Neuro-psych test??????

[smurfra]

To answer your question on what a neuro-psych test is, it is a test that is used to see what parts of the brain are being used, how they are being used, and to see what the activity of them are. I know from my own experience it can be frusturating looking for the right docotor when you have some road blocks. Since your inscurance is screwy, are there any non-profit mental health facilities in your area? I am doing an internship with one in my hometown, and what I have learned so far is that since they are non-profit mental health facility there standard of care is usually higher than a PCP that is drivien by insurnace. Another thing about a non-profit mental health facility is that their range of clients is very broad, for instance they take on clients that have little or no insurance, or if a child's parents insurnace stopped after so many sessions with their insurance provided doctor. They also operate on a sliding pay scale, in which can be very helpful. Also fro what your post was saying is that you have seen a doctor that didn't treat you as a person, but as another case. It would also be helpful to have your past report cards from school for when you go see a new specialist for them to form an adequate diagnosis. I'm surprised that your PCP was pushing Strattera right away. Usually Strattera is perscribed after medications such as: stimulants: Ritalin (I am against the use of Ritalin,) Adderall, and Concerta; then also Well butrin is also used but it is in its own category because it is not considered as a stimulant or a non-stimulant. Another thing is that sleep can also effect the strength of your ADHD symptoms. I noticed when I don't get enough sleep that the strength of my symptoms is very high. This next part I am going to try not to use psychological words that you might not understand. The verdict is still out whether or not sleep causes ADHD or if ADHD casuses sleep problems. I don't know if you knew that ADHD is caused by some parts of the brain being over active and other parts under active? If you would like more infromation about ADHD I can recomend several websites and books that might be of use to you. One more thing, a person can have other mental health problems at the sametime of having ADHD. I hope everything makes some sense.

[index.html]

Originally Posted by smurfra

Usually Strattera is perscribed after medications such as: stimulants: Ritalin (I am against the use of Ritalin,) Adderall, and Concerta; then also Well butrin is also used...

Just curious: why do you oppose Ritalin but not the other stimulants?

[lasia221]

Originally Posted by smurfra

To answer your question on what a neuro-psych test is, it is a test that is used to see what parts of the brain are being used, how they are being used, and to see what the activity of them are.

Ok, but how is this done?? Just asking me questions, or am i hooked up to machines? Machines sound scary, so I hope it's not that.

Originally Posted by smurfra

I'm surprised that your PCP was pushing Strattera right away. Usually Strattera is perscribed after medications such as: stimulants: Ritalin (I am against the use of Ritalin,) Adderall, and Concerta; then also Well butrin is also used but it is in its own category because it is not considered as a stimulant or a non-stimulant.

She put me on the Strattera because of my other fibromyalgia meds. the stimulants would interact with either the tramadol (painkiller) or the elavil (anti-d, which i take at night in a very low dose for the sleep). which i can't remember, but there is a risk of bad side effects mixing the two.

Originally Posted by smurfra

The verdict is still out whether or not sleep causes ADHD or if ADHD casuses sleep problems. I don't know if you knew that ADHD is caused by some parts of the brain being over active and other parts under active? If you would like more infromation about ADHD I can recomend several websites and books that might be of use to you. One more thing, a person can have other mental health problems at the sametime of having ADHD. I hope everything makes some sense.

the sleep problems have only been recently, somewhat...last few years. they coincide with my fibromyalgia. when I was a kid, i slept well, could sleep through jst about any noise. even in high school, i can remember staying up REALLY late, wee morning hours, and still be functional and ok for school. there's no way i could function now on only a few hours sleep. and if the cat sneezes in another room, i wake up

[smurfra]

Originally Posted by index.html

Just curious: why do you oppose Ritalin but not the other stimulants?

Ritalin is overly perscribed. It is used as a street drug by people that don't have adhd. There alot of side effcts. Sometimes it turns people in to "Zombies." I don't know how to word this, but when I stopped taking Ritalin after being on it for most of my life istarted to have some problems that I didn't have when I was taking it, i.e. sleep problems and anxiety. I found out from a counslor that I should have been in threapy before i stopped taking it so that I knew how to deal with the problems. Also Ritaln just stimualtes the brain, and compared to Adderall, Adderall slows the bottom part of the brain and speeds up the top part. New medications always keep coming out. So Ritalin shouldn't be forced as the only medication for ADHD when there are others out there that can be used. Also when children are in school and they are just being regular children (having enough energy but not exessive amounts of it.) Alot of teachers will tell the parents that the child needs Ritalin. And then the parents takes their child to the doctor and the doctor puts them on Ritalin with out having a proper diagnosis.

[index.html]

Originally Posted by smurfra

New medications always keep coming out.

Okay. Just curious.

Are you aware that some of the "newer medications" coming out are the same drug as Ritalin? Methylphenidate is the generic name. This is true of Concerta and Metadate. That's why I was curious about your being more opposed to Ritalin than to Concerta. Obviously, Straterra and Wellbutrin are not the same.

I'm finding alot of docs here trying Straterra before the stimulants. Although less is known about Straterra, many parents and mds alike are reluctant to start medication that we know carries the potential for abuse.