What do ya'll think?

L
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-06-29-ritalin_x.htm

New warnings due for ADHD drugs
By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY
The Food and Drug Administration plans to add new warnings about psychiatric side effects to the label of Concerta and other drugs for attention deficits and hyperactivity, according to documents posted on the FDA Web site and confirmed by the agency.
At a meeting today of the FDA's Pediatric Advisory Committee, officials will discuss safety concerns about Concerta, a form of methylphenidate, the active ingredient in Ritalin and similar medications.

A briefing document about the meeting says the review was prompted by reports of hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, psychotic behavior and aggression among methylphenidate users. Officials note that Concerta's label already lists possible psychiatric side effects but suggests the problems aren't serious or that the drug might only aggravate existing problems.

The FDA also has received reports of cardiovascular problems among Concerta users, such as high blood pressure, arrhythmia and racing heartbeats. The agency doesn't yet know whether these problems are caused by the drug.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects about 7.5% of school-age children, Concerta's maker says. The drug, approved in 2000, is intended to improve concentration and impulse control. Patients filled 7.8 million prescriptions last year, the FDA report says.

The agency also plans to examine other stimulants used to treat ADHD, including amphetamines and Strattera. Last year, the FDA changed the label for Adderall XR to include risk of sudden cardiovascular death, especially in children with heart disease, the report says.

Bonnie Jacobs of McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, a division of Johnson & Johnson that makes Concerta, says the company is reviewing the information and "will of course do what is in the best interest of patients."

Lawrence Diller, a doctor who specializes in behavioral pediatrics and author of the book Running on Ritalin, doesn't plan to change his practice yet. Doctors have used these types of drugs for 70 years and have found them to be safe and effective in the short-term, he says.

how gullable do these drug companies think we are....

Furthermore if these add/adhd patients have lyme and are given the wrong doses of certain psychotropics the reverse effect may occur...it happened to me when they put me on certain psychotropics.

I'm not saying everyone has lyme either but I just don't believe in drugging our kids unles there is a discernable chemical imbalance that can be documented...

and there are no tests for that forthcomming.........zman

quote:

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Originally posted by Linda LD:
I skimmed through this at lunch and to me it looks like some of the people taking the meds for ADD and ADHD--might have undiagnosed Lyme and the meds are being blamed rather than identifying the true culprit.

What do ya'll think?

L
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-06-29-ritalin_x.htm

New warnings due for ADHD drugs
By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY
The Food and Drug Administration plans to add new warnings about psychiatric side effects to the label of Concerta and other drugs for attention deficits and hyperactivity, according to documents posted on the FDA Web site and confirmed by the agency.
At a meeting today of the FDA's Pediatric Advisory Committee, officials will discuss safety concerns about Concerta, a form of methylphenidate, the active ingredient in Ritalin and similar medications.

A briefing document about the meeting says the review was prompted by reports of hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, psychotic behavior and aggression among methylphenidate users. Officials note that Concerta's label already lists possible psychiatric side effects but suggests the problems aren't serious or that the drug might only aggravate existing problems.

The FDA also has received reports of cardiovascular problems among Concerta users, such as high blood pressure, arrhythmia and racing heartbeats. The agency doesn't yet know whether these problems are caused by the drug.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects about 7.5% of school-age children, Concerta's maker says. The drug, approved in 2000, is intended to improve concentration and impulse control. Patients filled 7.8 million prescriptions last year, the FDA report says.

The agency also plans to examine other stimulants used to treat ADHD, including amphetamines and Strattera. Last year, the FDA changed the label for Adderall XR to include risk of sudden cardiovascular death, especially in children with heart disease, the report says.

Bonnie Jacobs of McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, a division of Johnson & Johnson that makes Concerta, says the company is reviewing the information and "will of course do what is in the best interest of patients."

Lawrence Diller, a doctor who specializes in behavioral pediatrics and author of the book Running on Ritalin, doesn't plan to change his practice yet. Doctors have used these types of drugs for 70 years and have found them to be safe and effective in the short-term, he says.

New problems might be surfacing today because the drugs are more widely prescribed. What's needed is a better system to monitor the safety of drugs after they have been approved, Diller says.

---

Back in the 80's I was diagnosed with a.d.d.
The psyhiatrist put me on ritalin.

Well, for the first two weeks.... I was focusing, and after two weeks on this crap...I was at work, and couldn't stop shaking, craving coffe... which I'm a one cup a day person!
I literally felt like killing somebody!

I talked to my boss, and she had somebody bring me to the psychiatrist right away!
I was told my body was addicted to it, but I did not know at the time, that I had lyme!

They've tried many anti-depressants on me that made me much worse, so I don't think it works that way just for children.

I think your on to something!!
Lymeloco

When I finally got treated for my thyroid disease (three years ago) my husband went to see a marriage councillor without me. That really hurt my feelings.

My hubby was complaining about all the things I did that really tick hubby off. The doc started laughing...doc said, "she's not trying to make you mad--she has ADD..."

Around that time my step-daughter made the statement that I probably had ADD and the thyroid disease had been masking it for all these years...that was before Lyme diagnosis.

I'm easily distracted, I'll go to get the paper and hubby will find me 45 minutes later weeding the flower bed next to the paper box...it goes on and on...I go in one room and start doing something else--I never finish a project...

BUT, I would never put my kids on the meds because I think it is important to learn the skills to cope with ADD. I have to carry around a Franklin Planner that I write everything in. I agree about not doping kids, but as an adult with LD--I LOVE MY ADDERAL! I think I would have lost my job way before now without it!

Underlying infection? Boy, that's tough. I am his biological mother and neither my husband, his biological father, or I have lyme. However, I did have cats years ago (BARTONELLA also depletes Mg.)I do not believe my son got an infection AFTER birth since many of his problems were apparent very early on. (Day 3 of life, serious digestive probs and had to switch to soy formula stat).

Do pathogens cross the placental barrier? I don't know. There must be some protective measures the body takes (the pH of the vagina is one). I know in amniotic fluid anti-inflammatory substances rise just before birth to protect the baby's lungs.

Here's some info. on Ritalin...how it works, dangers, etc. How that drug mentioned in the article works, I do not know.

(P.S.) My son is now off Ritalin after taking it nonstop for about 20 years. He is on natural supplements instead.

Ritalin:

PMID: 11056411 (Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children: rationale for its integrative management.)

PMID: 7761553 (Effect of dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate on calcium and magnesium concentration in hyperactive boys.)

PMID: 36423 (Four stimulants of the central nervous system: effects on short-term memory in young versus aged monkeys.)

Preteen Ritalin May Increase Depression
Early Use of ADHD Drug Alters Brain, Rat Studies Show
Carlezon, W.A. Jr. Biological Psychiatry, Dec. 15, 2003; vol 54: pp 1330-1337. News release, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Mass.
http://www.medicinenet.com/methylphenidate/article.htm (side effects of Ritalin)

(Study Shows Ritalin Triples Chromosome Abnormalities associated with Increased Cancer Risk and other adverse health effects.)
``UTMB Professor of Environmental Toxicology Marvin Legator, the study's principal investigator and senior author, cautioned, ``This study doesn't mean that these kids are going to get cancer, but it does mean they are exposed to an additional risk factor, assuming that this study holds up.''''

The above is currently very "controversial" because it was a small study.

I think we have to be careful not to attribute other diseases to Bb. There are many other pathogens that might be causing/triggering the problem if they indeed crossed the barrier.

I don't think everyone with these symptoms have LD--but I do.

As far as your son you might want to look at this thread:
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/035557.html

My child had undiagnosed bells-palsey at 6 weeks, doc said he was sorry my child wasn't symetrical enough for me. Turns out the kid was in stage two Lyme...

Other child also has lyme and was failure to thrive--and there was no outward cause of that--he was born weighing over 8.5 pounds and we have a happy house, and were doing well financially then...

Thank you for your insite. Like I said--I would never give it to my kids--but I LOVE it! Probably why I am still working.

Last year i was on a med called "Luvox" i was only on it for 3 days until i had an adverse reaction to it.

I started to hyperventilate, tachacardic, could hardly walk, was blacking out ect.
Later that week, i hallucinated that i was seeing fire but it wasnt there, that scared the ever loving jesus out of me.

This is not just any drug, lots of people who don't have ADHD take it as a recreational drug. I've seen "normal" people who take them and I've felt their heart rate. Knowing that ADHD is a popular diagnose nowadays, it is probably diagnosed in people who don't actually have it.

Lots of kids who get hyperactive and agressive because of poor upbringing, trauma, or just because it's in their nature are being diagnosed with ADHD. Especially in small children it's very hard to pinpoint exactly when treatment is desirable. So we can assume there's a number of people who take this medicin, but really shouldn't. So maybe the pills are really good for people with ADHD but the side effects happen when they actually don't have the disease. Or have a different kind. We don't know the first thing about ADHD, what causes it, we just know for some these pills work. Lots of room for error and unseen complexities.

Or the side effects are just side effects. A lot of psycho-active drugs have these side effects. My dr. used to think my Lyme was just a depression (though I didn't feel depressed or tired) and prescribe me tons of antidepressants and things like that. I noticed every kind had things like depression as a possible side effect.

People only call it a side effect if it happens only when they use the medicin. If they stop the drug and it goes away again, how could it be Lyme? So unless there's something in it that triggers keets to get out and play, I'm not convinced at all. These symptoms could be anything. I don't see anything really typical for Lyme here.

About ADHD being a hype, yes, it is. Maybe some individual psychologists and psychiatrists have diagnosed and treated it long ago, but as far as I know ADHD is quite a new thing for most of us. I wonder in what DSM version it first appeared, I don't have any copies here but my guess would be the last one or the one before that. Either way it has been diagnosed a lot more often especially since ritalin hit the market.

I have a child that was diagnosed by a highly respected neuropsyhologist as being inattentive ADD with excecutive dysfunction difficulties.

Of course no one could explain how he could still maintain A and B grades if he was ADD.
He would get very good grades and then out of the blue a D or even an E.

I can tell you that after starting treatment his ADD symptoms have gotten better. He is able to focus better and it is obvious when he is herxing.

He is a smart child that had problems focusing. That was the word the teachers would use. We all agreed that he normally would do well but then he would have "off" days. Guess what? After I started tracking those off days with his grades and his teachers help, there was a herxing pattern.

I have a dear friend whose daughter was in special ed all through elementary school. She was finally diagnosed with Lyme her first year in middle school. She is now going on two years of treatment and is in the regular classroom making honor roll.

There is no doubt in my mind that Lyme causes a person to appear to be ADD. I have personally experienced "on" and "off" days myself and I know I don't have a disability.

I would bet big money that the ever increasing number of children being told they have ADD/ADHD have Lyme disease.

My son had three friends with Lyme and all of them have been told they have a learning disability at some point.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lymeindunkirk:
I believe that most ADD/ADHD children are actually LYME children. One doctor told me that half of the children he treats were told they were ADD before they ever started treatment.

I have a child that was diagnosed by a highly respected neuropsyhologist as being inattentive ADD with excecutive dysfunction difficulties.

Of course no one could explain how he could still maintain A and B grades if he was ADD.
He would get very good grades and then out of the blue a D or even an E.

I can tell you that after starting treatment his ADD symptoms have gotten better. He is able to focus better and it is obvious when he is herxing.

He is a smart child that had problems focusing. That was the word the teachers would use. We all agreed that he normally would do well but then he would have "off" days. Guess what? After I started tracking those off days with his grades and his teachers help, there was a herxing pattern.

I have a dear friend whose daughter was in special ed all through elementary school. She was finally diagnosed with Lyme her first year in middle school. She is now going on two years of treatment and is in the regular classroom making honor roll.

There is no doubt in my mind that Lyme causes a person to appear to be ADD. I have personally experienced "on" and "off" days myself and I know I don't have a disability.

I would bet big money that the ever increasing number of children being told they have ADD/ADHD have Lyme disease.

My son had three friends with Lyme and all of them have been told they have a learning disability at some point.

Now there are other things that effect someone's mental abilities as well. TV and the chemicals we ingest certainly don't help make us any smarter!

---

Hi Lymeindunkurk,
I know I've had a.d.d. all my life. I had a lot of difficulty focusing.

I only tried drugs once,and then went off.

I realized that there are ways to compensate for it without drugs, unless it is a severe case!

I went to a seminar on a.d.d./a.d.h.d. and the doctor who runs an add/adhd clinic, who also had adhd did the seminar.... refused to medicate himself.

Although, he did say he drove his wife crazy!

The disorganization, forgetting where he put things, and the list goes on!

Many adults at that seminar were there to get answers for there own children... it just wasn't for educators.

It seems a lot of the audience members were using techniques that helped their kids, and didn't know why they themselves knew how to help.

How did we/they know this? We ourselves compensated for years.

Most add/adhd people are very smart, because they've had to use memory, and little strategies to help them remember.
They're more tuned in... because they have to be!

I liked one thing that this doctor stated.
He said that they shouldn't call it attention deficit disorder... it's more like attention overload disorder!

Everything comes rushng in, and it's like somebody switching the remote for the t.v. constantly!

Usually girls at a young age... tend to daydream... boys are more hyper.

I've seen children on meds. who did really well, but also saw majority doing terrible!

The ones that I think didn't need it were like zombies or aggressive.

Lyme does cause a.d.d.. If you read the literature by psychiatric lyme specialist, and llmd's... they'll tell you it does.

You need to make sure that you bring your child to someone who specializes in add/adhd.
They would try and use learning statergies to help the kids first!

A classroom that is disorganized with fifty million different things hanging everywhere, or clutter... makes it even tougher to concentrate!
Classroom's overcrowded...many factors.

Yes, there are parents who just want a quick fix for their children who are out of control because it's easier for them, than to set limits!

I was a teacher's asst. for many years,did get some college credits under my belt, but could only take one course at a time. Why?
because I had difficulty focusing!

The lyme has only added to my problems.
I did ask my llmd if I could've had lyme as a child, and he said it was a possibility, but we'll never know the true answer.

Did the lyme come first...or they add?
I was the type of child who took in many stray animals, camped with family, grandparents had a farm, went to a camp as a child in ma.
Everyone has their own theories... this is just mine.
I'm not saying anyone's right or wrong!
Sorry for this being sooo long.
lymeloco

"Consequently, the accomplished study proves that there is a need of magnesium supplementation in ADHD children irrespectively of other mental disorders.

The supplementation of that kind of magnesium supplementation together with standard traditional mode of treatment gives us the opportunity to extend the methods of therapy of ADHD children who are the "children of the risk" in connection with their educational, emotional and social problems.

PMID: 9857546

This is just my personel experience. I was diagnosed with ADD 20 years ago.

I tried Ritilin for about 3 weeks. It was great while was in class. However when I was out of a structured enviorment i was flying.

Fast forward 15 years and my symptoms were getting worse. So I was willing to try Adderral. It worked wonders. I loved it. I never got so much accomplished in my life.

The one drawback was I had trouble sleeping. So I was put on Paxil at bedtime to sleep. This combination worked well for about three years.

My twitches and spasms were no of concern to me because I was taking the Paxil. I actually found them amusing and entertaining at times, as did others watching them.

Fast forward to fall 04 and my symptoms were now breaking through the adderall. I could actually sleep on the stuff. If I did not take it I would sleep for up to 72 hours straight. I could not wake up mornings if I did not take it.

Well in January 05 I was diagnosed with Lyme. I have brain lesions, pos western blot and inflamation of my brain via lumber puncture.

I feel very distraught by it all. All these meds were ever doing were masking my symptoms. It allowed Lyme to rage on. I have little trust for the medical community at all.

My oldest son has been dx'd with ADD and I always wonder if it is Lyme.

I set up a 504 plan for my son and fought with his teachers to make sure that he recd the help he needed.

Then I was made aware of LYME. WoW! So why didn't anyone know about this? Why didn't I read anything about this while doing my research on learning disabilities.

If there is one thing I wish all Lyme advocates would do it is EDUCATE the school systems in your area on children and lyme.

I recently put together a folder of 16 articles for our 504 plan meeting and plan on sending one to each memeber on the school board. I handed them out at my son's 504 plan meeting in June and everyone became very interested.

The school nurse was wonderful and I have to thank posters here at this site for telling me to make sure she atteneded the meeting. She was very very interested and took an extra folder of info to give to her supervisor.

My son's 504 plan now says that all of his teachers MUST by lyme literate.

LDA's (lyme disease assoc) --I can't get away from those letters ---free brochure entitled, The ABC"s of Lyme disease, is a great and easy to hand to school personnel or just parents. You can get them at their website. http://www.LymeDiseaseAssociation.org

Lymeloco, Your right about so many ADD/ADHD children being of high intelligence. My son manages to get A and B grades even though he has "on" and "off" days.

If there is anything I would truly like to do it would be advocate for the children. I read and hear a lot about people advocating for Lyme but it appears to be mostly for adults.

I think if some of those groups targeted children first the cause would get more attention from the media.

It breaks my heart to see a child put in special ed classes when he/she just needs to be treated for lyme.

Its hard to make suggestions to other parents who have been to lots of doctors because they don't believe. I'm not a doctor just a person who has seen the light and who has a child that is responding beautifully to treatment.

You would think the schools would figure it out. Most children that go into special ed NEVER get back on grade level. Well hello, could it be because they aren't be treated correctly?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lymeindunkirk:
I took my son to a very very good neuropshychologist and had him diagnosed as soon as the school started telling me my son had "focuing issues". I read books, hooked up with my local LDA (learning disability Assoc) and learned all about ADD/ADHD and executive dsyfunction.

I set up a 504 plan for my son and fought with his teachers to make sure that he recd the help he needed.

Then I was made aware of LYME. WoW! So why didn't anyone know about this? Why didn't I read anything about this while doing my research on learning disabilities.

If there is one thing I wish all Lyme advocates would do it is EDUCATE the school systems in your area on children and lyme.

I recently put together a folder of 16 articles for our 504 plan meeting and plan on sending one to each memeber on the school board. I handed them out at my son's 504 plan meeting in June and everyone became very interested.

The school nurse was wonderful and I have to thank posters here at this site for telling me to make sure she atteneded the meeting. She was very very interested and took an extra folder of info to give to her supervisor.

My son's 504 plan now says that all of his teachers MUST by lyme literate.

LDA's (lyme disease assoc) --I can't get away from those letters ---free brochure entitled, The ABC"s of Lyme disease, is a great and easy to hand to school personnel or just parents. You can get them at their website. http://www.LymeDiseaseAssociation.org

Lymeloco, Your right about so many ADD/ADHD children being of high intelligence. My son manages to get A and B grades even though he has "on" and "off" days.

If there is anything I would truly like to do it would be advocate for the children. I read and hear a lot about people advocating for Lyme but it appears to be mostly for adults.

I think if some of those groups targeted children first the cause would get more attention from the media.

It breaks my heart to see a child put in special ed classes when he/she just needs to be treated for lyme.

Its hard to make suggestions to other parents who have been to lots of doctors because they don't believe. I'm not a doctor just a person who has seen the light and who has a child that is responding beautifully to treatment.

You would think the schools would figure it out. Most children that go into special ed NEVER get back on grade level. Well hello, could it be because they aren't be treated correctly?

I believe that if you have LYME then you DON'T have any of the forms of ADD/ADHD. You have Lyme and are sbowing neuro lyme symptoms which are similar to a learning disability. I have stopped saying my son has a learning disability. He doesn't. He has LYME and coinfections!

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Hi Lymeindunkurk,

You are right! There is not enough education out there on lyme!

I had lunch about a month ago with two teacher friends. I asked them if they have had any workshops or professional days about lyme, and they said no!

When I was working with my mid-line in, friends and educators didn't want to hear it! They had difficulty believing I did!

The schools around here, teachers or asst. are not to tell parents that they think their child
might have a.d.h.d.. They can say he/she has trouble focusing.

Also, if a parent asks about their own child, you can explain the behavior, but not come out and say he/she has this or that!

Teachers are not doctors, but I really do believe they should be teaching them about lyme!
Prevention and education are key!

I myself took kids to the nurse for her to remove a tick from their heads!
I think they don't want us to frighten the child!

Hell! What would be better... educating a child about lyme disease or severe illness later on!

It does tick me off! I'm going wayyyy back, but one of my report cards had a's & b's , but the teacher also wrote on my report card...I tend to daydream constantly!

There was no such thing as a.d.d./a.d.h.d..
in my day.

I still see her today, and think what a very intuitive,caring teacher...course she's retired now.

I hate to say it, but there are duck doctors, and unfortunately duck teachers!

The degress they earn in college are great, but... teaching also needs to come from the heart!

I would love to give a workshop on lyme disease, but I couldn't even remember how many grandkids or kids I had when one of my sons friend asked me yesterday!

I kept saying...I'm sorry I don't remember.
She looked at me like...are you nuts!

One of the school nurses had to send me home with another teacher one day.
My speech was off, had shakes, crying, my brain was telling me to lift my arm, but I couldn't.

The nurse said ... I never knew lyme could do this!

I have tried educating some of my friends, but either their in denial because it could happen to them or their children.

Who Knows!

lymeloco