[BuxomDiva]

Here’s something to remember about what’s going on in the USA school system. Since Ritalin is a stimulant, virtually EVERYBODY performs better after starting to take the drug. Far too many people are getting caught up in the VERY false circular logic that if the kid improves on Ritalin he must have ADHD. Wrong!

It’s also important to remember that different meds work better for different patients. The shrink who first diagnosed my son and I gave us misinformation, telling Brendan that he would have to give up milk if he were on Ritalin! So my son started on Dexedrine instead and it made his problems MUCH worse. Conversely I do better on Dexedrine than Ritalin. (that quack later lost his license for overmedicating his patients, or so I heard anyway).

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[BuxomDiva]

If the diagnosis was based on the type of thorough questionnaires used by real experts like Dr. J, then there would be no need for a brain scan.

Just think about all the different tasks you do over the course of a day/week/month. A scan only reflects what’s going on in one moment; great for finding a tumour but not so great to ascertain what type of ADHD you have. I came across a book a while ago, might have been his, that had lots of pretty pictures and lots of invented types of ADHD.

Have you taken the test on this site? That will give you a more accurate answer than a brain scan, imho (and I’ve been reading up on ADHD for about 13 years now).

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[BuxomDiva]

I don’t buy this theory AT ALL. Recently had an argument with a friend of a friend on Facebook who got the idea that the only way to accurately diagnosis ADHD is by a brain scan. Given that the DSM is quite specific that the symptoms must have been present before the age of 7, how the heck are you supposed to have a retroactive brain scan?

I’ve seen a PET scan on the NIMH website which shows the difference between a “normal” brain and an ADD brain, however a scan is only a snapshot and over the course of a day, depending on the tasks we are attempting, our brains are going to have a lot of different things going on.

Don’t get all hung up on what type of ADHD you have. Figure out what symptoms are messing up your life and look for a medication protocol that will address those symptoms.

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[BuxomDiva]

actually that smelling thing is genetic I believe and completely unrelated to ADHD – I’ve had chronic allergic rhinitis my whole life and for the most part cannot smell ANYTHING, which is problematic when I have a menagerie and the neighbours complain about pet odours ~sigh~

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[BuxomDiva]

Could you please explain “sprinkled”? I think I understand the delivery numbers but that term has me completely flummoxed. Thanks.

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[BuxomDiva]

When my son first went on medication, I took a ton of abuse from my family. My sister used to run a daycare and had seen too many kids who were overmedicated so she had very strong opinions. Her own daughter could probably have benefited a great deal from a proper diagnosis but that’s another kettle of fish.

Wikipedia is FULL of misinformation on a variety of subjects as it seems any idiot can create an entry. A jazz musician friend of mine had trouble correcting the mistakes in the entry about himself, if you can believe it.

I’m not sure where you live, but in the state of Florida there is a very real problem with school teachers being able to “diagnose” ADHD and forcing kids to take medication or risk being taken away but the state, which is simply obscene.

You don’t mention how old your son is but for whatever it’s worth my son did VERY well on Concerta (which is just a different delivery sytem for Ritalin, as I understand it) when it was fairly new. He did much better in school, better able to stay focused and much less likely to act out. He was about 12 at the time.

When I read stories like yours I’m glad his bio-dad just sends child support and does not interfere in our lives. Good luck!

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[BuxomDiva]

@MerryMac – one of the best lines I’ve come across in the decade plus that I’ve been looking into this ADHD business was “you know you have ADD when people think you’re on speed but you’re not but you should be and if you were nobody would know you were”

as a teenager, a friend of a friend meeting me for the first time literally thought I was on speed cuz I talked so fast and so incessantly!

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[BuxomDiva]

actually Marion weed tends to act differently on ADD’ers than on “normal” folks – some years back when that snowboarder got caught using it Dr. J. did a radio interview about how for an ADD’er it can be a performance enhancing drug as for some ADD’ers they get MORE focused, which is counter-intuitive

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[BuxomDiva]

Dr. Bilkie also charges an exorbitant amount for testing, and I have no way to get to Barrie anyway. With the founding of CADDRA I think Dr. J. holds the record for educating other MD’s about ADHD, but then I’ve been seeing him for over a decade so I’m slightly biased.

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[BuxomDiva]

Rick I suspect the reality is more like the gifted kids might get diagnosed because more is expected from them than the kids who are not the brightest tool in the shed.

But everybody I know with ADHD is, as you pointed out, a freakin’ genius.

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[BuxomDiva]

Dr. J, could you please post the information about all the departments at CAMH that have an ADHD connection? My short-term memory being what it is I had forgotten minutes after we left the office last week. I want all the info I can get to strengthen the case I intend to make to the hospital.

I want to be able to say with a straight face that I read the info online. ~wink~

Thanks.

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[BuxomDiva]

never mind – just learned that Dr. Turgay passed away so that leaves nobody in the city specializing in ADHD other than Dr J ~sigh~

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[BuxomDiva]

I spent public school in a gifted program, but it wasn’t until after 40 that I was diagnosed with ADHD so school was hell for me

when my son got his diagnosis a decade ago my mom gave me a hard time about “why would you want to label a child” – I managed to refrain from pointing out that she had not hesitated to label me as gifted!

while most of the ADD’ers I know happen to be gifted as well, there are many ADD’ers with normal IQ’s as well, from what I’ve been told over the years

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[BuxomDiva]

but use a regular tax guy, not a company that will want a percentage of your benefit! I can get you the name of a taxation expert if you need it

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[BuxomDiva]

what’s Biphentin? never heard of that – there are threads in this forum about problems with generic Concerta not being as good as the real thing which is problematic for anybody getting the drug through the Ontario Drug Benefit or Trillium programs as they only cover generics

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