Does ADHD medication only work for the hyperactive type, not the inattentive type?

DSM-5-TR specifically recognizes three ADHD presentations, predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and combined, and medication is approved and effective across all of them, not just the visibly hyperactive form the stereotype is built around. Inattentive-type ADHD, more common in presentations that get missed or diagnosed later, responds to the same medications through the same core mechanism, improving attention regulation and impulse control, regardless of whether hyperactivity is part of the picture. The myth that medication is only for "textbook" hyperactive ADHD is part of why inattentive presentations get underdiagnosed and undertreated in the first place. If the change is persistent, distressing, or affecting daily functioning, contact your provider through the FasTreat portal rather than changing medication on your own. References: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm