ADHD Med Tutorials

by Dr Charles Parker on January 10, 2011 · 17 comments

Without Precise Targets And A Precise Dosage Process Medications Just Don’t Work Predictably

Grab a cup of coffee, sit down and do yourself a favor, – do go through these videos in detail. In these ~ 30 min you will see the specific answers to many of your questions and frustrations. To forward the link to this playlist: http://bit.ly/medtutr for friends and family who need this essential ADHD Treatment & Diagnosis Information. The videos are in an order, start with the top left, and they will follow in sequence. First diagnosis, then treatment.

- Complimentary Special Report on ADHD Meds
For more info don’t forget to take a look at this complimentary 23 page Special Report: Predictable Solutions For ADHD Medications – The 10 Biggest Problems.

- Subscribe to Parker’s YouTube Channel Click This Link: Parker @ YouTube

- ADHD Meds: 10 Start Rules – Download 1 Page PDF > ADHD Meds: 10 Start Rules

- New Book: ADHD Medication Rules Are A Must, Not A Maybe
If you looked at these tutorials, you need my new, comprehensive ADHD Medication book, the only one of its kind, – on this frequently mismanaged and over looked subject: ADHD Medication Rules: Paying Attention To The Meds For Paying Attention. Available at this link in pdf, at Nook and at Amazon Kindle… go over and see what others are saying at Amazon here.

Thanks for your feedback! Drop a comment here if you think we should add/video another ADHD topic. More coming on the metabolic issues that confound dosage and effective med management.

- And now take a look at CorePsych Services Page for consultation details. We can consult with you long distance by phone, Skype, FaceTime, or iChat, but can’t write for meds unless you come to the office in Virginia Beach, – down by the mouth of the beautiful Chesapeake Bay, through Norfolk Airport [~ 20 min - ORF].

Does ADHD or Medication Cause Forgetfulness? (everydayhealth.com)
What to Do When ADHD Medications Don’t Work (everydayhealth.com)
Why Isn’t My Son’s ADHD Medication Working? (everydayhealth.com)

Digitally available now at Nook, Kindle, Barnes and Noble.
ADHD Medication Rules – PDF For Your Desktop
ADHD Medication Rules | Paying Attention To The Meds For Paying Attention – Kindle Version

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Mcw4rosy

Dr. Parker. It’s been six months since I last wrote you. I’m 49 years old. About 5 years ago I realized I was mentally exhausted; a lifetime of being miserable and unable to make decisions. I couldn’t stop my racing thoughts. I went to a few Phychiatrists and they prescribed antidepressants (SSRI’S). None of them worked. They actually made me feel worse. Then I found a great Neuro-Psychiatrist. He started me on Stimulant medicine. I tried most of them. I found your website and watched the ADHD med tutorial videos. The eight videos are a great addition to my ADHD knowledge. My next decision was to take Vyvanse. Now I’ve finally purchased your book ADHD Medication Rules. The books is a MUST READ for anyone with ADHD – or anyone seeking knowledge regarding ADHD, Serotonin, Dopamine and much much more. I have no medical background but I’m able to read and re-read the Rules book. My notes are streamlined – allowing me to laser focus on my ADHD. I want to thank you and encourage you to continue your open and bold work in the area of ADHD. Michael

http://www.corepsychblog.com Dr Charles Parker

Michael,
You made my day! Please do go over and drop a comment at the Amazon Kindle site to share your take on *Rules.* Rules is a low cost way to save years of confusion! Big thanks!
cp

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OLCBP7HM2E6EW4CEBQTY4WULGE Anonymous

Found your website through a google search. I was looking up ADD medicine titration. I watched your 8 video spots. I’m 49 years old. About four years ago I went to three different Psych Dr’s. All three said the same thing. You have ADD. I started seeing a Neuro Psych Dr. He’s been effective and I work well with him. I’ve tried most of the meds and I have my opinions about each. BUT, I watched all eight of your video spots – twice. Quite often I’d pause them and take notes. I made a appointment with my Dr. and told him about my find. Some of your points (prior to viewing your videos) were revealed to me by my Dr. “DOE” is the key. I didn’t understand that I could take a little more (10mg) in the am and it might help push the effectiveness another two hours. Vyvansse is it for me. One pill (60 mg) in the morning and a day of clarity. Beyond 12 hours of effectiveness. Thank you for your help. Thank you for being bold enough to put it out on the internet. I can’t listen to any anti medicine people. They haven’t a clue what it’s like to “live like a hermit.” Or as you say “shut up, leave me alone…” Thanks again. Mike

http://www.corepsychblog.com drcharlesparker

Many thanks Mike. The details do make a considerable difference – and it puzzles me why we simply haven’t made that important change with all the extant info out there!
cp

Victoria Clifton

Dear Dr Parker

I have a 5 year old boy (almost 6) who has recently been on Strattera over the last 2 months (this is the first time on any adhd medication), he started on 18mg, then after 5 days 25mg and then after another 5 days 40mg and at which we decided to stay with this dosage. We thought at the time this was right as he did seem to improve and pre-school agreed, however looking back the first two dosages seemed to work better, now I feel he is even worse, moody, grumpy and after 7 weeks he started with stomach pains and occasional vomiting. After consulting with his doctor, was told to stop for 1 week and try again, if the problem continued then it was obviously the medicine and they would try something else. Today I started him back on 40mg and after his breakfast he started feeling sick (always give him the medicine after his breakfast). So having read/listened/you tube editorials that you have on your blog, I am now wondering if he had reached his top of the window on 40mg, so it’s not the medicine but incorrect dosage.

He went see a neurologist at CHKD. He was also diagnosed with Tourette’s (vocal) and Sensory Processing was diagnosed almost 3 years ago for which he sees an OT twice a week.

I am a little lost with his conditions and not knowing what the right thing to do is, not sure if the OT is doing any good, his vocal noises did stop for a while, but have definitely come back.

I would be very grateful of any advice you could offer for when I contact them again about the sickness on Monday, thinking to ask for a lower dosage?

Kind regards

Vicki

http://www.corepsychblog.com drcharlesparker

Vicki,
Your guy absolutely needs a deeper workup, more directed to his neurotransmitter and immune situation. Why do I jump to that conclusion? Quite simply if he were my patient I would have tried to talk you into that course of action right from the first visit knowing what i now know about tic disorder. We have seen so many suffering with tic that correct with immune testing and food antigen recognition.

Reminder: this is medicine, so no promises – but the *percentage of improvements* always improve with more information in the direction I’m reporting here.
cp

Julia

Regarding meds, I would just like to say that different generics are different—at least for adderall IR.
Below are my individual responses

corepharmaceuticals — correct dose for me = 25 mg…lasted 5 hrs to the T, effective within 30 minutes, had heart palpitations in what I call my “quieter moments”

barr/teva —- correct dose = 20 mg….lasted about 4 1/2 I think? I only took it a couple times, because it made me feel very just dull I guess. I was achy all over and had a bad headache. Later learned they put saccharin in theirs, and that is my best guess as to why I felt that way.

sandoz — correct dose = 30 mg…lasts 5-6 hrs, effective in about an hour or so…it has a more gentle on and off so it’s harder to tell. more like vyvanse in that regard.

you can guess which one I’m on now. My dr’s (psychiatrist) still trying to tweak other stuff; I doubt that it’ll ever pan out, but I’m hopeful. ugh. don’t like all the trials and side effects though. But he’s a great dr and they’re aren’t any other red flags in terms of other non-psych problems.

http://www.corepsychblog.com drcharlesparker

Julia,
Many thanks for the interesting and thought provoking analysis of your own DOE presentations on these various generics. Appreciate this input and look forward to others weighing in on these matters with the generics.

Always saw differences with Ritalin, but less with Adderall. Great info!
cp

http://www.ibdabo.com Ibrahim Dabo

Hello Dr. Parker,

It’s your friend Ibrahim. I just wanted to say “hello” and to let you know how impressed I am with your blog and the quality of content you have put out there. I’m sure this is an excellent resource for people out there who are looking for the services you provide, or to learn more about this health topic.

Ibrahim

http://www.CorePsychBlog.com Dr Charles Parker

Many thanks Ibrahim,
And in return you might be interested in this topic for your many listeners:
Leadership and The Mind... with a pdf outline for your consideration.
cp

http://www.a-d-d-free.com Ronald Sorenson

Hi Dr. Parker, I was logging on today to ask you a question and what I watched was and and is my question, as we have talked about before about a year ago the adderall had changed my life. I am taking a 20 mil. in the morning at 6 am then at 10 am and the third at 2:30 and now I feel like i am back in 5 th grade I just can’t seem to pull the trigger and its getting worse my mind is always full now and have noticed this slide for about 3 months, due to the economy I don’t have insurance and nobody to talk to and I think I am on a roller coaster and seems as it only works for a couple hours or so and now my mind is worring about when is it going to wear off and this is robbing my quality time of work and family function. Dr. please help me im falling back to 3 rd grade and I don’t like it there.

Thank You Dr. Parker for all you do in caring and understanding this gift
Ron

http://www.CorePsychBlog.com Dr Charles Parker

Ron,
Without talking directly to you this will be a massive guess, but an attempt to consider options.

My take on matters like this: I always consider that the dose is too much, not too little. I always err on the side of insufficiency rather than possibly create a toxic, frozen situation. The top and bottom of the Therapeutic Window often look the same, – that”s why it takes some time to penetrate the confusion and figure out exactly what is going on… and even then we sometimes don’t call it correctly. At this moment my first guess is simple: you are on too much and need to back off the dosage with your docs approval. My “technique’ for these matters, simple cut the dose in 1/2 and observe, knowing it often takes about 3 days to detox if on too much stim meds.
cp

Lynn

I look forward to that new book!

http://www.CorePsychBlog.com Dr Charles Parker

Lynn,
Redoing the current one to be sent out to everyone who is on the purchase list, and the next one will be a serious addition with all the details on neurotransmitters.
cp

Lynn

Dr. Parker,
So I had read your book and watched some of this videos before you actually posted them here directly.
I’m wondering what your comments would be on a few thoughts/questions I have —

1) Regarding the current constructs of ADHD –
a) we have the DSM: inattentive, hyperactivity/impulsivity (which really aren’t the same…but doesn’t matter anyway because its vague), and combined.
b) construct as deficits in executive functions
c) your construct as thinking ADHD, acting ADHD, and avoiding ADHD…each with similar subsets
d) we have Amen’s 6(+) subtypes which I don’t remember at all

Obviously the first is too vague and purely descriptive, which is why other constructs have developed. What I’m wondering is what your view as far as the executive function construct is? Also if, according to your construct, individuals could struggle with some combination of thinking, acting, and avoiding…? And any comments in general on these various constructs.

2) Research shows (with any aspect of psychiatry) that the most beneficial treatment is usually a combination of therapy/skills training/counseling/education and medication as needed. What I’d like to know is if the severity of difficulties is high despite good lifestyle habits/management strategies etc and a patient is also taking medication….is it viable that someone could re-train their brain so to speak? Through skills training/education/therapy etc, can people really change their brains so that the targets of the medicine are met that way instead and just as easily? (even though obviously it takes more work upfront) an example could be lack of clarity in thinking, or not being able to remember or access what you’re trying to communicate…

3) Research also shows that ADHD (particularly in adults; though obviously this research is limited) is rarely on its own. It’s not just a question of attention or thinking, but regulating so many things and therefore affects so many other areas that can have other diagnoses – especially if the ADHD is severe. That really, if considering the executive function construct, these other diagnoses also show a lacking in some of those same functions — but perhaps not as many? Obviously if there’s major depression that should be treated first, which you emphasize in your book. But what about other areas? (I’m thinking anxiety, obsessive and compulsive tendencies w/o actually really matching ocd, low energy in AMs or early PMs/high energy other times, perfectionism, mood swings within a day, autism/aspergers, sensory and/or auditory processing, ……….and so forth).
What are some things that you see? What advice and/or treatment options are there? How good do you/your patients try to get things?

I had more, but can’t remember it now, and I need to sign off for the day. Looking forward to your insight though! Thanks.

http://www.CorePsychBlog.com Dr Charles Parker

Lynn,
Your questions are so deep and comprehensive I really must sit down and write another book! Bottom line: many of the brain retraining methods are helpful and I indicated they would not be addressed in a med book.

Regarding constructs – I use what works well for communicating with the folks I see in the office, based on brain function not so much on opinions about appearances. My point is basic: move beyond the superficial and let’s work on tools that more closely correlate with SPECT and other forms of brain evidence.
cp