Posted by DSCH on August 16, 2003, at 21:30:44
In reply to Re: what helps for adhd ? » DSCH, posted by francesco on August 16, 2003, at 21:00:17
Anafranil is mentioned by Dr. Amen as one of the things he's used to treat abnormalities in the cingulate gyrus. Put cingulate gyrus trouble and attention defecit together and you get this according to his scheme:
http://www.brainplace.com/bp/atlas/ch12.asp
"Overfocused ADD, with symptoms of trouble shifting attention, cognitive inflexibility, difficulty with transitions, excessive worrying, and oppositional and argumentative behavior. There are often also symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity. Brain SPECT imaging typically shows increased activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus and decreased prefrontal cortex activity. This subtype typically responds best to medications that enhance both serotonin and dopamine availability in the brain, such as venlafaxine or a combination of an SSRI (such as fluoxetine or sertraline) and a psychostimulant."
http://www.mindfixers.com/amensub3.html
"Overfocus ADD, according to Dr. Amen
People with ADD, overfocused subtype, tend to get locked into things and they have trouble shifting their attention from thought to thought.This subtype has a very specific brain pattern, showing increased blood flow in the top, middle portion of the frontal lobes (cingulate area of the brain). This is the part of the brain that allows you to shift your attention from thing to thing. When this part of the brain is working too hard, people have trouble shifting their attention and end up "stuck" on thoughts or behaviors.
This brain pattern may present itself differently among family members. For example, a mother or father with ADD overfocused subtype may experience trouble focusing, along with obsessive thoughts (repetitive negative thoughts) or compulsive behaviors (hand washing, checking, counting, etc.).
The son or daughter may be oppositional (get stuck on saying no, no way, never, you can't make me do it). Another family member may find change very hard for him or her.
This pattern is often made worse by the stimulant medications. The problem is not inattention, but over-attention. When you give them a stimulant medication they tend to focus more on the thoughts they get stuck on.
The best medications for this subtype tend to be the new "anti-obsessive antidepressants," which increase the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. I have nicknamed these medications "anti-stuck medications."
At the time of this writing there are 9 medications which are commonly used to increase serotonin in the brain. These medications include Effexor (venlafaxine), Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), Anafranil (clomipramine), Desyrel (trazodone), Serzone (nefazodone)), Remeron (mirtazapine) and Luvox (fluvoxamine).
My personal favorite of these medications for overfocused ADD is Effexor. Effexor increases serotonin in the brain which is helpful for shifting attention, it also increases norepinephrine and dopamine, which are more stimulating neurotransmitters and more helpful with attentional problems. Serzone and Remeron have also been found to increase serotonin and norepinephrine.
It is important to note that, in my experience, those medications which exclusively increase serotonin (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Anafranil, Desyrel and Luvox) often make people with ADHD and ADD without hyperactivity worse. They tend to have more problems concentrating and they may experience decreased motivation."
poster:DSCH
thread:250201
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030812/msgs/251447.html