re: Scientist says ADHD is Bullsh*t

Correct. I had and have to get tested before any accommodations are met. I went to 6 schools before graduating HS, and had to get my doctor to fill out the paperwork for every one. Maybe the school's test is being able to fill out the fricking paperwork involved

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Sometimes she'll be in the middle of telling me something and wander off down a rabbit hole that ends up at a completely different place. Every now and then she'll go back and explain to me how she got from point A to B.

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That's just normal woman behavior.

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All the yelling... all the fighting... all the behavioral modification techniques... all the punishment... worthless. I thought if I was just harder on the kid, he would change.

I was totally wrong. In admitting that, and getting him actual treatment for ADHD, I saved my relationship with my kid, and he lives a much better life now.

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I agree and had a similar experience. If the meds produce better results, then why are we supposed to think they would have been better off without the meds? What's the better alternative?

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We have a 7-year-old child who is bored in school and disrupts classes. Back then, he was called lazy.

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His parents get on him, he learns what interests him, he studies what he's interested in, he furthers those interests via jobs and training or perhaps a college specification. He becomes a productive member of society in a field he has been interested in.

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Every child who’s not doing well in school is sent to see a pediatrician, and the pediatrician says: “It’s ADHD; here’s Ritalin.”

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The kid becomes a zombie, regurgitates textbooks with no real learning, gets better grades, never develops a field on interest or learns how to be an adult without drugs, gets shoved into college without an work experience or direction, continues his medication, regurgitates college text books. Enters the workforce with no idea what interests him or any practical or problem solving skills, hates his job, hates his life, becomes entitled, is a piece of shite.

As someone with ADD and having taken medicine I concentrate better with it than without.

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The downside are side effects.

Common side effects of Adderall include:
Nervousness.
Dizziness.
Restlessness.
Headache.
Stomachache.
Decreased appetite.
Trouble sleeping.
Dry mouth.

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Here are the side effects for ibuprofen:

Common:

hemorrhage
vomiting
decreased hemoglobin
hypertension
eosinophilia
anemia.

Other side effects include:
upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage
upper gastrointestinal tract ulcer
dizziness

Comprehensive List:

More common:

Abdominal pain
acid or sour stomach
belching
bloating
cloudy urine
decrease in amount of urine
decrease in urine output or decrease in urine-concentrating ability
diarrhea
difficulty having a bowel movement (stool)
excess air or gas in stomach or intestines
full feeling
heartburn
indigestion
itching skin
pain or discomfort in chest, upper stomach, or throat
pale skin
passing gas
nausea
noisy, rattling breathing
rash with flat lesions or small raised lesions on the skin
shortness of breath
swelling of face, fingers, hands, feet, lower legs, or ankles
troubled breathing at rest
troubled breathing with exertion
unusual bleeding or bruising
unusual tiredness or weakness
vomiting
weight gain
Less common:
Abdominal cramps
stomach soreness or discomfort

Rare:
Agitation
back, leg, or stomach pains
bleeding gums
blistering, peeling, loosening of skin
blood in urine or stools
bloody, black, or tarry stools
blurred vision
burning feeling in chest or stomach
change in vision
chest pain
chills
clay-colored stools
coma
confusion
constipation
cough or hoarseness
dark urine
decreased urine output
depression
difficulty breathing
difficulty swallowing
dilated neck veins
dizziness
dry mouth
extreme fatigue
fast, irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse
fever with or without chills
frequent urination
general body swelling
general feeling of tiredness or weakness
hair loss, thinning of hair
headache
hives or welts
hostility
impaired vision
increased blood pressure
increased volume of pale, dilute urine
irregular breathing
irritability
itching
joint or muscle pain
lab results that show problems with liver
lethargy
light-colored stools
loss of appetite
lower back or side pain
muscle twitching
nosebleeds
painful or difficult urination
pains in stomach, side, or abdomen, possibly radiating to the back
pinpoint red spots on skin
puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
rash
red skin lesions, often with a purple center
red, irritated eyes
redness of skin
seizures
severe abdominal pain, cramping, burning
severe and continuing nausea
sore throat
sores, ulcers, or white spots in mouth or on lips
stiff neck or back
stomach upset
stupor
swollen or painful glands
tenderness in stomach area
thirst
tightness in chest
unpleasant breath odor
upper right abdominal pain
vomiting of blood
vomiting of material that looks like coffee grounds
wheezing
yellow eyes and skin
Symptoms of overdose:
Bluish lips or skin
difficulty sleeping
disorientation
dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up from a lying or sitting position suddenly
drowsiness to profound coma
hallucination
lightheadedness or fainting
mood or other mental changes
muscle tremors
not breathing
rapid, deep breathing
restlessness
slow or irregular heartbeat
stomach cramps
sudden fainting
sweating

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Already in bed with big-pharma I see.

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I make no money from any pharmaceutical company for any of the medications I write. Nor do I speak on behalf of any pharmaceutical or perform any research for them. I have no affiliation with any of them. Sometimes they bring me lunch while they try to pitch their product, but I look at third party data and prescribe the cheapest effective drug in almost every instance, regardless of who picked up Raisin' Canes on the way to the office.

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Decreased appetite + less sleep + increased heart rate= stunted growth

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1) We monitor these.
2) This does not lead to stunted growth, and you are showing that you don't particularly understand the real effects of these "side effects."
Those side effects are mild compared to the effects of not being on the medication. Further, decreased appetite goes away with prolonged daily use. Restlessness and trouble sleeping indicate too high a dose which is then backed down.


Did you know that children with ADHD not on medication are more likely to have head injuries, problems with substance abuse, or be in a car accident during adolescence then their non-ADHD or medicated counterparts?

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There really aren't that many long-term studies to see how this affects someone on it for 30+ years.

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There aren't. But there aren't long-term studies on plenty of other medications as well. You'd be surprised at the general lack of hard evidence that cannot be refuted. But if we only practiced medicine backed by irrefutable evidence, we wouldn't do very much more than feed people.

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Not to mention what adderall and vyvanse do to someone's blood pressure or heart rate. Sounds totally safe.

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Please inform me what they do and explain why when these patients are seen and monitored every three to six months and maintain normal blood pressures and heart rates. I actually can't think of a single patient of mine who has issues with elevated HR or BP on stimulants.

shows two things IMO

1) doctors typically diagnose things sooner or with less evidence than they should.
2) don't go to a pediatrician or a GP to get psychological diagnosis, go to a psychiatrist instead. I think ADHD and ADD are real things, but I don't think they are common as it seems.

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don't go to a pediatrician or a GP to get psychological diagnosis, go to a psychiatrist instead.

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May I ask where this suggestion comes from?