Posts Tagged ‘ADHD’

ADHD Drugs For Kids – Good News And Bad News!

November 23rd, 2011

It is always better to start with the good news which has just been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. It was a joint study sponsored both by the FDA and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

This reports on a very large study which confirms that the common ADHD drugs for kids do not put them at increased risk of having a heart attack or having other cardiac events. The research also included the likelihood of strokes or sudden death and the conclusions were the same. The study could not find any difference in those kids taking the drugs and those who were not taking them. It seems that the only problem is for those children who are already suffering from some cardiac problem.

The bad news is about possible conflicts of interest in some of the studies done on ADHD which are sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies. Is there a conflict of interest? Can the results be totally unbiased? This is a very difficult area. The recent news concerns three Harvard professors who are psychiatrists and have worked on ADHD and are widely respected.

They are suspected of having a conflict of interest in having received large sums of money over the years and not having disclosed this. This is a violation of the Harvard rules on conflicts of interest. However, the issue may be only about reporting their funding and may be of course a mere bureaucratic fly in the ointment.

But this points up the fact that very often, the pharmaceutical companies are doing everything in their power to discredit the natural remedies for ADHD, especially the homeopathic remedies. We know that they have actually sponsored studies to show that homeopathy supposedly does not work or is totally ineffective. They should look at figures for the cholera epidemic in London last century when homeopathy saved thousands of lives!

Then there are people employed by them to act as Facebook characters who are there simply to praise their drugs to the skies. As we can see it is very often difficult to see the wood for the trees.

The fact is that ADHD drugs for kids are controversial because their side effects and long term health risks are not at all clear. There is a lack of research in this area or at least it is not readily available.

This is why the ADHD homeopathic remedies are so popular now because there are simply no side effects and there is no chance that your child will be approached to sell his meds either. These are just some of the advantages of choosing an alternative to ADHD drugs for kids. Why not check out what the others are by visiting my website.

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ADHD Natural Treatment: Water

November 16th, 2011

We always tell our children about the importance of drinking eight glasses of water a day. Yet many of our kids don’t do it, especially since colorful, artificially-flavored drinks and sodas are far more enticing and pleasant-tasting. Yet when it comes to ADHD natural treatments, water is an important part of any treatment plan. In fact, water is essential to maintaining overall good health; after oxygen, it is the second most important nutritional element.

The body is made up of 60-70% water, and the brain requires adequate hydration in order to function well. Do you recall how neurotransmitters – the chemical messengers of the brain – travel from neuron to neuron to trigger cognitive processes like attention and learning? They use the water in the brain as their means of travel.

Can you imagine what would happen to a child’s brain function if he or she does not have enough water to carry information? Imagine that a raging, white-water river is one of the brain’s neural pathways. Now picture a boat traveling through this river, carrying a messenger with vital information. A white-water river has a swift current that allows the messenger to reach his destination without delay. This is a brain that functions at its best, capable of generating new ideas, learning new concepts, and accomplishing great things. Now, picture this river during a drought. The water’s levels are low, and the current moves slowly, if at all. Traveling on a dry river will take a long while for the boat to reach its destination. Worse, the boat might end up drifting aimlessly or getting beached onto a sandy cove. This is the brain of a child with ADHD who drinks nothing but sodas and sugary juice.

While researchers have yet to explore the link between ADHD and dehydration, there are some studies that illustrate what happens to brain function after severe water loss. A small study in the Journal of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts looked at children who experienced dehydration due to diarrhea. They had slower reaction time, delayed visual-motor maturation, and more neurological problems compared to children who are well-hydrated.

Drinking more water is no magic bullet against ADHD, but there’s certainly no harm in making sure that your child stays well-hydrated each day – especially if he or she leads an active lifestyle. The average child is awake 16 hours each day, and spends 8 hours of this at school or doing extracurricular activities. During the “working” part of the day, make sure your child drinks 4-6 8-ounce glasses – 1 at breakfast, 1 or 2 at lunch, and 1 during afternoon snack. This will help optimize his or her brain function.

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Generic ADHD Drugs – Why These Are A Cheaper Option, But Is This The Only Criterion?

November 11th, 2011

Before we look at the generic ADHD drugs, I want to give you some statistics about this enormous industry and how it is worth well over $1 billion a year. The most popular brand name drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin sell for a total of almost 200 million units but the generics sell about 700 million units.

Many health insurance plans will only cover the generics because they are cheaper. That is one reason why they are so popular, of course. The second reason is that they are practically the same as the brand name although they are allowed to have up to 20% variance in the amount but they do have to contain exactly the same chemical.

The reason generics exist is that they are copies of drugs whose patents have expired. There is a period of time so that the company who originally paid for all the research in developing and marketing the drug, can get some money back on their initial investment. I was astonished to read that the cost of developing and bringing on the market just one drug can cost about $900 million!

Lots of people are trying to get generic ADHD drugs for their children and when shortages occur, then there is a general panic. Of course the brand names may be available but they cost more and some estimates say that this could make a difference of a minimum of $25 to a maximum of $75 a month, which is considerable, if taken over a whole year.

When we consider the overall figures of this enormous industry, we realize that of the 5 million children diagnosed with ADHD, about 66% of them are on some form of medication. These are from figures released by the Canters For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

We have looked at the cost criterion which is an important consideration. But we need to look at other criteria and see whether the idea of putting our children on generic ADHD drugs is really worth the risk and all the trouble. The well established facts are:-

* nobody knows how these drugs work on a child’s brain cells
* nobody is sure of the long term effects
* nobody is sure about the possible risk of addiction
* there is a dearth of information on the research into health risks such as heart disease and sudden death.

While the drugs are great for relieving symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity, the fact is that they can only be a short term measure. They have to be supplemented with behavior therapy and a suitably ADHD friendly environment. That means setting up structures and routines and so on.

There are alternatives to these generic ADHD drugs and I can tell you that they are much cheaper and they are also much safer. I have set this all out on my website so why not check it out for yourself.

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Overcoming the ADHD Stigma

November 4th, 2011

There’s absolutely nothing wrong or shameful about getting diagnosed with ADHD or having a child with this disorder. At least, that’s how it should be. However, it seems that people have a lot of opinions about ADHD and those who suffer from it. Children and adults who are diagnosed with the disorder as viewed as “defective” or “deviant”, despite the evidence that suggests they are just as competent, skilled, and creative as “normal” people. How can the ADHD stigma be avoided? How can you protect your child from being ridiculed or discriminated upon? Here are a few answers.

The ADHD stigma

Despite all the research and media attention that ADHD has received, many people still don’t believe that this is a legitimate medical condition. Instead, they view it as an excuse for poor parenting or laziness. The fact that the severity of the symptoms vary according to the situation only feeds the naysayers’ doubts. They’ll say things like, “Why can’t your child focus on schoolwork when he can spend hours playing video games?” The fact that ADHD interferes with academic performance or work performance makes the stigma worse. Our society judges a person’s worth based on these, and children with poor grades or adults with low ratings at work are often looked down upon.

The damage

The most obvious problems of the ADHD stigma are workplace discrimination and social problems. Adults with ADHD may get turned down for a job after disclosing their disorder, while kids with ADHD are more likely to get bullied. The worst kind of damage, however, is when the individual with ADHD internalizes these negative stereotypes. For instance, it’s quite common for children with ADHD to tell me that they’re afraid to try new things because they’re not good enough, or that they stopped attending school because they’re simply not cut out for it. The ADHD stigma has affected their self-esteem and motivation so much that they’ve given up trying to improve their behavior and become successful.

Victims of the ADHD stigma

Anyone with ADHD has encountered the stigma at one point of their lives, but girls and young women experience the heaviest burdens. Most people still think that ADHD only affects boys; according to this stereotype, there must be something really wrong with girls and women who are dreamy, disorganized, or forgetful. Similar stereotypes also exist for adults. Another popular myth about ADHD is that it’s a childhood disorder, so adults who say that have it usually fall under suspicion. People assume that adults with ADHD are just making excuses for their shortcomings, and that there’s something seriously wrong with them.

What can you do?

The best thing you can do for yourself or a child with ADHD is to raise awareness about ADHD, especially to skeptics. When a person makes a hurtful remark about ADHD, have a gentle but firm discussion correcting this stereotype. You could explain why ADHD is just as real as diabetes or asthma, or show how your child is struggling to do better at school despite the symptoms.

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Natural ADHD Treatment Options for Any Age

October 27th, 2011

Adults who receive the ADHD diagnosis often feel relieved rather than worried. Many have dealt with chronic inattention and impulsive behavior since their childhood days, and the other symptoms of ADHD may have started to affect their career and personal lives. Getting a diagnosis finally makes them understand why they behave the way they do and how overcome the disorder without using stimulant medications. Here are four natural ADHD treatment options for any age. Even kids can benefit from these too!

Exercise

Believe it or not, regular exercise is one of the best ways to overcome ADHD. Adults and children these days live very sedentary lives; if we’re not working or at school, we’re in front of the TV or a computer monitor. Exercise is important to a well-functioning brain because the postural muscles, which surround the spine, provide most of the brain’s stimulation. It switches on the brain’s attention system and activates its executive functions – working memory, sequencing, and prioritizing. When we don’t get enough exercise, the postural muscles become slack and fail to keep the executive functions busy, which aggravate impulsivity and inattention. You don’t have to enroll in a gym to benefit from exercise; simply walking at least 30 minutes a day will do the trick.

Chiropractic care

ADHD symptoms can also be caused by spinal subluxations. A spinal subluxation occurs when one or more of the vertebrae in the spine moves out of its position and puts pressure on a nerve. This can cause the nerve to function poorly, thereby interfering with the communication between the nervous system and the rest of the body. When this happens, certain parts of your body will fail to receive the right signals from your nervous system and will not be able to function well. Chiropractic care involves relocating subluxations and realigning the spine to alleviate symptoms behind a disease. Chiropractic has also been very effective for getting rid of ADHD co-morbid conditions like bedwetting in children.

Detoxification

Toxins are unavoidable in our polluted world. While children are more vulnerable to the effects of neurotoxins like lead and mercury, it might help to see a detoxification specialist. Chances are, you may have been exposed to these toxins as a child and need help excreting them from your body.

Cognitive therapy

Adults with ADHD are more likely to experience depression and anxiety. It doesn’t help that your symptoms may have caused problems with your job and your relationships. If you find yourself experiencing depressive episodes, cognitive behavioral therapy might help. This type of talk therapy teaches you how to reframe your thoughts and view situations in a more realistic light. Children and teens can benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy too.

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How To Treat ADHD Without Medication – Shocking Facts Hidden From The Public

October 3rd, 2011

The fact that more and more parents are enquiring about how to treat ADHD without medication is indicative of the fact that all is not well. The side effects of the drugs used are well known and worrying because many children just cannot tolerate them. As a consequence they are forced to take other medication to be able sleep and eat normally.

The shocking facts revealed in a study done just two years ago by the National Institute on Drug Abuse are hardly known and have been well hidden from the general public. There are very good reasons for this, of course.

Basically, the Institute was trying to establish whether the basic ingredient, methylphenidate, which is used in Ritalin and Concerta, has the same addictive effect as cocaine. After all, they are both just amphetamines and the addictive qualities of cocaine are well known and established.

They decided to inject cocaine and methylphenidate into mice to see what effects they had on their brains. They discovered that methylphenidate was even more damaging and addictive than the cocaine. For example, in the area of the brains which experience the reward sensation, the methylphenidate was causing similar,if not even greater changes.

These reward areas of the brain were undergoing changes that are very close to those who have been long term addicts of cocaine. There was a remarkable overlap between the methyphenidate and the cocaine. Basically, there was the same addictive element in both cases.

But researchers are quick to point out that we do not know enough about how this drug acts on brain cells, and more importantly on children’s brain cells, which should be sufficient to stop the mass drugging of our children, but it is not. The report of this experiment can be found in the February 2009 edition of the NIH News.

Now these experiments were conducted on mice so we cannot draw the same conclusions necessarily for humans but it should help us to reflect on how to treat ADHD without medication. There are just too many question marks, doubts, controversies and risks.

There are lots of ways to treat ADHD without medication. Adding more Omega 3 to the diet can be as effective as the psychostimulants in some cases. This was the result of a study done at the University of Adelaide in Australia. They found that just after three months on Omega 3, the behavior of the 130 children in the experiment was much better. They were calmer and less hyperactive.

Then there are strategies such as ADHD behavior therapy or simply parenting skills which help the child to be aware of the boundaries and the consequences of his behavior.

Other experts recommend that more green time and physical activity should be used and there are countless studies which show that children are better behaved and more focused after that sort of activity.

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