<p>shrinkrap- what I am wondering is if an increasing number of children are being diagnosed, and if behavior modification helps with ADHD, does it make sense to change classrooms and teaching techniques to reflect this reality?</p>
<p>This may be an incredibly naive question.</p>
<p>" particularly have read so much about how doctors hand out narcs like candy"</p>
<p>-I was so proud of my own D. She had all wisdom teeth pulled when she was still in HS. She was given heavy duty narcs when she did not even complain, just as a “regular” drug given after pulling wisdom teeth. She knew about that one and confirmed with her friend (with MD parent). We pitched drug right away. I told her I am so proud of her and if she has severe pain, we are not planning to use this drug any way. Well, in few minutes, she started getting calls from her classmates. She said, sorry, too late, it is gone. That is how docs are getting our kids hooked up to this dangerous drugs (sometime for the rest of their lives). What kind of meidcal help is that? If it happened that my D. took it or worse, if it get floated to her friends I would definitely sue. Crazy out there. got to be navigating with great caution and god forbid to get to the hospital, the most dangerous place of all. Then, you have no idea what is going into your body, period.</p>
<p>^^ Alh; Hah! Who is going to pay for that?</p>
<p>“I’ve had many primary physicians, but was never encouraged to take any drug whatsoever until my blood pressure measured 194/100, 174/90, and 165/90 on three separate occasions. So I now take a low dose blood pressure med that keeps me at 120’s/70’s and lower. It really wasn’t much of an option since diet, exercise, and maintaining a normal weight has not helped at all. Maybe I’ve just chosen well when it comes to doctors.”</p>
<p>Sounds like the docs I know.</p>
<p>I believe the treatment of lead poisoning is removal of the lead, not stimulants.</p>
<p>I was thinking more if what it is too late for chelation.
For instance they changed the toxic lead level significantly from when I had my kids tested to a few years later.</p>
<p>I see. Well if the symptoms improve with the ADHD treatment, I certainly wouldn’t split hairs over the cause.</p>
<p>I sure hope that’s not happening too much anymore! When I practiced peds back on the coast, we were diligent about looking for lead poisoning, and that was more than 20 years ago.</p>
<p>When BP is creeping up, the first thing to do is to lose weight. 5 - 6 lbs in my body = 20 point in both BP and sugar level. Proven many times over, both up and down. I take measurements (and my H.) very frequently. Even his own MD told my H. that the weight loss will result in no more need in BP and Diabetese medication, both conditions will be gone. That is for most cases, there are axceptions, of course, not everybody with elevated BP and sugar are overweight.</p>
<p>Does H’s doctor give medical advice to strangers on the internet?</p>
<p>When I practiced peds back on the coast, we were diligent about looking for lead poisoning, and that was more than 20 years ago.</p>
<p>Lead is everywhere & we live in an old house, in an old neighborhood- my H also used a heat gun to remove paint before I knew I was pregnant. :(.
Not every Dr. listens to parents very much unfortunately.
[Lead</a> Exposure](<a href=“http://www.drkaslow.com/html/lead_exposure.html]Lead”>http://www.drkaslow.com/html/lead_exposure.html)</p>
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<p>High blood pressure can be due to several factors which have nothing to do with lifestyle. I am not overweight and have HBP, probably genetic as my mom and her parents both had high blood pressure. My sister is absolutely tiny and has severe high blood pressure that necessitates medication.</p>
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<p>Just curious which dangerous drug your daughter was given for wisdom tooth removal. </p>
<p>Most doctors and dentists I know will give a prescription for pain medication that is only supposed to be filled and taken if needed. They certainly never force it on someone. Of course, your daughter was wise to not give her unwanted pills to anyone else-that is illegal as well as potentially dangerous.</p>
<p>Though it should be prescribed thoughtfully, pain medication is not inherently bad. People who suffer severe pain, particularly after surgery or if suffering from terminal painful diseases such as cancer, can really benefit from narcotic pain medicine. The fact that a particular % of people will abuse pain meds should not mean that pain relief is denied to people who are in need of it.</p>
<p>Back to the OP: If Americans are “more prone” to having ADHD, that could suggest several things, among them that it is environment which is causing this (since we can presume that Americans are not genetically different). Are there non medicine therapies for ADHD, or do the majority of the diagnosed simply take the meds?</p>
<p>The 20/20 Story
<a href=“New Study Shows U.S. Government Fails to Oversee Treatment of Foster Children With Mind-Altering Drugs - ABC News”>http://abcnews.go.com/US/study-shows-foster-children-high-rates-prescription-psychiatric/t/story?id=15058380</a></p>
<p>A few comments- caveat, this is my area of medical specialty.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Chelation lowers serum lead levels but if the lead has caused neuro-toxicity, then lowering the serum levels does not reverse this, sadly. </p></li>
<li><p>There is a gene for the dopamine receptor 4 which is variant in different sub-populations. If you, as a cultural group, migrated from your country of origin, then variations in the gene are more likely… more variation the further your cultural group migrated. So, Anglo Saxons who migrated to New Zealand show much greater variation than those who didn’t migrate. This is the ‘thrill seeking’ gene… hence the invention of bungy jumping in New Zealand and not the UK… Similar patterns are seen in populations at the southern tip of Africa and South America (these are from studies by Joseph Biederman at Mass General and others).</p></li>
<li><p>Given this- because dopamine receptors are key to the functioning of your frontal lobe… there are likely geographic differences in the incidence. But, what people feel is ‘abnormal’ has a cultural overlay as well. So, a very active little boy would not be a concern in Argentina, but would be considered ‘pathological’ in the country I live and work in!!</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Go to [The</a> Feingold Diet Program for ADHD](<a href=“http://www.feingold.org%5DThe”>http://www.feingold.org) - it will explain everything. And yes, the diet does work - I know from experience.</p>