Question for DR. J.

[Anonymous]

Have you ever heard of, or have experience with a homeopathic product made by “VAXA INTERNATIONAL”, called “ATTEND”? I had taken it off and on for about a year with excellant results. It did not help with my insomnia, but got me through a lot of rough days. When my insomnia really flared up about 3 months ago, I started taking various RX’s my GP prescibed. I stopped taking attend when I started the new meds. Eventually I found something that I could take indefinitly at night to quiet my brain. The RX that did the job with few side effects is Elavil. 25 mgs did nothing, but 50 mgs works like a charm. I realize I will have to increase the dose at some point. I work out 1 hour each morning to burn off the chemically induced fog. Now I was sleeping, but my days were getting worse. It seemed I just couldn’t win. One morning last week while getting my supplements ready for the day, I picked up an opened container of attend. I then remembered that this product had helped in the past. I have started the “loading phase” for the product, and darned if things aren’t comming into place. I see improvement daily.

DR. J: I’m asking for your opinion on “ATTEND”, Is there something to this product, or am I just having a placebo reaction? I realize you are a busy man and I will understand if for some reason or another you do not reply

Thank You in advance

Rainbow

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[Anonymous]

I don’t have any experience with it but I can suggest someone who does, Dr. David Brule is the Head of the Canadian Homeopathic College and his e-mail address is homeonet@incamresearch.ca

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[Anonymous]

Thank you for your information. I have sent an email to Dr Brule. I will let you know the result.

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[Anonymous]

Received a reply from DR. Brule. He states there are no studies to show that this product is effective, however it possibly is helping me. Some of the ingriedients are widley used by homeopathic DRs for ADHD. He suggests I consult with a homeopath for treatment as there are many ingredients in Attend that should be prescribed indivdually.

Years ago I did see a homeopath, and a Naturopath, for other health matters. My next step is to contact both of them and see what they suggest. Will keep you in the loop.

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[Donna Jean]

This is a question for Dr. J

Nine months ago I started with Ritalin 20 mg three times a day. I could feel it wearing off at work so we changed to 20mg SR three times a day so that I could have concentration all through the day. (I take the generic form) For the last three months I feel I don’t have the ability to focus like I did when I took the Ritalin 20 mg three times a day, also the generic form. I find it harder to keep my attention when I am studying and it’s not good. Can you offer advice on this matter? I also take 150 mg Bupropion HCL XL.

Thanking you in advance

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[Donna Jean]

This is a question for Dr. J

Nine months ago I started with Ritalin 20 mg three times a day. I could feel it wearing off at work so we changed to 20mg SR three times a day so that I could have concentration all through the day. (I take the generic form) For the last three months I feel I don’t have the ability to focus like I did when I took the Ritalin 20 mg three times a day, also the generic form. I find it harder to keep my attention when I am studying and it’s not good. Can you offer advice on this matter? I also take 150 mg Bupropion HCL XL.

Thanking you in advance

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[Anonymous]

Rainbow:

You are aware that homeopathy is a load of bollocks, right? Any positive effect you’re having will be a placebo.

Firstly, any active compounds are so heavily diluted that there won’t be any ACTUAL effect.

Secondly, they use compounds which are supposed to cause symptoms in healthy people. Given that ADHD is a *deficiency* of dopamine, diluting no dopamine means diluting nothing at all….

Homeopathy has no basis in the scientific method. Some homeopaths claim water has “memory”, which completely ignores all the research ever done in chemistry, and no mechamism for this memory has been proposed.

To quote Tim Minchin:

“If you show me

That, say, homeopathy works,

Then I will change my mind

I’ll spin on a fucking dime

I’ll be embarrassed as hell,

But I will run through the streets yelling

It’s a miracle! Take physics and bin it!

Water has memory!

And while it’s memory of a long lost drop of onion juice is Infinite

It somehow forgets all the poo it’s had in it!”

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[Anonymous]

Nimthriel: We all have the right to have an opinion, and thankfully the right to express it openly. That’s what makes a horse race. Sorry to hear that you, along with most traditonal health practitioners, think there is no place in medicine for homeopthy. I on the otherhand have a relaxed lifestyle now that I have not enjoyed for “DECADES”, partially due to homeopathy. Placebo or not, I actually look forward to going to work each day now, and I have a very stressfull job. I have recently had a complete physical, and since I have stopped taking all but one of the “traditional” liver toxic products that the legalized drug pushers so readily supply, my liver function has normalized. This may not seam important to most people, but having had colon and liver cancer surgeries, but refusing chemo and radiation, I feel my life depends on keeping as many chemicals out of my system as possible. All persons taking drugs, or meds on a daily basis should do themselves a favour and have their liver function tested at least yearly. It may save their life. It’s true I still have to take an rx to get to sleep every night, and will continue to do so for the next four months in order to put the 60-70 hours in weekly it takes to run my business. But I am looking forward to the next four months because I get to help of lot of people who really depend on me, some even follow some of the methodes I have used to get my life back. Then I’m going to see a Naturopath who also practises Homeopathy, what a waste of time and money according to you. in june to explore natural sleep aids, and hopefully get off the last RX. Am I lucky, blessed like my DR says, or on to something? I don’t care, I’M alive and getting well, so I’m not changing anything quickly.

My lifestyle is not for everyone, and I’m not suggesting anyone try to make changes without consulting the professionals they are seeing. If you feel what you are currently doing is giving you the life you want, then don’t try to fix something that is not broken.

I have wanted to say this to someone anonamusly for several years. Thankyou Nimthiriel for giving me the opportunity.

I noticed you quote someone who feels the need to use profanity. You realize that this is a sign of a weak mind trying to be forceful.

PS: I wish this site had a spell check feature.

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[Anonymous]

Rainbow, you need to understand the difference between “opinion” and “fact”. My “opinion” is based on my understanding of physics, chemistry and biology. I’m not a medical practicioner, by the way. I’m merely someone who is informed about how chemicals and compounds work, as well as how the scientific method works.

Even just understanding the scientific method without much other knowledge of science would tip most people off about homeopathy being a load of tripe. If you understand anything at all about chemistry and physics, then you’ll know for sure it can’t work. If it does, then you should go and prove it does. Scientifically, in a repeatable experiment and not just through anectodal evidence.

“don’t try to fix something that is not broken.”

Except that people spend thousands of dollars on supposed remedies that don’t work? On substances which have no active component in them and which won’t actually help them? Wasting their time, hope, and paycheque on a placebo? How is does this not count as “broken”?

The someone I’m quoting is a well-known musician and comedian, and that was a section of a 10-minute beat poem, so it was used as much for meter as it was for emphasis as there is a story attached to the rest of it. Furthermore, if you had even a remote understanding of the scientific method, you’d realise that his use of profanity doesn’t actually negate his point in any way, because this man also understands science, physics, and chemistry.

To keep quoting the same man, because he phrased it much better than I can:

“By definition”, I begin

“Alternative Medicine”, I continue

“Has either not been proved to work,

Or been proved not to work.

You know what they call “alternative medicine”

That’s been proved to work?

Medicine.”

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[Anonymous]

I have to say that the Attend is working for me too! It is smoother than Adderall! I am a big believer in Homeopathic meds because I once tried all the others and felt as if I were taking drugs that were killing me. I am looking into other Homeopathic meds to take along with the Attend. Actually, I am blown away with the results of the Attend. I am also taking a appetite suppressant that is Homeopathic that is working as well. It is known as Hoodia.

In the past I was prescribed: Vyvanse, Adderall, Adderall XR, Concerta,etc….as well as anti-depressants and meds for bi polar which did not work at all. The Adderall XR was over $300.00/60 tabs. I have no insurance and now I have no other alternative except to seek the “medicine man”….all natural baby…

Peace out..

An gal living in Ashevegas (Asheville, NC)

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[Anonymous]

All I’ll say is that each one of us should make use of whatever safe means or methods that are available to help us make the most of our days. Our days are numbered and we’ve all got a long list of things we want to get accomplished so we need to use the methods that work for US. What works for me may be totally useless to the next person since our bodies are all so very different. Enough said! Wait, no bullying. I had to say that, it’s the teacher in me coming out.

DONNAJEAN, my son took Ritalin 3X a day many years ago. It was a wonderfully effective ‘tool’ that really assisted him at school and in the evening hours while he socialized with his friends. The doctor switched him to RitalinSR to cut out the need for him to take the lunch time dose.

The results? It was like he was taking nothing, nada, no effect. In fact, I actually began wondering if I had forgotten to even give him the medication at all! You know how it is with our brains- add 3 kids, a husband who travelled/worked out of the country and left me in charge. Added on was the fact that I’m not a morning person and I had to get myself ready for work…no wonder I wasn’t sure if I had given the meds to my son.

The lack of effect was so profound that I actually started recording when I gave it to him so that I could be sure that I actually had done so. The result? Ritalin SR was a big “0” when it came to effectiveness. The regular Ritalin was very effective, the SR was useless. My son went back to the regular stuff.

His doctor told me that he found that to be the case with a lot of his patients but he thought he would have my son try it just in case he was one (of the few) where it worked. Hope this helps you out!

Have you tried Concerta or its generic form? (although I hear lots of people including my specialist, who state that the generic just isn’t as good as Concerta)

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[Anonymous]

I’m not going to involve myself in a war of words about homeopathy. However, I suspect that some of the “other ingredients” in Attend, as listed on their website, might just have some activity in ADHD. Here is the list:

Medium Chain Triglycerides, L-Tyrosine, Alpha-Linolenic Acid, Green Tea Powder, Trifolium Pratense, Flax Seed Powder, Phosphatidycholine, Phosphatidylethanolamine, Phosphatidylinositol, EPA, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Valine, DL-Methionine, L-Glutamic Acid, GABA, DMAE, Ginkgo Biloba, DHA, Conjugated Linoleic Acid, Eicosatrienoic Acid (from GLA powder), Arachidonic Acid, Glycine, DL-Phenylalanine, Radix Heraclei, Caproic Acid, Caprylic Acid, Capric Acid, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Lauric Acid, Pentadecanoic Acid, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Palmitoleic Acid, Stearic Acid, Arachidic Acid (from GLA powder), Oleic Acid, L-Glutathione, DiCalcium Pantothenate, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine, L-Cysteine, L-Cystine, Pycnogenol, Gotu Kola, Phosphatidylserine, NADH, L-5HTP, and Chromium Nicotinate, Gelatin, Rice Flour and Dextrose.

I know that tyrosine (Tyr) and phenylalanine (Phe) are two amino acids from which the body can make dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine–the three catecholamines. The educational material on this site explains that medications work by treating a deficiency of DA and/or NE. So yes, I highly suspect that Attend could be helpful with ADHD…to a point.

You see, the synthesis (producing by chemical reaction) of the catecholamines requires specific enzymes in order to occur in our lifetime. Without those enzymes, they won’t be made. With too little of those enzymes, some will be made, but not all of the Tyr and Phe in the Attend supplement will help. This means that some people might get a huge benefit while others might not…depending on what enzymes they have in their bodies.

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[billd]

bige1030 thanks for the explanations. Anything else is conjecture IN MY OPINION.

Some home remedies can be explained scientifically and work – your explanation shows why it might for some, might not for others.

Since my body is one huge chemical imbalance I have to go with what’s proven to work, or has the best chance.

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[Author]

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