The FDA is still worried about the effects of certain ADHD medications on children who are at risk. Latest research does not seem to offer any reassurance or hope. The latest news is that in the long term ADHD medications seem to offer little benefit. Their efficacy seems to be reduced to the short term alleviation of ADHD symptoms such as behavioural problems, over excitability and disruptive behaviour. Medical authorities are still worried about the ease with which prescriptions of antipsychotics are written by doctors. Research for ADHD is now concentrating on the causes of ADHD but also on the safety of ADHD medications. It should also be looking at ADHD natural and homeopathic cures but, given the world we live in, I think that is a faint hope !

Latest research on ADHD has homed in on the fact that ADHD has a strong heritable link. They are therefore looking for some genes that might be responsible for some of the behavior disorders associated with ADHD. The hope is that once they find these, cures can be better targeted and more effective medication can be manufactured. The IMAGE project led by Stephen Faraone is one of the largest ever done and involved studying over 600,000 genetic markers in 900 families. One genetic marker has been found but there is a very long way to go. As ADHD is such a complex condition, researchers feel that there may be several genetic markers involved and that these all have small effects on the child’s behavior and development.

As research for ADHD progresses at a snail’s pace, families are faced with bringing up ADHD children who have to grow up and become happy and productive members of society. One of the most important things a parent can do is to find the best possible help at school and that means getting wised up about what facilities are offered to ADHD children and what arrangements can be made on the day to day level with the child’s teacher. This may mean drawing up a behavior plan and or looking at where the child sits, preferably close to the teacher.

While research for ADHD will bumble along for some time yet, parents have to think about the day to day running of the family. Basically they will be concerned with how their guidance as parents and their parenting skills will impact on the child’s behaviour. Learning to acquire these skills can turn family life into a pleasure again. These skills can be learnt through ADHD behaviour therapy where parents of the ADHD child help him to learn self-management skills and emotional control. It is now recognised that any form of medication for ADHD can only be effective if it is carried out in conjunction with behavioural interventions. All the research on ADHD up to now is pointing in this direction.

Research for ADHD is also looking at comprehensive treatment plans for ADHD children which will include not just medication but also diet, green time benefits, exercise and of course parental support which is absolutely crucial. As there are so many doubts now being raised about problems and side effects with a pharmacological solution for ADHD, it is high time to look perhaps at homeopathic treatment for ADHD.



Thanks to Robert William Locke for contributing this article to our ADHD blog:

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Can you answer buddhasmash’s question about ADHD?:

I’ve heard that eating high sugar foods or ingesting large amounts of stimulants (caffeine, nicotine, etc) can worsen symptoms of ADHD. Is this true? Does the theory have any grounding in scientific research?

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Can you answer Britney is back bitch’s question about ADHD?:

My doctor is going to put me on a stimulant tmr to control my symptoms of ADHD. He first put me on strattera to control my depression, and now is going to either add dexedrine, concerta or vyvanse. Which one, adhd users, is the most effective in controlling your adhd symptoms? Thanks

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Can you answer Little Ms Sunshine’s question about ADHD?:

My 7 year old son shows the classic ADHD symptoms and I started him on Sea Buddies Concentrate yesterday (minimum dosage). He is a big boy, so I am sure we will need to give him more that the recommended starting dosage (you may give up to 10). We have also started him on DHA. How long should it be before I start to notice a change? And is there something better than Concentrate? What about Focus Factor?

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Can you answer LindseyLouWho’s question about ADHD?:

I heard there are certain vitamins that help.

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