Here is an article about drug maker Shire. Shire is the company which makes Adderall XR and now Vyvanse.
This article points out that Shires approach of creating medication to help with specialists is an approach which seems to be working. It also points out the reality that Shire is aiming to get doctors to write more prescriptions for Vyvanse - because Adderall XR is going ‘generic’ in the near future. (when Adderall XR goes generic, Shire will lose the income that they currently make from it).

Although the medication treatment of ADHD can be controversial - medication treatment can also change people’s lives - i.e. dramatically improve it. This article gives a view into the strategy that a pharmaceutical company is using to protect its income - i.e. trying to switch the market toward vyvanse rather than Adderall XR.

Do you think that this will have an impact on the treatments your doctor offers you?

Enter your thoughts or comments below.

Dr. Kenny

p.s. This is an issue which is going on in the US right now. In Canada, Vyvanse has not even come to market yet - and likely won’t for another 6-18 months…

Technorati Tags: Vyvanse, Adderall XR, ADHD, Medication

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A new study was just published which documents that girls who have hyperactivity and aggression in childhood are much more likely to have significant problems in adult life. These problems include: getting into abusive relationships, teenage pregnancies, lack of job prospects and underperforming at school.

This is a particularly powerful study - as it was ‘longitudinal’. This means that the researchers started to observe these girls when they were 6 years old, and then followed up with them until they were 21 years old. This gives great, long term data.

The researchers conclude that girls with hyperactivity and physical aggression (fighting, bullying, kicking, biting or hitting) should be targeted by more intensive treatment programs in childhood - in an attempt to prevent the longer term risks.

To read more, visit here.

Technorati Tags: Girls, ADD, ADHD, Parenting

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Although it is accepted that fewer girls are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD than boys (in childhood) - the number is almost equal in adults. New research has demonstrated that women are in fact more impaired with their ADD than the men.

This study documented that women were more likely to have combined ADHD (i.e. inattention and hyperactivity), they were more likely to have emotional symptoms (depression and anxiety) with their ADD, and more sleep problems.

This research is very important - as women may need more support for their ADD than previously recognized.

An expert in this field is Sari Solden. She has written the respected book Women With Attention Deficit Disorder. I suggest you read this book if you want specific help for ADD in women.

Dr. Kenny

p.s. If you have particular issues which are specific to women with ADD, please share them below.

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Hi,
I’ve done something a little different here.
I wanted to introduce you to a Web 2.0 site - which allows US - the users - to determine which health resources and stories are relevant.
I’ve created a video to explain all about this. (This video has me talking, and then you can see my computer (it is very high tech :-))

Here’s what to do:

1. Watch this video - it is just under 10 minutes
2. Go to People’s MD and sign up for your own account
3. Visit the different resources, and vote for, or ‘Boost’ the ones that are most helpful
4. …And, I’d love it if you’d visit my personal guides, and boost the resources that you find helpful.

Enjoy, and thanks for contributing to the evolution of health information online.

Dr. Kenny

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I am a big advocate for ADD and ADHD. I feel passionately that people with ADD and ADHD have hidden gifts and need extra help and support to bring these gifts forward.

One of the most important aspects from the medical side of ADHD is ongoing research which sheds light on it as a medical condition. This information is critical - so that people can make educated decisions about this condition based on the best facts that we know.

One major area of research in adult ADHD has been around the impact of ADD on driving. This is one important angle of research which helps to justify treatment for ADD/ADHD. There are growing data showing that when adult ADD is not well treated, there are increased risks behind the wheel - such as higher rates of speeding, accidents, etc. There are new medication studies showing that treatment with medication helps with safety behind the wheel.

These are important studies for the following reasons:

• They help to document one aspect of the significant impairment and danger associated with ADD/ADHD if it is not treated
• They help to show that treatment for adult ADD is not just an optional ‘lifestyle’ choice
• They help to improve (and save) lives by educating doctors, parents, adults with ADD, etc. about an important public health issue
• And there are others… (feel free to share your thoughts on this in the ‘comments’ below)

When I started learning about the driving studies with ADD/ADHD, one of the nurses that I worked with asked a very insightful question:

“What do the insurance companies say about this data?”

I realized what she asked was important, but I didn’t give it too much though beyond discussing the importance of this research.

TRUST ME - Now I am giving it a lot of thought.

I was troubled to see that in Sweden - the Road Authority is considering taking away the right of people with ADD/ADHD to even get a driver’s license because of the risks to road safety.

The head physician of the Swedish Road authority compares ADHD to conditions like epilepsy and alcoholism, and is concerned about drivers with ADD having licenses.

To me - this is a VERY CONCERNING development in twisting new data that is meant to help people with ADD/ADHD.

I strongly encourage any Swedish readers of this blog to file an appeal of this decision, or get involved locally and create some ‘noise’ about this.

I suggest that we all want the roads to be safe, and we want good treatment for ADD and ADHD - but this approach will lead to frank discrimination against the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD, and it will lead people to refuse to get it diagnosed or treated. In other words, it will push the diagnosis underground - and we all know that there are much more serious consequences to that.

I also encourage people connected to advocacy groups all over the world to be aware of this potential danger lurking on the sidelines for other countries.

We want to advocate for the proper recognition and support for ADHD - not frank discrimination which leads to ignorance, mistreatment and forces people with ADD to go into hiding for fear of real persecution.

Please share this post with others who need to know about it, and share your comments and thoughts below.

Dr. Kenny

p.s. a similar discrimination issue is going for pilots with ADD. You can read my post about it here: http://www.addadhdblog.com/adhd-pilots-medication-and-the-faa/, and you can read about the battle of a Doctor with ADD (who is bravely fighting the FAA) here: http://www.adhdpilots.org/

p.p.s. This issue has got me pretty concerned and ticked off. If you have other examples of ‘discrimination against ADD’, please enter your comments below. Maybe we can get more people aware of it and help to support you to overcome it.

Technorati Tags: ADHD, ADD, Driving, Discrimination, Pilots, ADHD Medication

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New research confirms that ADHD affects social functioning in kids and teens affected by the common condition.

When social functioning is impacted, this leads to difficulties with friends (and this study showed that 79% of children with ADD had no or few friends, 53% spend time alone, and 53% get picked on or bullied).

The consequences of this are that kids and teens with ADHD can have low self esteem, and then they are at higher risk for behaviors like: teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse and fail at school.

As quoted in the article:

Dr Anne McClure, consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at South Tyneside District Hospital, said: “When it comes to managing children’s health, it is not enough to only treat the basic symptoms.

What’s the bottom line?

It’s not OK to just treat ADHD for the classroom. It affects a lot more than that.
You need to develop a comprehensive treatment plan, that recognizes the child or teen’s strengths.

Dr. Kenny

p.s. to find our comprehensive system for succeeding with ADHD, please visit: Secrets to ADHD Success.

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LiquADD is a new formulation of Dextroamphetamine for ADD/ADHD, which will come in a liquid. It was just announced that the FDA has approved this medicine and it will be released in the US in the second quarter of 2008.

What is LiquADD?

LiquADD is a liquid preparation of dextroamphetamine sulfate. This is a shorter acting stimulant medicine for ADHD. The advantage of this preparation is that it can be swallowed by children who have trouble swallowing pills.

Prior to LiquADD, the only liquid ADHD medication was Methylin - though it is a preparation of Methylphenidate, and this is of a different stimulant - i.e. Dextroamphetamine.

LiquADD is chemically similar to Adderall, though there are minor differences.

As LiquADD is a short acting stimulant, there is a chance of abuse of the medication, and caution will need to be exercised when prescribing it to teens at risk of drug abuse.

This is a welcomed addition to the medications for ADD and ADHD, as it will help for kids who cannot swallow pills.
As a reminder - there are medications which can be ’sprinkled’ (i.e. capsules which can be opened and sprinkled to facilitate swallowing), and they include:

1. Ritalin LA
2. Metadate CD
3. Biphentin (in Canada)
4. Focalin XR
5. Dexedrine Spansules
6. Adderall XR

There is also the Daytrana patch available in the US - which is a patch of Methylphenidate - so that the medication is absorbed through the skin, rather than by pill.

Dr. Kenny

p.s. The article referenced above indicates that ADHD Medication is a $3.5 Billion a year market. If you are concerned, confused or want to get the straight facts about these medicines, please visit Medication Mastery for a free special report.

Technorati Tags: LiquADD, Adderall, Vyvanse, Daytrana, ADHD, ADD, Medication, Parenting

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Today is my last day working at the Brampton Civic Hospital, at William Osler Health Centre. I am leaving for many reasons, though one of the biggest is that I will be working closer to home.
Yesterday, I uploaded a video to share my 2nd last day at the hospital with you. As this is a big life change, I wanted to share it with you.
On this video - you’ll see my (snowy) drive up to the hospital, and then a brief visit in my office.
Enjoy!
Dr. Kenny
p.s. I recorded this with my Flip video - so it’s not the best quality, but it’s pretty good

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Online news just reported that some teens were arrested for selling prescription drugs. While this likely happens all over North America on a regular basis - it raises a very important issue and is thus worth reviewing.

Which medicines were these teens selling?

Adderall.

The short acting stuff.

Let’s get a few things straight:

* ADHD Medication is not addictive - if it is taken as prescribed.
* Treatment with ADHD medication has been proven to actually reduce the risk of drug addiction in adolescence/adulthood.
* The long acting stimulants are virtually not abusable (i.e. Concerta, Adderall XR, Metadate CD, Ritalin LA, etc.)
* The Daytrana patch is not abusable.
* The new prodrug Vyvanse is not abusable at all
* The non-stimulant Strattera is not abusable at all.

So why do kids buy ADHD medication for abuse?

If the short acting medicines are crushed and snorted - they can produce a ‘high’. In the Toronto area, a regular (short acting) Ritalin pill (of 10 mg) sells for approximately $5.

This is medically dangerous on many levels - not only is this unsupervised use of the medication, but generally teens will take a higher than recommended dose. This can cause cardiovascular issues.

What to do about this?

If you have a teen who has any history of substance abuse - including cigarettes, marijuana, or drinking, and he/she gets interested in taking their short acting Ritalin or Adderall - think of this article - and get suspicious!
I have experience with teens who realized that their dealer doesn’t want Concerta - so they come back to the doctor with a story about how they want short acting Ritalin. It is not necessarily for their ADHD - they may see it as an easy way to pay for their habits with marijuana or other street drugs.

If you are able to - get your child/teen onto one of the newer medications which is not abusable at all.

Please share your thoughts or comments below.

Dr. Kenny

p.s. To get all of the information that you need to know about Medication for ADD and ADHD, visit: Medication Mastery

Technorati Tags: ADHD, ADD, parenting, Medication, Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse, Daytrana, Strattera, Metadate, Concerta

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