As If The Name Wasn’t Cumbersome Enough–Confusion between Brintellix and Brilinta

I recently got notified about the potential for confusion between two medications. Brintellix, a relatively new antidepressant with a novel mechanism of action, and Brilinta, a medication used by cardiology to help prevent blood clots that could result in a heart attack. Obviously, the names are quite similar, but the conditions they treat could not . . . → Read More: As If The Name Wasn’t Cumbersome Enough–Confusion between Brintellix and Brilinta

Adjusting Medicine Over The Summer Part I–Antidepressants

A common question as we head into the summer months is what to do about medications. Most parents (and some kids) are very reluctant to change medications over the school year since a return of symptoms covered by the medicine can be very, very disruptive. Summertime is the logical time to consider some changes. Antidepressants . . . → Read More: Adjusting Medicine Over The Summer Part I–Antidepressants

Peeling The Onion–More Is Not Always Better

Once again . . . I find I am on the receiving end of another doc’s desperate attempt to control symptoms. The layering of medicine on top of medicine is an inherent problem in Western Medicine. After all, we are spending more and more of our hard earned dollars to go to see someone for . . . → Read More: Peeling The Onion–More Is Not Always Better

Book Report: The Book I Wish I Had Written . . . The Do-It-Yourself Guide To Fighting The Big Motherfuckin’ Sad by Adam Gnade

Once loyal readers may have noticed I have not been posting too much recently. Not to say I haven’t thought about it . . . it just seems like between work and home and everything in between my creative juices were tapped just keeping things going. Life is like that, no? I have been reading, . . . → Read More: Book Report: The Book I Wish I Had Written . . . The Do-It-Yourself Guide To Fighting The Big Motherfuckin’ Sad by Adam Gnade

Tenex–A Tonic To Treat Terrible Tantrums

One of the frequent issues I help parents deal with is a child who is profoundly angry . . . the “too mad too fast over dumb stuff” syndrome. It is a frequent accompaniment to both ADHD-spectrum issues and mood disorders, and is typically more difficult to deal with than the other presenting aspects of . . . → Read More: Tenex–A Tonic To Treat Terrible Tantrums

The Cost Of Ignoring ADHD

I interviewed a young man this past week who had recently had to take a second medical withdrawal from a prestigious (and expensive) university because of debilitating symptoms of depression. It struck him in the spring semester last year (his Freshman year) and then again this fall. Over the summer, he had seemed to get . . . → Read More: The Cost Of Ignoring ADHD

Toxic Effects of Chronic Stress–Bad for Adults, Even Worse For Kids

I came across an article in the September/October 2012 issue of Scientific American MIND concerning the effect that stress can have on children and their capacity to learn. The researcher summarized years of work and ongoing studies showing the effect of stress hormones on the developing neural connections in the prefrontal cortex (the part of . . . → Read More: Toxic Effects of Chronic Stress–Bad for Adults, Even Worse For Kids

The Shortage Of Adderall . . . and the scramble for solutions

As most of you ADHD kids/moms/dads know by now, there is a shortage of Adderall products in the United States. It has simmered all summer . . . only to hit the big time now that school is in full swing (great timing, big pharma!!). It has created havoc across the area and quadrupled the calls to the already full in-box on my voice mail. Everybody is blaming everyone else . . . . . . → Read More: The Shortage Of Adderall . . . and the scramble for solutions

A Tale Of Two Kiddies . . . How Early Treatment Makes A Difference (with apologies to Charles Dickens)

I started seeing Mike when he was six years old or so. Brought in by his mother, he was having all the classic problems that a child with ADHD has. He was inattentive and distracted. He was disorganized and was losing things. He couldn’t sit still and would get in trouble for talking and playing when he was supposed to be sitting still and doing his work. He was described as “lazy” when, in reality, that “lazy” was the standard disengaged and distracted “ain’t too interested in doing something I can’t pay attention to” thing we here in mental health land can easily diagnose as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. . . . → Read More: A Tale Of Two Kiddies . . . How Early Treatment Makes A Difference (with apologies to Charles Dickens)

Klonopin is “Bad” and YOU are “Bad” for Even Thinking About It

None of the medicines I prescribe (including Klonopin) is a “bad” medicine. The people who benefit from the medicines are not “bad” people. They are people who have a problem that need our professional help. . . . → Read More: Klonopin is “Bad” and YOU are “Bad” for Even Thinking About It