Happy New Year to all my fellow ADHD friends. Remember, you DO NOT have a disorder. I hate that. You have a very unique temperament and many gifts. The major problem is that this temperament is created in the prefrontal cortex of your brain. That controls “executive functioning”.. that […]
ADHD
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Book/Audio Suggested Reading: Shadow Syndromes, by John Ratey, M.D. Driven to Distraction, by Edward Hollowell, M.D. Women With Attention Deficit, by Sari Solden Crazy Busy, by Edward Hollowell, M.D. Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, by Russell Barkley, PhD Straight Talk about Psychiatric Medications for Kids, by Timothy Wilens, M.D. Online resources: […]
ADHD… Perspectives by Penny I hope I can accomplish through the privilege of writing this blog helping someone gain more insight into understanding the challenges of living with ADHD every day. And I have to put this disclaimer in: these are all my opinions, not those of Dr. Jones. “Our […]
Russell Barkley, Ph.D., is considered by many professionals to be the most authoritative expert (researcher), on the cognitive/behavioral aspects of ADHD. In his book, Adult ADHD (2010), he details a study where he followed a group of non-ADHD young kids to age 30 and compared them to a group of […]
I have not seen previous reports of permanent growth suppression from long-term use of stimulants during childhood. Expert consensus and my clinical experience is that height may be slightly delayed but is genetically determined (assuming adequate nutrition). The package insert for methylphenidate products (Ritalin, Concerta, Focalin, Daytrana, Metadate), cautions that […]
What does it mean when stimulants stop working and/or start causing anxiety or moodiness? Stimulants usually have a stronger effect when they are first started and then the dose has to be increased to achieve a good response. Some patients will become tolerant to at least some of the stimulant […]
There are occasional patients who become sluggish or sedated with methylphenidate for reasons that aren’t clear. If you are taking Effexor or Lexapro in the am then these could interfere with the activating effects of the stimulant. Lexapro and Effexor are usually taken in am when first started, but after […]
It is usually better to start low and increase until no additional benefits or side-effects. Weight can be used to determine maximum dose, 2mg/kg for methylphenidate and 1.5mg/kg for amphetamines. The following chart was published by Biederman and Wilens at the Harvard department of psychiatry. More people prefer amphetamines. Only 16% prefer methyphenidate. […]
Vyvanse has less effect on the cardiovascular system than Adderall but all stimulants have possible cardiovascular side-effects. You should stop taking it and see if the symptoms go away. If not you need to see your cardiologist or internist. If the side-effects do go away you may want to discuss options […]