Posts Tagged ‘Adderal’

Omega 3 fatty acids are a vital building blocks for our brain, and many children suffering from symptoms of ADD and ADHD actually have a shortage of essential building blocks in their body.

Why does the ADD/ADHD brain have an extra need for Omega-3 fatty acids?
The brain has the most active metabolism of all the organs in the body, and it uses enormous amounts of energy; it never is completely at rest. The more active the metabolism, the more free radicals, and the brain thus has one of the highest rates of free radical production. These free radicals destroy the connections between the cells, the cells themselves and the structure of the brain. The brain starts to function less and less effectively, if it has not enough resources to repair itself.

If you are deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids, your brain changes it’s structure already within 2 weeks.

The role of sugar in Omega-3 deficiency
Apart from the role sugar plays in the blood sugar level, it also increases free radical generation. Sugar produces cross linking of the proteins in all cells, which means that the free radicals can do much more damage in a much bigger group of cells. Through the influence of free radicals, your cells age faster; and your braincells are even more prone to this process. Research at the University of Connecticut in 1986 by Dr. Jane Goldman showed that sugar, equal to one Coke, produces a significant decline in mental performance. (Students were making twice as many mistakes on tests.)

Other vitamins and minerals also play a role in the health of our brain, and particularly in children with symptoms of ADD and ADHD, one can often find shortages of essential micro-elements and vitamins. On the other hand, ADHD and ADD symptoms have been linked to an overload of toxic substances suchs as lead in the blood of the affected children. Apart from lead, also aspartame, MSG, pesticides, herbicides in food, aluminum in deodorants, fluoride in the water and mercury in vaccines have been proven to have a major role in brain toxicity and brain function decline.

What does this mean in everyday life?
Make sure your child does not eat refined sugar is the obvious step one, because it is easy to do. Avoid aspartame and other additives, buy and eat organic fruit and vegetables, be very cautious with vaccines and get yourself very well informed about the risks and the benefits of every single vaccination.
Give your kid a healthy balanced diet, and give additional nutrients as needed, but be very aware of food colorings and other additives that hide in vitamin pills and other supplements! They will probably increase the symptoms of ADD and ADHD: the detrimental effect of these substances is manyfold bigger than the beneficial effects of the essential nutrients your child is probably lacking.

If you like this article, please share it on one or more of the social bookmarking sites below; that way you help other parents with children suffering from symptoms of ADD and ADHD, to find this information!
I look forward to read your comments, experiences and questions!

Image by Kriss Szkurlatowski

The website http://iguard.org has many safety reports about often prescribed drugs. I just got some information about the drugs which are normally used for ADD and ADHD. Do not stop the medication without your doctor’s consent. Most probably your child will be able to stop the medication within a short time of using EFT and avoiding the energy toxins specific for his case. Tell your doctor what you are doing, and show the results.

Ritalin & Concerta:

Other names:

Methylphenidate
Metadate ER
Metadate CD
Metadate
Adaphen
Ritalin
Ritalin SR
Concerta
Methylin
Methylin ER
Daytrana

The risk rating according to http://iguard.org for Ritalin is orange (elevated), mostly because Ritalin has been associated with high rates of abuse and should be managed carefully. It means you should use Ritalin cautiously, under the supervision of your doctor, to minimize your risk of serious side effects.

Average Risk Rating ELEVATED – Follow a personal risk reduction plan.
44% of patients experience side-effects on Ritalin.

BLACK BOX WARNING
This product has a black box relating to its risk of drug dependency and the possibility of other abnormal behavior with long term use.

Source: http://www.iguard.org/medication/Ritalin.html

Adderall

Other names:

Adderall
Adderall XR
Amphetamine Salts

The general risk rating according to iguard.org for Adderall is orange; mostly because Adderall has been associated with high rates of abuse and should be managed carefully. It means you should use Adderall cautiously, under the supervision of your doctor, to minimize your risk of serious side effects.

Average Risk Rating ELEVATED – Follow a personal risk reduction plan.
40% of patients experience side-effects on Adderall.

BLACK BOX WARNING
This product has a black box warning relating to its risk of abuse, dependence and serious cardiovascular events.

Adderall is an amphetamine, just like Vyvanse. Check the text above about amphetamines.

Source: http://www.iguard.org/medication/Adderall.html

Vyvanse

Other names:

Vyvanse
Lisdexamfetamine

Vyvanse is a relatively new medication, on the market since 2007. On iguard.org it has a

BLACK BOX WARNING
This product has a black box warning relating to its risk of abuse, dependence and serious cardiovascular events.

This is an amphetamine. If you want to read more about the risk of using amphetamines, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphetamine. Some small clippings from the text:

Psychological effects of amphetamine can include anxiety and/or general nervousness (by increased norepinephrine), euphoria, metacognition, creative or philosophical thinking, increased confidence, perception of increased energy, increased sense of well being, increase of goal-orientated thoughts or organized behavior, repetitive behavior, increased concentration/mental sharpness, increased alertness, feeling of power or superiority, Increased aggression, emotional lability, excitability, talkativeness and occasionally amphetamine psychosis, typically in a high and/or chronic doses. Effects are similar to other phenylethylamine stimulants and cocaine. (…)
Amphetamine psychosis usually occurs at large doses only, but it has been known to occur in children taking therapeutic doses for the treatment of ADHD.

Source: http://www.iguard.org/medication/Vyvanse.html

From the Vyvanse advertisement:

Vyvanse is indicated for the treatment of ADHD. Efficacy based on two controlled trials in children aged 6 to 12 and one controlled trial in adults.

Tell the doctor about any heart conditions, including structural abnormalities, that you, your child, or a family member, may have. Inform the doctor immediately if you or your child develops symptoms that suggest heart problems, such as chest pain or fainting.

Vyvanse should not be taken if you or your child has advanced disease of the blood vessels (arteriosclerosis); symptomatic heart disease; moderate to severe high blood pressure; overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism); known allergy or unusual reactions to drugs called sympathomimetic amines (for example, pseudoephedrine); seizures; glaucoma; a history of problems with alcohol or drugs; agitated states; taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) within the last 14 days.

Tell the doctor before taking Vyvanse if you or your child is being treated for or has symptoms of depression (sadness, worthlessness, or hopelessness) or bipolar disorder; has abnormal thought or visions, hears abnormal sounds, or has been diagnosed with psychosis; has had seizures or abnormal EEGs; has or has had high blood pressure; exhibits aggressive behavior or hostility. Tell the doctor immediately if you or your child develops any of these conditions or symptoms while taking Vyvanse.

Abuse of amphetamines may lead to dependence. Misuse of amphetamine may cause sudden death and serious cardiovascular adverse events. These events have also been reported rarely with amphetamine use.

Talk to your health care provider if your child experiences slowing of growth (height and weight). Children should have their height and weight checked periodically while taking Vyvanse. Your health care provider may stop Vyvanse treatment if a problem is found during these check-ups.

Vyvanse was generally well tolerated in clinical studies. The most common side effects reported in studies of Vyvanse were: children – decreased appetite, difficulty falling asleep, stomachache, and irritability; adult – decreased appetite, difficulty falling asleep, and dry mouth.

Aggression, new abnormal thoughts/behaviors, mania, growth suppression, worsening of motion or verbal tics, and Tourette’s syndrome have been associated with use of drugs of this type. Tell the doctor if you or your child has blurred vision while taking Vyvanse.

Strattera

Other names:

Atomoxetine
Atomoxetine Hydrochloride
Strattera

BLACK BOX WARNING
This product has a black box warning relating to the increased risk of suicidality in children, adolescents, and young adults, especially in the first months of treatment.

Strattera is used in the treatment of ADHD. Its exact mechanism of action is unknown.
57% of patients experience side-effects on Strattera.

A short text about one of the companies making ADHD drugs (I do not say they are bad. I just say that the health of your child is apparently NOT their goal):

**’s strategic goal is to become the leading specialty biopharmaceutical company that focuses on meeting the needs of the specialist physician. ** focuses its business on attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), (…) diseases as well as opportunities in other therapeutic areas to the extent they arise through acquisitions. **’s in-licensing, merger and acquisition efforts are focused on products in specialist markets with strong intellectual property protection and global rights. ** believes that a carefully selected and balanced portfolio of products with strategically aligned and relatively small-scale sales forces will deliver strong results.

If your child uses other medication for his symptoms of ADD or ADHD, please drop a comment. I can then add it to this list. Get informed before you start to take any medication!

 

I found this press release, about medication commonly prescribed to control the symptoms of ADD and ADHD..
Just read for yourself:

ROSWELL, GA, August 30, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ — Drugs commonly prescribed for hyperactive children are increasingly being abused, causing a rising number of poison control calls, according to a study published in PEDIATRICS.

The study tracked calls to U.S. poison control centers from 1998 to 2005 among 13- to 19-year-olds and found that during the eight-year study period, calls by teens to poison control centers for all types of stimulant ADHD drug abuse rose by 76%.

“Calls related to teenaged victims of prescription ADHD medication abuse rose 76%, which is faster than calls for victims of substance abuse generally and teen substance abuse,” wrote researcher Jennifer Setlik, MD, of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and colleagues.

The use of stimulant medications to treat ADHD is on the rise. The drugs often have adverse effects and children are unwittingly introduced to increased risks for drug addiction as well as a lifetime of taking medication for a problem which is not well understood.

Stimulant medications, including Adderall and methylphenidate (Ritalin), have a high abuse potential. Due to the fact Adderall has a powerful effect of increasing blood pressure, it carries the same risk of sudden death, stroke, and heart attack in patients with pre-existing heart conditions, as does methylphenidate and other stimulants used to treat ADHD, as well as the same risk of seizures in patients with a history of seizures.

According to Mary Rieser of the Narconon of Georgia drug treatment center, “We see many clients who were prescribed these medications as children and are now addicted to other drugs. We find that many times if the client is taken off these medications they find that they no longer suffer from the symptoms associated with ADHD.”

(With thanks to Narconon of Georgia