from
drhuggiebear.com and Frank Barnhill, M.D.
Issue
7 Volume 1 August 2005
Several of you have sent E-mails stating you did not receive this issue of “Living With ADHD”. So, we’re sending it out again. Hope you find it very valuable in your quest to conquer ADHD.
Dr. Frank
This UncommonSense Health Newsletter is dedicated to being
your source for easy to read, up to date ADHD information on current and
important medical issues for your growing family.
We really appreciate your subscription and respect
your privacy! We never share, loan, sell or license our mailing lists. This
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confirmation subscription list.
Dr. Frank’s behavioral rule #1:
“ADHD is first a diagnosis of exclusion, then a diagnosis of inclusion!”
You must first exclude all the illnesses that mimic ADHD and then be sure the diagnosis fits ADHD traits.
This Month’s issue:
Frank
Barnhill M.D.
All medications,
including oxygen, have side effects!
Of course, some of us can
take the strongest dose of a drug and have few or what “appears to be” no side
effects, while others may be on the smallest dose possible of the very same
drug and suffer terrible side effects. As in everything else in life, we’re all
uniquely different. That means there are those of us who have a metabolism that
can handle certain drugs better than others who are very sensitive to most
drugs.
Fortunately, drug
manufacturers have provided us the most common side effects of both a
particular medication, as well as those expected from the broad class in which
the drug is included. What follows here is a generalized list of side effects
of the common ADHD drugs and a few very specifics about certain medications
with more detailed known side effects.
Remember, everyone responds
differently to a specific drug. So, don’t assume you or your child will
experience a side effect just because someone else in the family or a friend
had problems with that medication. If you do so, you may very well cheat
yourself or your child out of a true opportunity to have a positive
treatment experience!
The general class side
effects of ADHD stimulant medications include:
It’s quite a list isn’t it?
Fortunately, the ADHD stimulant drugs are some of the best-studied
medications on the face of the earth. They have been around a long time and
appear to be very safe to use. Of course, if these symptoms were to show their
ugly presence, you need to contact the prescribing doctor right away. In some
cases, the medication will need to be stopped or changed right away.
Here are the stimulant
ADHD drugs:
In general, long acting or
extended release ADHD drugs (SR, LA, ER, XR) have fewer side effects
than rapid onset drugs. Usually this occurs because the longer acting
formulations have a small dose rapid onset part that works within an hour or
so, and also slow onset components, which will last for up to 10-12 hours.
Therefore, a second dose of medication (to help with homework) is not required
around 3 to 5 in the afternoon and doesn’t interfere with the sleep awakening
cycle.
Let me point out again, if your ADHDer is having problems with a drug, you
should discuss the situation with the prescribing doctor. ADHD drugs are very
potent and can cause life-threatening side effects if stopped suddenly or the
dose is increased abruptly.
Here’s to the success in
life we all wish for our loved ones!
Dr. Frank
Remember: Our goal in treating ADHD must be to use the most appropriate therapy to help your child develop the social and learning skills necessary to reach their fullest potential as a happy child and eventually an independent adult.
Dr. Frank’s
Golden Rule:
“ADHD is first a diagnosis of exclusion, then a diagnosis of inclusion”.
Frank Barnhill, M.D.
No
portion of this information is intended to be offered as medical advice for the
individual. Your family doctor is still the best
source of advice for you and your family and you should consult him or her if you
have any medical concerns. If you wish to use this article as a parent handout
or in your newsletter, please see http://www.drhuggiebear.com/
for our reprint
policy . mailto:drfrank@drhuggiebear.com
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All
articles are derived from published materials, educational sources and years of
experience for each author. No portion of the
above-contained information is offered as medical advice in any manner. In
times of need, your family doctor or professional counselor is still the best source of advice for you and your family
and you should consult him or her if you have any medical concerns. If
you have comments or questions, please drop me a line at drfrank@drhuggiebear.com.
Frank
Barnhill, M.D.
All materials, content and graphics are Copyright 2005 Frank
Barnhill, M.D.
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