Medication
NS2359 is a mixed monoamine reuptake inhibitor. A study looked at the efficacy of NS2359 versus placebo in a double-blind randomized trial. There was no statistical difference in the total ADHD-RS scale score between those taking NS2359 and placebo. However, when looking at the inattentive type of ADHD, 41% of those who took NS2359 had an [...]
ABT-894 is a drug that is currently undergoing clinical trials for possible approval by the FDA for the treatment of adult ADHD. Drugs have to undergo specific study phases and must demonstrate safety and efficacy before they are approved by the FDA. ABT-894 is a neuronal nictotinic receptor (NNR) modulator. NNRs modulate the release of neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine and [...]
A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has found that St. John's Wort was not effective in treating childhood ADHD. Participants in the study either received St. John's Wort or a placebo. There was no decrease in ADHD behaviors in either group. I always ad a caveat that in the United States [...]
Frequently, parents ask me if there is any connection between vaccinations and the rate of autism. I have not seen any solid scientific evidence linking vaccinations to autism. Autism symptoms become most evident around the age of 18 months because that is when many parents notice that their child is not as verbal as other children. This is [...]
In a 10-year study by Biederman, et al. (2008), it was found that people with ADHD who took stimulant medication had neither a decreased or increased risk of substance abuse. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18316421 Biederman, J., Monuteaux, M.C., Spencer, T., Wilens, T.E., et al. (2008). Stimulant therapy and risk for subsequent substance use disorders in male adults With ADHD: [...]
Here's another study on how taking stimulant medication for ADHD does NOT increase the chances of substance abuse. People who started taking stimulant medication at 6 or 7 years of age had the same substance abuse rate as non-ADHD people. In addition, people who started taking stimulant medication when they were 8 to 12 years of [...]
In the March 2006 issue of Pediatrics, a study led by Dr. Tim Wilens found that people with ADHD were more likely to abuse their stimulant medication than people without ADHD. (One could argue that it could be due to the fact that the medication is much more easily accessed by people with ADHD.) Eleven percent [...]
A recent study from the University of Hull in England stated that antidepressants only help the most severe cases of depression. In the study, subjects responded just as effectively to placebos as they did to antidepressant medication, except in the more severe cases of depression. The following article refutes the study's findings and gives information on [...]
Many people with ADHD experience "sensory overstimulation", where you feel like you are bombarded by sensory input, such as sights and sounds. A woman who experienced this sensory overstimulation found that it subsided about 20 minutes after taking a potassium supplement. A neurologist found that her symptoms were the same as in "hypokalemic periodic paralysis", where [...]
Puppy Prozac is now available....it's called Reconcile, and is chewable. (No word on whether humans can take it if they also prefer a chewable Prozac that tastes like beef.) Reconcile is primarily for separation anxiety. There's also a link that talks about positive behavior reinforcement. One suggestion that is very useful is to not make a [...]