To those contemplating ADHD meds.

[Jennita]

Originally Posted by mack85

Index is right. Please, these are opinions; these are not to be taken as fact. Most of the issues that pertain to the brain are opinions. It’s a very intricate organ. There’s plenty we don’t understand.

With that said, I raise these theories because after working for a pharmaceutical company I see what the companies have the sales force do in order to try to manipulate physicians into prescribing more of the medication that they are selling. At the time the sales force gave out information to the physician that said ADHD was more prevalent than what they probably believed. This is disturbing because here is a pharmaceutical company trying to, in essence, reeducate a physician. It’s different if it is a newly discovered disease or way to treat one, but to say doctor you must not see enough ADHD because you don’t prescribe enough of the medication. ADHD has been around for a while and there has been very little new information on the diagnosis and treatment of it. Its one issue if it pertains to adults but it’s another when children are the target. Because of this and other factors it’s my strong belief and always will be that ADHD is over diagnosed. What these drugs may or may not do to the human body can be debated forever without any real answer. Currently these medications are all that is available for ADHD and for those that actually do suffer they are Godsends.

Jennita, your issue about side effects is correct, but I feel that it slowly changing. With the current issues pertaining to Celebrex, Vioxx, etc, I believe there is now a heightened awareness of a drug’s side effects in the physician’s eye as well as the patient’s eye even sometimes to a fault. Side effects are at times a necessary evil. Parkinson’s medications are synonymous with side effects. In some disease states it’s a matter of weighing the benefits vs. the adverse events. I’ll let you know as a drug rep it’s not easy to convince a physician of anything. At least most of them. I currently don’t give dinners or gifts to the offices anymore. When I use to, even with all the dinners and gifts, you would see little benefit at all from it. There are a few that can be convinced to use a medication from only what the rep tells them. Once again this is rare. They may be convinced to prescribe more from information they get from a dinner where a physician that is a thought leader of the disease state speaks to them. Where most physicians get their information is the medical journals. What these journals say is important in the physician’s eye. As reps we do present these to doctors. We can discuss them with the physician if we have the time, but the physician does not give us the time nor should he. He has patients to take care of. We usually just give a synopsis of the article to spike enough interest to read it later. Most of them do if it is a viable article from a reputable journal. It’s likely they already read it before we gave it to them anyway. That is if they care about staying on top of what’s new in medicine. Most do from what I’ve learned.

Along the lines of ADHD being a disease at all I’m not totally sure. I had a physician explain it to me and it made sense. This was almost 4 years ago so I can’t remember exactly how he explained it. I do remember that he said it was not as prevalent as we are lead to believe. This particular physician was very intelligent and didn’t prescribe much ADHD medication. He only used it in cases where he felt it was absolutely necessary. Though, Jennita, you could be right in saying it’s just a different type of brain. ADHD has always had a negative stigma, though I feel it’s gotten a lot better since I was a child. It’s definitely more accepted. I do agree also there are many diagnosed with ADHD that are highly intelligent. It’s a matter of focusing your mental abilities in a manner that you are capable of in order to achieve one’s maximum potential. Former president Bill Clinton was said to have ADHD. Like him or not, the guy is a genius. Search the internet and you can find many notable individuals with ADHD. Do they take meds? I don’t know. I don’t think Clinton did. I feel that he just focused it in a way that helped him to achieve his goals. It took me a while, but I feel I have figured out how to focus mine to achieve my goals as well and to where it’s not a hindrance on my life. Take care.

Well, if Clinton had it, that would make sense. He has a high IQ, right? And he learned to channel it. Yes, I agree, the stigma on ADD is getting better. But it wouldn't have been there to start with if psychiatry didn't tell people it was a mental disorder/disease; when a child is pronounce "mental" in any way, theres' the stigma and well, other children can be very cruel. I blame psychiatry for the label itself.

On a side note, I notice that most brain diseases do show physical symptoms and signs like Autism, mental retardation, etc. The body has definate physical problems as a result. So why not ADD, if it is truly a disease I wonder.

Anyway, I'm not pointing fingers at all drug reps, all doctors, etc. I think there are very good people in those lines of work, yourself included as you seem to be very concerned about the drugs you represent. That's unusually moral of you, most people just do the job they are told to do.

And there are alot of good doctors; my family and I have run across a few. And a few bad ones too, unfortuately. Well, such is life.

[index.html]

Originally Posted by Jennita

Oh boy, I hate to say it but you forced me. Right now, technically, ADD as a biological disease, is also a "theory".

Side effects are, however, fact. Downregulation of receptors, receptor changes with medication, fact... as prove by science on cadaviers and rats.

So one must realize they might end up with some changes or damage from medicating (with a neurotoxic drug like a stimulant), this theorized biological disease.

Then again, they might not. Not everyone who smokes ends up with lung cancer; my chain-smoking uncle didn't but by his 60's his heart and arteries were worth squat. He didn't die of that either, though, ironically. In fact, he had a clean bill as far as his arteries and heart after some cleaning out procedures.

He died of an infection while on predisone for the lung inflammation....predisone is well known for weakening the immune system and they couldn't stop the infection that time.

Ritalin has been around for a long time but not widely used intil the 1990's so we must go by statistics much younger than Ritalin's age.

Tardive Dyskinesia isn't being hushed up (law requires full disclosures) but simply swept under the rug as most other effects of medications.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, medications are not the only reason for disease. Gotcha. But they are a very strong added risk, especially ones that don't necessarily target a life-threatening disease but target changing the brain functions with, as the profession says, "unknown reasons" . Look at any psychoactive drug disclosure and they basically say that in statements like "the mode of therapeutic action in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not known"

So basically, it is a living brain experiment. People should know that and then decide for themselves. But on a side note, stimulants, AD's etc. are being blamed alot for a moody, aggressive youth we are seeing lately with school shootings and family killings. If at all the drugs are related to this (I am not saying they are absolutely, only suspiciously, so no need to debate this) in the very smallest way even, then this rising use of psychoactive meds will become more of a social issue than individual one in the future.

Or, society might learn to accept the change in future generations because drugs will never be blamed as long as the psychiatric community has any say-so in the matter. Maybe bullet-proof vests will be standard school dress code in the future?

Oh, Jennita, you crack me up!

Enjoy your weekend.

[Jennita]

Originally Posted by index.html

Oh, Jennita, you crack me up!

Enjoy your weekend.

Nope, have read too much of other professional opinions and facts to claim my ideas or arguements seemingly illogical to you are all mine cause they are not... well, except the bullet proof vest idea, that's all mine and perhaps a bit illogical if not impractical.

I enjoy everyday, not just the weekend but thanks anyway! Same to you

[Mamakatster]

Hi, I don't have time to read all your posts but I'll just tell you my experience:

My son is also 9 and he's on Adderall. When he's on his med, he hasn't much appetite for the first few hours, but a few hours after that, he seems to recover it. My son is chubby! He never lost his baby fat cheeks and has a bit of a pudge. Of course, he doesn't get enough exercise and that contributes to it, but he didn't slim down a lot on the medication. I think a child can be overmedicated, however, and it's up to the parents to observe him or her. I know when Max's med is too strong, he has a rather flat affect, i.e., he isn't really very responsive, seems glum and dulled. On the right dose, he's calm and can concentrate, but he still acts like himself - a little goofy and somewhat animated. And as I said, his appetite is fine a few hours after the onset of his meds. Hope this helps in some way. Thanks everyone for your input!

[stillcrazy]

As a 7th grade teacher, I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference between ADHD and raging hormones. ADHD and ADD are real problems in the classroom because, even if there is only one child afflicted, the entire class suffers the effects. Extra physical activities for the child, such as running, playing basketball, etc. tend to either make the problem worse or tire the child out to the point of falling asleep in class (good for the other students, not so good for the ADHD child and the teacher).

Most parents I have dealt with concerning ADHD are reluctant to put their children on medication. Coping strategies help, but as the school day wears on, exhaustion sets in and the child begins looking for outside stimulation or falls asleep. While middle school classes should be activity oriented to stimulate learning in all students, some ADHD children become overstimulated during these activities and lose control of their behavior. In short, what works for one ADHD child may not work for another.

Teachers and parents need all the help they can get in helping ADD and ADHD children succeed. Sometimes medication is the only thing that really helps the child. Sometimes medication hurts more than helps. What will not help is downplaying ADHD by pretending it is a problem easily solved.