The theme this year is ‘”Get the facts!”

For more information check out the official website http://www.adhdawarenessweek.org/

I have attached the new release from CHADD

For  more information about the event and a partial list of who will be there Click Here

What’s happening?

The direct supply shortage affects just a couple of medications, however the shortage has been having a cascading effect. Because people can’t find their drug of choice, they settle for an alternate. For example, if you can’t find your Adderall, you might try Vyvanse. So, the direct shortage is causing an indirect shortage due to increased demand of alternate, or comparable, meds. Just because your medication isn’t on the official shortage lists doesn’t mean it will be easy finding it.

Here are two shortage lists:

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/DrugShortages/ucm050792.htm

http://www.ashp.org/DrugShortages/Current/

Of particular interest are Amphetamine (Adderall) and Methylphenidate (Ritalin)

Why is it happening

Many have been blaming two organizations, the DEA and Shire.  The DEA is responsible for the regulation and supply of some of the critical ingredients  of the stimulant medications. Shire is the company responsible for the manufacture and distribution of the medications. What it boils down to; there isn’t enough of the “active pharmaceutical ingredient” to create a sufficient amount to satisfy demand. Furthermore, there has been a steady increase in demand for these medications.

The link below has some statistics:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html

How long will the shortage last?

The shortage lists above are updated fairly regularly, they say expect delays for the next few months. That said, you may not experience any delays as the supply has been sporadic.

What do I do if I don’t have my meds?

First, call your pharmacy, if they don’t have it ask when they will. If they don’t know, call another pharmacy.

Next, talk to you doctor, they might have samples they are willing to give you or you can explore another medication for a time.

Exercise!

Aerobic exercise, 30 minutes several times a week, make sure you talk to your doctor about a new exercise regimen. The links below have some great information concerning Exercise and ADHD

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/3142.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/84407-exercise-adhd/

Diet!

I’m not talking about losing weight, I am talking about the food that goes in your mouth. Diets high in protein and low in simple carbohydrates have shown some improvement in the focus and attention of ADHD people. Those sugary cereals(nearly completely simple carbs) should go, replace it with eggs or oatmeal or dairy such as cottage cheese. Here is another good article from Additude:

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/859.html

Supplements!

Now this gets into some more hazy and not as well documented information.

A good multi-vitamin should be first on your list, look for one that has nearly 100% daily values on a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals.

Omega-3, people have been going back and forth about how useful this essential fatty is, the fact remains they all say it is an ESSENTIAL fatty acid and that we don’t get enough of it. An easy way to add Omega-3 into your diet, cook with olive oil. There are also pills at many supermarkets, a good one I hear is Flax Seed Oil.

I must stress that before you alter your medication, exercise routine, diet or supplements you need to speak with your doctor. On a specific note, make sure he or she is aware of any supplements you are taking with your medication.

We got a e-mail today about a focus group up at OHSU that is happening on the 24th.  They need some parents who are willing to come talk about safety needs with children with special needs.   Below is a copy of the e-mail that we received with all the contact information on it and info about the event.

Hello,

This is Ed Wilson. I attempted to reach you yesterday in order to talk about recruiting parents of children with ADD/ADHD to participate in focus group research at OHSU. I’d like to give you some more information about me, why I am emailing you, and what the principle investigator, focus group moderator, and I will be doing for this research.

I am a graduate student at Portland State University where I am pursuing a Masters in Public Health. I am also a research assistant at the Safety Center at OHSU. This research is part of my thesis project at PSU. Upon completion of the project (mid July) I will be moving to Denver for medical school.

Specifically, we need 8 to 12 parents/guardians to participate in a focus group for approximately 90 minutes on Friday, June 24 at 7 PM. Those participants, as stated, must be either the parents or guardians of children with ADD/ADHD. We would like you to contact the parents/guardians and ask them if they would be willing to participate in the research. If they have any questions they can contact me via email or phone (315.941.1032). They may also reach my supervisor, Matthew Geraths, at gerathsm@ohsu.edu or 503.719.2037.

The focus groups are designed to gain a better understanding of the safety needs that parents have for their children with special needs, e.g. ADHD. The Safety Center specializes in providing the safety information and supplies that parents need to prevent the common injuries children experience. Within the focus group setting, we would like to talk to parents/guardians about the type of safety equipment and information they feel would help prevent these injuries among children with ADD/ADHD.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. And again, thank you very much for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Warm regards,
Ed Wilson

ADHD: 12 Myths And Facts

Because attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms — inattention, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity — affect a child’s ability to learn and get along with others, some people think an ADHD child’s behavior is caused by a lack of discipline, a chaotic family life, or even too much TV. In fact, research suggests that ADHD is largely a genetic disorder. However, some environmental factors may play a role as well. Here, we separate fact from fiction about the causes of ADHD.

1. Pesticides

Research does suggest a possible link between ADHD and pesticides. A 2010 study in Pediatrics found that children with higher urine levels of organophosphate, a pesticide used on produce had higher ADHD rates. Another 2010 study showed that women with higher urine levels of organophosphate were more likely to have a child with ADHD. The studies suggest a possible link, but can’t prove that pesticides cause ADHD. Marcy Rosenzweig Leavitt, PsyD, who works with ADHD patients in private practice in the Los Angeles area, recommends buying organic varieties of fruits and vegetables, especially those prone to high levels of pesticides (or scrubbing nonorganic produce before eating).

2. Smoking, Drinking In Pregnancy

Fetal exposure to alcohol and tobacco is thought to play a role in ADHD. Children exposed to tobacco smoke prenatally are 2.4 times as likely to have ADHD as those who are not, research suggests.”Fetuses exposed to alcohol can develop fetal alcohol effects or fetal alcohol syndrome, and the prominent features for both are the symptoms you see in ADHD,” says Mark L. Wolraich, MD, chief of the section of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, in Oklahoma City.

3. Food Additives

Many European countries have banned certain preservatives after research linked hyperactivity in young children to food with mixtures of some artificial food colors and the preservative, sodium benzoate. The FDA says food additives are safe when used “properly,” and most additives aren’t required to be clearly labeled on packaging. Experts think only a small number of children will benefit from avoiding brightly colored processed foods, which tend to have more additives.

“Consult with your child’s doctor before putting your child on a particular diet,” says Leavitt. Reducing consumption of these additives may or may not help hyperactive behavior; many factors play a role in ADHD.

4. Sugar

Parents often blame sugar for a child’s hyperactive behavior, but it’s time to stop. ”The overwhelming number of studies have not been able to demonstrate behavior changes due to sugar consumption in children,” says Dr. Wolraich. A study in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology found that mothers who thought their children were given sugar rated their children’s behavior as more hyperactive than mothers who were told their children were given a sugar substitute-regardless of whether their children actually consumed real sugar. Limit sugar if you’re concerned about calorie consumption or dental cavities, not because of ADHD.

5. TV Or Video Games

There’s no proof that too much TV or video-game time causes ADHD, although research has found that school- and college-age students who spent more time in front of a screen had more attention problems than those who did not. In theory, the constant stimulation of TV and video games may make it harder for kids to pay attention. But experts emphasize that screen time alone can’t explain ADHD. “There is an association between (ADHD and) the number of hours young children watch TV or play video games, but more study is required to determine if it is a causal relation or it’s because children with ADHD gravitate more toward those activities,” says Dr. Wolraich.

6. Bad Parenting

ADHD symptoms can be confused with rebellious or bad behavior, so it’s not uncommon to try to blame the parents for a child’s conduct. But according to the National Resource Center on ADHD, there’s no strong evidence that parenting style contributes to ADHD. “While it’s true that parenting style and social circumstances may aggravate ADHD behaviors, parental style is not the cause of ADHD,” says Leavitt, who says parents who set consistent behavioral limits, use reward and consequence behavior tools, and provide a clear set of expectations can help reduce ADHD symptoms. On the other hand, a stressful home environment or parents who refuse to accept ADHD as a diagnosed condition can make the symptoms worse.

7. Brain Injury

“Brain injury that results from a serious blow to the head, a brain tumor, a stroke, or disease can cause problems with inattention and poor regulation of motor activity and impulses,” says Leavitt. And according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), children who have suffered certain types of brain trauma may show symptoms similar to ADHD. But because only a small portion of children with ADHD have suffered a traumatic brain injury, it’s not considered a major risk factor.

8. Diet

Although it was once popularly believed that food allergies or sensitivities cause ADHD, the research so far has been unable to support the idea that diet plays a significant role in ADHD, Leavitt says. Still, certain dietary components may affect behavior, and a recent Australian study suggested that adolescents with diets high in fat, refined sugar, and sodium were two times as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD as other kids. Additional studies have also linked diets deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for brain development and function, to ADHD symptoms.

9. Genes

The evidence strongly suggests that ADHD is passed down from parents, not parenting style. “There is a very strong heritability to ADHD,” affirms Smith. “It may be one of the most heritable psychiatric disorders.” In fact, a child with ADHD is four times as likely to have had a relative who was also diagnosed with ADHD, and results from studies of multiple twins indicate that ADHD often runs in families. Ongoing research is looking to pinpoint the genes responsible for ADHD. A new study by scientists at Cardiff University in Wales found that children with ADHD are more likely to have missing or duplicated segments of DNA.

10. Overdiagnosis

Because there’s no objective ADHD test, parents, doctors, and educators continue to debate over whether ADHD is overdiagnosed. Some say doctors are too quick to diagnose a child’s behavioral problems as ADHD without considering other possible causes. North Carolina State University researchers found that children who are several months younger than their peers could be mistakenly diagnosed with ADHD when, in fact, they are just less mature than their classmates. Nonetheless, according to Dr. Wolraich, “most of the evidence is that ADHD is underdiagnosed and undertreated.”

11. Lead Exposure

Lead, a neurotoxin, has been removed from most homes and schools, but traces of it are still everywhere. A 2009 study found that children with ADHD tend to have higher blood-lead levels than other kids. “Lead can be toxic to developing brain tissue and may have sustained effects on the behavior of children exposed to these substances at early ages,” says Leavitt, who practices under the supervision of Richard Oelberger, PhD. “Still, it is unlikely that such exposure accounts for differences in brain development in the vast majority of children and adolescents with ADHD.”

12. Chemical Exposure

While smoking, alcohol, and pesticides may be a problem, researchers are looking at other toxins too. For instance, Boston University School of Public Health researchers found a link between polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs)-industrial compounds widely used in products like stain-resistance coatings and food packaging-and ADHD. Phthalates-found in items like toys, food packaging, and cosmetics-have also been linked to ADHD. But as with many factors, the evidence only points to a correlation and can’t prove that these chemicals contribute to ADHD.

Full article with pictures web address:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/19/12-adhd-myths-and-facts-p_n_785466.html#s185808

When I found the website it was unlike any ADD/ADHD website that I have seen. The people behind it have ADD themselves or live with someone who has it. Even some of the “experts” they have on the site have ADHD. At first I found it very strange that they do not have articles they have webcasts and 3-5 minute films. Here is their website, I’d highly recommend visiting: www.totallyADD.com

The documentary is hosted by ADDer Patrick McKenna, who is a stand-up comic and star of The Red Green Show. McKenna takes a very humorous look at ADD/ADHD, touching on such topics as; shiny objects, myths, and generally attempts to paint ADD as much less of a life-altering monster. In the film they cover most of your basic questions, such as; what it is, how it is diagnosed and what treatments are available; and dispel many myths, i.e. bad parenting, too much TV, and the effects of medication. They try to show this is a serious disorder and that it is not something that will automatically ruin your life if you have it. There is a great deal of personal testimony and just as much humor makes this point that much more valid. They have also interviewed ADD powerhouses like Edward Hallowell, author of Driven to Distraction, and Thom Hartmann, author of ADD: A Different Perception. Then it ends with a few uncomplicated and very possible solutions to manage life with this disorder, I come away feeling that this was an excellent introduction into the world of ADD but by no means is it exhaustive, I hope they will continue to create so humorous and educational material. The program will air again Saturday, Jan 1, 1:00 pm PDT for more information on schedule visit the OPB website at http://www.opb.org/.

AD/HD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. This is the official name given this condition by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR).

ADD

Attention deficit disorder (this is an older term for AD/HD, but still often used).

ASD

Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Behavior therapy

Behavior therapy (behavior modification) is an approach to psychotherapy based on learning theory which aims to treat psychopathology through techniques designed to reinforce desired and eliminate undesired behaviours

CHADD

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Comorbidity

In medicine, comorbidity (literally “additional morbidity”) is either the presence of one or more disorders (or diseases) in addition to a primary disease or disorder, or the effect of such additional disorders or diseases.

DSM-IV

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders version 4. A compendium containing Mental disorders.

FAPE

Free Appropriate Public Education.

IDEA

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is one of the main federal laws that protect the rights of students with disabilities in publicly funded educational settings.

IEP

Individual Education Plan.

Medication

Prescription drugs are the first-line treatment of ADHD. Experts estimate that ADHD drugs, when used properly, are 70 to 90 percent effective. Still, you may worry about side effects, especially in children, and the potential for addiction. How you respond to ADHD medication will depend on which drug you’re given, the dosage, and, of course, your individual chemistry. Here are the main types:

Medication- Stimulants:

Despite their name, these drugs will not make you hyperactive. They stimulate the part of the brain that maintains focus and keeps impulses in check. Extended-release formulations work for longer periods of time. Prescribed more often than any other ADHD medication, stimulants are not addictive or habit-forming if taken as directed.

Medication- Non-stimulants:

These drugs also alter brain chemistry but are considered less effective than stimulants. Atomoxetine is the first non-stimulant drug approved for ADHD and may produce fewer side effects than stimulants. Although deemed safe in clinical trials, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cautioned that, in rare instances, it may cause suicidal thoughts in children and teens. Tricyclic antidepressants are another valid second-line therapy for ADHD that affect brain chemistry.

Medication- Off-label:

This term refers to medications that are effective for ADHD but not approved by the FDA to treat it. For instance, amantadine is a drug used for Parkinson’s disease; however, researchers have found that it can work for ADHD too. Another example is the antidepressant bupropion. It is safe and legal to prescribe these and other drugs “off-label” for ADHD.

Multimodal or “Combo’ Treatment

ADHD experts often recommend a multi-faceted approach that blends medication and alternative therapies. They also advise creating a support network around your treatment plan. Check in with your physician regularly. And consider connecting your ADHD coach or psychotherapist with your doctor. Communication—and, yes, a dose of patience—are the keys to fine-tuning your treatment.

NT or Neurotypical

The term refers to society’s ideal that some people are considered “normal” and some people are not.

OT or Occupational Therapy

A profession that involves using occupations for bettering health. Occupations are considered anything that someone likes to do or has to do, ranging from hobbies to self-care. It is believed that doing things, increasing one’s independence and sense of self-worth, promotes health and will help people rehabilitating from a disease or illness, as well as those living with chronic medical conditions.

PDD-NOS

Pdd-nos means ‘pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specefied’ and is an diagnose for people who are in the autisticspectrum, but who don’t have the right symtomps to have an other label, like Asperger’s. It is often milder than other types of autism, but can be pretty hard to live with too.

Section 504

“Section 504″ is a civil rights law and the name refers to a particular section of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It is designed to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability in any program or activity receiving federal funding.