ADD Medication

Wellness Formula for ADD ADHD

Regular readers of Addessories know that I’m all about real research, real data, and real science. I don’t go in for fake ADD cures or treatments, and I certainly don’t believe in miracle pills that claim to treat almost anything that has to do with the brain. So, you’ll forgive me if I head into crackpot territory.

ADD Wellness Formula First, this is something that I have noticed for ME. There is no science, no data, and not even the company that makes Wellness Formula makes any sort of claim about ADD. But, for some reason, it seems that Wellness Formula helps with ADHD symptoms from the confusion, fuzzy thinking side of things.

Let’s back up and take this from the beginning.

What Is Wellness Formula?

Wellness Formula is a pill from Source Naturals, sold at Whole Foods, among other places, that helps with overall “wellness.” If wellness seems pretty vague, you are right. Basically, I take it when:

I’ve been around or are going to be around sick people
I go to the doctors office (sick people)
I start feeling sick
I get a sore throat
I feel a little bit “off”

You get the idea.

Basically, to me, Wellness Formula can best be described as a pill that contains every vitamin, herb, root or supplement that has been shown to have a beneficial effect on preventing or shortening the effects of the common cold. Or, as the company puts it, things that support the immune system.

Echinacea? It’s in there.

Vitamin C? B? A? Yep, yep, yep

Garlic Clove? Check.

Elerberry, Goldenseal, Astragalus, Ginger, Grape seed, you name, it’s in there.

In other words, if one of those things works, you are covered. The rest I guess are filler.

Wellness Formula Helps ADD?

Now, here is where we get from colds to ADD symptoms.

Sometimes, my head just doesn’t feel right. It might be fuzzy, slow, apathetic, blah. Use your favorite word for just not quite firing on all cylinders. When that happens, sometimes, I throw a Wellness Formula pill down my throat with the rest of my vitamins.

What I have noticed as I’ve tried to monitor my ADHD more closely now that I’m off (at least temporarily) the Adderall is that it seems surprisingly effective on that fuzzy, cloudy, uncaring mental state that is an ADD symptom for some people. The reason I notice it so much is that it seems very connected to my ADD, but is not necessarily one of my “everyday” symptoms.

If you ever have to sort of discombobulated feeling going around in your head and you want to try and do something for it, and are willing to go a little out there on the ADD alternative treatment branches, try Wellness Formula. It might not help, or it might just be a placebo affect, but it can’t really hurt, and it might just keep you from getting sick

Have you ever tried Wellness Formula for ADD? Do you have other kooky, regular, vitamins or supplements that seem to inexplicably work for you?

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23
Feb 11

Natural ADD Treatments: Zinc for ADHD

Research Suggests Using Zinc to Treat ADD

Alternative ADHD therapies are a big area of interest for many adults with ADD and parents of children with ADD who, for one reason or another, wonder about natural ADD treatments that might be used rather than prescription ADD medications.

As someone who accidentally went off of Adderall for a while and found out that I actually do not have insomnia, I watch with considerable interest the current research on ADHD treatments and potential natural therapies for ADD symptoms.

As is almost always the case with any alternative therapy or herbal supplement, there is no conclusive evidence that any natural ADD treatment works. That being said, the bar for saying that is very high, and only really achievable by a major company willing to pump millions of dollars into ongoing clinical trials and research efforts.

Use Zinc to Treat ADD in Children

There are several governmental websites that provide the results of scientific research. One of those is PubMed.gov which does a good job of providing the abstract, or summary, of medical research papers on ADD and other conditions.

While procrastinating with my ADD instead of working through it today, I came across an interesting tidbit of information that had escaped my attention before now. (Please excuse this article if it is a bit rough. I am tired, my work day is coming to an end, and I am really, really apathetic today, which is why I started doing medical research in the first place. However, I wanted to get this out there so that I would not forget, and so that if it might help someone, they could find it.)

It seems that a 2009 study suggests that zinc deficiency may be one issue in children with ADD. The study used a dose of 55 mg/day of zinc sulfate, which equates to 15 mg of zinc, to treat kids with ADHD. Over the course of the trial researchers observed statistically significant improvement in ADD symptoms of the children, before coming to the conclusion that zinc deficiency has a role in the etiopathogenesis of ADHD. (Yeah, my spell-checker just threw up too. I’ll look it up later…)

Furthermore, a new study started in 2010 aims to investigate whether zinc supplementation may be beneficial either in conjunction with prescription ADD drugs, or as a replacement.

This study offers some very important items about the current state of ADD research that I will need to catch up on when my mental state is in a better place.

A dysfunction of the dopamine transporter is involved in the "pathogenesis" of ADHD (Last I checked we were still at that, maybe, maybe not, phase.)
Some, but not all, ADHD patients may be zinc deficient. (That means that this treatment would only be useful for some.)
The human dopamine transporter has a high-affinity zinc binding site. (This is just interesting.)

Alternative ADHD Treatment in Adults with Zinc

I don’t have a dosage for zinc supplements being used in ADD research for adults. The only reference I have so so far is the study on children which used 55 mg/day of zinc sulfate. I’m guessing that the number for adults might be higher, but I’m no doctor. The recommended daily allowance (that percentage you find on vitamin bottles) is 15 mg, which I would assume corresponds to the 55 mg/day of zinc sulfate = 15 mg of zinc in the ADD in children research study referenced above. That makes as good of starting place as any.

Of course, your average multi-vitamin has 100 percent RDA of vitamins and minerals, including zinc, so if you are already taking a multi-vitamin, you are getting your 15 mg of zinc already.

Anyone have any other research or studies regarding zinc that they want offer up?

I’ll be back with more extensive research soon…

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14
Jun 10

ADHD Prescriptions Are Controlled Substances

As any anyone with ADHD can tell you, the drugs for ADD are classified as controlled substances. You can’t get refills of ADHD prescriptions, you have to get a new prescription for every time you get your monthly supply of Adderall or Ritalin. Likewise, the pharmacy cannot call your doctor to get an approval for your ADD prescription for you like they can for other drugs like antibiotics or insulin. Of course, this also means that you cannot take advantage of the discounts or convenience for getting your prescriptions in a 90-day supply via mail order from your insurance company, either.

Too bad, because it would be a great ADHD advice tip to have people who aren’t good at organization and remembering to-do lists to have their medication automatically mailed each month.

All drugs (not supplements – there is a difference) are controlled substances by virtue of being “controlled” by the DEA and the FDA. What people with attention deficit disorder may not realize is how ADHD drugs are classified.

Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta, Vyvanse, and all the generic equivalents are classified as “Schedule II” controlled substances.

That may not sound absurd at first, but believe me, it is asinine and yet another example of why the so-called war on drugs is so messed up.

Adderall Is As Bad As Morphine or Cocaine

There are technically five schedules used for classifying drugs. Schedule I drugs are the “bad” drugs, the ones that get smuggled in by villains using super speedboats and hollowed out dolls, depending upon the movie. These are the narcotic drugs and they include Heroin, Ecstasy, Marijuana, and LSD. Ironically, cocaine is not on this list which is going to make your Adderall meds being on the next list all the more pathetic.

Schedule II drugs are the very next set of medications. This is where ADD medicines are classified, just one step below Heroin and meth. It is also where cocaine is classified, as well as all of those pain killers that you hear about people getting addicted to.

How are ADHD medicines like Adderall and Ritalin grouped with pain killers and cocaine?

The law states that in order to be classified as a Schedule II controlled substance three factors must be met:

There is a high potential for abuse
There are valid medical reasons for using the drug (this is the difference between Schedule I and II)
Abuse of the drug may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence

Wow!

Number 3 is a newsflash to me. No one every told me that taking mixed amphetamine salts could lead to severe dependence!

Of course, the reason no one ever told me that, is because it is not true.

There have been no medical studies that suggest that taking ADD medication like Adderall leads to any kind of dependence at all, except for having to get used to its affects going away. Certainly there is no medical data that these medications cause severe dependence.

As for abuse, the only thing I have ever heard of is students using ADHD medicines to study and concentrate. That’s hardly shooting up in the back of an alley. It is not safe, but neither is taking someone’s antibiotics because you feel sick; that’s no reason to lock them all up under tighter rules.

The law requires that all three conditions be met to be listed as a Schedule II medication, so even if you go with the whole “abuse” thing, ADD drugs should not legally be classified as Schedule II substances.

Even worse, the law specifically says that the “salts of,” among other things, amphetamine, are to be listed as Schedule III drugs.

So, the next time you have to jump through hoops in order to get the same medicine that you have gotten every month for years, remember that it isn’t even legitimate. You are just being screwed over by a Federal Agency who put your medication on there for political reasons.

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3
May 10

How To Take St. John's Wort For Depression With ADHD and ADD

Taking St. John’s Wort to treat mild depression that occurs with ADHD might be a helpful way to control symptoms that don’t respond as well as you would like to traditional attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medicines and therapies. As always, discuss all of your symptoms with your doctor or medical professional whether they are symptoms of attention deficit disorder or otherwise.

This posting is continued from Use St. Johns Worth For Depression with ADHD ADD

It should go without saying, but here it is anyway.

I am not a doctor. Nothing in this article or on this website should be considered medical advice. All information including dosages, medications, timing, and recommendations and warnings are for general knowledge only and is not medical advice. Consult with a physician before starting any treatment. Drug interactions can be dangerous or unpleasant. Consult a pharmacist or physician about taking any medicine, herbal remedy, or supplement.

Before anyone jumps on the, Let’s Try St John Wort to treat possible depression with attention deficit disorder Bandwagon, here are some facts you need to know.

How To Use St. John’s Wort

Not all herbal medicines, natural remedies, vitamins, supplements, and pills are created equal. Time and time again, studies or investigative journalism has shown that LOTS of over the counter medicines don’t have what they say they have in them. Just because it says it on the label doesn’t make it true. My ADHD trick for getting real alternative ADD treatments in a bottle is to always buy from a company that has something to lose. That is, buy your St. John’s Wort from a respected brand that has more to lose from the bad publicity about selling a crappy product than they have to gain from cutting corners. The easiest way to use this ADHD tip is to buy your stuff at Whole Foods or Vitamin Cottage or the like. These companies build their entire business model around being “better” and “more trustworthy.” That means the suppliers know that they are out, if bad publicity threatens to drag down their brand name. If you don’t want to go that route, then buy from a well-known and respected supplement brand.
St John’s Wort can be what my gal once termed, “buzzy.” That means that it can make your mind seem a little buzzed. Not in an intoxicated way, and not in a racing way, but in a crackling, seems like I can feel the electricity firing in my neurons, sort of way. What that all means is that it can make it very hard to fall asleep and stay asleep. So, start by taking your St Johns Wort in the mornings, not in the evenings until you have an idea of how it affects you.
Like all depression medications, and unlike most ADHD drugs, St. John’s Wort is not an instant effect medicine. It must build up in your body, or more specifically in your brain, before it has any effect. That means you need to take it for six weeks or so before deciding if it does or does not work. It may start working sooner. However, if if seems to be working on Day 2, that just be a good day or a placebo effect. More importantly, it might be that something else is working, so don’t just attribute it to the St. Johns Wort. Instead, look around and evaluate what you are doing that is different, maybe there is something else going on that helps with your inattention or other ADD symptoms and you need to know what that is. (I have one ADD friend who is always more focused after a night of drinking, but after the hangover ends. There isn’t much you can do with that alternative ADD treatment-wise, but at least you know not to judge the effectiveness of other things on that kind of day.)
Finally, get the dosage right. Remember how I said not all pills are created equal? That goes double in the supplement world of alternative herbal therapies, because there is no regulations telling manufacturers or customers what SHOULD be in the bottle. Contrast this to multivitamins where the label has to say what percentage a vitamin is of the government established recommended daily allowance. That way you know if your vitamin has the right amount of Vitamin B, for example.
The right dosage for adults using St. John’s Wort for the treatment of minor depression is 300mg with 0.3% hypericins taken three times a day. Note that to get a full dosage like this without encroaching on bedtime, you’ll need to use a schedule like first thing in the morning, after breakfast, and after lunch, or something similar. Furthermore, note that you need BOTH of those numbers to be on the label. A cheapo way of making St. John’s Wort is to just throw a bunch of it in a vat regardless of quality and then make 300mg pills. The 0.3% hypercins means that the right amount of actual medicinal quality stuff is in there.
Don’t just get Hypercin extract or hyperphorin, or whatever. All the best studies test the WHOLE St. John’s Wort herb, not just extracts of it. Some research suggests that while the compound called hyperforin within St. Johns Wort might be the main cause of improvement for mild depression treatment, there is also research suggesting that some of the other components inside of the herb might be important as well. If you are getting 0.3% hypercins, then you are getting all of the hyperforin already, so you might as well get the other stuff.
Lastly, St. John’s Wort can interfere with other prescription drugs and medications so research the heck out of what you are taking before you start up. If you are already taking anti-depressants the DO NOT start taking St John Wort too. That is a recipe for big trouble. Also, it seems that almost everything in the world interferes with heart medications, so specifically check with your doctor first if you are taking any heart medicine. I don’t have to tell you which is more important of the two if you want to stay alive.

That should about do it. If you want to verify (PLEASE DO) the research and medical information I have jotted down here quickly, and without any editing, start with the U.S. Nation Library of Medicine from the National Institutes of Health at PubMed.gov. Here is a link to get you started. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12543057

Yes, there is a lot of medical and scientific terminology in there, but don’t wimp out. Keep reading and you will get the gist of what is going on even if you don’t know what molarity is. The last sentence or two of the abstract is usually a conclusion, so at the very least read that. Also, always note the date of the research. It is often the case that the first study has very positive results because the first research is usually don’t as a proof of concept that more research is worthwhile. Even though the results are often reported in a splashy manner, these experiments are done on the cheap with limited controls and small groups of test subjects. Later research is typically more reliable, and when it comes to the brain, stuff from before 1980 is the mental equivalent of using leaches, so forget about research from the 1970s and before that has not been followed up significantly.

Have you tried using St. John’s Wort or other herbal medicines as alternative therapy for your ADHD or co-morbid conditions like depression? What has your experience (good or bad) been?

ADD Medication / ADHD-ADD Tips — 1 Comment
29
Apr 10

Depression and ADHD St Johns Wort Treatment

This one is going to be a little on the short and sweet side because I’m supposed to be doing other work (Hmmm, where have we all heard that before?), but it keeps bouncing around in my head, and that can be just as unproductive as a little writing tangent. So, you’ll have to forgive me if this post does not live up to my usual standard of backing up what I say with links to the original source materials and research evidence. As always, the best ADHD tips I can give is to please DO check up on what I (and others) say about ADD treatments and other ADHD tips.

If you have done much reading about attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder then you know that

a) Those are both the same thing, I did that for the benefit of searchers
b) That many adults with ADHD, teens with ADD, and children that have ADHD are frequently diagnosed with other mental health issues in addition to their official diagnosis of attention deficit disorder.
c) That one of the difficulties in effectively treating ADHD is that certain conditions or issues can overlap each other.

These “add-on” conditions are known by the unfortunate medical term, “co-morbid,” which couldn’t sound worse if you tried. That is mostly because most people do not know the full definition of the word morbid, which is both “of or caused by disease or medical condition,” as well as, “gruesome.”

Note the very important difference between co-morbid conditions, which are those that occur together, but independently from each other, versus, a medical issue that is caused by, or the result of another medical issue. For example, improper insulin balance is NOT co-morbid with diabetes. A person has messed up insulin BECAUSE OF diabetes.

One common co-morbid condition of ADD is depression. Again, depression is NOT caused by ADHD, nor vice versa, it just so happens that the brain biology of people with ADD appears to give rise to depression sometimes as well.

The difficulty of having both depression and ADHD at the same time is that some of the symptoms of ADHD and depression can overlap meaning that while trying to treat and medicate certain issues, one might be barking up the wrong tree, so to speak, by using ADHD medication to help with symptoms that are actually caused by depression in whole or in part.

One symptom of some mild depression is apathy. Apathy, can easily lead to procrastination, which is also a potential symptom of a persons ADHD, particularly for those with the inattentive type of ADD. So, while you pump your body full of Adderall, and talk for hours with your therapist or ADD coach about your procrastination, you might be completely missing the target.

The reason I sought any sort of diagnosis and treatment in the first place was an overwhelming sense of apathy. In fact, I started out being treated for depression and being prescribed various medications for it like Zoloft rather than being diagnosed with adult ADHD. This was partly due to my focusing on the apathy in all of my sessions and either ignoring, not mentioning, or not understanding the potential importance of some of my other “quirks.”

Lately, I have been having trouble not with my focus so much as with my ability to GET GOING ON ANYTHING. Additionally, there have been some very major events happen in my life, including some spectacular failures, to which I had virtually no emotional reaction of any kind. It makes me wonder if it was a mistake to stop investigating the depression or anxiety angles to focus on just the ADD.

No one knows your mind or your body like you do. Unfortunately, our system dictates that you work through expensive, and (rightfully) skeptical middlemen called doctors or therapists to access some of the treatments, medications, and information about most medical conditions, including the ones that deal with your mind. That rules out starting back up the Zoloft or whatever else I was trying.

Now, let’s be clear. I never advocate trying to “get around” your doctor or medical professionals, and I do plan to talk to my guy about my ADHD plus depression hypothesis during our next visit. But, until my current supply of meds and prescriptions runs out, I’m conducting a self-experiment on my theory.

If you are suffering from depression, or think you are, seek professional help immediately. Do not wait based on trying this idea out!

St. John’s Wort is occasionally (and generally wrongly) mentioned as a possible non-prescription therapy for ADHD. This is not surprising as pretty much any herb, natural remedy, or medicine that shows the slightest effect on the brain is eventually promoted as a cure for ADHD and every other mental condition there is. However, real scientific research has shown that St. John’s Wort can be just as effective at treating mild depression as prescription depression medications. In fact, in some research St Johns Wort has been shown to be more effective for treating mild depression cases.

Unfortunately, just like with ADHD, the human mind is a complex and splendored thing. Not everyone responds the same way to every medicine or treatment, especially when we are talking about the brain. However, St. John’s Wort is available everywhere and is not very expensive, so it has a sort of “give it a shot” quality to it. Just keep in mind, St. Johns Wort has only been shown to be effective treatment for MILD depression.

St. John’s Wort is not an instant effect medicine. It must build up in your body, or more specifically in your brain…

The catch is that just grabbing a bottle of St. Johns Wort off the shelf at Whole Foods and throwing a couple down is not going to work. In order to be an effective treatment, you have to get it right. Which is why next up is how to take St. John’s Wort for depression with ADHD ADD.

ADD Medication — 2 Comments
26
Apr 10

Self-Medicating ADHD With Caffeine, Nicotine and ADD

Self Medicate ADHD symptoms caffeine nicotine sugar Recent research has suggested that some adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, self-medicate their ADD symptoms. In one study in particular, researchers showed that adults with ADHD smoke not just to get the “high” (clinically referred to as “for affect”) provided for nicotine, but also for its potential effects upon adult ADHD symptoms. Other studies have examined the ideas that people with ADHD self-medicate with caffeine or sugar, as well as other foods, medicinal herbs, supplements. All indicate that there is at least some truth to the idea that certain natural occurring stimulants or food products can tame certain ADD inattention difficulties to some extent. (Whew! How is that for qualifying a statement? Some truth, that certain thing, might help, somewhat.)

For medical researchers looking into ADHD, the primary motivation for conducting such studies is two-fold. One, it eliminates variables in other research studies. For example, if adults with ADD, or teens with ADHD, can be shown to be populations that have a biological reason that makes quitting smoking harder, then such groups can be excluded from research studies about the effectiveness of quit smoking techniques.

Just imagine if it turned out that ever major smoking cessation experiment over the last decade could trace its success or failure largely to the number of people with attention deficit disorder conditions who took part in the study. That would be a very big deal. It also suggests that additional treatment options for ADHD smokers might be necessary to successfully quit smoking.

The second purpose of doing ADHD research like this is that it gives additional clues to the biological effects of ADHD on the brain, as well as additional factors to consider when doing research into the cause of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in teens, adults, and to a lesser extent (for smoking studies, anyway) children with ADD. If the mechanism by which tobacco and nicotine affect the brain’s neurological pathways is well understood, and it can be shown that to some extent that the curative affect some ADDers feel from nicotine on their inattention symptoms is similar, then their is the possibility that ADHD functions by affecting the brain in a related manner.

See why real research is peer-reviewed research.

Self-Medicating ADHD Without Prescription Medication Drugs

What information about dealing with ADHD can those of us with ADD take from such research studied. While far from being the kind of research that conclusive conclusions about attention deficit disorders can be drawn, it does suggest some possible techniques for improving concentration in people with ADHD. One ADHD trick would be to conduct self-experiments to see how certain natural stimulants affect your ADHD symptoms. Excluding smoking, which is dangerous, unhealthy, and very addictive, experimenting with the affects caffeine, sugar, tuarine (or whatever that is in Red Bull) and the link can be very useful for ADDers looking for new ways to deal with their own ADHD symptoms.

For example, if a teenager with ADHD were to find out that caffeine early in the morning improves their concentration for three or four hours, then the best ADHD tip for concentrating better on an early morning geometry test would be to drink some coffee before leaving the house, or on the way to school. However, it is important to know exactly how the caffeine affects you, how much causes an improvement, as well as how much is too much. Also, teens with ADD in school would need to know how long it takes for it to “hit them”. Drinking a bunch of Cokes right before an important history test, when it turns out that it takes 45 minutes for the caffeine and sugar to really kick in, isn’t going to help much.

Please ignore this quick test ADHD Tools Advice

These ADHD tips and tricks are not for replacing your current ADD therapy regime. The idea is to have an arsenal of ADHD tools in your pocket that you can pull out for certain situations. Not just tests, but important meetings, during a critical sales call, self-medication of your ADHD symptoms for a little extra control might just be the difference between further frustration, and additional success. You might even find there are times when you would prefer to treat ADHD naturally by skipping your normal medication and using a stand-in in order to maximize certain personality traits or a specific kind of focus.

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29
Mar 10

Alternative Medicine Treatments for ADHD and More

The most common questions I get, and one of the most common searches that get people to ADDessories, are about alternative ADHD treatments instead of conventional prescription ADHD medications. It seems that many people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or there loved ones, are just too concerned about the possible affects of potentially harmful stimulants on their brains, or the affects on the brains of their children. While the scientific evidence accumulated so far would indicate that there is little to no long-term residual affects on the mind from using ADHD drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin, it is our brain we are talking about, and unfortunately, that is one of the organs that we know the least about.

The difficulty is that there is no other clinically proven treatment available for treating ADHD symptoms in children or adults. Depending upon who you talk to, this is due to:

a powerful global conspiracy perpetrated over decades by ruthless drug companies and their government cronies
lack of ADHD research being done on alternative ADD therapies because there is no money to be made in those treatments
there just is not anything else out there that works (yet).

Regardless of what you believe, the fact is that many charlatans are all too happy to help find alternative ADD medicines and ADHD treatment programs for adults, teens, children, or anyone in between. While the FDA strictly controls medicines and drugs which claim to treat or cure illness, there is a much weaker grip on anything marketed as a “supplement” which does not claim to cure ADHD or treat ADD symptoms. This is why alternative drugs and medicines display generalized claims of better health without mentioning anything it might work for, like Attention Deficit Disorder. For example, many bottles of St. John’s Wort display the vague claim, “May help improve mood,” followed by a disclaimer somewhere on the bottle that such statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and that the medicine is not intended to treat any particular illness or disease.

What Alternative Medications Really Work?

It all adds up to concerned parents and adults with ADHD and other medical conditions groping in the dark about what DOES work, what MIGHT work, what COULD work, and what WON’T work.

A recent graphic seeks to change all of that in a startling effective and powerful visual format, just perfect for people with ADHD who aren’t going to find the time and energy to sit down and sift through pages and pages of boring text when there are more interesting things to be doing.

Keep in mind that this particular graphic is a universal depiction of alternative medicines and their current state of promise or rejection within the scientific and medical communities. As such, it is NOT specific to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Instead, it shows many of the most popular alternative supplements and the conditions that they are purported to treat.

Reading the chart is simple even though the directions on the website it comes from may not be very clear. The compounds are listed from top to bottom in order of how valid the treatment claims are scientifically speaking. In other words, the herbal supplements or other treatments listed near the top are the best medically proven ways to treat the condition listed. The so-called treatments near the bottom represent the disproven snake-oil of old wives tales, or the propaganda push by profit loving salesmen.

The size of the circle represents how popular, or common, the listed treatment is based upon how many searches are reported for that item on Google. Obviously, this is very imprecise, but can be assumed to be at least a ballpark of the chemical’s interest relative to the others listed. For example, Green Tea, Folic Acid, and Fish Oil would be very commonly looked at alternative medicines, while evening primrose and nettle would be comparatively less commonly investigated by the masses.

It makes for very interesting reading, although as I mentioned, it is for health in general and not for ADD. (In fact, I did not see Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder mentioned. Vitamin B6 and Omega-3 both in the middle area are listed for hyperactivity and ADHD / “behavior” – I actually plan to cover recent ADHD Omega-3 research in an upcoming post. It’s the first time I think I’ve heard of Vitamin B6, maybe because if the more generic “hyperactive” claim.)

Keep in mind that just because something has been clinically proven to be effective on one thing, does NOT mean that is is proven to be effective on something else. In fact, there is no more or less likelihood that the alternative medicine shown would or would not be effective for another condition no matter how seemingly related. One of the banes of ADHD alternative medicine treatments is the general assumption that just because something has been shown to be beneficial to the brain in some way, that it must therefore also be helpful for treating ADHD symptoms. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Consider that it is medically established fact that of the two most common FDA approved prescription medications that one may or may not work for any individual with ADD. In other words, the most proven ADD medicines in the world may not work on all cases of ADHD because of unknown differences in the biology of individual brains. If that is the case, how big of a false leap does one have to take to assume that just because a possible treatment for depression or memory loss is therefore a useful treatment for attention deficit disorder?

While many alternative therapies do work for some ADHD symptoms in some people, don’t believe the hype without performing your own investigation, and if something doesn’t work for you, stop using it and move on. It may be that you have hit yet another medical scam, or it may just be that a particular treatment just doesn’t work for you. Either way, don’t waste your money or your time on medicine that is not effective for you personally.

Enjoy the graphic.

P.S. I’m thinking of putting together a similar graphic specifically for Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder. Of course, my plans for this site and my freelance writing business are as long as the Magna Carta at this point, so we’ll see when I get around to it.

Have a happy and productive day.

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4
Mar 10

Concerta Overview – ADHD Prescription Medication

adhd-prescription-medicine Thanks to an ADHD insurance coverage issue that I need to get around to working on (sound familiar?), I’ve been taking Concerta for a few weeks now instead of my usual mega-dose of Adderall (generic). A nice side benefit is that I can write first person review of another ADHD medication from personal experience. You can check out my Vyvanse Review from the time I tried that as well.

As always, the best ADHD tips and tricks are here.

What Is Concerta ADD Prescription Medicine?

Let’s start from the beginning. As it turns out, most ADHD medications are versions of either Ritalin or Adderall in their generic forms. The generic form of Adderall is mixed amphetamine salts, and the generic of Ritalin is methylphenidate. Both medications are stimulants that increase the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. In a standard brain, this causes overstimulation. In an ADHD brain, this creates the so-called paradoxical affect of being calming and focusing.

Concerta is a methylphenidate based ADHD medication. In fact, in pretty much all respects, Concerta is nothing more than a long lasting form of Ritalin, or if you prefer, a slow-release form of Ritalin.

If you’re thinking, that there is already an extended release form of Ritalin, you are sort of correct.

It turns out that both the extended release form of Ritalin, known as Ritalin LA, and the extended release form of Adderall, known as Adderal XR, are really nothing of the sort. What these ADHD drugs really are is a 50/50 mixture of ADD medication with one-half coated with something that takes approximately 4 hours to digest, and the other half not coated with anything. So, when a child with ADHD takes Adderall XR, for example, they get one-half of the medication right away, and then four hours later, the other half gets absorbed into the body. Instead of “extended release,” this is really more of a twice release. The effects, in other words, are exactly the same as taking one dose and then following that one 4 hours later. The only benefit is that there is no need to take the second pills. (If you or your ADHD child do not have any problems or issues with taking medication twice per day, then you can save money by getting the non-extended release versions as generics.)

Concerta is actually a true extended release preparation of the ADD medicine in Ritalin.

How Does Concerta Work?

A ADHD prescription of Concerta is actually very fascinating. Each Concerta tablet is composed of two parts. The first part is standard untreated Ritalin that get absorbed into the body quickly to produce the necessary therapeutic effect. The second part is methylphenidate that is encased in a shell that prevents its immediate absorption.

With Concerta, the methylphenidate is encased inside a shell that cannot be digested by the body. In each shell there is a single tiny hole. However, the methylphenidate molecule is too big to get out of the hole in any real quantity by itself. Instead, the medication must be “pushed” out the hole. This happens because the shell contains a tiny methylphenidate “pump” that absorbs, over time, water from the body. As it does so, the water takes up more and more of the space inside the pump side of the shell which forces the ADHD drug out of the tiny hole in the shell.

Over the course of the 10 to 12 hours that Concerta is effective, tiny amounts of medicine are constantly released into the bloodstream via absorption in the intestines.

Unlike the Adderall XR and Ritalin LA medicines which basically provide two full doses all at once at two different times, Concerta keeps the amount of ADHD medication in the body at a steady, level, amount throughout the entire day.

One can see the theoretical benefits of such a medication. Most importantly, would be eliminating the highs and lows caused by standard ADD drugs when they hit a peak level about an hour after ingestion, and then a low-level just before the second dose kicks in, either by taking more pills, or in the case of the extended release preparations, when the second set of chemicals is released into the body.

So, how does Concerta work in real life?

Grab the Addessories RSS Feed, or check back on Friday, when I post my first-hand experience review of Concerta.

ADD Medication — 3 Comments
23
Feb 10

Alternative ADHD Treatments Herbal Studies Research

One of the most common complaints about studies of herbal medicine and research done on alternative therapy treatments for ADHD and for other health issues is that scientists typically do not test the full plant or herb. Rather, research scientists identify the "active ingredient" in the herbs or other plants and then isolate that component. Once that is done, they standardize that component in order to test it.

The issue that many alternative health advocates raise is that such research cannot accurately determine the effectiveness of herbs, plants, and roots because it is possible that other components within those natural elements either increase the potency or are necessary for the effects of the natural treatment to work. This is not an unbelievable argument. It is entirely possible that in order to be effective, alternative treatments for attention deficit disorder and other issues, cannot come from just one ingredient in the plant. In fact, many herbalists, homeopaths, and other alternative practitioners are adamant that this is the case, not only for ADD but for all natural treatments.

Faulty Research Studies of ADHD Alternative Treatments or Reality?

Assuming that these advocates are correct, what does that mean for people with ADHD looking for alternative treatments or more natural ADD treatments as an alternative to chemical prescriptions most often used to treat children with ADHD and adults?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t necessarily mean what alternative health advocates think it does. For one thing, just because a study may be flawed in one’s opinion, does not necessarily mean that the opposite conclusion is true. Far from it. Even worse, if it is true that standardized preparations made from a plant’s active compounds is not effective enough to be used in research, it also means it is not effective enough to be used as an alternative therapy.

In other words, if an herbal remedy’s compounds are not functional when isolated and turned into pill form for research studies, they aren’t functional when turned into pills to be sold to people either!

If you subscribe to the belief that herbal remedies and other natural medicines must be taken in whole, then you also believe that taking pills is worthless. There is no two ways here. Logic dictates that what is true for one scenario is true for another, not that it is true when someone says something against you, and not true when you are selling something.

What it all boils down to, is that if you are going to subscribe to the idea that natural treatments for ADHD and other conditions cannot be researched by distilling the main ingredients into pill form, then in order to get effective herbal medicines or other natural treatments, you cannot take pills. You must use a different means of taking the medicine.

One popular alternative to pills is teas. Unfortunately, any tea that comes in a bag cannot be brewed to enough strength to be therapeutic. If you are buying teabags of alternative medicines, you are throwing your money down the drain. If you are going to use teas, they must be loose tea, you must get the dosage right, and virtually all of them must be brewed for twenty minutes or longer. Just leaving the tea in there isn’t good enough. The water needs to stay hot, so you’ll also need an insulated container to brew the tea in.

The truth is that chemistry is chemistry and biochemistry is biochemistry and even biology is biology.

If a chemical is required in order for another compound to be effective, that will always be the case. Without discovering what that helper chemical is and also standardizing it, there is no way to ensure that enough of it, or the main active ingredient is present in any treatment. For those of you familiar with drug culture, it is the difference between ditch weed and the kind that you buy. Both of them are the same plant, both of them have the chemical that gets you high, but only one of them has enough for it to be reasonable to expect anything out of it. Unless you plan to have a bonfire in an enclosed space.

When it comes to alternative therapies, be sure to check out all the alternatives, but be smart about it. Understand how peer reviewed medical research works and how pills are manufactured. Also, understand the biology and chemistry behind any argument. Just because someone really wants something to be true doesn’t mean it is. That might be one of the best ADHD tips you’ll ever get.

ADD Medication — 6 Comments
26
Sep 09

Non-Prescription ADHD ADD Treatments Evaluation

A recent comment reminded me that many people continue to look for alternate ADD treatments or non-prescription ADHD remedies. This is not surprising considering that parent’s are especially concerned for ADHD kids that may be susceptible to some of the worst ADD medication side effects, and also considering that currently available medical treatments for ADD involve some powerful medications.

I never want to discourage someone from trying alternative ADD therapies, or a special diet for ADHD, or homeopathic or herbal supplements to help alleviate ADD symptoms. However, as is unfortunately the case everywhere, there are always some unscrupulous companies and individuals looking to take advantage of the fear that some ADHD people have by selling them overpriced or ineffective ADD medicine.

ADHD Natural Remedies

There are some natural ADD treatments that you can try for both adults with ADD and for ADHD children. None of these items or methods have been scientifically proven to help with ADD symptoms. If they had, you would be getting these treatment tips from your doctor and the medical establishment in general. However, keep in mind that “proof” is a tough standard in science and a very tough standard in medicine.

That being said, there are some ADD treatments that continue to crop up in new research studies or clinical trials. Getting these alternative ADHD treatments approved as clinical proven effective methods for treating ADD symptoms is a long process that can be set back significantly by a single unfavorable finding. These things are worth a try if for no other reason than there is no harm in doing so, and if they do work FOR YOU, then who cares if they are proven to work for everybody.

On the other hand, there are also several so-call natural cures for ADD / ADHD that are either completely unfounded, or are based on long-ago research that was never very promising, or even worse, on a mischaracterization of research, data, or trials that are not about ADD-ADHD at all.

ADD Drug Alternative Treatment Viability

How do you tell the difference between legitimate science that is promising, but not yet proven, and false marketing, fake science, and unsubstantiated claims?

For some ADHD medication alternatives, it takes an ability to wade through dozens or hundreds of pages of dry scientific research papers. It also helps if, while you were cruising through college by doing the minimum and surfing the curve before you even knew you had ADD, you were a Biochemistry major. (Guilty.)

But, for other natural remedies for ADD or herbal supplements, or whatever pills someone sticks in a bottle, you don’t need to get so complicated.

For any alternative therapy that you find to help with adult ADD for kids with ADD, I have two tests that are 99% successful at exposing scams and fraudulent claims. The good news is that these tests work for almost any vitamin formula, herbal extract, supplement, or “proprietary formula” out there.

Top 3 Ways to Spot an ADD Treatment Scam

It Cures Everything – The original Snake Oil salesmen from history used to tout their “cure alls” by saying, “It cures what ails, ya.” What they meant was that it didn’t matter what was wrong with you or what disease you had, their elixir would make it better. Nothing, and I mean nothing, works on everything. Advil works better on certain kinds of pain than Tylenol which works better or worse than Aspirin. If the alternative treatment or natural therapy you are looking at claims to help a lot of unrelated conditions, watch out.
Conspiracy Theories – Any treatment that says, at any time, that claims that it is the victim of “them” keeping it down, is a con. It is the best trick in the book to say that any bad press, any negative information, anything that doesn’t proclaim this great, amazing new treatment as the best thing since sliced bread is nothing more than a smear campaign, because then there can be no rebuttal since it is all just lies. Legitimate pills, treatments, supplements, or diets NEVER claim there is a conspiracy. If “they are out to get us” then run away.
Proprietary Blend – This one is a little trickier than the other two. If you come across #1 or #2, stop researching and just move on to something else. For this one, consider it a strong warning. – Here is the deal. Chemistry is chemistry. It isn’t called dextroamphetamine because some marketing guy thought that was a good name. That is a chemical compound consisting of a certain number of hydrogen atoms, carbon atoms, oxygen atoms, etc. in a specific arrangement. Whether you make it, I make it, or Burger King puts it together if it is dextroamphetamine, then it is the exact same thing, and it will do the exact same thing in your body. In other words, 200 mg Omega-3 DHA in a brown bottle is just as good as 200 mg Omega-3 DHA in a green bottle, no matter what the bottles say. If you are researching a natural ADHD treatment that insists that it is the only one that will work, be very skeptical.
ADD Cure – You don’t cure ADD, you manage it. Cure means that something goes away and doesn’t come back. There is no scientific evidence of any kind, not even the promising, benefit of the down kind, that suggests that ANYTHING, ANYWHERE, is a cure. If it says cure, put it back on the shelf.

What Next for ADHD Treatments?

I’ve been doing some research on Flavay which claims to be an alternative treatment for ADHD and that some parents are turning to as an alternative ADD treatment for their kids. I should have a post up in a day or two with all the details so that you can make an informed decision for yourself.

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