ADHD DrugFree Solutions Blog

A study was undertaken at Osijek University Hospital, Croatia about zinc deficiencies in children with ADHD.

The following is is a summary of the findings. 
 
Zinc is an essential cofactor of more than 100 enzymes, which are necessary in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fatty acids, proteins and nucleic acids.

It is an important factor in the metabolism of neurotransmitters, prostaglandins, and for maintaining brain structure and function. Dopamine is one of the most important factors in the pathophysiology of hyperactivity disorder, and the hormone melatonin has an important role in the regulation of dopamine.
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The following article was published by Juliana Campbell, Daily Titan staff Reportter on 1 March 2010.

It talks about the downsides to energy pills and study-enhancing drugs such as Adderall.

I’ve placed the complete article in this posting but you can see the original here.

The concern is that many ADHD children are prescribed Adderall, and these side effects could be more harmful on a child.  The article deals with the side effects on an adult.

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This article was posted on Dr Mercola’s website on March 02 2010 and has had 171,993 views. 

Do go on the link as this renaming  of Aspartame is very disturbing.

Aspartame producer Ajinomoto is launching a new initiative that will rebrand the sweetener as “AminoSweet”.

Aspartame is used in many foods and beverages marketed as low calorie or sugar-free. However, its reputation has been clouded somewhat by studies that have investigated reports of ill effects.

Just to remind you, the side effects of aspartame can include:

• Headache
• Change in vision
• Convulsions and seizures
• Hallucination
• Nausea and vomiting
• Joint pain

It can cause many, many other problems as well

Phthalate chemicals create the softer, more flexible plastics used in many consumer products. Recent research suggests that children exposed to phthalates have a softer ability to perform well in school, as evidenced by increased inattentive and hyperactive behavior.

 A new study finds that exposure to phthalate chemicals may be linked to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in school-aged children. The Korean students in the study who were identified as having ADHD symptoms were more likely to have higher levels of phthalate chemical markers in their urine than children without symptoms of the disorder.

 This is the first study in people to find a link between the two and supports previous results reported in rodent studies. The new research suggests chemical exposure may play a role in development of the disorder.
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APsaA: Are Physicians Too Quick to Medicate ADHD?
By Kristina Fiore, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: January 16, 2010 

NEW YORK — Physicians may be too quick to medicate children suspected of having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), researchers said here.

The etiology of the disease is not well understood, and while some cases may have neurological causes, children may respond to psychotherapy instead, Esther Fine, PhD, a psychoanalyst in private practice in Los Angeles, told attendees at the American Psychoanalytic Association meeting.

“Unfortunately, it is now a prevalent notion that it is no longer necessary or relevant to understand the unconscious meaning of psychological symptoms,” Dr. Fine cautioned during a scientific paper presentation. “It’s becoming a popular idea to consider psychoanalysis, and even psychotherapy, ‘dinosaurs’ in the treatment of mental disorders.”
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We found the following article on 15 January, 2010.

We shouldn’t be shocked to learn that the majority of children today occupy their time by sitting in front of the television and the computer, listening to their iPods and playing video games. With their abuse of these electronic toys, negative attitudes and unhealthy bodies ensue. As a result, an increasing number of children suffer from insomnia, eating disorders, headaches, bad posture, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), aggression and other daily stressors.

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, rates of obesity among children and youth aged two-17 are increasing. In 1979, three percent of children and youth were obese. By 2004, the number had grown to eight percent, or an estimated 500,000. And an additional 18 percent are overweight.

These statistics taken together result in more than one quarter, or 26 percent of kids, being either overweight or obese.
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Two brain areas fail to connect when children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder attempt a task that measures attention, according to researchers at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain and M.I.N.D. Institute.

“This is the first time that we have direct evidence that this connectivity is missing in ADHD,” said Ali Mazaheri, postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Mind and Brain. Mazaheri and his colleagues made the discovery by analyzing the brain activity in children with ADHD. The paper appears in the current online issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry.
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Although side effects of commonly used medications are often mild and temporary, many can be harmful to children. Over the period of a decade, medication side effects alone sent over half a million American children to outpatient clinics and emergency rooms annually.

The disturbing statistics come from a group of researchers at Children’s Hospital in Boston. Their study found that between the years 1995 and 2005, a total of 585,922 incidents of adverse drug events occurred annually among children 18 years and younger. Although most of these children received treatment at outpatient clinics, 22 percent resulted in a visit to a hospital emergency room. The findings were recently published in the journal Pediatrics.
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A new study, published November 13, 2009, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggests that people can train their minds to stay focused.

The study, led by UW-Madison scientist Antoine Lutz, involved subjects interested in meditation in an effort to see whether voluntary mental training can affect attention. Results suggest that attention stability is not a fixed capacity, and that it can be improved by directed mental training, such as meditation. 

“Everyone is familiar with daydreaming,” says Lutz, who works jointly with the Waisman Brain Imaging Lab and the new Center for Investigating Healthy Minds. “These momentary lapses into mind-wandering occur even when a person is trying to stay focused on a chosen object. The difficulty of focused attention is evident both in everyday experiences and in the laboratory.” 
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Here is an article hot off the New Zealand Press (Radio New Zealand) - 14 January 2010

The Ministry of Health will review its guidelines for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), after Australian authorities signalled a move away from drugs.

New draft guidelines in Australia say medication should only be used when sufferers experience significant impairment in a number of settings.

The Ministry of Health says it will review its guidelines to make sure they are consistent with current evidence, though there are no immediate plans for change. Charles Harrison, from the support group ADDvocate, says the New Zealand approach relies solely on drugs, whereas it’s essential to include a variety of treatments.
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