Actually let's rename this "Altenative treatments for ADD~Do they work?" I did some extensive research (actually I googled a bunch of stuff and looked at a ton of websites....is that research?) What I found out only hits the tip of the iceburg when it comes to treatment for ADD.
First on my list is a company called www.extend-life.com. When I first went to the site all I saw was price lists for natual suppliments, however, upon further review I now see a site with information about natural and other drugs that treat all different types of ailments. I seached under ADD and found a natural suppliment called "Neuro Natual Memory." The pill helps concentrates on brain functions and memory enhancement. It is used for Alzheimer patients. For 90 tablets you pay $39.45. There was also a host of conventional treatment drugs: Tacrine, Donepezil and Rivastigmine (I will have to do more research on these drugs as it didn't say exactly what they did.)
I found a blog called Gym in a suitcase (www.gyminasuitcase.com.) There was some wonderful information about Omega3 Fatty acid. It said that not all supplements are not alike. Some can be contaminated with toxic levels of mercury and other organic pollutants. I went back to the site for more info, but now it is an exercise site. Check it out anyway.
From other random sites I did find out that there are 3 different Omega3 oils. Docosahexaenoc Acid (DHA) Eicosapentaeonic Acid (EPA...I talked about this one in my last post) and Alphalinolenic Acid (ALA). DHA and EPA are found in most fish oils. DHA is more important that EPA and ALA. It is suggested that when you consume Omega3 it should have as much DHA in it as possible.
Edison Factor is a tablet with calcium, zinc, sodium and other natural suppliments (used for young children and teens.) A site called www.nativeremedies.com had a suppliment called BrightSpark (125 tablets for $29.95 + $5.99 s&h.)
Next I found another pill called Pycnogenol. It protects blood cells and crosses the blood brain barrier to protect brain cells. We all know that ADD is a lack of blood flow to the frontal regions of the brain, so this product got my interest. It is made from an extract from the bark of French Maritine Pine Trees. It stated that it was less costly than traditional drugs, was as safe as vitamin C and 20 times more powerful than it. It also stated that it was 50 times more powerful than vitamin E.
The first case study using Pycnogenol was in 95 to treat someone with ADHD. After using this product for her daughter, the mom was able to take her off Ritalin. Another study (this time using an ADD study group) with Pycnogenol. They stated that they saw vast improvements after taking it. They were more alert, less depressed, anxious and no longer needed antidepressant drugs. They also said they had an increase in energy.
The next question is: Is it safe? Dr. Peter Rohdewald of The Pharmacology Institute of The University of Munster in Germany stated that it indeed was. He said it was a natual product with NO side effects.
Maybe you have read all this and said to yourself...isn't there anything else beside filling myself with drugs or suppliments? The answer is YES. There is something called a "Neurophycholgical Assesment." It measures cognitive abilities like: learning & memory, attention & concentration, language & communication and visual perception. I found a facility in Boston Massachusetts called Commonwealth Psychology Associates, which is a clinical & consulting service. Their website is: www.commpsych.com. If this facility is not near you then I would suggest that you email them and see if there's a facility closer to where you live.
Well....there is so much more I could list, but I don't want to ramble on. I hope this will help those of you out there who might be searching for an answer. Any question or comments, please feel free to leave them here.
And the Quest continues!!!!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Can ADD be cured without meds~ Part II
After about a week of research (thanks Google....you are a great search engine) I have found a TON of information regarding alternatives to medication for ADD/ADHD. Do they work? I have yet to find out. I know from all that I have I won't be able to cover it all in this blog (so bear with me.) I want to step back for a moment because I found a really disturbing post in the "Stratterra Forum" of the 3stepsADD.com site. It was from a woman named Sabrina. Here is her letter (edited for space.)
I have a 7yr old boy. He used to be helpful, loving and loved to learn. He was always more hyper than the other kids, but never violent. He had trouble focusing and needed a lot of redirecting. I feel that the school ganged up and forced him to take all sorts of IQ, and other tests. He was labeled as ADD, ADHD and PDD NOS. He is on Stratterra now. It doesn't seem to help him. He is experiencing nightmares and says he hates going to school and all his teachers. He is having new anxieties. The teachers won't allow him to be full time in 1st grade. They say he can't handle it. I really do not think there is a drug out there {that will help him}. He feels everything he does in school is never right and he is always in time out. The drugs are not working. Maybe it is the school?
First off Sabrina, why did you allow the school to test him? It's YOUR child! This is why I am a huge proponent of testing by TRAINED PROFESSIONALS who DEAL WITH ADD/ADHD. If Stratterra isn't working (and it didn't work for me) seek other medication. Talk to a doctor about ADD coaching for you son. He sounds like he needs it. The school is obviously NOT supportive and you need to find a special school for him or a counselor for him to see. Maybe a different drug or a different diet would help him? Don't just give up!I also noticed from reading the letter (and editing it) that I believe that Sabrina may have ADD herself. She seemed to run from one subject to another. Maybe mom and son need to see someone so that she is able to deal with her son in a logical way.
I feel bad for both of them. Someone needs to educate BOTH of them.Ok...I will get off my soapbox now. I did request some information from the 3StepsADD site (in the form of an ebook....hoping that it would explain HOW to live with ADD and not rely on meds.) The ebook did arrive the next day, but it was more claims about how I could be MED FREE. It claimed it would explain the "new technique" in FULL DETAIL if I would just pay $19.95 for their book! Can you say bait and switch? I got subsequent emails from them, all with the same claims and all asking me to buy the book....I have unsubscribed from their mailings. You be the judge of this site...I for one am skeptical.
(FYI: Still no reply from Dr. Graham regarding his mention on the above site....I do hope he will reply, but I am getting doubtful.)
I also found a VERY interesting article from a forum section in http://www.thomhartmann.org/ from a Teresa Gieschen:
The web site is www.3stepsadd.com I found it somehow through this site - through some of the vitamin links. Don't bother buying it though - it is like everything else...opinions but no firm hard data. You just buy his special formula and life is good. I admit - I bought them and not only didn't I notice a difference in my son but the dosage was impractical - 3X/day before meals, melts in your mouth.
In a later post she writes:
I also took everyone's advice here and ordered lots of the vitamins and started my son on the omega-3's, a hefty dose of B-complex and a strong multi (still trying to find these in liquid but haven't given up) anyway the results are that my son even is noticing that he can focus better.
So with that endorsement... let's begin our investigation into IF ADD/ADHD can be cured without drugs by looking first at Fish Oil. I found out (from the help of http://www.mind1st.co.uk/) that Fish oil can regulate cholesterol in the body because it contains Omega3 fatty acids (these acids are in fish that we normally eat.) Omega3 fatty acids are also an anti-inflammatory. So what does this have to do with ADD/ADHD? A study was done where prisoners were fed seafood that contained Omega3 fatty acids which resulted in a drop in inmate homicides. In Finland, prisoners of violent crimes had lower levels of Omega3 fatty acids. As Arsenio Hall used to say, "Things that make you go hmmmmm." Could it be that the violent reactions from some ADD'rs could be a lack of Omega3 fatty acids? I need to do more investigation on this.
There are also EPA acids or "eicosapentainoic acids" in fish oil. EPA are the "good fats" extracted from Omega3 fatty acids and are found in: sardines, salmon and mackerel. It is believed that these acids or fats improve eye and brain functions (so your grandmother was right....fish IS brain food!)Reason for adding fish oil to your life:- You will feel & look great...Have thick healthy hair (WOW...I need this NOW!) Healthy skin, a stronger immune system, more energy, a positive life outlook AND a VASTLY improved MEMORY (we add'r love hearing this!) As a result of extensive clinical trials, EPA has been found to be beneficial for: Lower cholesterol, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) Low moods (depression) Heart health, Huntington's Disease (degeneration of brain cells which causes uncontrolled movements, loss of intellectual faculties, and emotional disturbance) concentration, ADHD and ADD.
So why are doctor’s not telling patients of these diseases about these products that COULD help lessen their symptoms? Why is the public not more aware of this? Where is the news media? If these items do help, even a little bit, shouldn't someone be out there as a voice to educate those who don't know? Maybe God is tasking me with this...could be.I am going to continue this topic, in part III, and cover pills, natural remedies and antioxidants. So stay with me...we will get this covered once and for all.
I have a 7yr old boy. He used to be helpful, loving and loved to learn. He was always more hyper than the other kids, but never violent. He had trouble focusing and needed a lot of redirecting. I feel that the school ganged up and forced him to take all sorts of IQ, and other tests. He was labeled as ADD, ADHD and PDD NOS. He is on Stratterra now. It doesn't seem to help him. He is experiencing nightmares and says he hates going to school and all his teachers. He is having new anxieties. The teachers won't allow him to be full time in 1st grade. They say he can't handle it. I really do not think there is a drug out there {that will help him}. He feels everything he does in school is never right and he is always in time out. The drugs are not working. Maybe it is the school?
First off Sabrina, why did you allow the school to test him? It's YOUR child! This is why I am a huge proponent of testing by TRAINED PROFESSIONALS who DEAL WITH ADD/ADHD. If Stratterra isn't working (and it didn't work for me) seek other medication. Talk to a doctor about ADD coaching for you son. He sounds like he needs it. The school is obviously NOT supportive and you need to find a special school for him or a counselor for him to see. Maybe a different drug or a different diet would help him? Don't just give up!I also noticed from reading the letter (and editing it) that I believe that Sabrina may have ADD herself. She seemed to run from one subject to another. Maybe mom and son need to see someone so that she is able to deal with her son in a logical way.
I feel bad for both of them. Someone needs to educate BOTH of them.Ok...I will get off my soapbox now. I did request some information from the 3StepsADD site (in the form of an ebook....hoping that it would explain HOW to live with ADD and not rely on meds.) The ebook did arrive the next day, but it was more claims about how I could be MED FREE. It claimed it would explain the "new technique" in FULL DETAIL if I would just pay $19.95 for their book! Can you say bait and switch? I got subsequent emails from them, all with the same claims and all asking me to buy the book....I have unsubscribed from their mailings. You be the judge of this site...I for one am skeptical.
(FYI: Still no reply from Dr. Graham regarding his mention on the above site....I do hope he will reply, but I am getting doubtful.)
I also found a VERY interesting article from a forum section in http://www.thomhartmann.org/ from a Teresa Gieschen:
The web site is www.3stepsadd.com I found it somehow through this site - through some of the vitamin links. Don't bother buying it though - it is like everything else...opinions but no firm hard data. You just buy his special formula and life is good. I admit - I bought them and not only didn't I notice a difference in my son but the dosage was impractical - 3X/day before meals, melts in your mouth.
In a later post she writes:
I also took everyone's advice here and ordered lots of the vitamins and started my son on the omega-3's, a hefty dose of B-complex and a strong multi (still trying to find these in liquid but haven't given up) anyway the results are that my son even is noticing that he can focus better.
So with that endorsement... let's begin our investigation into IF ADD/ADHD can be cured without drugs by looking first at Fish Oil. I found out (from the help of http://www.mind1st.co.uk/) that Fish oil can regulate cholesterol in the body because it contains Omega3 fatty acids (these acids are in fish that we normally eat.) Omega3 fatty acids are also an anti-inflammatory. So what does this have to do with ADD/ADHD? A study was done where prisoners were fed seafood that contained Omega3 fatty acids which resulted in a drop in inmate homicides. In Finland, prisoners of violent crimes had lower levels of Omega3 fatty acids. As Arsenio Hall used to say, "Things that make you go hmmmmm." Could it be that the violent reactions from some ADD'rs could be a lack of Omega3 fatty acids? I need to do more investigation on this.
There are also EPA acids or "eicosapentainoic acids" in fish oil. EPA are the "good fats" extracted from Omega3 fatty acids and are found in: sardines, salmon and mackerel. It is believed that these acids or fats improve eye and brain functions (so your grandmother was right....fish IS brain food!)Reason for adding fish oil to your life:- You will feel & look great...Have thick healthy hair (WOW...I need this NOW!) Healthy skin, a stronger immune system, more energy, a positive life outlook AND a VASTLY improved MEMORY (we add'r love hearing this!) As a result of extensive clinical trials, EPA has been found to be beneficial for: Lower cholesterol, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) Low moods (depression) Heart health, Huntington's Disease (degeneration of brain cells which causes uncontrolled movements, loss of intellectual faculties, and emotional disturbance) concentration, ADHD and ADD.
So why are doctor’s not telling patients of these diseases about these products that COULD help lessen their symptoms? Why is the public not more aware of this? Where is the news media? If these items do help, even a little bit, shouldn't someone be out there as a voice to educate those who don't know? Maybe God is tasking me with this...could be.I am going to continue this topic, in part III, and cover pills, natural remedies and antioxidants. So stay with me...we will get this covered once and for all.
Can ADD be cured without meds?
It all started when I decided to make my site more accessible and added AdSense to it. When I got done with all the "paperwork" I went to my "new and improved site."
And there it was...that AD!
AdSense adds website links to your blog that are relevant to what you blog topic is. However this one ad caught my eye. Its heading claimed that it could "cure ADD without using drugs" (my paraphrase.) This intrigued me, so I went to the www.3stepsadd.com. This site claimed that drugs like Stratterra and Adderall were dangerous and causing things like liver damage. It claimed that these drugs were "highly addictive" and that they were only "band-aids" and was bound to fail its patients. It claimed that Stratterra and Adderall (which, I was told, had a high potential for abuse) caused: upset stomach/nausea, cramps, fatigue, headaches, sleep disorders, heart palpitation and rapid heartbeats etc. I found this all very interesting because I have been on both medications and the only things I experienced was dry mouth and some sleeplessness (which was solved by cutting my dosage.)
There was also a news flash section that the drug company Eli Lily stated that Stratterra had caused severe liver damage in patients (I went to the Lily site and found out that this was true, but only to two patients.) Undaunted, I did a Google search on the author, Jon Bennett. At first I thought he was a doctor because on the site was this picture. I found out later that Jon Bennett... is a writer NOT a doctor. So who is this distinguished man? I have no idea. He might just be some actor posing for a picture.
So, again I googled "Jon Bennett-Writer." I find...nothing. So my assumption is that Jon Bennett wrote only ONE book!Fortunately for me, Mr. Bennett also quoted Dr. David Graham. He claims that Dr. Graham told Nightline that we have a "system that is biased toward approving drugs almost regardless of the safety risk." His appearance on the show was after the incident with the drug Vioxx, which harmed 88,000 people and killed a third of them. Ok, but what does this have to do with Stratterra and Adderall?
All we can claim now is that Stratterra caused liver damage to two people (and I found no other information on this claim except on the Lily site.) So what's next?I googled Dr. Graham...who IS a real doctor...in fact, he is a top FDA Scientist. I found more information on the Vioxx incident on www.whistleblowers.org. Dr. Graham did "blow the whistle" on The Merck Corporation for manufacturing Vioxx which did harm "at least 88,000 patients and killed 1/3 of them." Solid proof...thanks you.
Dr. Graham's personal website (www.davidgraham.org.uk) had more about this case. I wanted to see if he knew about the 3stepsADD site, so I emailed him. I told him about my blog and asked him for his opinion on this site's claim. I am still waiting to hear back from the good doctor.All this research has NOT gone to waste. I did get a lot of good information about alternatives to the traditional path to medication like Stratterra, Adderall and Ritalin. I don't, however, want to ramble on (as I have a tendency to do) so I will gather my facts and post a "part II" to this blog.
I have information on everything from "Neuropsychological Assessments" to a natural drug that uses the extract from a pine tree and fish oil!This is going to be really interesting....stay tuned!
This posting was originally written back in December...and I still have had no word from the good Doctor!
And there it was...that AD!
AdSense adds website links to your blog that are relevant to what you blog topic is. However this one ad caught my eye. Its heading claimed that it could "cure ADD without using drugs" (my paraphrase.) This intrigued me, so I went to the www.3stepsadd.com. This site claimed that drugs like Stratterra and Adderall were dangerous and causing things like liver damage. It claimed that these drugs were "highly addictive" and that they were only "band-aids" and was bound to fail its patients. It claimed that Stratterra and Adderall (which, I was told, had a high potential for abuse) caused: upset stomach/nausea, cramps, fatigue, headaches, sleep disorders, heart palpitation and rapid heartbeats etc. I found this all very interesting because I have been on both medications and the only things I experienced was dry mouth and some sleeplessness (which was solved by cutting my dosage.)
There was also a news flash section that the drug company Eli Lily stated that Stratterra had caused severe liver damage in patients (I went to the Lily site and found out that this was true, but only to two patients.) Undaunted, I did a Google search on the author, Jon Bennett. At first I thought he was a doctor because on the site was this picture. I found out later that Jon Bennett... is a writer NOT a doctor. So who is this distinguished man? I have no idea. He might just be some actor posing for a picture.
So, again I googled "Jon Bennett-Writer." I find...nothing. So my assumption is that Jon Bennett wrote only ONE book!Fortunately for me, Mr. Bennett also quoted Dr. David Graham. He claims that Dr. Graham told Nightline that we have a "system that is biased toward approving drugs almost regardless of the safety risk." His appearance on the show was after the incident with the drug Vioxx, which harmed 88,000 people and killed a third of them. Ok, but what does this have to do with Stratterra and Adderall?
All we can claim now is that Stratterra caused liver damage to two people (and I found no other information on this claim except on the Lily site.) So what's next?I googled Dr. Graham...who IS a real doctor...in fact, he is a top FDA Scientist. I found more information on the Vioxx incident on www.whistleblowers.org. Dr. Graham did "blow the whistle" on The Merck Corporation for manufacturing Vioxx which did harm "at least 88,000 patients and killed 1/3 of them." Solid proof...thanks you.
Dr. Graham's personal website (www.davidgraham.org.uk) had more about this case. I wanted to see if he knew about the 3stepsADD site, so I emailed him. I told him about my blog and asked him for his opinion on this site's claim. I am still waiting to hear back from the good doctor.All this research has NOT gone to waste. I did get a lot of good information about alternatives to the traditional path to medication like Stratterra, Adderall and Ritalin. I don't, however, want to ramble on (as I have a tendency to do) so I will gather my facts and post a "part II" to this blog.
I have information on everything from "Neuropsychological Assessments" to a natural drug that uses the extract from a pine tree and fish oil!This is going to be really interesting....stay tuned!
This posting was originally written back in December...and I still have had no word from the good Doctor!
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