three in order as far as I am concerned:

1) Desoxyn

2) Dexedrine

3) Focalin

would strattera even be considered a good candidate? I only ask becuase my doctor is certain it will work yet ive heard bad things about it on here which is weird. Ive taken strattera before about 5 years ago but then i stopped. My insurance will most likely cover any add/adhd med thats available so if theres a better one out there then i would most likely switch without a doubt becuase i could care less about the side effects as long as it sooner or later "works".

would strattera even be considered a good candidate?

I have never taken Strattera so I can't say, however I have heard some who reported good things about it.

It essentially boils down to an individuals own makeup that determines how well one drug works over another drug.

My advice is that you should follow your Dr's advice. ;)

Yeah ill be taking strattera and see how its goes, I was just wondering becuase i havnt been on meds in 5 years so i dont know if theres been any remarkable industry changes in the ADD/ADHD medical field. Thanks for the info.

Well, like I said I have never taken Strattera, and probably never will due to how effective the stimulants are for me.

However, as far as "remarkable industry changes in the ADD/ADHD medical field" are concerned, I feel that the new stimulant Focalin is the single most underrated ADHD drug on the market today.

Focalin is dexmethylphenidate, and it is "similar" to Ritalin (methylphenidate) in name alone. The effects are completely different for most people. It is something that I wish I had tried when it first hit the market. My Dr initially asked me if I wanted to try it out when it hit the market, but unfortunately I waited several years before trying it out due to having the miss-assumption that it was like Ritalin. I was shocked at how much different, and how much better it was for me than Ritalin was.

Its effects were extremely smooth, with virtually no side effects for me. The worst thing for me was that it was just too expensive. However, if you have insurance that covers your medication, then that is a non-issue for you. ;)

Strattera is awesome for me. If you have tendencies towards experiencing anxiety symptoms, I would highly recommend it. I have not felt stress since I've been on Strattera. It's really awesome that way.

That said, it causes weird mood issues depending on when during the day I take it. Sleeping has been light or difficult.

Generally I'd say it helps me more than stimulants, but I would consider stimulants safer if only because they have less side-effects than Strattera.

I personally did terrible on Strattera, but I know one of the doctors in the practice I go to takes it. It seems to work for him. Everything boils down to body chemistry.

As the previous posts said there is no real answer. What works well for one might be bad for someone else.

That said... if you pour through all the medical research studies comparing stimulants you'll see that they have about a 70-80% rate of success.
**Most** prefer amphetamines over methylphenidate. Some prefer the other and others do fine on either. The big hurdle with methylphenidate is getting the dosage right since most doctors don't go high enough to achieve effective results.

Meds like Provigil, Straterra, Wellbutrin, and others are considered 2nd line meds and typically don't work as well as 1st line meds.

J