Any Doctors/Pharmacists here? Help with A.D.D. "Drug"

[badass88gt]

My girlfriend's daughter has the A.D.D. thing going for her and she has a tough time concentrating. The slightest little thing distracts her, her nails, her hair, her foot, anything can distract her and it is really affecting her schoolwork. A friend recommended this vitamin that is supposed to help, be all natural, no side effects, etc.

The pill is called Attend, for specific info click here. (http://www.vaxa.com/636.cfm)

We dont want to give her any sort of medication or drug her up, this is supposed to be all natural and all safe, but we know very little about this stuff. Can someone help out, is this stuff ok, is there something better to try, etc?

Thanks for the help-Dan

[UnderPSI]

I would take all that info to their doctor and ask what they think.

[badass88gt]

They will be, but I thought I'd ask some doctors online also. More than one opinion never hurts.

[Jsho13]

I could use some of that. I get distracted pretty easily

[Reverend Cooper]

Me to, but the brandy makes me stable

[WickedSix]

Me to, but the brandy makes me stable

i honestly think that is true....a little loudmouth soup and focus seems much better....like a bandpass on the brain waves

[Prince Valiant]

It's junk. Isn't what it claims to be. Basically it's a "supplement" and not subject to the rules of a medication.

Namely, if it was a "drug" as termed by the FDA, in order to make the claims it makes (IE that it's "specifically engineered to help support the function of the Central Nervous System (CNS) of individuals who are inclined to be inattentive, under- and/or overactive and perhaps learning impaired, enabling the body to balance both neural growth and neurotransmitter production within the Brain and Central Nervous System.") it would have to have been proven in numerous trials to have done so. Supplements have no such burdens...heck, they don't have to even have been proven "safe".

Notice how they make claims that would seem impossible to prove? How will one prove that it's enables the body to balance neural growth and neurotrasmitter production? They always make such nebulous claims.

Are these bad? Generally no...they tend not to be harmful in the sense that taking it could be harmful, though anything taken in excess could be. However, imo, it is harmful in the sense that if a specific medication or treatment is neglected to pursue these bogus therapies, then harm IS in fact occuring. Heck, I believe that even when these bogus therapies ARE being used with conventional therapies it's harmful due to an individual just throwing away money on it, when that money could go to any number of other things/uses.

Oftentimes when asked about remedies like this, MD's will go with a "sure, why not?" approach as they see it as above, if used with conventional tx's, it's again, harmless. Why challenge a patients belief?

Many of these supplements will be pushed as part of "packages" or "packs" in which it's said to improve the performance of the supplement and help the user even MORE. But it's all the same scam...just getting more money from the patient. (but notice, this is much the same scheme used in the rest of the "nutritional" supplement world)

Even worse, supplements don't even have to have the amount of "active ingredients" in it that it claims to...because it's never checked by any regulating agency. So if it claims to have 10mg of "blank", it may only have 0.001mg of it...it's all good in the supplement world.

My recommendation is this: If you wish to avoid drugs, ask your doctor...there are alternatives to them in the treatement of ADD, a commonly mis or overdiagnosed condition. Not saying your daughter DOESN'T have it, but a second opinion may be warranted.

[ND4SPD]

I'm not a pharmacist or doctor, so don't take any of this as "medical" advice. The parent of this child should really see a pediatrician about this. Anyway, the diagnosis of ADD isn't just a single trip to the doctor where you say "hey, my kid can't concentrate" and bam they give you some Ritalin and off you go. Most *good* doctors will want to screen the child for ADD, which may mean a few different cognitive tests to rule out other learning disorders.

There are alternative treatments for ADD, but their rate of success is kinda spotty. As far as drugs go, there are really only two drugs that are used for ADD anymore. Long-acting methylphenedate and dextroamphetamine. Both are stimulant-based. Stimulants have a paradoxical effect on someone with ADD. If most people were to take an ADD med, they would be wound up like they've never been wound up before. However, with a person that is ADD, the stimulant will typically calm them down, help them focus, etc... Now, I have seen people who have basically "undiagnosed/untreated" ADD self-medicate with caffeene. However you have to drink a lot of soda/coffee and drink it frequently in order for it to provide an effect. I've seen people like this go through 6+ cans a day. I've mentioned to some adults that think they might have ADD to see if they concentrate better a little while after a can of Mt. Dew. If so, well, there you go. But it's no substitute for a medical diagnosis.

As Valiant said, this stuff is crap. Things like this stuff, "Focus Factor", etc... are all advertised with the fine print that they are not intended to treat or diagnose any disease. Which is their out saying, hey, if it doesn't work, don't blame us.

[GRAMPS SS]

^^^^^have to afree with this dan....do some follow ups with the docs...you don't want your g/f daughter labbled with ADD id she truley does not have it.....i would get other opinions fron the ped first.....JMO...my wife is a RNOCN and she says the same thing...

Alot of docs out there are pill happy....they will stick you on something without getting all the facts about the person first...sometimes it is easier tojust fill out RX form then to see the patient again and again..to get it right....

may i suggest a trip down here to Childrens and see a doc.....