ADHD Treatments for Children-Medication Considerations

Article by Dr. Vicki Panaccione

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurologically-based condition, resulting from a lack of or imbalance in certain chemicals in the brain having to do with self-regulation. Children who actually have this chemical imbalance have difficulty in their ability to manage themselves in a number of ways. As a result, an ADHD child has a weak regulatory system, or what I call a weak governor. So, if parents truly understand that this is a biochemical conditions, why would they not want to balance out their child’s chemicals? Why would parents want their child to struggle and suffer when the problem is neurologically-based and not within the child’s total control? In my 25+ years of working with 100′s and 100′s of kids, the most effective way I have seen to treat a child who is truly and accurately diagnosed ADHD is to balance his chemicals. Since I am not a medical doctor, I cannot say that a child needs medicine. What I can recommend, however, is that a child be seen by a physician with expertise in ADHD and be evaluated for medication based on my clinical findings. <strong>There are many considerations that can come up when medication is being recommended:</strong>

Parents don’t want their kids on “drugs.” I don’t either. However, if their child was an insulin-dependent diabetic, they would give them insulin. The need for chemical balance is the same whether they can actually be measured (like insulin levels) or they cannot (like neurotransmitters.)Parental concern about their kids being on ‘speed’ (psycho-stimulants.) So far, stimulant medication has been found to work the best; many think it is paradoxical to give a hyperactive child ‘uppers.’ However, stimulant medication stimulates the governor. It supplements the deficiency. This results in improving the child’s ability to regulate himself.Giving up too quickly if the first medication or dosage is not effective or has some side effects. There are numerous medications and combinations from which to choose because not everyone responds to or tolerates all medications the same way. Be patient.Resisting a higher dose because, “It’s good enough.” Some parents become concerned about how much medication is being prescribed. The dosage needs to be adjusted to alleviate their child’s symptoms and balance his chemicals. Don’t settle for a 60% improvement to avoid going up on the dose. Focus on the results not the dosage.Wanting to limit when their child takes medicine, by not giving it on weekends or holidays or over the summers (by choice, not by physician’s orders.) This is a tremendous disservice to the child. ADHD is a self-regulatory problem, not a school-based problem. A child’s chemicals are imbalanced 365 days per year, not just during school days. He needs to function as optimally as possible all the time.Setting a goal to get the child off medicine. Again, if the body needs it, the body needs it. Trying to work a child off medication is telling him that it’s not really good for him in the first place and setting up a negative connotation. This also can put a great deal of pressure on a child to try to make his body stop needing something it needs. Kids don’t outgrow a chemical imbalance. The symptoms of the imbalance may change, but the disorder remains. That’s why so many adults are actually finding it much easier to function successfully on medication, as well.Thinking medication is the magic bullet. For some kids, simply balancing out chemicals is all that is needed to treat ADHD. For others, there continues to be a need to implement other interventions, such as academic, behavioral or clinical planning.Creating unrealistic expectations of what a child should now be able to do. Even when chemicals are balanced, it can take time for a child to demonstrate improved academic performance via grades, for example.Expecting behavior to be the same while on the medication and when the medication wears off. Stimulants do not build up a blood level. This means that they go in and then leave your child’s body anywhere from 4-12 hours. The behavioral improvements cannot be expected to remain when the chemical imbalance returns.Deciding whether their pediatrician is an expert in treating ADHD or whether to seek the services of a pediatric neurologist or pediatric psychiatrist specializing in prescribing medication to alleviate ADHD symptoms.

Medication has been found to be a highly effective intervention in the treatment of ADHD. There are many issues for parents to address when medication is prescribed for their ADHD child. Keeping an open mind and gathering all the information is important when their child’s well-being is at stake.

About the Author

Dr. Vicki Panaccione has been called, “The World’s Expert in Parenting,” and “The Oprah Winfrey of Families.” She is an internationally recognized psychologist, speaker, parent coach, media consultant, radio personality and best-selling author.

Dr. Vicki is a passionate and dedicated child psychologist committed to helping parents raise happy, successful kids–and enjoy the ride.

For more information about communicating with your kids go to Talking with your ChildrenTo get a free copy of Dr. Vicki’s Top 10 Tips for Top 10 Parenting Issues, visit http://www.betterparentinginstitute.com

Bipolar disorder and ADHD treatment

Treatment for ADHD usually involves medication and behavioural therapy. The medications often used are stimulants such as Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta and Vyvanse. Non-stimulant medication such as Strattera is sometimes prescribed. Antidepressants such as Wellbutrin have been used as well.

In the case of bipolar disorder, treatment is often the same irrespective of whether the sufferer is young or an adult. Powerful drugs are often used stabilise the mood. Anticonvulsants such as Tegretol, Lithium, Depakote, Lamictal and Trileptal are the common prescription. Likewise, both children and adults are sometimes also treated with antipsychotic drugs.

But at times, doctors give children a combination of drugs, for instance an antidepressant and a mood stabiliser.

So, the question is: how can you make sure that your child who has either ADHD or bipolar disorder is receiving a proper diagnosis and treatment?

Well, if your doctor has determined that your child has bipolar disorder or ADHD, these are the things you can do:

Ask your doctor to tell you how the diagnosis was made.
Make very sure that the doctor had been in communication with your kid’s teachers before making his conclusion.
If the diagnosis was determined after only one visit, that’s a red flag because by right the doctor must evaluate the child over a period of time.
Go through all the details that went into making the diagnosis of bipolar disorder or ADHD.
If your doctor prescribed medication or other forms of treatment, it is wise to consult another expert for a second opinion.
If medication is used, make sure the doctor sees your kid regularly to monitor the effectiveness of the medication.

What Helps With ADHD – Treatments That Help Relieve Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

If you’re wondering, “How can I get help for my ADHD?” you should know that there are a number of treatment options. In this article, you’ll learn about the treatments, including prescription medicines, natural remedies, behavioral techniques and dietary changes.

It’s important to understand that what helps with ADHD varies from one person to another. Everyone is different. For instance, some people do well on drugs, while others simply cannot tolerate them at all. What this means is that instead of curbing the symptoms, these drugs can make them worse and also lead to other problems like loss of appetite, intestinal difficulties and problems sleeping. Since there are different types of medications, stimulating and non-stimulating, and different brands within each type, you may find one that works for you.

Another way for you to get “help for my ADHD” is to try behavioral therapy. You can do this by going to a counselor or therapist trained in cognitive/behavioral techniques or by getting an at-home program that will teach you how to control impulses, choose not to act on them and maintain your focus even when you are in the presence of distractions. Such techniques train you how to control your mind, so you are not controlled by it. Obviously, these are life skills that will benefit you whether or not you are struggling with symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It’s important to note that if your symptoms are severe, it might be easier to get them under control with prescription or natural medicine and then learn fine control with behavioral techniques.

Many people believe that what helps with ADHD is a diet that is free of preservatives, dyes and other chemicals which can worsen the symptoms of this disorder. This requires staying away from processed foods and reducing sugar in your diet. The idea is to focus on eating lean protein, fresh vegetables, fruit in season, nuts, beans and drinking lots of water. Since exercise combats stress, participating in daily exercise can help to reduce hyperactivity and irritability.

An alternative to drugs, especially for those who cannot tolerate the side effects, are natural remedies. These remedies contain herbal formulations made of Hyocyamus and Verta Alb which have been FDA approved and clinically proven to reduce impulsivity and hyperactivity while increasing focus and the ability to follow a task to its completion. Since the natural way is based upon providing the brain with the nutrition it needs to function properly, this is a way to stop the symptoms without side effects. When looking at what helps with ADHD, it may help to know that natural remedies have no worries about addiction or interactions with any other prescription or over the counter medicines that you might need to take regularly or from time to time.

In conclusion, if you’re looking for “help with my ADHD.” there are many effective options available to you. In fact, in some cases, you can combine these therapies. For instance, prescription drugs or natural remedies plus a good diet and behavioral techniques can work together to suppress symptoms in such a way that helps you get your life under control and back on track.

ADHD Treatment: Medication For Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Article by Javier Fuller

ADHD is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The disorder shows certain symptoms such as hyperactivity, absentmindedness, impulsiveness and distractibility in the patient.

One important aspect about treatment for ADHD is you need to be constantly in touch with your doctor for taking the appropriate medicine at the right time. Remember the doctor is dealing with the most important part of human system, i.e. your brain. Any negligence on your part in reporting the actual development or delay on the part of the doctor to guide you with correct medicine may worsen the situation.

ADHD is not a very easy disease to deal with. It affects you in hundred ways, small or big. Your day to day life is adversely affected due to problems created by ADHD.

Once the disease is diagnosed by a mental health specialist you will be put on medication treatment. Such medications may give you instant relief. It will be easy for you to conduct the activities. The problem with the ADHD patients is that they have very low dopamine in the frontal part of the brain. Stimulant medications are given to rectify this defect. Via these medicines, the patient’s dopamine level is increased and the symptoms of the disorder are checked regularly.

When it comes to the choice of stimulant, mental health professionals prefer Adderall. It is a salt known as amphetamine and it is given in suitable doses once or twice a day. Next to it is the stimulant called as Ritalin which is always prescribed by the doctors. It needs to be taken more often and many times and has certain side effects. The final choice of stimulant that is recommended by the medical practitioners is Cyclert. This is however not much favored because of its capability to produce dangerous side effects like liver toxicity.

Any new drug that arrives in the market, that too for treatment of any serious type of disease, is hailed as a wonder drug. Same thing can be said about Stratters when it was introduced in the market. It was believed that certain cure for ADHD is found. People who did not wish to take stimulants liked this drug. It is mainly an antidepressant drug and within a few days of its taking, it had the capacity to reduce the level of norepinephrine in your brain. That is to say it treats both, the ADHD problem as well as depression and anxiety.

Thus it is very important to be careful while taking ADHD medications. For long term relief, alternative methods like yoga along with other stress busters and prescribed medications are the best bet.

To read more articles on stress management, stress management techniques and stress management tips visit http://www.aboutstressmanagement.com/stressrelief/

About the Author

The auther writes articles on different topics. To get more stress management articles visit http://www.aboutstressmanagement.com/stressrelief/

Treating ADHD Without Medicine – 3 Facts About ADHD Treatment That You Must Know About

Can you really succeed in raising a happy well balanced child by treating ADHD without medicine? This is the question that many parents have been forced to ask themselves, given the general alarm and discontent with the present psychostimulants (Ritalin, Vyvanse and Adderall) on the market to-day.

They are also beginning to ask awkward questions which the pharmaceutical companies are reluctant to answer. Let us look straightaway at the Center for Children and Families at the University at Buffalo where ADHD and other disorders have been studied and researched for many years now. The researchers here will help provide some of the answers to get us through the ADHD jungle.

The figures they have released talk about the usual 5% of children who have been diagnosed as having ADHD but they also mention another 5% who may have ADHD and have not been diagnosed because of ignorance or carelessness.

The work at this center has been led for many years now by Dr. William Pelham and Gregory Fabiano and their findings have helped thousands of parents to help their ADHD kids to grow up to be successful well balanced adults.

They have pointed out the following results of their research and here are the three facts that you must simply know about if you are considering treating ADHD without medicine.

1. There is far too much emphasis on the power of medication and it can only solve some of the problems. Medication can certainly relieve some of the symptoms of hyperactivity and fidgeting. It can help calm a child down and it can even help the child to pay more attention. But the effects of these medications can also be very negative and many parents are just unaware of these drawbacks.

2. They have advocated very strongly that medication should always be the last option. Treating ADHD without medicine can be done simply by using behavior therapy or effective parenting skills as the main treatment. Medicine in some form or other may be needed at times to calm the child but there is no need to use so much of it. In addition there are alternatives to conventional medicine which should also be actively considered.

3. The third fact that has come out of their research is that after about three years, the effects of the ADHD medicine begins to wear off and the child is back to square one. In the meantime, vital time has been lost and the child has not learnt any of the social, academic and coping skills which will make the real difference between success and failure.

The figures are startling. Dr William Pelham’s research shows that 80% of parents would willingly choose ADHD behavior therapy over drug therapy if they had known about all the problems that the medicines can cause.

How about learning more about ADHD and no medicine? You do not want to be part of the 80% of parents who would have chosen a different route, if only they had known. Treating ADHD without medicine is a real possibility nowadays so now is the time to find out more. More and more parents are considering homeopathic remedies which have none of the nasty side effects of conventional medication.