Guest guest Posted February 6, 2003 Report Share Posted February 6, 2003 :Thu, 6 Feb 2003 12:10:02 -0500 HSI - Jenny Thompson The Under-Over THE UNDER-OVER Health Sciences Institute e-Alert February 6, 2003 ************************************************************** Dear Reader, I enjoy occasionally listening to National Public Radio, but sometimes I would swear the " P " in NPR stands for Pharmaceutical. Monday morning, on my way in to work, I was listening to NPR when I heard a comment that nearly made me drive off the road. It wasn't exactly road rage - nothing that extreme - more like road shock. I'm not certain, but there's a good chance I shouted " I CAN'T BELIEVE MY EARS! " out loud. ----------------------------- Coast to coast ----------------------------- Life seems to deliver things in clusters. Lately, for instance, I've come across a number of articles and studies about questionable medications for children (see last month's e-Alert ( " The P Word " 1/6/03) about the increase in prescribing Prozac for kids). So I wasn't surprised to hear an NPR report about a new study examining another aspect of the debate over the use of Ritalin to treat adolescent hyperactivity. The study, reported in the February issue of " Pediatrics, " evaluated the U.S. geographic variation in the number of children prescribed Ritalin throughout 1999. Approximately 178,000 cases were assessed, with children ranging in age from 4-15 years old. Two striking statistics stood out in the data. Allowing for variables such as regional population, researchers found that Ritalin use tends to be greater among kids in the Eastern U.S., as opposed to kids in the West. More specifically, the highest Ritalin use was in Louisiana (with more than 6 kids in 100 taking Ritalin), and the lowest was in Washington, D.C. (with 1.6 kids in 100 taking the drug). Now there are all sorts of reasons why this wide disparity might exist. And I think the very fact that it DOES exist points up the arbitrary factors involved in diagnosing these so-called " disorders " of ADD (attention deficit disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder). But while addressing these regional differences in the data, NPR reporter Jackie Norton spoke the line that made me nearly leap through the sun-roof of my car: " The study doesn't address if the stimulant drugs are being underused in one area, or overused in another. " UNDERUSED! As if it's even remotely possible to under- prescribe stimulant drugs for children! As if there are poor, unfortunate kids out there who are being deprived of their daily dose of Ritalin! ----------------------------- Enough with the stimulation! ----------------------------- There is no such thing as a Ritalin deficiency. But there are hyperactive kids. And in almost every case the cause is dietary, and the solution is dietary change. These important points were made by HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., in an e- Alert I sent you last spring ( " How To Dismantle an '89 Ford " 6/3/02). In that e-Alert Dr. Speen pointed out that sensitivities to specific foods (or food additives, like dyes) can trigger hyperactivity. He also gave useful tips on how to go about discovering which foods are the culprits. In addition, Dr. Spreen recommended various supplements that have been shown to help calm hyperactivity, such as; omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium (in doses not high enough to loosen stools), alpha lipoic acid, amino acid supplements like GABA and L-tryptophan, vitamin C in high doses, and finally, a good basic multi-vitamin/mineral regimen. I know that the hectic pace of life that comes with raising kids makes the concept of dietary change much easier said than done. So believe me, I'm not passing any judgment on parents who opt for Ritalin, especially when they're often pressured to take the pharmaceutical route by pediatricians, school administrators and fed-up teachers. The point is this: There are alternatives to Ritalin. And anytime someone suggests that stimulant drugs like Ritalin might be " underused, " they'll hear my over-stimulated cry of disbelief all the way from Louisiana to Washington, D.C. ************************************************************** ....and another thing As a sidebar to yesterday's e-Alert ( " Over the Teeth, Past the Gums... " 2/5/03) about the association between periodontal disease and heart disease (and how antioxidants may be a significant supplementary treatment for both), I wanted to give you some additional dental information from another e-Alert I sent you some time ago ( " HSI Panelist Shares Even More Risks From Antidepressants " 11/9/01). The HSI Panelist mentioned in the title is Richard Cohan, D.D.S., M.S., M.B.A., who offered a warning about a common side effect of pharmaceutical antidepressants. Xerostomia is the medical name for dryness of the mouth, which is caused by a dysfunction of the salivary glands. Dr. Cohan wrote: " As a group, antidepressants cause more xerostomia than any other. And, as you may know, xerostomia leads to an increase in caries (cavities), periodontal disease, and candidiasis, a yeast infection in the mouth often referred to as thrush. While not everyone who takes antidepressants experiences these side effects, those who do are often left with serious, permanent damage. For instance, these conditions can lead to irreversible loss of periodontal support of the teeth and the loss of teeth themselves. Just more of the hidden dangers in taking these drugs. " And as we now know, to that list we can add, " increased risk of heart disease. " To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson Health Sciences Institute ************************************************************** Sources: Ritalin Study Report, Jackie Norton, NPR Morning Edition, 2/3/03 " Geographic Variation in the Prevalence of Stimulant Medication Use Among Children 5 to 14 Years Old: Results From a Commercially Insured US Sample " Pediatrics, Vol. 111 No. 2 February 2003, pp. 237-243 Copyright ©1997-2003 by www.hsibaltimore.com, L.L.C. The e-Alert may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission. ************************************************************** ************************************************************** If you'd like to participate in the HSI Forum, search past e-Alerts and products or you're an HSI member and would like to search past articles, visit http://www.hsibaltimore.com ************************************************************** To learn more about HSI, call (508) 368-7494 or visit http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/HSI/WHSIC313/home.cfm. ************************************************************** Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc. To , e-mail to: Gettingwell- Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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