just wondering, because i am 18 years old and i want to take 5mg a day for ADD
there are studies done on animals, but did these studies show any beneficial or destructive effect when started very early?
It's pretty cheap online buy it and try it.
J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2006 Aug;16(4):404-15. Links
Placebo-controlled study examining effects of selegiline in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.Rubinstein S, Malone MA, Roberts W, Logan WJ.
Division of Neurology, Brain and Behaviour Programme, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
There is evidence suggesting a role for dopamine in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Pharmacological treatments that act on the dopamine system have been successful in reducing ADHD symptoms. However, unlike traditional stimulants (i.e., methylphenidate), selegiline is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) that has been shown to reduce ADHD symptoms without producing undesirable side effects. In this study using a randomized, double- blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, cognitive tasks and behavioral rating scales were administered to measure the effectiveness of selegiline in treating different symptoms of ADHD in 11 children aged 6-13. Results indicate that selegiline may target specific symptoms of ADHD including: sustained attention, the learning of novel information, hyperactivity, and peer interactions. Because the drug was not associated with negative side effects and did not specifically reduce symptoms of impulsivity, selegiline may be a preferred treatment for individuals who present with the primarily inattentive subtype of ADHD.
J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2004 Fall;14(3):418-25. Links
Selegiline in comparison with methylphenidate in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder children and adolescents in a double-blind, randomized clinical trial.Mohammadi MR, Ghanizadeh A, Alaghband-Rad J, Tehranidoost M, Mesgarpour B, Soori H.
Department of Psychiatry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology Research Center, Roozbeh Hospital, Tehran, Iran.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the selegiline treatment compared to methylphenidate (MPH) in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHOD: Forty subjects, aged 6-15 years, boys and girls, who were diagnosed as having ADHD, using the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), were randomly assigned to receive either selegiline or MPH for 60 days. Treatment outcomes were assessed using the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Scale (ADHS) administered at baseline and on days 14, 28, 42, and 60 following the commencement of treatment. Side effects were also rated. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between sex, age, weight, and ethnicity of participants in the 2 groups. Both groups showed a significant improvement over the 60 days of treatment resulting from the teachers' and parents' ADHS scores across the treatment. CONCLUSION: Following the trial, MPH did not effect greater mean improvement as a result of the parents' or teachers' ADHS scores than selegiline. Thus, selegiline appears to be effective and well tolerated for ADHD in children and adolescents.
Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2003 Aug;27(5):841-5. Links
Selegiline in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children: a double blind and randomized trial.Akhondzadeh S, Tavakolian R, Davari-Ashtiani R, Arabgol F, Amini H.
Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, South Kargar Avenue, Tehran 13334, Iran. s.akhond@neda.net
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common disorder of childhood that affects 3% to 6% of school-age children. Conventional stimulant medications are recognized by both specialists and parents as useful symptomatic treatment. Nevertheless, approximately 30% of ADHD children treated with them do not respond adequately or cannot tolerate the associated adverse effects. Such difficulties highlight the need for alternative safe and effective medications in the treatment of this disorder. Selegiline is a type B monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) that is metabolized to amphetamine and methamphetamine stimulant compounds that may be useful in the treatment of ADHD. The authors undertook this study to further evaluate, under double-blind and controlled conditions, the efficacy of selegiline for ADHD in children. A total of 28 children with ADHD as defined by DSM IV were randomized to selegiline or methylphenidate dosed on an age and weight-adjusted basis at selegiline 5 mg/day (under 5 years) and 10 mg/day (over 5 years) (Group 1) and methylphenidate 1 mg/kg/day (Group 2) for a 4-week double-blind clinical trial. The principal measure of the outcome was the Teacher and Parent ADHD Rating Scale. Patients were assessed by a child psychiatrist at baseline, 14 and 28 days after the medication started. No significant differences were observed between the two protocols on the Parent and Teacher Rating Scale scores. Although the number of dropouts in the methylphenidate group was higher than in the selegiline group, there was no significant difference between the two protocols in terms of the dropouts. Decreased appetite, difficulty falling asleep and headaches were observed more in the methylphenidate group.The results of this study must be considered preliminary, but they do suggest that selegiline may be beneficial in the treatment of ADHD. In addition, a tolerable side effect profile may be considered as one of the advantages of selegiline in the treatment of ADHD.
