Educational reference
Treatment overview
Non-stimulant medicines are recognised options in ADHD for people for whom stimulants are unsuitable, ineffective or not well tolerated, and are sometimes preferred where there are other health considerations.
They differ from stimulants in how they work and in how they are experienced. Benefit typically builds over weeks rather than being apparent within hours, which matters for expectations: an absence of immediate change does not mean the medicine is not working.
As with any medicine, suitability depends on the individual, other conditions and other medicines, and treatment involves review over time. Monitoring requirements differ between medicines and are set by the prescribing clinician.
Non-stimulants are sometimes used alongside other approaches rather than instead of them.
MOMD does not provide individual treatment advice, does not recommend starting, stopping or changing any medicine, and does not describe doses. Whether medication is appropriate, and which one, is a decision for a prescribing clinician together with the person concerned.