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From Mike, Tricia and Ben Leggbehind the ADHD ezine computer, in New Zealand. |
Ben is into computer games and says" send your teenager to the Game Store for Christmas!" |
 Resources
you will find helpful |
Ritalin,
Adderol, pros and cons |
Conclusions |
One member of the list spent considerable time listing their recommended reading and websites. For your convenience we have linked each of these recommendations to the place where you can find out more, so be prepared, you are about to click all over the Internet! We suggest you bookmark this page so you can find your way back!Have you got your seatbelt on!
 Setting
Limits:
How to Raise Responsible, Independent Children by Providing Clear Boundaries by Robert J. Mac Kenzie |
Putting
on the Brakes : Young People's Guide to Understanding Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder by Patricia O. Quinn, Judith M. Stern, Michael Chesworth (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 9-12 The 'Putting on the Brakes' Activity Book for Young People With Adhd by Patricia O. Quinn, Neil Russell (Illustrator), Judith Stern (Contributor) |
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 The
Hyperactive Child by Grant L., Dr. Martin
The reviewer at Amazon said,"I loved this book! It has helpful information on diagnosing, treating, and finding support onADD/ADHD. What I liked most is the spiritual guidance. Alot of these type books are scientific, which tends to leave this essential item out. This doctor is quite in tune with ADD/ADHD, and I highly suggest adding (no pun intended) it to your family library. |
 Prescription
and Nonprescription Medications for Children : What Parents Need to Know
by Max Van Gilder, Shelagh Ryan Masline (Contributor), Max Van Gilder "An accessible guide for parents explains everything that they need to know about the most common prescription and over-the-counter drugs given to children from birth to age ten." |
 The
Defiant Child : A Parent's Guide to Oppositional Defiant Disorder
"We are experimenting with the discipline methods and are finding some success. Although this book is not a cure-all, it certainly is required reading for all that are dealing with this devastating problem!" said the reviewer at Amazon |
And now the Internet websites recommended by ADHD people!
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From this, one person had had no course of treatment recommended. For 66% of those who answered the survey, Ritalin, Drexedrin etc had been recommended and 16% had had nutritional supplements suggested to them. 8% were told of exercise regimes and for 30% coping skills training was recommended. No medication was the recommendation for 12% of the people surveyed.From these percentages you can see that some people had been given more than one way of approaching ADHD.
To help you through this next section we have added links to more information as meds are mentioned. Look for the blue underlines and click if you want to know more.
So
for those who were prescribed Ritalin, what happened? Here are their comments.
"Our 8 year old son was seen a few
times by a psychiatrist, who seemed more interested in writing prescriptions
than visiting with his patient. He prescribed at least 4 different
meds. With each of them, there were side effects. He was acting
out of character, i.e., obsessive and compulsive and docile. He couldn't
sleep through the night. We quickly stopped medication. Normally,
he is a very affectionate, outspoken child, who did not like his school
environment nor his teachers. Our son was diagnosed by his summer
school resource teacher. We transferred to the school where this
teacher works and he is a happy young man. We have not taken him
to another psychiatrist. In my opinion, and I have not tried this yet,
I believe we may lessen his inattention and some of his excitability through
some dietary changes."
"In my cousin, age 9, he is severely underweight because his medicine
takes his appetite. For myself, the meds have been very helpful,
no side effects."
"Calms him down but doesn't help with his distractability decrease in appetite"
"I started off first with Ritalin. I never noticed any side effects.
I went all the way up to the max dose and it seemed as though I
was taking nothing at all. At the same time I was taking Wellbutrin
to treat the depression, which the counselor said was a result
of the undiagnosed ADHD (I had been struggling with school since I
came to college and was finally suspended for such poor
grades)."
"He went on Ritalin for a year but he grew immune to it.Had had no medication for 2 years now"
"Short acting, still has bad times, doesn't sleep without being drug
induced (this is a 4 year old )eats all the time but gains no
weight"
"Excellent. Yes, my husband had some mild headaches at the beginning"
"Results with Ritalin have not been what we hoped. Problem with sustance abuse by my child. Currently are on Wellbutrin. Onlyon for a week, so I can't comment on that yet"
"Very beneficial to all three of them.Youngest child had trouble on
Dex so went across to Ritilan. Better however she must eat with them or
similar results to Dex."
"We take Ritalin and it has turned
my world around. Before I could never stay at one task and never
seem to get any thing done. The same thing at work would happen at
home. I would always forget things and had all this nervous energy.
I told my doctor, it is like putting on glasses for the first time.
For someone who can't see very well and get glasses it makes a total difference.
My whole world changed. I could never go any where in my work as
far as promotions. I am now the manager where I work and the boss
leaves almost everything up to me. My self esteem is a lot better.
My son was in the third grade when he was diagnosed, and was failing a
lot and having a hard time with most of his work. But as soon as
he started the med. he was a different child almost. He always has
a hard time focusing and sitting still but not now."
"The response to Clonodine (sp?) was short lived. We just started
Ritalin weeks ago and the response has been somewhat noticable (much the
sameas Clonodine). Hannah has an eating disorder as well so we're concerned
about the appetite depression side effect of Ritalin."
"He becomes somewhat subdued, quiet, and a loner. The side effects are lack of appitite, not as tall as his twin."
"ritain-dexadrine span-adderall and the side effects were: (ritalin )had dips and more behavior problems (dex) no real dips but had problems with behaviors (adderall) no real problems just have to adjust meds as he grows. one son is also ODD and the other is gifted. ODD is controlled by wellbutrin and he uses risperdal to help sleep."
"Ritalin Good response; calms impulses and lack of attention span .Possibly
some slow growth but it's hard to tell because there are so many petite
people in her genetic families"
"decreased hyperactivity, able to
concentrate better"
"Child much better organized and more managable".
"my daughter had no response to a small dose and we discontinued - my husband has had no noticable difference - continues totake it but with depression involved etc it is difficult to tell,"
"Support and advice from caring people on the internet and information about multi-modal treatment, because Ritalin alone is not enough."
There is an underlying thread it seems of weight loss for many who take Ritalin. Keep reading as one ADHD mum has found an answer for that in this next section.We have added direct links underlined in blue so you can find out more.
And then there
is Adderal
"After 3 months my doctor and counselor
had me try Adderall and I have been taking that for about a year now. I
have not noticed any side effects with the Adderall either.....the Adderall
does help me to sit down and concentrate on my studies, but it's my attitude
that has helped me improve everything in my life. It's just understanding
that you may have to do things differently than other people. Sometimes
that means more work for the same results, but it feels good when you can
finally do it!"
"Ritalin-great, adderal, she was off the wall, cylert for my son
but the dr removed because of listed side affects that are coming to light"
"Adderal - Changed mood and increased depression - could not sleep"
"adderall, wellbutrin, clonidine,zoloft yes-they all make him hyper except for the clonidine-it knocks him out"
"adderal excellent with no side effects."
"With Ritilan, Adderal my son was tired all the time, upset stomach,
headaches, and grouchy"
When my son is on Adderall, he is
a totally different child! My husband and I absolutely love it. He
is a normal child!
"Works very well for my boys. They are severly ADHD and the medicine
helps them to slow and learn. Side effects are headaches, decreased appetite,
dizzy spells, hyperfocuses"
"With Cylert, no affect even at the max dose, with Adderall, improved focus and coordination Side effects have been loss of appetite, weight loss, insomnia, nightmares Supplements help considerably with the side effects of Adderall and has meant my son can continue to use it .The GABA Plus ( with inositol and niancimamide) helped with the insomnia and nightmares immediately, the affect of B vitamins took a little longer to notice, but he was able to put on a 3 pounds over 2 months. He's been using the B's a year now and is up to a regular weight, still slender but no longer skeletal. We just started the Omega 3 and E, and I'm starting to notice a difference. It seems to help the staying power of the Adderall, smoothing it out, but we still have to do a mid-afternoon dose."
"Nothing except medication was recommended by the pediatrician. After
a few years, I (ADHD child's mother) decided it was timefor psychological
treatment of the symptoms not affected by medication of Ritalin, Adderall
At first the doctor prescribed Ritalin. There was an immediate improvement
in attention span and behavior in school, although hyperactive behavior
continued at home. Seemed to have developed a tolerance for Ritalin, so
was switched to Adderall 4 mo. ago. Adderall seems to have the same effect
as Ritalin. Side effects have been loss of appetite, headaches."
And then the other
meds!
I have a son whom they thought has
ADD/ADHD for almost a year.Thank God I had a goodpsychiatrist who diagnosed
it correctly as anxiety.He is now on
BUSPAR and is the child I remember.He is also gifted and talented,
as I said before, he is the child I remember!!!!!Yea!!!!! He complains
of dizziness for about 1/2 hour after taking the pill. |
Enhance
your medication with natural supplements that can work alongside the synthetic
solutions and help minimise the side effects. Don't only rely on
what you ingest.
Find
the medication that will work for you.If the side effects are too much,
find another medication that you are better suited too. |
Become
informed on other strategies that you may not have been told about by doctors.
Explore
coping training, exercise regimes, biofeedback exercises, brain gym
exercies, audio tapes,
Join
a support group online or in your community,
and keep going until
you are satisifed that you have the right solution fot you and your family!
Next ezine we will explore biofeedback and brain gym exercises and some other alternatives that people who took part in the survey have mentioned.
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A Christmas shopping suggestion: Have you thought about a magazine subscription? You'll give delight every month for a year , and we have found some wonderful buys just right for intelligent minds, and they are very good value! Click on either smiling graphic for details. You'll be pleased you did! | |
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and we thank you very sincerely if you took part in the survey as the information you have shared will help someone somewhere have a better day. We'll see you in the next century Tricia , Mike and Ben Legg |
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