ADHD and ODD - Crazy Making

Hello,

I have been receiving your newsletter for quite awhile but have not tried the products yet. I have tried some alternatives as I really hate meds but it just came down to "him' or "me". I was just ready to hang myself due to his behavior. He was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD. He is OH>>>so defiant!!! He is making me crazy!!!

I had tried Straterra and it made him psycotic! I tried Adderol dx or something(I forgot?) and it made him just nuts with episodes of night tremmors and sleep walking!!! Yes, walking out of the front door!!! My moron dr said...not from the meds! (phyciatrist) and I said Bull!!! It did nothappen before or after he was on the meds!!!

Then, I had him off of any meds for awhile as I was so afraid of any meds! He was making me nuts once again and his concentration was poor at school...I put him on Focalin xr and he did very well...he is an excellent student and falls in the 99% at math!!

The behaviorat home is sooooooooooo defiant and he is soooooooooo impulsive at his thoughts! He speaks out before he thinks! He does not get along that well socially and I am worried!

I have been doing alot of reading on your products and am a bit confused! I do not want to just buy a bunch of products and waste the money that I do not have to waste. I thought i would ask your opinion. Please help me!!

I would like to not give him the Focalin xr anymore as I do not have ins right now so I would much rather try your products...what would you recommend??...by the way, he is 11 years old, going into middle school, has a wt problem and very defiant! He is like 5 ft 1" tall...and like 150 lbs...What do you recommend...

Name Withheld

Thanks for writing. You certainly have your hands full.

What I'd first recommend is that you get a copy of Daniel Amen's book on the different
types of ADHD, called "Healing ADD". He discussed the neurology of each type, and
recommends treatment options for each type including medications, and alternative
nutrients, etc. It is an excellent resource for difficult situations.

I'd also recommend that you make sure that he has ADD, rather than Tourette Syndrome
(because it looks a lot like ADD but commonly has ODD and/or OCD with it). If it is
Tourettes, then the ADHD meds probably won't work well (and in your case they are not
working very well).

I would not recommend the Attend and/or other VAXA products until such a time as
medications have stabilized the situation, and there is some breathing room for trying
alternatives. The VAXA products are very good, but are not as potent as prescription meds
(also they have fewer side-effects), but if you need potency right now, go with the
prescription meds.

Finally, and I know this will sound like a long-shot, but make sure that he's not
allergic to some food that he's eating often. I've seen kids totally defiant and
explosive after eating or drinking something that they have a food allergy to, such as
milk, grapes, orange crush soda, sodas in general (these are the examples that I have
personally seen).

I wish I could be more helpful...

Doug Cowan
http://newideas.net

ADHD School Question

I have 9 year old son who is diagnosed with ADHD.

He attends Catholic school. School is suggesting that he be placed on demerit system next year. I am not sure if that is right way to handle his problem. I see that as punishment.

He has attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity problems. I want him to get help. His problems are coming from his disorder and he should not be punished for that. What is your opinion how should school manage his problems? Is there a program that can be used and that works? Where can I get more information?

Thank you,
L

Please check out our ADD in School site at http://www.addinschool.com to see if there are any interventions or suggestions there that will help both your son, and his teachers.

Doug Cowan

ADHD, Health, and Mood Issues

I have been getting your email newsletters for awhile. I am a 45 yr old ADHD female and always learned to cope with my 'hyperness' my whole life. We didn't know what ADHD was when we were young. Now that I'm going through perimenopause, I'm having major mood swings. Do you address this issue at all or is your site mostly for children with ADHD?

Name Withheld

It's true that at present the newideas.net site is about 99% for children and teens with ADHD. But I'd be willing to change that if I could get some quality content to help adults with ADHD. I know that
you are looking for articles to help you, but would you consider writing some articles that might help others?

Regarding the mood swings and perimenopause - my wife visits a nurse practioner (sp?) that has really helped a lot with hormone adjustments (Susie is 48). She also has been taking a lot of essential fatty acids (fish oils and primrose oils). I'm happy to say that she is doing much better!

Stay in touch

Doug Cowan

Doug,

Thank you for your response. It sounds like your wife found someone in the medical field who listens. I have worked with my doctors for several months and they keep wanting to blame all my symptoms on mental issues. They've prescribed an anti-anxiety medicine which helps take the edge off, but
doesn't really help the underlying problem. I rarely take it. They also prescribed an anti-depressant which made me even more shaky. It was like I was put on speed. Then, they gave me adhd medicine and it just didn't seem to do anything (good or bad). Then, she wanted me to take bi-polar medicine. That's when I stopped going to her and decided to figure this out on my own. I couldn't get her to understand that the underlying problem isn't a mental issue. My first guess was that this is either thyroid or hormonal.

For years, I slowly have been having a problem concentrating, like brain fog and forgetfulness' These I figure were just from getting older. Then in the last 6 months, my moods were getting worse, but I still wasn't finding any other symptoms. When I first wrote you, I was having real insomnia problems, so I think that attributed to my mood swings, etc. My other issues besides insomnia are my heart is pounding hard and I am very shaky. All of this is worse in the morning and gets better as the day goes buy, but is still there. They've tested my thyroid twice. Both times I was within range, but the numbers were quite a bit different from each other and that concerned me, but since it was in range, the doctor still thinks that it's all in my head and her only response was. Have I made an appointment with a counselor.

This is what I've found so far and may work for others with ADHD without adverse reactions. I tried Valerian root for anxiety and sleep. That was a mistake. It make me more shaky, anxious and did nothing for helping me sleep. I'm guessing, like anti-depressants, this is a bad choice for those
with ADHD.

Then, I finally bought a book on Perimenopause. I am still working on different things, but the book was very helpful. I was already taking vitamin C (1000 mg), vitamin E (400 iu), and fish oil. I was also taking Calcium, but have since stopped.

Based on the suggestions in the book, I added 1000 mg of flaxseed oil three times a day. I also added a 50mg B-complex. Then, at night, I take 500 mg of Magnesium. I tried a multi-vitamin for iron and iodine, but this just made me sick and I don't think was beneficial. Based on the book, I also
discovered I was low in iodine, which helps the thyroid function properly, so I am now applying iodine topically. I haven't looked into what foods I can eat to increase my iodine. I am also applying progesterone cream daily, but this being the first month, I really don't think this has done anything
(good or bad) for me. I also read how the calcium and magnesium work against each other and based on the symptoms, I started thinking I may be getting too much calcium and was deficient in magnesium. I stopped the calcium and added the magesium. This seems to really have helped my sleep problems. I still was not waking up in a good mood and I was still having some bad dreams, but I was at least getting more sleep.

In addition to taking the flaxseed oil twice a day, I started adding black root at the same time (morning and lunch). I'm not sure if the black root is really doing anything or not. Then, since I was sleeping better, but not happy in the morning and feeling better later in the day, I decided to try
taking the third flax seed oil and a black root pill at bed with the magnesium. Last night was my first time with that and I felt better this morning. I will have to continue this for a few more days to know if this really was the trick. I have always tried to eat right and exercise daily, which I already knew helped me with my ADHD.

The underlying symptoms is that my heart is pounding hard and I am shaky all the time. Depending on how strong these symptoms are, it can also make me feel tired, depressed, anxious, etc. I have to say that overall, I am feeling better, but I would still like to figure out why I'm shaky and my
heart is pounding. I can't imagine that this is normal, but at least, after one month on these supplements, I feel much better than I did when I kept going back to the doctor and trying all those stupid drugs.

If you know a good doctor or nurse practitioner who hopefully believes in nutrition/supplements over drugs that practices in the Dublin OH area, I'd love their contact information. :)

I'm not sure any of this is helpful, but feel free to contact me back if you have more questions. I'll let you know if I find other things that are helping.

I do have one question for you. I find almost any drug that says may cause drowsiness and, of course, alcohol all make me more hyper. I also took some strong pain medication when I fell down the stairs and it didn't even phase me when it came to the pain, so I stopped taking it. Other drugs just don't seem to do anything either. Is this just me or is this something that you found a pattern with for people with ADHD? This has always been a curiousity for me.

Thanks again for your time.

Name Withheld

Hi L

Your story is very similar to my wife's story. But I won't say that what she went through
is what is causing your situation. But here's what we found with her...

Her health has been fragile for years. Fifteen years ago she had chronic fatigue and was
found to have a systemic yeast infection. Doing everything we could we removed all metal
fillings, ate a bizarre diet, and successfully killed off all yeast. She got much better,
but was still up and down.

Fast forward 2 years...

She had two root canals.

Fast forward 10 years...

She had a wisdom tooth removed. The tooth in front of it was cracked during the difficult
process. It was patched with metal (mercury 50%) filling. Some of the metal also went
into the hole from the extracted tooth.

Three months later she began heart palps (from 70 to 120 in two seconds), anxiety, fear,
and insomnia. We thought it was hormonal. Then from the thyroid. Then we finally went to
a heart doc and she got meds for it to control it.

Fast forward 3 years...

She collapsed in Mexico and nearly died. We build houses in Mexico every summer for a
week, and she joined us this year. Heat exhaustion we thought. But she never got better.
In a wheelchair for two months. Finally we went to the nutritionist who fixed her 15
years ago in San Diego area and he referred us for a dental x-ray. It showed two abcessed
root canals, and the mercury filling in her jaw.

After a series of conversations with friends we flew to TX and saw a dentist who removed
the metal from her jaw and tooth, removed the abcesses (sp?) and cleaned up some other
messy infection stuff.

Results? Two weeks later out of the wheelchair. Three months later completely off the
heart meds. Today, she's the healthiest she's been in 20 years. No kidding.

I don't know if this might help you too, but I wanted you to know our story.

Doug Cowan

ADHD, Meditation, and Adderall

I am currently 20 years old and have been taking stimulant medications since 3rd grade. I was even tested on a special adhd patch that almost killed me when I was younger that never got released. I just wanted to say that I used to have the worst case of adhd that caused me to never knew what was going on ever...

Within the last year I started using various meditation techniques like listening, mindfulness, concentration, and walking. Anyways whenever I do these techniques I always do them with adderall and I've personally experienced results beyond my wildest dreams.

Why doesn't anyone talk about the effectivness of using stimulant medication and meditation together? Well If you want to know more about me and my experiments i have performed on myself dealing with fixing my adhd then send me an email.

Hi J

I'm glad that you are learning how to "drive" your brain better using "mindful-ness" techniques. Self-control and self-discipline are virtues, and they are important in daily living, and useful in keeping the brain focused.

One reminder to you, you have a 20 year old brain now. It is different in both size and function from the brain of a child, or a young adolescent, or even an 18 year old brain. Somewhere around 19-22 the human brain gets one more growth spurt, particularly in the frontal lobes. This explains why many with ADHD seem to "out-grow" it in the early 20's. It may also explain why mindful techniques are helping you so much at this point in your life. They may not have been nearly as helpful to you just two or three years ago.

One of the reasons for the growing popularity of EEG Biofeedback training is that it teaches pretty much the same kinds of self-control (or mindful-ness) but by giving the subject "feedback" the learning is greatly enhanced and is much more efficient (the subject learns much faster). You might see if someone on your campus has such equipment, as you would probably have a great time with it and enjoy the results that you achieve from it.

By the way, I have an eight year old EEGBF unit at a friend's office that he wants me to move, and I have no use for it, so if you'd like to tinker with what was once state of the art, and want to pay for shipping, let me know.

Doug Cowan
http://newideas.net

Attend for Adults Too?

Does Attend work as well for adults with ADHD as it does for children?

What is the daily dosage for adults and how much would it cost for a 3-month supply?

Thank you.

M

Hi M

Here is the best answer that I can give to your questions:

1. When we did the clinical testing for Attend back in 96-97 we tested
mostly children and teenagers, with just one adult that I can
remember. He was a college age athlete who made excellent and steady
improvements over a 90 day period of time in all areas measured,
including reaction time which was unexpected by exciting because he
was already a superior athlete.

2. I take Attend daily, 2 per day, just because I know what's in it.

3. The best dose for an adult is probably 2 per day, but every person
would be different.

4. At 2 per day, a 90 day supply would cost about $120.

5. The good news with VAXA, who makes Attend, is that their money back
guarantee is that if you buy and try 90 days worth, and it doesn't
help you, you can send the bottles back and they'll return your
purchase price. They don't just have a 30 day guarantee. They'll go 90
days if that's what it takes for you to try the product and decide if
it is helping or not.

You can call them at 800-248-8292. I'd recommend that you ask for
Daniel in customer service (tell him Dr Cowan said "hello") and he'll
take care of you.

Or you can order on the web through this link:
http://www.vaxa.com/26462/index.cfm?page=636.cfm

Please stay in touch

Doug Cowan
newideas.net

Thanks so much, Dr. Cowan. I really appreciate your taking the time to answer my
questions so quickly!

Attend Helps: When Can I Stop?

Don sent a message using the contact form at http://newideas.net/contact.

Hi, I have been using the Attend Strategy Pack for about three weeks now and have seen significant improvements; however, will the benefits subside when I quit using Attend...and if so how much? I plan to take it for at least three months, but will it be necessary to take it longer than that?

Yes, you will probably need to continue taking it to receive its benefits, but you will likely be able to take less to get the benefits. Think of it like "working out" at the local gym. Once you are in good shape you could stop working out, but the benefits would slowly decrease. Its always easier to stay in shape than it is to get back into shape. So, once you are in shape, you should just keep going to the gym, but you don't have to
work as hard to stay fit.

I take Attend daily, and I don't have ADHD, but I know that it is good "brain food" and it helps to optimize brain performance.

I'm glad that its helping you

Doug Cowan

Attend Manufacturing Standards Question

My son is thirteen and has a mild form of ADD. I want to try alternative products before trying prescription meds.

I am interested in (Attend) but after doing so much research I am skeptical bout trying anything. I one thing that i keep running across for safety is the processing. Does this product have the usp approval seal?

On mind (one) reference (sic) i did a check on this product and this site only stated they do (not) recommend any supplement that does not disclose all of the ingredients. What ingredients are in this product that is not listed on the site? This is the supplement that i am the most interested in but now i am curious as to the ingredients?

Thanks for writing. I think I have the answers to your questions for you.

First, if your son just has a “mild form of ADD” I would recommend that you try either
our recommended eating program or an ADD diet that is similar. Our eating program can be
found at http://newideas.net/adhd/adhd-diet Sometimes people with “mild” ADHD can be
successfully treated with higher protein, lower carbohydrate diets, and a bit of caffeine
once in a while.

If an eating program does not do enough, then add to the eating program a product like Attend. Not knowing what “type” of ADD your son has, I cannot recommend whether he only needs Attend, or if he would also need a related product like Extress, Memorin, or Deprex. Please see our discussion on the different types of ADHD at
http://newideas.net/adhd/different-types-adhd

You asked about the ingredients in Attend – if they are all listed on my website? I believe that they are all listed, but I may have overlooked one or two on my website. But I know that they are all listed at the VAXA site for you to see if you’d like to.

Here are web pages with the ingredients to Attend for you to visit:

http://newideas.net/adhd/attend-alternative/attend-formula
http://newideas.net/table.htm
http://www.vaxa.com/26462/index.cfm?page=636.cfm and then click on the “List
Ingredients” button on the middle of the page.

Your question regarding the safety in processing is an excellent question too. Here is
the information from the VAXA web site on manufacturing standards. It can be found online
at http://www.vaxa.com/manufacturing-standards.cfm For convenience, I have copied it below.

***
The Växa top 1% Manufacturing Standard

There Are 1037 Nutritional Manufacturing Facilities in The U.S….

One Passed Our Rigorous 7 Step Examination

Less than ½ of 1% of the nutritional manufacturing facilities in the country match the
exacting standards followed in the Växa facility. Our products are manufactured in a lab
that follows standards beyond those suggested under Good Manufacturing Procedure (GMP)
guidelines.

Clinical Lab Conditions:

No Contamination The manufacturing lab is a clinical environment with all stainless steel
construction. To clean the lab we utilize UV sterilization, carbon filtration, reverse
osmosis, ozone injection, mix bed de-ionization and boiler kettle our own water. This
procedure is above kosher requirements.

Precise Environmental Standards:

No Contamination Each room has its own air handler that completely exchanges the air 50
times per hour. Pure, clean air is a critical element in manufacturing a pure product.
There are so many contaminants in the air that a state of the art air scrubbing system is
a necessity. Many facilities just have a dust handler and rely on the air conditioning
system to fight to replace the air. You might as well make the product in the parking
lot. The temperature is at a constant 71 degrees and the humidity is less than 35%.

Particle Sizing Means Greater Absorbency:

Every Capsule Has the Same Ingredient Mix The key element of our manufacturing process is
particle sizing. Simply put, all of the elements come in different particle sizes.
Picture BBs, ping-pong balls, golfballs, baseballs, softballs, and basketballs. Improper
mixing yields batches that have all of the basketballs balls at the top and the BBs at
the bottom. This would mean that each capsule has a different mix of ingredients (those
early in the loading process - too many basketballs). We use cold process pulverization
to take all particles to the same size - everything is a BB. Smaller particle size means
that the body assimilates the elements more readily.

Blending Process Reduces Oxidation:

Capsules Have Longer Lasting Potency The product is weighed and blended in a static and
gravity free environment. This incorporates 100% batch involvement in the mixing process
with no dead spots. While in the blending process, the ambient air has been removed and
replaced with stable nitrogen, which is heavier than air and reduces oxidation and
process contamination. The bulk material is weight validated to assure batch size
compliance, then formulation and quality control verified for batch uniformity. The lab
signs off on weight sheets to make sure that everything that was supposed to go in went
in.

Capsules are Loaded One at A Time In the encapsulation department, pharmaceutical
standard, GMP certified machines employ the dose tamping method. Powder goes into the
machine then is tamped with pins into the capsule to the milligram of accuracy. This
process is done one capsule at a time. During this process, at 5- minute intervals, a
person will test to validate quantities. The capsules are polished, dust is removed, and
they are hand inspected to see that they are not dented, scratched, or broken. The
finished product is analyzed using high-pressure liquid chromatography, which creates a
quantitative analysis of a compound. Then a mass spectrometer is used to create a
qualitative analysis. This creates the blue print that all future capsules must match.

Every Capsule We Make is Within a 1% Weight Tolerance:

No Short Cuts At the end of the production process, checks are run to insure that the
product weighs what it should. Industry standards allow +/- 5% failure tolerances. We
insist on a tolerance of +/- 1%. Many manufacturers cut corners here. It is in their
interest to do so as 5% less material in each capsule adds up to serious costs saved over
time.

Acceptable Contamination Levels are 1/10th of Industry Standards

Finally, a macro-biological test is done to make sure that the lab did not contaminate
the product.

Växa's standards are 1,000% higher than what the industry allows.

In the end, each batch comes with a certificate of analysis and has a National Drug
Control number. Once it is manufactured and packaged, the product is then tested by lot
to ensure quality control, stability, consistency, weight, and content. Time series and
dating analysis are performed twice on all lots, first at the lab and then when received
as a finished product by Växa. Strict controls of inventory dating and ongoing computer
evaluations are performed daily, while total rechecks of inventory are performed each
month.
***

I hope this all helps in your research on Attend. Let me know if you have any other
questions.

Thanks

Doug Cowan

Attend Working - and a Question

Hi, I have been using the Attend Strategy Pack for about three weeks now
and have seen significant improvements; however, will the benifits subside
when i quite using Attend...and if so how much? I plan to take it for at
least three months, but will it be necessary to take it longer than that?

Yes, you will probably need to continue taking it to receive its benefits, but you will
likely be able to take less to get the benefits. Think of it like "working out" at the
local gym. Once you are in good shape you could stop working out, but the benefits would
slowly decrease. Its always easier to stay in shape than it is to get back into shape.
So, once you are in shape, you should just keep going to the gym, but you don't have to
work as hard to stay fit.

I take it daily, and I don't have ADHD, but I know that it is good "brain food" and it
helps to optimize brain performance.

I'm glad that its helping you

Doug Cowan
About ATTEND

Does Poorly with Stimulants

Stimulants and Caffeine in Diet

My son can't do any of the stimulants for his ADHD. The dr's have him on
Wellbutrin.

Would the caffiene still be ok for him to use or is that just
going to make him go off the wall? He likes coffee and the protein shake
sounds like something he would love.

Hi Mom

I certainly can't predict how he'll react to the coffee and protein shake, but if he has
a track record of "liking coffee" without going "off the wall" then he should do just
fine with it in a protein shake. Just start small. Start with just the protein shake for
a few days, then add just a small amount of caffeine to the protein shake, and over maybe
two weeks work up to a full cup of coffee's worth of caffeine and see how he does.

But just go slow and be conservative. Stay in touch with your doctor too.

Doug Cowan
http://newideas.net

EEG Biofeedback Question in L.A. Area

Ellen sent a message using the contact form

Firstly, your website is outstanding and very helpful for what I do as a
living. I am a learning specialist at a local community college. The
reason I am writing,however, is because I have a 12 year old daughter whom
I have long suspected as having ADD like symptoms. Ironically, I find it
difficult to pinpoint the problem and be objective. I have took her to
DRAKE Institute who did a brain map and found that she
was a good candidate for bio feedback. After 2 sessions, she was showing
behaviors she had never before and getting serious headaches from what
they were making her do. WE stopped those treatments after 2 months.

In contacting other professionals, they want to give my daughter academic
assessments as the WISC, etc. even though I tell them that she has already
been tested and does have a bona fide learning disability.

I just want to find out for once and for all if we are looking at ADD,
depression or what have you so that we can have success during the ensuing
school year. Last year she was doing very well in the very beginning and
then stopped doing HW. Her aversion to academics is really tough on the
family. She is a busy body in her older sister's life (as my youngest has
very few friends, hangs around the family alot-especially me), doesn't seem
to pick up on social cues, etc.

Please advise. How can I get a practioneer to look at the picture I am
painting and not insist on educational assessments. Again, I just want to
know if we are seeing a problem or not.

THANK YOU

I think the best eeg biofeedback providers in the world are Susan and Siegfried Othmer,
in Encino. The office is EEG Spectrum (http://www.eegspectrum.com). Excellent people,
smart, caring. I'd call them, and see who is a good psych resource for an evaluation in
the Valley (there's got to be somebody good there). Get a TOVA, or equivalent test, from
EEG Spectrum or a psych provider. That will answer a lot of questions when combined with
the packet you already have.

Did the schools do a WISC? If not, I can see where someone would see that as useful
information.

See what Susan, or Siegfried, might be able to tell you.

Tell them Doug Cowan said "hi". I haven't seen them in years. If they remember me, tell
them that I'm well and working full-time as a pastor now. They are great people.

Doug Cowan
ADHD Information Library

Focalin Concerns

I just found your website and the info about your product. Both of my
grandson, 11 and 10 are on Focalin XR and I am getting concerned about the
effects is may be having on their liver and kidneys. They start school in
two weeks and have a doctos appt. the week after school starts. I am
interested in getting them on your product but am afraid of the withdrawal
effects if I put them on your product. Should I wait and consult with the
doctor before starting your product?

TJ

Hi TJ

Yes, please consult with the doctor before making changes with their medication,
especially since you have an appointment coming right up.

Attend, Extress, Memorin, and etc can be used even while taking prescription medications,
but the doses of the prescription will have to be monitored as over time the need for as
much medication will tend to decrease (per dose).

But here is a good proverb: If what you are doing is working, don't mess with it. If it
doesn't work, do something different.

If the medication is working, and there is no evidence of liver or kidney damage, then
the doctor will probably encourage you to stay the course. But, of course, if there are
problems from the medication with liver or kidneys (as these medications can be very
harsh for the liver and kidneys) then it is wise to consider different treatment
approaches.

It will be an interesting conversation with your doctor I am sure.

Thanks for writing.

Doug Cowan Psy.D.
http://newideas.net

TJ Reply

Thank you, so much, for your response. I am concerned about the possible damage to their
livers and kidneys, that is why I am looking for alternatives to the meds they are
taking. I printed out the info about Attend and I will be bringing it with me when I
take the boys to their doctor. They have been on medication since they were 6 and 5, I
think that is a long time....I am going to request the doctor to check for liver and
kidney damage.

Focalin XR with Attend?

What would be the downside to using Attend and focalin XR as we begin the
school year/ My 7 year old has textbook combined type ADHD and cannot
control himself. It is important to help him get off to the right start
with friends and teachers. HE CAN LEARN on medication. I wish I had had
the summer to just use ATTEND. It makes sense to feed the brain with
vitamins, minerals and other nutrients while he is still growing.

Thanks for your articles. My son was diagniosed in preschool nad no one believed
it. The last question regarding types of adhd behavior. My son would be
classified as severe but has anxiety problems - fears of bad quys. He
cannot sleep alone at first and is always talking about them. On the
other hand, he is athletic happy and never stutters.

Thanks S.C.

Hi S.C.

There's no real "downside" to using Attend along with the Focalin XR. Just start with one
capsule for about a week, then up to two per day for a week or two, and see how things
are going. Use the diet interventions as best as you can as well.

What you might consider, though, since the Focalin may be doing its job, is trying
Extress + Focalin, rather than the Attend. The Extress may do a lot to help with the
anxiety problems. It really is an excellent supplement for anxiety and temper outbursts
in kids. It won't interfere with the Focalin. He could try 2-4 per day for a couple of
weeks and see if the anxiety decreases. If it works well, then consider adding in Attend.

Just some thoughts.

Oh, you can get Extress from the same people who make Attend. Call 800-248-8292 and ask
for Daniel in customer service. He will do a good job with your order. Tell him I said
"hi". Or you can order online here:

http://www.vaxa.com/26462/index.cfm?page=631.cfm

Hope this helps

Doug Cowan
http://newideas.net

Four Year Old and School ADHD

Hi my daughter who is four and soon to be five in november, her teachers at school are saying she has classic signs of hdhd. I always have known shes been QUITE active.Is that to early to determine this. If not whats the best way to treat this without drugs at such a young age..

Thanks - a concerned mother

Hi Mom

There are a lot of 4 year olds who look like they are ADHD now, but by the time they are
8 yrs old they will be fine. Children mature at different rates. By eight you typically
know what you are going to be dealing with in terms of ADHD, or LD, or dyslexia, etc.

If ADHD is seen as a neurological immaturity, then its easy to see that there are some
four year olds who will look "neurologically immature."

You daughter is simply really young. She may not be ready for school yet. So the first
intervention that I'd recommend is that you take her out of school and do Kindergarten
again next year when she's likely to be more mature and ready to handle it. If she's still not ready for school then, you'll probably need to get her assessed.

I'd also encourage you to consider our eating recommendations:
http://newideas.net/adhd/adhd-diet

There are certain combinations of foods that make kids more "hyper" that need to be
avoided, and other foods that help with concentration and we need to eat them more.

Let me know what you think

Doug Cowan
http://newideas.net

Get More ADHD Information for Son

I have a 14 year old son. I'm concerned about. I'm looking for answers and it seems he might have ADHD. I would like to get him some help and at the same time educate myself, about ADHD? Please help, me. I dont know where to begin, to find answers.

Hi E

There really is a lot of information available today on ADHD for parents, such as yourself. When I began in private practice I could only find 2 books on the topic, but now there are several hundred!

Here are some resources that I would recommend to you:

Read all of our ADHD Information Library website at http://newideas.net

Visit our ADD in School website at http://www.addinschool.com

We have 100 recommended books on ADHD at http://www.add411.com Some books that I like to recommend are:

Daniel Amen's books on ADHD (all of them), David Commings' book on Tourette Syndrome and Human Behavior (has good information on ADHD), and Richard Lougy's book titled simply "ADHD"

I hope this helps

Doug Cowan
ADHD Information Library
http://newideas.net

Hand Over the Attend Formula

Perhaps I have missed in somewhere on your website...the amount of each ingredient used in Attend. The list of ingredients is there, but not how much of each item. Nothing would compel me to purchase Attend without knowing exactly what it contains. Is that information available?

Name Withheld - from South Africa

Thanks for writing. Actually, that information is not available, as the company would be giving away their proprietary formula for the product by doing so.

I do not own Attend, or the rights to the formula, so the details of the formula are not mine to give out to others. If you have a specific question about a specific ingredient, I could find that out for you.

VAXA International is located in Tampa, FL 800-248-8292 if you would like to pursue the matter.

Thanks for your interest,

Doug Cowan

Help for 14 Year Old ADHD Girl

I run a small business and I have a worker who is 40 odd and has adhd. she also has a daughter who is adhd and is aged 14.

this daughter can't read or write and is lost in the public system and is getting bullied at school she recently tried to commit suicide and needs help. Her mother has no idea what to do as she is just as bad as daughter.

they both take ridlin and was wondering if you could send me some information in the mail about help and your programm, and any advice so i can pass it on to the mother.
Thank you

Thanks i am very concerned about this youn girl and if she doens't get
help that she might committ suicide

Name Withheld

Thank you for your concern for your employee. It sounds like a very difficult situation.

In general, ADHD does not cause children to be unable to learn to read or write. It is
likely that there are other problems occurring, either along with the ADHD, or instead of
ADHD but with some of the same symptoms.

I would encourage the mother to press the local school system to test the daughter for
learning problems, to teach the daughter how to read and write, and to protect the
daughter from bullies. These are not unreasonable requests to make to public schools.
Perhaps a lawyer may be needed to press the point home.

I would also encourage the mother to make sure that her daughter is seeing a physician on
a regular basis, and a counselor or pastor or youth worker with whom she can talk about
her situation.

I hope this helps a bit

Doug Cowan
http://newideas.net

Help in Arizona

I am a father of 3 kids with adhd and I really need help. Is there a Dr.
that can help me know which tip and what conbination my kids need. I need
someone a very good one please in Az.

Hi AZ Dad

You certainly have your hands full with 3 ADHD kids. I would be happy to help you however
I can - at least as far as helping you figure out the different "types" of ADHD and
possible treatment options with VAXA products.

If you need help with medications, I'd recommend that you get a copy of Daniel Amen's
book "Healing ADD" on the different types of ADHD medical treatment options. Then discuss
his ideas with your physician. I'm sorry to say that I don't know any docs in AZ.

Stay in touch

Doug Cowan
http://newideas.net

How Can I Tell if My Child Has ADHD

How can I tell if my child have add or adhd.

Hi P

We certainly cannot diagnose ADHD through email or the web, you can only really know if
your child has ADHD after being diagnosed by a physician or psychologist.

However, here are some webpages that will help you:

http://newideas.net/adhd/different-types-adhd
http://newideas.net/adhd/differential-diagnosis
http://newideas.net/adhd/diagnosis

I hope these help. Please read through the entire ADHD Information Library for more
information on ADHD.

Doug Cowan
http://newideas.net

Idiopathic Central Nervous System Hypersomnolence

would the Attend Formula be a good substitute for someone taking 60mg/day
of dextroamphetamine for Idiopathic Central Nervous System
Hypersomnolence? If yes, why and how would it be more beneficial?
Thank you for your time

Hi K

This is a great question... I don't know if Attend would help or not. I've never tested
Attend for that. In theory it might help...

I think you might consider EEG Neurofeedback training, as I have seen that be helpful for
sleep disorders, and I have seen it teach people how to regulate and inhibit slow
brainwaves. You might check into EEGNF as an alternative. Check out the Othmer's site at
http://www.eegspectrum.com and see if they have any information on idiopathic
hypersomnolence. Or send an email to Susan Othmer and see what she thinks. They are
located in Encino, CA, but have trained people all over the world.

Let me know if this works out for you

Doug Cowan

Multiple Diagnoses

Our daughter has been diagnosed as having attachment disorder, ADHD,
Bi-polar disorder and learning disabilities. We adopted her at age 2 from
a neglectful / abusive home and she has aquired these diagnoses? over
the years. We are having a difficult time now at age 15 which lead me to
your web site. She definitely fits the "rabbit" ADHD definition. My
question is can a child have multiple diagnoses? and would the
treatments be as stated in your summaries?
Thank You

Wow. Your daughter, and your family, certainly have a lot to deal with.

I wrote you one letter that I have deleted, and now I'm on a second. Here is my
concern:

Your daughter, being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, is in a much higher risk group than
an individual with ADHD. So let me ask you a few clarifying questions before I recommend
anything other than "see your doctor, take your meds, etc"

Is there a particular reason that you are looking into the VAXA formulas, rather then
prescription medications? Is there a story behind this journey of yours?

Who made the diagnosis? This is a very long list. And, rarely is ADHD a comorbid
condition with bipolar disorder. Typically it is one or the other. If it is bipolar
disorder, there would be symptoms of ADHD, but ADHD would not be diagnosed. The bipolar
disorder would be diagnosed by itself, and would be treated for itself. And the treatment
for bipolar disorder is different than for ADHD (mood stabilizers and antidepressants vs
stimulants).

Having a really great, and accurate, diagnosis is really critical here, or the treatment
will be less than effective (maybe even a problem) and you will waste a lot of time and
money while getting nowhere.

Would you be willing to tell me more of how you have gotten to this point, at least in
terms of doctors, therapists, diagnoses, medications, therapy, etc etc?

Thanks

Doug Cowan

Need Help Near Los Angeles

My boyfriend's son has ADHD with autistic features. He was on Ambivalen and Ritalin. We recently started living together and I want to find a way to address it via nutrition and therapy. Do you have a practitioner who has experience in treating children with ADHD in LA?
THanks
Name Withheld

I don't know of anyone in L.A., but David Nelson PhD is a terrific nutritionist and health practioner (sp?) in Encinitas, a couple of hours south. He is at the Center for Advanced Medicine.

http://www.camhealthtalk.com/

Tell him hello for me.

Doug Cowan

Please Mail Information Pack

please could you send me a information pack on adhd please to my address.

address in England - address removed

S.G.

Thanks for writing. I'm sorry but we do not have information packs to send out to people.
We do offer several websites, a few .pdf documents that are available on the websites,
and our weekly free newsletter.

See:
http://newideas.net
http://www.add101.com
http://www.addinschool.com
http://www.attentiondeficitdisorder.ws

PDF Document:
http://newideas.net/types_scales.pdf

Newletter sign-up:
http://newideas.net/adhd/newsletter

I hope this helps

Doug Cowan

Ritalin and Drug Test for Cocaine

Can this medication (MPH Ritalin) cause a false positive for cocaine in the system? I have read that it does, but cannot locate the website.

Thank you,
Name Withheld

Hi J

I am supposing that your question is about Ritalin. If so, my answer is that I don't
really know, and I've never heard that before. They are certainly similar, but not the
same, and I would suppose that a good lab should be able to tell the difference between
cocaine and MPH (as they should be able to tell the difference between cocaine and
caffeine, which is also a stimulant).

Doing a quick web search, I see that some sites report that MPH Ritalin can cause a false positive for amphetamine use, which would make more sense than a false positive for cocaine use.

But, please, if you should find out information on this, please let me know. I would be
very interested in knowing more about this if it is true.

Your best source for questions like this is usually your pharmacist.

Thanks

Doug Cowan
http://newideas.net

Strattera - Looking for More Info

chuck sent a message using the contact form at
http://newideas.net/contact.

I'm much relieved to know that i'm no longer robinson crusoe on this
subject. Dexedrine was a failure, have had a great deal of success with ritalin, &
now we are going to trial strattera on our son, any info on this medication
would be helpful.

Australia

Hi Chuck

Most of the info that I have on Strattera is at
http://newideas.net/adhd/medication/strattera

But I will tell you my motto over the years regarding medication:

"If what you are doing works - don't mess with it. If it doesn't work - do something
different."

This motto has served me well in advising hundreds of families. Maybe it will help you a
bit too.

Robinson Caruso? I love the metaphor! I wish I could be more helpful to get you off of
the island.

Doug Cowan

Strattera to Attend

My son was recently diagnosed with ADHD. We prefered Strattera over the other medications offered. Currently he is taking Strattera, if I wanted to switch him to Attend what would be the best way to do that? I have read over the information you have provided in the site about caffeine, his diet and so on. The Strattera does seem to be working but I want something all natural that won't have side-effects. Thanks!

Hi W

Thanks for writing, and here are my thoughts...

First, there is a lot of wisdom in this saying, "If want you are doing works, don't mess with it -- and if it doesn't work, do something else."

I understand your desire to get your child off of Strattera, but if he's being successful with it, and not showing any side effects, don't be in a rush to do so. Take your time.

Attend is a really good alternative to Strattera, or other medications, but make any transition from one to the other slowly and carefully. Consult your doctor.

When Gregory Young developed Attend he suggested that the best way to transition was to begin taking the Attend slowly (1 capsule per day for a few days, 2 caps per day for a few days, and slowly up to 4 caps per day, monitoring all the way.) Then, after about 30-45 days one could consider decreasing slowing the prescription medication. Sometimes the timing was clear as the person began feeling "over medicated" and that was an indication that it was time to decrease the dosage of the medication.

Then the trick is to see what the smallest, yet effective, dose is. Many people taking Ritalin have reported that they can get the same benefit from 1/2 their original "effective" dose after beginning Attend. Some are able to discontinue Ritalin altogether, while others still take small amounts but far less than they had been taking previously. This is one of those "art" not "science" projects that will take some trial and perhaps
some error to find the right adjustments.

Be sure to take a look at the Different Types of ADHD
http://newideas.net/adhd/different-types-adhd
to see if there are some other formulas that you should be using for your particular type
of ADHD. Also use our eating recommendations including essential fatty acid
supplementation. You have the greatest chance of success by doing all these together.

Let me know how it all goes

Doug Cowan

The information in this email is not to be considered medical advice as (1) we are not
physicians, and (2) no one can practice medicine across the internet. Always consult your
own physician or health care provider. The information at the ADHD Information Library
and from its staff is for educational purposes only.

Teen Rebellion Question

My 12 y/o son has been treated successfully with Concerta and Omega oils for about 3 years - in an inclusive behaviour management classroom - there is no other way to help kids here in Canada - you either stick them full time in a class with other kids that present all types of behaviour issues - or if you are lucky and have a son or daughter that does no present out of the ordinary behaviour you might be able to find a spot in a class where if and when he needs behaviour modification a youth worker will, away from his daily environment, help him modify his behaviour. This is not like home, it works, it tough, but he has learned a lot in the past two years.

My question is, he is now entering the teens, I was a teenager myself, and now that these were the most rebellious and difficult times of my life, am I wrong to be expecting the same from my kids?

I have been told that he will be graduating from the Behaviour Program this year. How do I as a mother make sure they are letting him go because he is ready to face the hard years to come, or because this is a very unique program and "there are other kids in the waiting list". I fought for many years to have this opportunity for my son, I am not ready to sign and documents before the board has completed their end of the bargain. They said they would send him for some academic testing, for academic support as it is very low, which escapes my mind right now- has not been done, however, this school has been the most positive change my son has ever has and I do mot feel in any position to make any demands, as they say they are a very small budget school.

Thanks for reading my message-I might be all over the place myself.

Hi Mom

While I cannot really guide you much with the school question, I do want to tell you that your son's teenage years do not have to be characterized by either rebellion against you, or by great difficulty in life.

The rebellion from a teen typically comes from a difference in values between parent and teen. Most arguments are over values - whose values will be honored and lived-out in the home. It is important to establish what the "obeyed values" and "honored values" will be now.

My preference is for a family to neither use the teenager's values, as they have no more wisdom as a foundation than a 12 year old can gather, nor the parent's values. It is my recommendation that a family consider God's timeless values, easily available for viewing in the Bible (10 Commandments, Sermon on the Mount, and etc). This way both teens and parents appeal to values greater than, and outside of, themselves and their own limitations in wisdom.

For families that are uncomfortable with this, at least sit down and create your own family "Ten Commandments" that become the values everyone agrees are the most important values to live by and "life lessons to learn" while growing up.

Then these Family Ten Commandments become the guiding principles to live by, teach on purpose, and use as a measure of discipline.

And, as a small encouragement, my two oldest (now 23 and 20 years old) were never really problems during the teen years. In fact, they were the most enjoyable years of all because we could share so much together.

I pray the same for you and your family.

Finally, please listen to our Podcasts titled, "Navigating in the New World," which is from a 6-week series that I teach every year for parents and their teenagers.

http://newideas.net/podcasts_parents

I am working on editing them and uploading them to the site, but there is plenty to listen to already.

I hope this is helpful.

Sincerely

Doug Cowan Psy.D.

The ADHD Information Library at http://newideas.net
Over 500 Classroom Interventions at http://www.ADDinSchool.com

The information in this email is not to be considered medical advice. Always consult your own physician or health care provider. The information at the ADHD Information Library and from its staff is for educational purposes only.

Who Sponsors This Site?

Bill sent a message using the contact form

This website seems to focus on the natural remedy Attend for adhd. I recently came across Synaptol which the natural cure guide lists that Synaptol is better than attend. Is this site sponsored by Attend?

Hi Bill

Thanks for writing. I'm not familiar with Synaptol, but I am always happy to hear of
healthy alternative remedies that can help people with ADHD. I'm not familiar with the
"natural cure guide" that you refer to either.

But I am familiar with Attend, as I personally did the R&D research on the product back in 96-97. I know that it is very helpful to people, and I have a high degree of confidence in it. So now I gladly recommend it as an alternative choice for parents.

I am also familiar with (and like) EEG biofeedback training, as I provided that as a part of my practice for about 10 years.

The site is not "sponsored" by Attend, or by Vaxa. It is my own site, with my own opinions and observations. I first began the site back in 1996 (under a different URL). I pay all of its expenses and write the majority of its content. The newsletter and the websites are all free to our readers, but my family and I "pick up the tab."

Thanks for writing

Doug Cowan Psy.D.
http://newideas.net