With the US FDA, Health Canada and Australia's Therapeutic Goods Authority coming out with warnings about the dangers of "ADHD" drugs in the fall of 2006, parents of children need better choices for helping their children.
The following are excerpts from postings that were made on MSNBC.com in late October 2006. These are from real people who have found underlying medical conditions, nutritional handlings, and other methods to help, not drug, their children.
While those at Better Choices are adamantly opposed to the use of psychotropic drugs, at any time, in any circumstances, that decision, we feel, is based on knowledge.
In the same way that lobotomies were once an accepted treatment and many thousands were performed, only after long-term independent studies were done were the thousands of destroyed lives exposed.
So, with psychotropic drugs. Based on known statistics that only 1/100 th of adverse reactions to drugs are reported to the FDA, the deaths and damaged lives that we do know about left in the wake of Ritalin and its hybrid cousins, cannot justify any child being subjected to the damage of these drugs.
In fact, independent long-term studies to date have shown that students taking Ritalin actually do not do better academically, nor socially. The few anecdotal stories that the pharma-funded groups drag out as examples of stimulant results could just as well be attributed to the fact that the child changed teachers, was a year older or many other factors. Long term studies do not show any justification for drugging children with mind-altering, life threatening, spirit-deadening drugs.
Following are several threads of conversations that were posted on www.msnbc.com after an article explaining that a researcher had experimented on children under 6. with Ritalin, despite weight loss, insomnia, nightmares and stunted growth as side effects. His justification? “These are not just hyperactive children. These are boys who set fire to things.”
Just like my brother did, who went on to become a Methodist minister.
Read on and make your own decisions:
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Trends In Ritalin Abuse:
The abuse of methylphenidate has been reported in Baltimore, mostly among middle and high schools students; Boston, especially among middle and upper-middle class communities; Detroit; Minneapolis/St. Paul; Phoenix; and Texas.
When abused, methylphenidate tablets are often used orally or crushed and used intranasally.
In 1999, 165 methylphenidate-related poison calls were made in Detroit; 419 were reported in Texas, with 114 of those involving intentional misuse or abuse.
On Chicago's South Side, some users inject methylphenidate (this is referred to as "west coast"). Also, some mix it with heroin (a "speedball") or in combination with both cocaine and heroin for a more potent effect.
Because stimulant medicines such as methylphenidate do have potential for abuse, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has placed stringent, Schedule II controls on their manufacture
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More lab tests, more supplements...Acetyl-L-carnitine to repair neuropathy and help sensory integration. Milk Thistle to help his liver detox. More zinc, more B6. We had to eliminate apples...the hyperness & toe walking finally diminished.
He was talking...not sentences, but single words. He was learning sign language. He could finally point.
He was able to attend an early intervention public preschool for 12 hours a week.
We had the metals tests done. His aluminum, antimony & bismuth were off the charts. Mercury & lead didn't register at all (a sign that it is being held in the cells). We began diligently working on his ability to naturally detox...more anti-oxidants and malic acid specifically to bring down the aluminum.
We began this last adjustment around his 4th birthday (last June). Since then his learning, language and social skills have just EXPLODED! He is talking sentences, has inflection in his voice, repeats what we say to him, has tripled his signing vocabulary and learns as fast as we can teach it. Somewhere in all the drilling, he has learned his alphabet & numbers, phonics, and he reads.
He plays with trains, cars, trucks, helicopters, blocks and more, just like any little boy his age. He still has many issues, but we are really making progress at an astounding rate. His teachers had never seen or heard of a child "recovering" from autism, and didn't believe it possible...but now are stunned with how fast his skills are growing.
He still has issues with hyperactivity. He still dumps out toys when he's tired. His speech is still difficult to understand. BUT, he's with us now. He understands us and we understand him.
We still have chelation ahead. We still have viral testing ahead. We still have more evaluation of his immune system ahead. BUT, we have a year before we're looking at kindergarten.
Given how far he's come, we'll make it.
YES, the diets can be hard to get used to.
YES, it takes a lot to research this.
YES, it's like pulling teeth to get insurance or Medicaid to pick up the tab.
YES, it's frustrating when someone gives him something he shouldn't eat and it takes 8 days to get it out of his system and recover the regression.
BUT...he isn't head-banging, screaming, breaking things, in diapers or on Valium.
...and with all the scans looking for a tumor, no one noticed he had an encephalitic reaction to the last vaccines he will ever receive. His brain swelled, and that's why he was screaming. Our pediatrician found it looking over the old records.
So...that's the story of our little "canary"...we know how bad it can get. AND we know how good it can be. We are prepared for a lifetime of supervision and assistance, but working toward a life of independence & health.
For anyone that would like specifics, help, access to resources...email me at:
Thanks.
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Hrududu..
Thanks...but it took a little over 2 years to get this smart...and about 200 hours of webconferences, and at least that much time haunting Autism and ADHD message boards with professionals who give input...
www.danwebcast.com
I also have some very wonderful people who have helped along the way...a friend-of-a-friend genetic counselor, a wonderful pediatrician open to learning with me.
When my youngest grandson was about 18 months old (we already knew there were profound problems almost from birth, he never actually made substantial eye contact or any sounds except a soft humming when he went to sleep), he spent 36 hours in the hospital screaming and smashing his head. The docs ran test after test, including diagnostics for brain tumor. They found nothing and sent him home with his Mom with a prescription for Valium and a brochure for residential "placement"....and I got on the internet.
First, we completely eliminated dairy as many of our family members are sensitive to it. There weren't major behavioral changes, but his congestion cleared up.
Then we took out gluten. We began to see some behavior improvements.
We found our current pediatrician and convinced her to order IgG allergy/food sensitivity testing. The standard test for IgG antibodies had shown a slight elevation, but nothing out of range, but she agreed. He was off the scale for soy, egg, dairy, gluten, 3 kinds of beans, vanilla and a dozen high/moderate readings as well....the allergist who had tested him for IgE antibodies (3 times, all negative), dosed him with antibiotics and had put tubes in his ears wouldn't even speak to us about the results. (Ultimately his "ear infections" were diagnosed as systemic Candidiasis...a yeast overgrowth from so many antibiotics)
Those foods were immediately eliminated, and anything approaching a moderate reading put in a rotation to avoid newer allergies.
Turns out, a deficiency in one of the four classes of IgG antibodies makes an "average" that looks normal. They typically only test for this when the standard IgG antibody looks high overall.
The behavior improvements were terrific. His eczema/diaper rash cleared up. He began sleeping at night without a 2 hour "rocking" session.
We began massage for sensory issues because he had no reflexes....that took about 9 months, but one at a time, his reflexes appeared. We cried the first time he stepped on a splinter and reacted!
We then began adding in supplements, beginning with B6 and magnesium (spaced so he had it coming in all day), then adding Vitamin C, Vitamin A&D Cod liver oil (that brought the first eye contact), Synthetic Vitamin E. He was still hyper, still "dumping" toys, books, anything that would hit against his body so he could feel...no playing. He still would crash into things, throw things, throw himself on the floor, tantrum, smash things.
We began the first round of lab tests. The deficiencies are too numerous to mention. We added more B6, zinc, calcium, a different magnesium, taurine, B12, folic acid, DMG to help the B's work better, a multivitamin (without copper!!!). We got calmer behavior, better sleep. Still, there was hyper, and tantrums.
We looked at stool samples. Sure enough, the lab found some pretty unusual yeast & bacteria there. By now, he was approaching his 3rd birthday. We started treating the gut, and when we added in digestive enzymes & probiotics, he spontaneously potty trained!
By now, we began to get a few words (garbled). It was Christmas time and all of a sudden, he was singing! He was singing, in tune, the Christmas carols! The words were unintelligible, but we knew we were reaching him!
He took an interest in toys as toys for the first time. He stopped eating dirt.
More lab tests, more supplements...Acetyl-L-carnitine to repair neuropathy and help sensory integration. Milk Thistle to help his liver detox. More zinc, more B6. We had to eliminate apples...
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objectivemom...
ADHD drugs ARE referred to as crack, meth, cocaine, etc because theY are chemically related and belong to the same "class" of drugs...method of refinement is the only distinction and the method by which patents are granted).
And yes, if you read about what these drugs do (concentration/obsession, attention, wakefulness, stimulation) they work the same on ADHD and "normal" people.
Here is a very nice site (Canadian Drug Enforcement) that outs it all together:
http://corp.aadac.com/other_drugs/the_basics_about_other_drugs/amphetamines_beyond_abcs.asp
CHADD was/is supported by the makers of Ritalin:
http://www.add-adhd.org/ritalin_CHADD_A.D.D.html
28% of their 2005-2006 came from pharmaceutical companies:
http://www.chadd.org/Content/CHADD/AboutCHADD/Reports/default.htm
Knowledge is power.
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C NJ mom...
In addition to gluten & casein, did you eliminate soy &/or corn?
It is now recommended that if there is not a substantial improvement in behavior with the GF/CF diet, then look at a trial elimination of these as well.
Why:
Soy, as its complex protein breaks down, makes about 15 smaller proteins, two of which exactly match casein & gluten protein peptides, especially a problem for kids with seizures not resolved with GF/CF
Corn, a GMO version is/was used in some vaccines and does not match the corn used for IgG testing. If there are hyper, eczema, or headaches even with GF/CF/Soy free then try this as well.
Casein is cleared in a few days, gluten (and the soy imitating gluten) takes a good 6-12 months to be totally free (based on testing).
This is providing, of course, that the foods used are not made in facilities that don't protect against cross-contamination of grains & dairy products...cross-contamination issues are pretty much ignored by all the major food producers, so a dose of restricted foods might well be coming in along with the "safe" foods. I know of parents that even have had to change soaps, shampoos, and vitamins to get fully "free". (milk based, wheat germ or soy oils, etc)...in fact, an Omega 3 capsule that uses a Vitamin E from soy or wheat as a preservative would do more harm than good)
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Omega 3's require sufficient taurine (an amino acid) to be broken down and carried across the blood-brain barrier. Taurine is a "down the line" product of the Vitamin B6. A deficiency up the line in B6 supply or metabolism shortchanges the taurine supply. B6 can't be made/used without enough magnesium and so on.
Very few supplements are "stand-alone". All the helpers and processes need to be working along the way. Also, when a deficiency exists, it may take several weeks to open up the metabolic processes to use the additional nutrients coming in.
For some nutrients, like B12, the body stores part of what it gets. When its deficient, the body will take part of what is added in a supplement and convert it to renew the stored supplies before using all of it for immediate needs.
Its a synergistic process that doesn't give very good results unless a supplement or new dietary source has the supports to restore all the functioning...and DOESN'T have metals or environmental toxins taking up places in the cycle where the nutrients belong.
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I'm so glad you are following a path to better health!
Depression, anxiety, and a host of physical maladies are present in our extended family as well. We have found that the dietary and supplemental regimen used for the children have been a Godsend for us.
Perhaps the following might help open up an avenue, yet unexplored for you:
Daughter, age 23, EXTREMELY gifted, no behavioral problems at all, now working on her PHD...anxiety. very severe at times & migraines
Trial and error has eliminated annatto (a yellow "natural" coloring found in everything from mac & cheese to ice cream), MSG or glutamates hidden under "natural flavorings" using seaweeds, calcium propionate (a mold suppressant in most bread products), corn syrup sweeteners (high fructose or regular) and any red food dyes from her diet. Anxiety gone, migraines gone.
Daughter, age 30. Mother of the autistic and ADHD boys. Extensive dental work while she carried the autistic (and the first in her life). Amalgam poisoning. (Yes, amalgams outgas mercury) Affected her unborn child, increasing substantially his adverse reaction to vaccines. Reduced substantially her ability to manufacture necessary B vitamins from foods. Depression and "brain fog" substantially reduced and now manageable with scheduling tasks given the elimination of allergens dairy, gluten & soy, addition of high dose B6, B12, folic acid, & magnesium with regular dose amounts of other B vitamins...amalgam removal & chelation is in her future.
For me, the same B's, plus yeast treatment & the amino acid taurine, these have lifted the depression & fog. I, too, had illness related to amalgams, and when menopause hit, the metabolism changes brought the depression crashing in along with problems with weight & blood sugar. The dietary restrictions of my sensitivities plus the supplementation and losing the amalgams has given me a new lease on life. Substantial weight loss (effortless) and renewed energy & vigor. People don't recognize me, not only because of the weight loss, but everyone says I look 10 yrs younger!
Estrogen provides some protection as it allows alternate pathways for metabolism to take place. When approaching and going through menopause, these alternate pathways begin to close down, so additional supplements may be needed.
Check out an internet search using the terms depression and nutrition...you may find what you need.
...all the best to you.
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Hi Hrududu
I totally agree. The whole scene has been very cunningly put into effect so that it has crept up on people without their realising it, until it has become a 'culture' and difficult for many to see any other way. Constant advertising for disorders and drugs has also helped to reinforce the concept.
After getting their strongest foothold in America, they went for the next step (Europe). In Europe direct to consumer drug advertising is not allowed, but the pharmaceutical industry plan was clear how they intended to nevertheless ensure that disease and drugs would become the 'norm'. It was spelled out by Britain's 'Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries' (the ABPI) which presumably was the 'entry point' for the industry to march across Europe, and it seems that there are ample physicians, healthcare professionals and 'patient support groups', etc who find pharmaceutical incentives far more rewarding than having concern for the health and safety of others. I doubt the ABPI ever expected their own plan to get out into the open - but it has, here:
http://www.socialaudit.org.uk/5111-005.htm
The strategy for DTCA used by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has been enacted throughout Europe, especially in the major drug-producing countries. The plan was described in a private meeting by the Director-General of the ABPI, and reported in the trade journal, Pharmaceutical Marketing, as follows:
"Now the ABPI has announced that it is launching the final stages of a campaign before it tackles the Government and the EU head on ... It is the spearhead of a carefully thought-out campaign.
The ABPI battle plan is to employ ground troops in the form of patient support groups, sympathetic medical opinion and healthcare professionals - known as 'stakeholders' - which will lead the debate on the informed patient issue. This will have the effect of weakening political, ideological and professional defences …
Then the ABPI will follow through with high-level precision strikes on specific regulatory enclaves in both Whitehall and Brussels." (Jeffries, 2000)[v] .
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Do not. Put your child pn ADHD drugs. I speak as someone who was prescribed them for years. Drug-based therapy for ADHD, and in fact the formulation of ADHD as a psycological disorder, is deeply wrong on a societal level, but I won't talk about that in this forum. I will however outline three surface categories which should sway any parent away from giving potent drugs to children who cannot yet say "no."
The Diagnosis
The questions I was asked which lead to a diagnosis of "ADHD" were asinine. Really. "Do you sometimes daydream in class?" "Do you ever doodle?" "Do you sometimes listen to music while working?" "Do you think about different things at the same time?" "Do you ever wish you were doing something else when you do homework?" Basically, the questions amounted to, "Are you a human being?"
Yes, yes, yes, yes. And I had ADHD. As I think most people "would."
The Treatment
I was put on Ritalin, and then Adderol. The drugs made me feel like...as a previous poster put it...a zombie. I didn't feel emotions, I was anxious. I lost my appetite.
The doctor's response: you aren't getting the right dose. Your dose needs to be....UPPED. That's right, they doubled my dose. Here lies the danger of trying to prescribe PSYCHOLOGICAL drugs to a child: they can't speak for themselves, and when they do, doctors don't listen. Doctors don't validate a child's feelings. Doctors impose their own beliefs on to the situation.
The Behavioral Addiction
The worst part is, in terms of school, the stuff worked. I could concentrate on papers for hours, homework was fun because I was buzzed the whole time (like a previous blogger said, the stuff really does feel like cocaine - it IS a stimulant). I had become a robot. And it was extremely hard to stop using the drug. I used to buy it off my friends if I had a lot of work coming up, even through college. That's right parents, there's an illegal market for ADHD drugs, just like illegal drugs.
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Our grandson was on Adderall for 5 months before I convinced his mother to "let me have him".
The doctor had tried also Ritalin on him.
His mother didn't want to have to feed him special foods even though his brother (with autism) was on a special diet.
After 5 months, he had not grown, his eyes were bugging out, he was licking his lips constantly and looked every bit like any meth addict on the streets.
He is highly allergic to wheat, gluten, dairy, soy, corn, yeast, and can't tolerate MSG, calcium propionate or artificial colors & flavoring.
Without these in his diet, he has ZERO symptoms of "ADHD".
The Adderall stressed his adrenal glands, gave him a "fatty" liver, changed his heart rhythm and he now has metabolite markers for MS.
All because some zealots in the school demanded he "get drugs" to calm him down and a doctor who can't be bothered actually diagnosing his patients.
My grandsons "ADHD" disappeared in just 6 weeks on a diet clean of his sensitivities...and he grew 2 " and gained 3 lbs. Up until the diet change, his baby teeth did not loosen (there were no nutrients reaching his adult teeth). Three months later, all 8 of the first baby teeth to go, got loose, fell out and his adult teeth came in because he finally had enough nutrition coming in for them to form.
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The tragedy continues. According to the Journal for Ethical Psychiatry, taking Ritalin causes a loss of ONE I.Q. POINT PER MONTH! One of the worst side effects (not normally discussed) is tardive diskenesia, where the patient exhibits symptoms approaching a permanent catatonic state.
The breakdowns mentioned above often accompany severe seizures, and Ritalin is the direct cause.
Unless things have changed in France and Switzerland, they refuse to allow children to have it, as their manuals and directories list it as a poison.
And with a 40% side effect rate (which the story cited), this drug should NEVER have qualified for release and distribution by the FDA. Yet as the story also mentioned, the drug companies have successfully co-opted respectable professors and educators in their ceaseless craving for more money. That's the real addiction here--addiction to profit--at the expense of our children and our future
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My now 2 1/2 year old son was headed down the path of autism spectrum disorders and ADHD symptoms, when a very wise mother stepped in to help give me the strength to "buck the system." She convinced me, rightly so, that continuing with the vaccines (which we delayed the onset of anyway) was ruining my child and that many of his behaviors were related to his bowel problems. She suspected that his bowel issues were more than just "constipation" or "stool retention." And, she was right!
We went to see a doctor who conducts (what some see as controversial or nonsense) special "allergy" testing. The intricate blood, stool, and urine tests reveal food "allergies."
These are not allergies in the traditional sense of manifesting themselves with hives, rashes, fevers, etc. They are allergies that manifest themselves in bowl troubles, behavior disorders, emotional disorders, sleep disorders, etc.
In my own trial & error sessions with food, I found that my son reacted negatively when he ate foods containing rice (or rice products) and corn (or corn products). So, did my best to remove the obvious sources of those foods from his diet. The results of his blood test showed he had food sensitivities (or allergies) to rice, corn, oats, barley, almonds, coconuts, safflower, and the list went on. At the time I was nursing him (he was nearly 1 year old) and trying to continue with the introduction of solid foods -not going very well.
She instructed us to remove all the allergen foods from his diet and mine. We had to inspect the label of every food product that went into either of our mouths.
Well, within one month of removing these products from his diet his moods dramatically improved. Family members were stopping me to say, "he seems like a happy kid finally."
His bowel movements became normal, he was less agitated, he was able to sit in a car seat without screaming from door to door. Three months later, he was like a new child. He could concentrate on new tasks, he could sit and read a book without fidgeting like a fish out of water, he had a consistent smile on his face, we had our son back!!
And, he finally started sleeping through the night! He was 16 months old and had not slept more than a 4 hour stretch since he was 3 1/2 months old (right when we started the vaccines). I was so elated I could barely speak! And, I was completely convinced that food allergies/sensitivities were contributing to his negative behavior.
Since his problems became resolved, I have scoured the internet looking for more information on diet and children's behaviors. There is a LOT of information out there that Western medicine is ignoring. So many of these "hyper-active" or "emotionally disturbed" children are simply children who are being fed the wrong food. Our society is based on quick, fast, easy foods -- these all contain so many chemicals I bet no one can read the label pronouncing every word correctly.
Our son is now on a strict corn free, rice free diet and he is absolutely thriving. He's hitting many developmental milestones of a 3 to 4-year old and he's only 2 1/2. His energy level is wonderful and he's just a delight to be around (finally). I encourage everyone out there with a child who has been labeled with ADHD, an autism spectrum disorder, hyperactivity, sensory motor delays, etc. to be tested for food allergies. Not the typical IGE allergies, but the IGG allergies. There are doctors out there who do embrace this new train of thought. Find them!! Simply changing a child's diet can make a world of difference!!!!
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I am not surprised for we ran a group home in Southern Ca for one of the oldest orphanage agency. They belived in giving ritalin to calm the students and wanted us to do the same in our group home. I was against doing so, for I would lots rather deal with the behavior of the resident, rather then the meds. We had professional that cared more for there dogs, than for humans. I spent 10 years with them and the first 8 years we were able to run the group home as we did our own home.
We took the boys to WA from Sepulveda and Acton each year two times and the boys in our care enjoyed what we we able to offer.
I did not like the fact the State wanted to give them money 1987 $1,200 per month 1997 $4,000 per month per student, what they really needed was love which can't be bought.
The School wanted our boys to be medicated as wll and I did not unless it was prescribed by a professional and then I would question the reason it was needed. The School asked many time how do you keep order in your home. My response was we have order and the boys know what is expect of them daily and the School did not have order.
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Parent111...
"Chelation" has been used for longer than any of these drugs have been studied...on children.
If you do enough research, you'll find that the current Federal recommendations are to screen children with ADHD for lead exposure/poisoning. Chelation is the ONLY treatment for lead poisoning.
The agents that remove lead also remove other metals from the body, and when you do the lab tests and find out that your child (or you, from, say eating too much tuna fish) have mercury or aluminum or lead or antimony levels off the charts, then even a competent MAINSTREAM doctor will recommend or perform chelation to remove it. It is done on a regular basis for industrial workplace exposure in adults, and whenever there is significant environmental exposure accidentally or otherwise, it is done on people of all ages.
Our pediatrician is somewhat new to the biomedical approach of treating ADHD and autism, yet she has done chelation many times on lead and metal poisoned children living in a mining district. When she saw our grandsons' results on their hair, blood and urine metal tests, she immediately recommended getting them nutritionally stable so chelation could be done.
No pill will "cure" the effects of metal poisoning...but it will mask the symptoms, until the metabolism breaks down far enough for other major health problems.
BTW...Adderall WAS taken off the market in Canada because of the number of deaths from heart failure. It has been re-released for use there but only under very controlled circumstances.
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Follow up studies were done decades ago on children prescribed Ritalin.
http://www.audiblox2000.com/learning_disabilities/ritalin-effects.htm
"In a study entitled “Hyperactive Children as Teenagers: A Follow-up Study” (1971), eighty-three children were followed from two to five years after being diagnosed as hyperactive or as having attention deficit disorder. Ninety-two percent of the children were treated with Ritalin. Results were as follows:
- 60% of the children were still overactive and had poor schoolwork (the original reasons for being put on Ritalin), but in addition were now viewed as rebellious;
59% had had some contact with the police;
23% had been taken to the police station one or more times;
58% had failed one or more grades;
57% had reading difficulties;
44% had arithmetic difficulties;
78% found it hard to sit still and study;
59% were viewed as a discipline problem at school;
83% had trouble with frequent lying;
52%were destructive;
34% had threatened to kill their parents;
15% had talked of or attempted suicide.
Another research study, the Satterfield study (1987), states,
We found juvenile delinquency rates to be 20-25 times greater in our hyperactive drug-treated only group than in the normal control group. In the “Delinquency outcome for the drug-treated group,” the results were: of 61 boys, 46% were arrested for one or more felony offenses before age 18; 30% were arrested for two or more felony offenses; 25% were institutionalized.… Studies of the long-term effectiveness of drugs have been consistently discouraging.
There is also scant evidence of improved academic performance with stimulant treatment. According to Rooney, research has still not shown the use of medication to be significantly effective in the treatment of processing deficits or academic achievement.
In The Learning Mystique, Gerald Coles confirms the findings of a 1978 review of both short- and long-term studies on the use of stimulants with children who were hyperactive and learning disabled. Of a total of seventeen studies included in this review, short- or long-term, whether they met basic scientific criteria or not, all the conclusions agreed: “stimulant drugs have little, if any, impact on…long-term academic improvement.” Their major effect seemed to be an “improvement in classroom manageability.”
In the Journal of Behavioral Optometry (1991), a study evaluated twenty-two previous studies/articles since 1976 concerning Ritalin use for hyperactive children. It states:
The fact that the above studies do not show the efficacy of Ritalin for helping hyperactive children should be apparent to the skeptic and make a skeptic out of the believer. But the argument should not stop at this point. The weak evidence for the value of Ritalin must now be viewed in the light of its reported side effects."
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There have been children on Ritalin involved in homicide/suicide incidents. This is also a risk with withdrawal.
http://www.audiblox2000.com/learning_disabilities/ritalin.htm
"...According to the DSM III-R, published in 1987, “suicide is the major complication” of withdrawal from Ritalin and similar drugs.
...In 1995, Denmark's Cooperative Institute for Medical Drug Dependence reported the following withdrawal symptoms from psychotropic drug dependence: “Emotional changes: fear, terror, panic, fear of insanity, failing self-confidence, restlessness, irritability, aggression, an urge to destroy, and, in the worst cases, an urge to kill...”
Some of those urges to kill on Ritalin and similar ADHD drugs - in practice:
Michael Carneal (Ritalin) a 14-year-old opened fire on students at a high school prayer meeting in West Paducah, Kentucky. Three teenagers were killed, five others were wounded, one of whom was paralyzed.
Young man in Huntsville, Alabama (Ritalin) went psychotic, chopping up his parents with an axe and also killing one sibling and almost murdering another.
Andrew Golden, aged 11, (Ritalin) and Mitchell Johnson, aged 14, (Ritalin) shot 15 people killing four students, one teacher, and wounding 10 others.
Kip Kinkel, aged 15, (Ritalin and Prozac) of Springfield, Oregon murdered his parents and proceeded to his high school where he went on a rampage killing two students and wounding 22 others.
Shawn Cooper of Notus, aged 15, (Ritalin) of Idaho took a 12-guage shot gun to school and started firing, injuring one student and holding the school hostage for about 20 minutes.
TJ Solomon, aged 15, (Ritalin) high school student in Conyers, Georgia opened fire on and wounded six of his class mates.
Rod Mathews, aged 14, (Ritalin) beat a classmate to death with a bat.
Jeremy Strohmeyer, aged 18, (Dexedrine) raped and murdered a 7-year-old African American girl in Las Vegas, Nevada shortly after commencing dexedrine 'treatment'.
Ryan Ehlis, college student, (Adderall) in North Dakota, killed his infant daughter in a psychotic episode shortly after commencing adderall 'treatment'.
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Ritalin is addictive (despite denial by people addicted to Ritalin and industry psychiatrists) and this has a noticeable effect on hospital emergency rooms:
http://www.nfgcc.org/banritalin.htm
"...Ritalin is highly sought after by the drug-abusing population. According to Drug Abuse Warn Net (DAWN) it represents the greatest increase in drugs associated with abuse, and the highest number of suicides and emergency room admissions."
And an equally noticeable effect on crime rates:
http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/CRIMEBULLETIN4.html
"...In November 2000, the former Queensland Crime Commission[1] pointed to the amphetamine market as the highest risk crime market in Queensland (QCC 2000). It also noted a perception among users that amphetamine use was not addictive and found that the younger end of the market considered it more acceptable because it had less stigma attached to it than injecting drugs. As a result of that report, the QCC hypothesised that the amphetamine-based prescription drugs for treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),[2] — methylphenidate and dexamphetamine — had the potential to become catalysts for subsequent amphetamine use..."
...[re US in 1995] In a press release at the time, the DEA reported that a significant number of children and adolescents were diverting and abusing ADHD medication and that students were giving and selling their medication to classmates (DEA 1995). Poison-control data, emergency room data and high school surveys all indicated that the abuse of methylphenidate had increased significantly since 1990. The DEA (2000) also noted that, in 1994, 1 per cent of US school seniors reported the illicit use of methylphenidate or dexamphetamine. In 1999 this figure had risen to about 3 per cent. However, the full extent to which methylphenidate and dexamphetamine is being abused remains unknown and further research is required...
According to South African research (Parran & Jasinski 1991), users abusing methylphenidate had little difficulty in obtaining it from doctors, hospitals and specialised clinics, although this research is now somewhat dated...
...In its annual reports of 1995 and 1996, the INCB highlighted several cases of abuse and warned of the increasing abuse of methylphenidate worldwide, especially in the United States.
It reported that in the US the number of methylphenidate-related emergency room mentions for people aged 10–14 in 1995 reached the level of cocaine-related mentions for that age group (INCB 1996)...
...Overseas anecdotal evidence indicates that the illicit diversion of ADHD prescription drugs occurs by drug thefts, prescription forgery, ‘doctor shopping’ and illegal sales to others. DEA information (2000) suggests that those who are illegally using methylphenidate and dexamphetamine products are obtaining them from people who have been prescribed these medications for ADHD. Adolescents do not have to rob a pharmacy or forge a prescription when they have little difficulty obtaining the drug from classmates at school...
...Law enforcement intelligence reports indicate a brief instance of small-scale illicit diversion and abuse of ADHD prescription drugs in Tasmania in the 1990s. Other anecdotal reports suggest isolated instances of children selling their ADHD medication in some Australian schools for around AU$2 a tablet (ABCI 1997)..."
RITALIN certainly worries police in VANCOUVER:
http://www.worldnewsstand.net/health/PSYCHIATRY.htm
"...The police chief said that 80% of the crime in Vancouver would cease if Ritalin could be taken off the market. This situation is now well underway in Europe and the US as well..."
ENGLAND - a University is worried about the increase in ritalin sales amongst children:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3093245.stm
"...Strong prescription drugs meant for attention deficit children are being sold in school playgrounds..."
AUSTRALIA - Teachers accused of promoting ADHD and treatment, for quieter classrooms.
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,1948
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I don't believe the majority will go to college. As in a post further up - the ritalin follow up Satterfield study (1987),
said:
"We found juvenile delinquency rates to be 20-25 times greater in our hyperactive drug-treated only group than in the normal control group. In the “Delinquency outcome for the drug-treated group,” the results were: of 61 boys, 46% were arrested for one or more felony offenses before age 18; 30% were arrested for two or more felony offenses; 25% were institutionalized."
(http://www.audiblox2000.com/learning_disabilities/ritalin-effects.htm)
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There are not so many studies re Omega 3 because the pharmaceutical industry who fund 90% of drug research are not prepared to fund studies that they can't patent a drug from, Omega 3 obviously being one of them.
But some independent studies have been done.
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=27&ContentID=1382
Cure-all oil is good for baby too
21st July 2006, 0:00 WST
CATHY O’LEARY MEDICAL EDITOR
The fatty acid omega 3 has proved its worth as a modern wonder potion, after a WA finding that children born to women given fish oil during pregnancy are more co-ordinated and have better language and behaviour.
The research adds to the long list of known health benefits of omega 3, which has been lauded as an easy way to keep the heart and arteries in good shape, ward off Alzheimer’s disease and beat the pain of arthritis.
The latest finding was stumbled upon by researchers from the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and the University of WA while monitoring the effects of omega 3-rich fish oil on allergies in children.
They discovered that children whose mothers took fish oil supplements during pregnancy seemed more developed by the age of 2 1 /2, including having superior handeye co-ordination.
Their study was originally driven by concern that pregnant women were consuming less and less omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, or omega 3 PUFA, and the effect this might be having on children’s immune systems, their risk of disease, foetal growth and development.
The research involved 98 pregnant women recruited from private obstetricians.
Researcher Janet Dunstan, from UWA’s school of paediatrics and child health, said the women received high doses of either fish oil or olive oil from 20 weeks into the pregnancy until the birth of their baby. Those given omega 3 had 3.7 grams a day — the equivalent of one meal of fish.
“Children in the fish oil supplemented group attained higher scores in all measures of development, behaviour and language, and had a significantly higher score for hand-eye co-ordination, compared with children from the olive oil control group,” Dr Dunstan said.
“Further studies are required but the initial results indicate that supplementation with fish oil rich in omega 3 PUFA during pregnancy is safe and may have beneficial effects on the child.
“Improved hand-eye co-ordination can help in terms of developing fine motor skills that may enhance learning, such as being able to hold and use a pen or pencil, and increase self-esteem.”
Omega 3 is found naturally in oily fish, canned tuna and salmon, flaxseed and canola oils, leafy green vegetables, wheat germ and walnuts.
Last month, a study by the University of South Australia found omega 3 fish oil could be more effective in treating the symptoms of ADHD in children than stimulant medication such as dexamphetamines.
Earlier in the year, other Australian researchers found that giving cancer patients fish oil helped them fight off disease. Scientists at Sydney’s Concord Hospital claimed giving patients with advanced bowel cancer omega 3-rich fish oil supplements helped them to tolerate chemotherapy and avoid becoming malnourished.
Fish oil has also been found to reduce the risk of sudden death in people with early signs of heart disease.
But doctors say people need to eat far more omega 3-enriched foods such as bread, milk and biscuits to get enough heart-protecting “good fats”. Many people are believed to be eating nowhere near enough of the polyunsaturated fat, despite it being found naturally in fish and plant oils.
Most people get less than 200mg a day of omega 3s, well under the 500mg a day recommended to help ward off blood clots and heart disease. Dr Dunstan said although the results of her study were based on the use of fish oil supplements, it was also important to encourage women to include fish and other omega 3-rich foods in their diet..."
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Its apparently the ratio between Omega 6 and Omega 3 that causes a lot of problems. For instance, by giving Omega 3 but having a diet still rich in Omega 6, that would counteract the Omega 3.
Where diet high in Omega 3 and far lower in Omega 6 has been studied, the results have been resoundingly hopeful in many areas, physical and mental health. Here's one re depression.
"Omega-3 Treatment of Childhood Depression: A Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study
American Journal of Psychiatry 163:1098-1100, June 2006
doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.163.6.1098
© 2006 American Psychiatric Association
Hanah Nemets, M.D., Boris Nemets, M.D., Alan Apter, M.D., Ziva Bracha, M.D. and R.H. Belmaker, M.D.
OBJECTIVE: Major depressive disorder in children may be more common than previously thought, and its therapeutics are unclear. Because of success in a previous study on omega-3 fatty acids in adult major depressive disorder, the authors planned a pilot study of omega-3 fatty acids in childhood major depression.
METHOD: Children who entered the study were between the ages of 6 and 12. Ratings were performed at baseline and at 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks using Children’s Depression Rating Scale (CDRS), Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), and Clinical Global Impression (CGI). Children were randomized to omega-3 fatty acids or placebo as pharmacologic monotherapy. Twenty-eight patients were randomized, and 20 completed at least 1 month’s ratings.
RESULTS: Analysis of variance showed highly significant effects of omega-3 on symptoms using the CDRS, CDI, and CGI.
CONCLUSIONS: Omega-3 fatty acids may have therapeutic benefits in childhood depression. "
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Various other dietary factors come into play too.
http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/information/oith/oith99.htm
"...In the long term
Dietary management does not produce a magical change within an hour the way medication can. But what do studies show of long term effects?
Following up after two years on families avoiding additives and salicylates, U.S. researchers found 13 out of 14 mothers described their children's behaviour as having improved since the end of the study. Typically, they reported marked improvement in schoolwork and a steady, gradual increase in self-control.
In a British study which used the Few Foods diet, 92% of children in the study were still continuing with the diet when last seen. Researchers commented that being on an acceptable diet did seem to make a remarkable difference in the lives of many of these families.
A study of 6000 institutionalised juvenile offenders found antisocial behaviours were reduced by nearly half following the introduction to a diet low in processed foods. Not everyone improved equally. About 20 per cent of the delinquents accounted for nearly 50 per cent of the bad behaviour. Behavioural improvements started within a few weeks of beginning the diet and continued improving over a period of nearly five months, when they stabilised at the reduced level. Further reading: Conners, CK Food additives and hyperactive children, Plenum, 1980..."
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Explaining OMEGA 3 to OMEGA 6 ratio (the article has a lot more info that the extract below):
http://www.mcvitamins.com/essential%20fatty%20acids.htm
"...Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids are especially important for making prostaglandins in your body. Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances that regulate many activities in your body including inflammation, pain, and swelling (some cause swelling and others relieve it). They also play a role in controlling your blood pressure, your heart, your kidneys, your digestive system, and body temperature. They are important for allergic reactions, blood clotting and making other hormones.
Fatty acids are also natural blood thinners; they can prevent blood clots, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. Essential fatty acids contain natural anti-inflammatory compounds that can relive the symptoms of arthritis and autoimmune diseases. In addition, a diet low in essential fatty acids could result in skin problems, such as dandruff, eczema, splitting nails and dull brittle hair.
Fatty acids influence the structure of the cells lining the intestinal tract, as well as the "villi" through which absorption of nutrients takes place. They increase the thickness and surface area of the digestive-absorptive cells that line the inside of our intestine. This results in more effective digestion, better absorption of nutrients, less absorption of allergens, and better health.
More importantly, numerous studies have shown that compounds found in essential fatty acids can block tumor formation in animals, and test tube studies have documented that omega-3 fatty acids can inhibit the growth of human breast cancer cells.
Your brain is actually 60 percent fat - and DHA (an Omega-3 essential fatty acid) is the most abundant fat in your brain. It's also the most abundant fat in breast milk, since babies need it to nourish their growing brains and eye development. This Omega-3 fat seems to be important mostly for connecting brain cells to each other and making sure the transmission of brain signals get through right. It is also found in high concentration in the retina of the eye.
Low levels of this Omega-3 fatty acid have been linked to an increase in dementia, mood changes, memory loss, and visual problems. In a Swedish study, elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease were found to have lower levels of this than healthy older people. Studies done at Purdue University showed that children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder had lower levels of these essential fatty acids.
The Unbalanced Essential Fatty Acids:
Omega-3 essential fatty acid is essential to human health but is lacking in most Western diets. The balance of Omega-6 essential fatty acid and Omega-3 essential fatty acid should be four or five Omega 6 to each Omega-3 for a good balance. We get ample amounts of Omega-6 in the typical Western diet. The ratio in this diet is between 10 and 20 to 1 in favor of Omega 6, far too high in Omega-6. This unbalance encourages overproduction of some prostaglandins (hormone like substances your body makes that control many activities in your body). The imbalance causes many health problems by getting you body hormones and chemicals out of whack..."
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I was put on Ritalin at age 12. It is very powerful...sends you flying high and then you crash down 6 hours later...HARD.
I went looking for something in later life that mimicked Ritalin.
I tried it.
Cocaine.
Almost identical.
Don't put kids on Ritalin.
Trust me. It's way too powerful a drug at any age.
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There are at least 50 conditions I can write up right away that can mimic ADHD in symptoms that no one ever considers before wanting a little magic pill to make their kids quiet.
I would wager a substantial sum that the children in this study NEVER had any medical tests to determine if any of these conditions existed before putting a pill down their throats just to see what would happen. (I'm looking for the study details, but its likely they used just the Conner's Scale eval that was originally developed to select kids for a drug study and used widely since to continue the "diagnosis" that leads to drug use)
For everyone PLEASE distribute this list to anyone and EVERYONE you know that has a child!
Ritalin, et al will NEVER treat or cure any of these conditions. Ritalin, et al, can make them worse or cause a delay in diagnosis that could threaten the child's life.
http://adhdparentssupportgroup.homestead.com/50conditionsmimicingADHD.html
Conditions most over looked.
(1) Hypoglycemia
(Low Blood sugar)
(3) Allergies:
(4) Learning disabilities:
(5) Hyper or hypo- thyroidism:
(6) Hearing and vision problems:
(7) Mild to high lead levels
Other good possibilities to check for
(1) Spinal Problems
(2) Toxin exposures
(*) Carbon Monoxide poisoning
(3) Seizure disorders
(4) Metabolic disorders
(5) Genetic defects
(6) Sleeping disorders
(7) Post-traumatic
(8) High mercury levels
(9) High manganese levels
(10) Subclinical seizure disorder
(11) High manganese levels
(12) Iron deficiency
(13) B vitamin deficiencies:
(14) Excessive Vitamins
(15) Tourette's syndrome
(16) Sensory Integration
Dysfunction
Definitely check if there is a family history of the condition
(1) Early-onset diabetes:
(2) Heart disease
(3) Cardiac conditions
General problems in which you can think about
(1) Worms
(2) Viral or bacterial infections:
(3) Malnutrition or improper diet
(4) Head injuries -
(5) Dietary factors
(6) Anemia disorders
(7) Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
(8) Some drugs
(9) Sniffing materials
(10)A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (strep)
(11) Lack of exercise:
(12) Gifted Children:
(13) Emotional problems:
(14) Spoiled & undisciplined
(15) Spirited children
(16) Lack of understanding and communication skills:
Rare conditions but still good to check for and know about.
(1) Early stage brain tumors
(2) Temporal lobe seizures
(3) Brain cysts
(4) Porphyria
(5) Candida Albicans infestation (Yeast Infection)
(6) Intestinal parasites
(7) Klinefelter syndrome
(8) Genetic Disorder XYY-
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