-=> Quoting Jane Kelley to Regina Finan <=-
 RF> JK> Right on.  And did the testing include any for allergies? Was this
 RF> JK> addressed in the physical at all?
 
 RF> The only two allergies he has is to sweet potatoes and pop which 
contains a
 RF> combination of caffeine, sugar and carbonation. The sweet potatoes 
auses
 RF> uncontrollable muscle coordination and the pop is hyperness with 
personalit
 RF> disorder.  Normal sugar does not affect him and caffeine works just like
 RF> Ritalin.  Needless to say he is not a sugar freak anyways, so we know 
that
 RF> isn't causing anything.
 JK> Finding a cause for the cerebral reactions is both time consuming and
 JK> important.  One cannot just do a blood or scratch test.  There are
 JK> several good books out now that are easy to understand and I would
 JK> suggest that you find and read some of them.
 The cause is allergies.  He is allergic to these things and every person
 reacts differently to things they are allergic to.  I did research on
 this awhile back.  Some children who are reported as ADHD have allergies
 or sleeping disorders, which mimics ADHD.  That was mine and the doctors
 main concern.  Lead in the water can also cause ADHD behavior.  As I
 said before these are his only allergies and since he does not get them
 it is not the cause.  
 JK> I had no idea when I was a lot younger that my food allergies would
 JK> rise up and kick me in the teeth once I reached 60.  This is something
 JK> that most health professionals don't know anything about or at best,
 JK> they tell people it is all in the head.  It is, but not for the reasons
 JK> they say it is.
 Oh, I would not count on that.  I am in my 40's and have had enough doctors
 in my life time.  The one I currently have, I have had for 10 years.
 I have had allergy testing at 7 years old when I started having asthma
 attacks after we moved into a new house.  They were severe and I had
 the treatments for two years.  I still have them but they are not severe
 anymore.  They do not cause any behavioral problems in me either.  But the
 point I am making is ALL my doctors took a great deal of care in taking
 my history and making tests to determine whatever factors were involved
 in whatever problem I had.  That includes my children.  My daughter is
 a manic depressive.  Her disorder is there because of a chemical imbalance.
 It is actually mild, but severe enough to warrent medication (although she
 refuses it).  It also gets set off by situations.  I'm sure if the 
ituations
 would go away her manic depression would not warrent medication at this time
 because it is mild.  But the only allergies she has is Cinnamon.  I believe
 most people have some form of allergies to something.  Even if it is one
 or two.  This is not the cause of everyones disorders.
 Also, I am ADHD too.  I never took medication either.  The allergies did not
 affect my behavior.  (Maybe when I was smaller and did not know or 
nderstood
 and my behavior was the only way to say I was uncomfortable).  I self
 medicate myself at time with beer.  I do have several beers a week, not
 getting high on it or drunk, but several a week.  I will panic if there
 is none in the house.  I need one to be in my fridge at all times.  I do
 go for weeks without it also.  No, I am not an alcoholic, but you will
 probably call me that after what I said.  I am ADHD and I self medicate
 myself with it.  I smoke cigarrettes which is another form of self-
 medication.  Research is being done on this now at the University in
 the area.  ADHD people have a harder time quitting these two things
 because of their disorder.
 What I will agree with you on is that sometimes ADHD is not true ADHD
 and is caused by other factors that once taken care of takes care of
 these symptoms.  And I will agree with you that health care professionals
 need to look at all factors involved before coming up with this diagnosis.
 I will also agree with you that some of them don't.  In this case it it up
 to the parents to become truly informed of ANY diagnosis and relay any info
 necessary to the health care professional.  If they do not get cooperation
 it is their responsibility to find one that will. I do agree that all
 history needs to be accounted for in order to deternine diagnosis and
 treatment.  But I must say that any information whether it is pro meds
 or con must be weighed carefully and not just with experience but with
 blind studies and everything else needed to validate a claim.  We must
 also consider any risks involved in any treatment and keep up to date
 with whatever claims are being made.  An example would be John's Wort.
 I know several people who take it and several who claim it works and
 several who claim it did not.  Studies being conducted on it says it
 has potential.  That is great, but the problem I am seeing is that that
 still does not help our kids.  Any studies or testing done seems to be
 aimed on adults and by then many have compensated or learned how to
 deal with any problems or disorders. We are now able to realize that
 many disorders are there as little children or from the start.  We need
 to find reliable ways to diagnose these right at the start.  Then come
 up with a reliable treatment to actually start to raise physical and
 mental healthy children.
 It is not beyond me to recognize that vitamins (suppliments or in food),
 diets, exercise, and environmental factors play a significant role in
 our lives.  I would totally agree that a natural remedy is far better
 than a medical one.  But we have to be realistic in the facts.  And these
 health claims need to be geared not only for adults, but for children
 with reliable proof of their claims.
 For many of us we do not see that proof necessary to validate that natural
 remedies are a cure all.  And even though Ritalin is not a cure all, the
 reliable proof of claim is there, along with side effects.  Many natural
 remedies have side effects too, but most are not labled on the bottle,
 whereas, most pharmacies give you info right when you get the prescription.
 Finding side effects involved with a natural remedy is alot harder to
 come by.  Although some big pharmacies are now getting more informed and
 the guy behind the counter can tell you a little bit now.
 For the most part, many of us here have been there, done that, gone nowhere.
 So if we get defensive it is because the claim has not been validated
 enough to consider it a reliable treatment.
 And BTW, brain scans are a wonderful idea as far as diagnosing disorders,
 but that even hasn't been validated enough to be considered a diagnosing
 tool.
 Regina
 JK> -!-
 JK> þ SLMR 2.1a þ Nothing is so smiple that it can't get screwed up.
 JK>  ! Origin: My Desk, Puyallup, WA  (253) 845-2418 (1:138/255)
... All I need is a Wave and a board to surf it on.
---
---------------