Looking into trying medication

[Anonymous]

Hello everyone! I was just diagnosed a couple of months ago, and while at first I thought that simply being armed with the knowledge that I havd adhd would turn this big switch and I would suddenly be responsible and get stuff done… I am realising now that I was wrong.

Solution: I want to try meds!

Problem: in about a month I am no longer covered under my mother’s health plan, and it would probably take that long to get a referral and see a specialist. (I’m in Toronto, by the way)

This is probably a silly question, but if I just went into a walk-in clinic, would most doctors be comfortable/knowledgeable enough to prescribe me some awesome adhd medication? My family doctor is hours away, so that isn’t really an option.

Help!

and also, thank you for your time.

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[Patte Rosebank]

Meds won’t do it all for you, but they sure do help you make the necessary behavioural changes to minimize the bad stuff about ADHD, and maximize the good stuff. They’re just a medical device. Kind of like prescription eyeglasses or custom orthotics.

Now, on to your questions. First, the bad news…

Walk-in clinics definitely won’t be able to diagnose ADHD, or prescribe anything for it. It takes a fair bit of testing, or at the very least, long-term familiarity with a patient, for a doctor to put his/her reputation—and license to practice—on the line by diagnosing something so serious.

Also, most of the meds for ADHD are potent stimulants (similar to Meth in both composition and effects), which makes them rather desirable street drugs, and, therefore, highly controlled substances. In fact, the info sheets that pharmacies give you when you fill your prescription for them state that it is against the law to give or share them with anyone else. Because of this, no walk-in clinic is going to prescribe them for someone they’ve just met, who says, “I think I have ADHD. Can you prescribe something for it?”

So, what can you do? Plenty!

Do you live in Toronto permanently, or are you just here for university? If you’re here for university, there should be a campus medical clinic or student services office that can advise you further.

If you’re here permanently, you need to get yourself a family doctor here. Go to http://www.cpso.on.ca/docsearch/ and search for one who’s accepting new patients. Your timing is great. Every July, the Ontario College of Physicians & Surgeons releases its new graduates, and those new doctors will be looking for patients. But it only takes a few months for those new doctors to be full-up too. So look for one NOW. When you do get a new family doctor, you’ll need to request that your old doctor send copies of all your records to him/her, to acquaint him/her with your full medical history.

Now, for the issue of paying for this…

There are very few psychiatrists specializing in Adult ADHD. Some charge quite a lot above what OHIP covers, and not all medical insurance plans will cover this difference. Since you only have about a month, ACT NOW.

1. Call the specialists on this list: http://www.adrn.org/html/adult_adhd.html (note: Dr. Atilla Turgay passed away a few months ago, but there may be other specialists at his Toronto ADHD Clinic). Explain your situation, and ask how long it takes to get in to see them. Ask if they can see you any sooner, before your medical coverage runs out.

2. Ask your mom to find out if her medical plan covers psychological/psychiatric testing for you. If it does, call your family doctor, explain the situation, and ask if he/she can send a referral, ASAP, to the specialist who can see you soonest.

On to the cost of meds…

When your coverage runs out, you’ll have to pay for prescriptions on your own, and ADHD drugs (except for Ritalin) can be expensive. If you’re on a low income, register NOW for the Trillium Drug Plan. The information is here: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/pub/drugs/trillium.html and you can fill in the form online, print it off, and submit it with supporting documentation. When you are accepted to the Plan, it will cover most of the cost of your prescriptions. However, if a generic version of a drug exists, Trillium will only pay for that generic version. If you want the branded version, you’ll either have to pay the difference, or, in some cases (like Strattera), Trillium won’t cover it at all.

The trouble is, there is a BIG difference between the generic and the branded forms of ADHD drugs. Concerta is the most dramatic example.

But Janssen (which makes Concerta), has responded by setting up its own patient assistance program, which pays the difference between what Trillium covers and what you’d have to pay yourself if you wanted branded Concerta. Result: You get authentic Concerta, and it doesn’t cost you a cent. You have to ask your pharmacist about this program, but it just takes a few minutes to register for it, and it kicks in immediately. I think Concerta is the only ADHD drug that has a patient assistance program.

One more thing: In Ontario, if you want the branded version of a drug, your doctor must HAND-WRITE “no substitutions” on the prescription. If “no substitutions” is put there by any mechanical means (pre-printed, rubber-stamped, printed on the computer), pharmacists can, and will, ignore it and give you the generic form of the drug instead. For more info about this, check out Rick’s Rants on Generics—in the Videos section of this website.

Whew! I think that covers it all.

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[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for all the info! you have been very helpful. I am going to look for a new family doctor right.this.minute.

As far as the diagnosing goes, I already have that taken care of. I was diagnosed by a psychologist who works with my school, and he gave me some documentation for the diagnosis of adhd. He reccommended a psychiatrist to me, but I still need to get a referral and wait to see him.

I guess my best bet is to call doctors who are accepting new patients and see if they are a good fit with my situation.

Thanks again so much!

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[Anonymous]

I’m just querring anyone regarding a medication called synaptol I don”t want to use it or give it to my son before knowing if it is any good has anyone got any insight?

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[Patte Rosebank]

Synaptol was discussed and debunked several years ago, on another ADD forum (http://www.addforums.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-41429.html ) Note that the last two postings on it are clearly shills.

Synaptol is just one more of the long list of quack medical treatments. And, like the others, it follows the same pattern.

All marketers of alternative medical treatments claim that their products are “natural”, so that makes them safer than drugs. But many drugs are also made from natural sources—for example, the heart medication Digitalis, which comes from the digitalis (foxglove) plant and can quickly be fatal if overdosed. But whether a substance comes from nature or not, it can cause serious problems, especially if it interacts with other drugs or vitamins you’re taking into your body.

So, in the interest of safety and not wasting your money on something of questionable efficacy, you should discuss it thoroughly with your doctor and/or specialists before trying it.

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Most of the Google hits for “Synaptol” take you to websites that are selling the stuff. However, I did find some reviews that were actually based on fact. They choose their words carefully and conclude that though it seems the stuff may help in reducing symptoms, there’s no concrete proof, so people have to decide for themselves whether or not to trust the makers’ claims. When reviewers of alternative treatments mince their words that way, I suspect it’s to protect themselves from being sued by the purveyors of those alternative treatments—who are, themselves, masters of manipulating words to escape legal consequences.

Lila Montgomery’s review of Synaptol (http://www.content4reprint.com/health/medicine/synaptol-can-its-ingredients-relieve-symptoms-of-adhd.htm ) states: “As a rule, herbal supplements are not as scientifically researched as pharmaceutical products, although some would argue that thousands of years of use among Eastern cultures results in more reliable “research” than do Western laboratories. Regardless, in the West, we tend to rely on double-blind, large-participant, controlled experiments, and the herbs in Synaptol do not have that kind of evidence to support their efficacy, as very few herbs do.

However, MicroNutra Health is making no claims for the product that are outside the normal realm of what herbalists agree Synaptol’s herbs will do for you. It’s up to you to decide whether to accept herbalists’ data.

CONCLUSION

As acknowledged by MicroNutra Health on their Synaptol Web site, the effectiveness of individual ingredients is not the same as the effectiveness of the supplement as a whole. Two products with similar ingredients can differ substantially in effectiveness, and the wrong blend can be entirely ineffective or, worse, dangerous. Therefore, because no herbal supplement manufacturer is going to make public their proprietary formula, there’s no way for a potential customer (or reviewer) to know for certain that the product offers the ideal formulation.

For Synaptol, we know that MicroNutra Health has been providing herbal supplements for more than 30 years, and that they provide a 90-day money-back guarantee so that you can see if the product works for you. The company claims that every product manufactured for MicroNutra Health is done so in an FDA-approved facility under “Good Manufacturing Practices” guidelines, and the company provides numerous testimonials from former ADHD sufferers (or their parents) who represent a variety of backgrounds and conditions. The testimonials include names and pictures, which is considered a good sign in testimonials, but they don’t include contact information (which is the testimonial world’s “gold standard” because you can independently contact the reviewer for their full opinions).

Still, based on the ingredients, it does seem that Synaptol may be able to combat ADHD symptoms in the ways that it claims. If you choose to try Synaptol as a potential solution to Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, remember that this product,like any supplement, is best used with a healthy and responsible lifestyle.”

Note that she says it “SEEMS” to be effective, but points out that the manufacturer has not released a full ingredients list for double-blind clinical testing, and that the testimonials don’t include contact info—meaning, they may be faked. In fact, the fine print at the bottom of the Synaptol website includes this little gem: “People depicted in images do not necessarily use or endorse our products or services. All reviews are from real customers. Some names may be changed to protect privacy. Reviews may be edited for length or to meet legal guidelines. Reviews represent individual experience only, and are not to be construed as an advertisement or claim. Individual results may vary.”

It’s not looking good for Synaptol.

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Another review (http://www.supplementnews.org/Synaptol ) warns of gastrointestinal upset from the aloe vera, when taken internally, and of drug interactions with Glyburide (a drug for controlling diabetes) and topical corticosteroids (there may be others).

One of the ingredients in Synaptol is supposed to help with the glucose-insulin balance. This plays on the now-discredited notion that ADHD hyperactivity is caused by too much sugar. Furthermore, since it has been proven to interact with Glyburide, if you’re diabetic, or have any blood-sugar issues, Synaptol could land you in the hospital or the morgue.

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The biggest red flag of all is that Synaptol is hiding behind regulatory loopholes to avoid clinical testing to prove or disprove its claims.

It has NOT been approved by the FDA. It takes advantage of the regulatory loophole which exempts “natural supplements” from requiring FDA approval for marketing in the USA. To protect itself from legal action, all of Synaptol’s official promotional materials include the disclaimer “These statements have not been reviewed or approved by the FDA.”

Plus, Synaptol is a “proprietary formulation”, which means that the makers are claiming their recipe is a trade secret. By refusing to list all of its ingredients and the amounts, Synaptol is preventing any sort of double-blind clinical testing (the standard method of scientific testing).

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But, for me, the topper is this, from Synaptol’s own website: “Cutting-Edge Vibrational Frequency Technology

Science has uncovered a key to health known as Vibrational Frequency Technology. Scientists have established that all life vibrates at a particular frequency on the subatomic level. Higher frequencies are associated with good health, and lower frequencies with poor health.

When your frequency is higher, you are more likely to feel healthy and fit. We have imprinted Synaptol with this high vibration frequency, to help balance your overall well being.”

This puts us clearly into the “fuzzy bunny” territory of auras and vibrations. The notion that auras and vibrations have an effect on health has been completely discredited by science, but, somehow, the makers of Synaptol have come up with a way to “imprint” their LIQUID with these “high vibrations”. Why can’t you see any of these “vibrations”? Of course! They exist on a “subatomic level”!

B.S. at its finest, folks!

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Conclusion: Synaptol is a scam. Don’t risk your (or your son’s) health, by wasting money on it.

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[Anonymous]

I learned a lot, Larynxa. Wow! Thanks

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[Anonymous]

Synaptol is a waste of time and money. Did absolutely nothing for my 14 year old son and his adhd. It was totally ineffective. Stay away from this scam.

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[Author]

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