Drug Combo may be the best method for tackling a irksome duo: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) combined with a chronic twitching disorder. New research suggests that mixing two of the most commonly prescribed drugs for ADHD is the most effective therapy for kids who struggle with a combination of ADHD and muscular control disorders.
Various studies have shown that between 21 percent and 90 percent of children with a tic disorder also have ADHD. This combination has given a unique therapeutic problem because the unanimity has been that Ritalin – the most commonly used drug for treating ADHD's symptoms– is a stimulant, and stimulants were thought to worsen tics. But so far, there has been no evidence proving this to be true. Hoping to lay this question to rest, researchers set out to study the most effective drug therapy for children with this combination of disorders.In the study, 136 children with both ADHD and a chronic tic disorder were divided into four groups. While one group received a placebo, a second received Ritalin, a third received clonidine, and a fourth received a combination of the two drugs. The biggest reductions in ADHD symptoms were seen in children taking both clonidine and Ritalin. About 85 percent showed improvement. And when it came to reducing the severity of a child's tic symptoms, the most effective treatment also appeared to be a combination of Ritalin and clonidine.
