Posted by alohashirt on October 20, 2005, at 21:49:55 [reposted on October 21, 2005, at 1:41:09 | original URL]
In reply to Re: ADDH, posted by Buckeye Fan on October 20, 2005, at 16:24:16
> > The non-stimulant meds for ADD are not nearly as effective as the stimulants and they have their own different side effects. Strattera is one, but it's relatively ineffective for most people. Everyone had high hopes when it first hit the market, but most doctors and patients have found that it doesn't come close to Adderall or Ritalin. If he has clinical ADD, why wouldn't you go the stimulant route? They've been around for decades and are unbelievably effective. They have a bad rep though. Also, they can exacerbate anxiety greatly or, paradoxically, can decrease anxiety. I'd go with the stimulants first if you want quick effective relief for your son, but watch out for stimulant induced anxiety and/or depression.
> >
> > CK
>
>
> I appreciate your input CK.
> Your reply contains the reason I dont want to go the drug route.
> The side effects...the risks...and the "un naturalness ( is that even a word?) of giving a growing , developing young man stimulants and mind-altering drugs.
>
> Again..thanks for your comments...I guesss I am looking a "magic bullet"...an all-natural herbal remedy , that combined with dietary changes will solve the problem.
>There are no silver bullets that will kill the werewolf.
The funny thing about unnatural medication & natural herbal remedies is that my body can't distnguish penicillin from moldy bread. I have tried nine medications and fifteen herbal remedies.
I'm now taking Focalin XR, fish oil, and exercise.The risk of not treating ADHD is huge - I failed a year of college, didn't get promoted, lost a job, and I'm one of the high functioning ADHD people! When I was diagnosed with ADHD I spent a year reading everything i could find about teh condition - I was extremely skeptical. The more I read the clearere it was that, particularly for children, medication was turning F students into B students, allowing people to focus. My own experience was that medication allowed me to concentrate for the first time. There is a lot of panicked, almost hysterical writing about over-diagnosis of ADHD and dangers of Ritalin. In fact it seems that Ritalin is better tested medication than almost every other medication available and is ten times safer than tylenol.
Medication is only one part of treatment. I can strongly recommend "Delivered from Distraction" by Ned Hallowell a psychiatrist who has ADHD himself. Some people try coaching ro cognitive therapy to help build skills to work around the symptoms. Is also worth knowing that there are some positive characteristics that accompany ADHD. Many ADHD people are enormously creative, persistent and intuitive.
It's worth taking your son to an ADHD specialist who is up to speed with current treatment options.
poster:alohashirt
thread:569282
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050924/msgs/569708.html