ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER: EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES TO WORRISOME DRUGS

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ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER:

EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES TO WORRISOME DRUGS

http://www.consumerhealth.org/articles/display.cfm?ID=20010214042825

by: Lyon, Michael, M.D.

 

Dr. Lyon is director of research and education at the Oceanside Functional

Medicine Research Institute on Vancouver Island. He has served for four years as

an Olympic Team physician and head of a National Sport Science Committee for

Sport Canada. His current research is directed toward developing new,

non-pharmacological strategies for the treatment of fibromyalgia, chronic

fatigue

syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and heart disease. The

program is outlined in Dr. Lyon's book, Healing the Hyperactive Brain, which is

used as a textbook for naturopathic and nutritional schools and is taught to

physicians and health care practitioners all around the world, but it is also

intended for people without medical training or scientific background. Dr.

Lyon's major concerns with current treatments for ADHD relate to the side

effects

from amphetamines, which include personality deviations and toxicity,

especially toxicity from long term use.

 

MY PERSONAL RESEARCH INTO ADD

I had Attention Deficit Disorder as a child, and got into a lot of trouble,

but fortunately, in the middle of high school, I became interested in natural

medicine. This enabled me to turn my life around and I was accepted into

medical school research laboratories right out of high school. My son also had

very

severe Attention Deficit Disorder. He was antisocial, entirely illiterate,

unable to read at all and was developing some features of autism as well. At

that

point I decided to commit my life to ADD research in order to help my son.

Three years later, he is now a normal boy, and you would never guess he has

Attention Deficit Disorder. He is in Grade V but reading at a Grade XII level,

writing computer programs, and he is an accomplished athlete. I am very happy to

say that the program that we have developed at the Oceanside Research Centre

works and has made a huge difference in my life personally. We are cooperating

with researchers all around the world, and we have seen many children with

this disorder become bright, healthy, well-adjusted kids.

 

CHARACTERISTICS OF ADD

 

EASY DISTRACTIBILITY characterizes this condition more than anything else.

This affects your ability to maintain attention to tasks and be productive. You

have great ideas and inspirations and all kinds of projects that you never

quite get around to doing.

 

INATTENTIVENESS AND HYPERFOCUSSING

People with ADD have an inability to concentrate and to really focus their

energies on a task and complete it. Strangely enough, people with ADD often have

a strange phenomenon we call hyperfocussing where you completely forget about

your surroundings when you are doing something you enjoy, and you focus so

intensively that you may go into a kind of trance state. In these short bursts

of hyperfocussing, you are not distractible and can often get a tremendous

amount of work done. I have met many adults who use this feature to their

advantage. When they find something they are interested in, they make this their

vocation and become very productive. It can be the difference between success

and

failure in your life.

 

FORGETFULNESS can be present to the point where it is really an impairment. I

used to be at the very best, the absent-minded professor, and at the very

worst, a complete scatterbrain who couldn't remember anything.

 

DISORGANIZATION

People with this condition often live their lives in a whirlwind and

everything around them is disorganized. This is something you can overcome with

wonderful tools like computers and electronic organizers that can allow you to

create structure and organization externally.

 

CONFUSED OR JUMBLED THINKING

Many people with ADD really can't stay on one train of thought. They feel

like they have ten TV stations on all at once and they don't know which one to

focus on. Their thoughts can bounce around in their mind all the time and make

it very difficult to have peace of mind. Some people are so affected by this

that they can't carry on a conversation without bouncing from one topic to

another and tend to ramble on without any rhyme or reason.

 

PROCRASTINATION

People often take on way too many responsibilities and end up not being able

to complete any of them because they keep putting things off until they are in

big trouble. They spend too much time on the things that don't really matter

and put off the things that really do matter.

 

DIFFICULTY PLANNING AHEAD

Because they lack the ability to maintain structure and organization in their

mind, they naturally will tend to be impulsive and do things at the last

minute. Some people can only work well and stay focussed when they are in a life

or death emergency situation, but it adds a lot of stress to your life when you

always have these deadlines hanging over your head and never get them

completed.

 

IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOUR OR RUSHING TO JUDGEMENT

This problem becomes increasingly serious over time. About three-quarters of

the people in jail have Attention Deficit Disorder. If you ask them why they

are in jail, it usually started with various impulsive decisions that lead to

more and more serious actions that were often carried out impulsively.

 

A NEED FOR HIGH STIMULATION

People with ADD often end up using drugs, or become involved in dangerous

sports, business ventures or other dangerous behaviours because they never have

a

sense of focus or serenity unless they are on the edge of danger all the

time. They need that rush of adrenaline to feel like their mind is really

working

properly.

 

ADDICTIONS

There is evidence that people with ADD have a high tendency towards

addictions, and will often medicate themselves with drugs or other addictive

behaviours

to try to get that elusive sense of satisfaction in their mind.

 

FINANCIAL DISASTERS

Disorganization, impulsive behaviour and the need for high stimulation can

lead to financial disasters. They get involved in risky businesses or go out on

spending sprees.

 

HYPERACTIVITY

Many people with ADD are hyperactive, but not everyone. A lot of people with

ADHD are rather docile people, maybe even lethargic. They may just be fidgety,

or overly talkative. According to Harvard Medical School, 51% of people with

ADD have other serious disorders like

 

CONDUCT DISORDER, ANXIETY DISORDER or DEPRESSION

These can be very serious problems that can end up becoming more serious than

the Attention Deficit Disorder.

 

LEARNING DISABILITIES are found in about 50% of people with ADD. Many

children face academic failure and are told that they are not living up to their

potential. They have bursts of brilliance followed by poor performance and it's

very frustrating for teachers, parents and for the children as well. They often

have very low self-esteem because they never quite live up to their true

potential.

 

TROUBLED RELATIONSHIPS

Relationships often last an average of about 18 months; then they get bored

and start wanting higher stimulation. They may have the same problems at work

because they get bored and start performing poorly.

 

PHYSIOLOGY BEHIND ADD

 

People with Attention Deficit Disorder have a very unique physiology. Their

brains work differently, their bodies are structured differently, and their

immune systems are much more sensitive.

 

EXECUTIVE CENTERS

 

Neurological research in the last few years using imaging techno-logies such

as PET scans, SPEC scans, functional MRI scans and even better,

electroencephalo-grams, show that regions deep inside the frontal lobes of the

brain called

the executive centres, do not function normally in individuals with ADD.

Normally, this area of the brain consumes more oxygen than other areas, but the

brain scan of someone with ADD shows that it's fast asleep while the rest of the

brain is awake. This condition defines ADD. These executive centres give you

the ability to resist impulses and keep your mind in focus. Neurons in this

area release the neurotransmitter dopamine. The executive centres of the brain

grow slowly in these children. A 14-year-old boy may have the development of a

six-year-old in terms of his ability to sit still, to think things through, his

moral reasoning and judgement, but have the impulses and desires of a

14-year-old. Even in maturity, these sections of the brain never really function

normally. Frequently adults with ADD still behave like children and even feel

like

children until they are 30 or 40 years old or more because of this problem

with executive centres.

 

REWARD OR PLEASURE CENTRE

 

Research shows that we all need a certain amount of stimulation from this

area of the brain to experience a sense of satisfaction and serenity. When

stimulated, neurons in this area release dopamine. In people with ADD, this

centre

is also sleeping a lot of the time, so it is difficult to experience a sense of

pleasure or satisfaction. It takes a lot of energy to stimulate this area of

the brain, so that is probably why people with ADD have a need for high

stimulation. When the reward or pleasure centre is activated, very strong

signals

are sent by this area to the executive centre so it wakes up as well.

Consequently, when people with Attention Deficit Disorder do something they

enjoy, the

executive centre wakes up and they are actually able to focus and pay

attention. It is very enjoyable to be in focus and these two centres can't be

separated. I believe very strongly that one of the keys to treating ADD

naturally, or

holistically, is to learn to turn on the pleasure centre without having to do

something damaging. I learned to stimulate this area of the brain through

meditation, prayer, and later, biofeedback, and now at will, I can get into a

state

of focus that I can maintain throughout my day, and don't end up being

distractible and scatter-brained.

 

MEDICATIONS for ADD like Ritalin (methylphenidate) and Dexedrine

(dextroamphetamine) are stimulant drugs that stimulate the executive and reward

centres,

but they don't address the underlying causes, and they have potential adverse

side-effects. There are a number of ways to improve the function of these areas

of the brain without having to resort to amphetamine-like drugs.

 

WORKING MEMORY

 

People with ADD also have problems with working memory, the kind of memory

that gives you the ability to remember things in your immediate environment. It

is why most people with this condition have difficulty reading because by the

time they get to the end of the sentence they have already forgotten what is

at the beginning of the sentence, so they have to read it again and again and

again.

 

PHYSICAL PROBLEMS

 

There is an association between Attention Deficit Disorder and various

physical problems. From early childhood or infancy, these children may have a

high

incidence of ear and respiratory infections - then later on allergies,

headaches, abdominal pain and muscle pain. As they begin to mature, chronic

fatigue

syndrome and fibromyalgia often accompany Attention Deficit Disorder. People

with ADD can actually inherit a higher susceptibility to environmental toxins,

substances that are toxic to the brain. They may not actually be as efficient at

excreting the toxins that we are all exposed to. These people never really

know what it is like to experience actual energy and wellness and they make

family doctors' lives very complicated because they don't respond to drugs and

conventional medical treatments very well.

 

LEAKY GUT

 

We found in our research that 75% of children with ADD have a leaky gut or

increased intestinal permeability. The small intestine is normally a leak proof

barrier - it is supposed to admit only fully digested nutrients into your

blood stream, but 75% of kids with Attention Deficit Disorder have damage to

these

intestinal cells. There are gaps between the intestinal cells, and large

molecules (large undigested protein and metal toxins) can pass right through

into

the blood stream and put the immune system under a great deal of stress.

 

ALLERGIES

 

A number of studies have shown that at least 65% of these children have food

allergies or other adverse reactions to foods. If a child has an allergy to a

particular grain, a few minutes after eating that grain he feels ill and his

brain is in a fog.

 

PARASITES

 

We have found that about half of children with ADD have intestinal parasites,

compared to studies which show that about 5% of healthy children have

intestinal parasites. We have found as many as five species of parasites in a

single

child - organisms like Blastocystis hominis, Giardia lamblia, Dientamoeba

fragilis, Entamoeba coli, and Endolimax nana. All of these parasites inflame the

immune system, which could potentially have effects on brain function.

 

IMMUNE SYSTEM DYSFUNCTION

 

We also found evidence that 80% of children with ADD have immune system

deficiencies particularly in the immunity around their gastrointestinal tracts.

They have very low levels of an important antibody called Secretory IgA, which

can cause a higher risk of food allergies, intestinal parasites and other

abnormal organisms in the gut.

 

GENETICS

 

At least three different genes have been identified that encode for a

particular type of wiring of the brain. These are actually high performance

genes

that give people special gifts and talents. If you have ADD, you most likely

inherited a certain wiring to your brain that makes your brain supersensitive,

and

in times past that might not have been a deficit; it might have allowed

certain individuals to be quick thinking, brave and creative. These people think

in

a completely different way from the rest of society, so they end up learning

and discovering new things. If you can improve the actual function of the

brain, then these gifts and talents will blossom like a flower. I have seen many

cases of children who were virtually disabled to the point where they were

almost institutionalized. Once you improve the health and the physiology of the

brain, some of these kids turn out to be the most wonderful, creative, bright

kids you will ever meet.

 

NEUROTOXINS IN OUR ENVIRONMENT

 

WATER

 

There are neurotoxins in our water supply. Water all around the world is

treated using aluminum sulfate, and if you have gastrointestinal problems (the

so-called 'leaky gut' syndrome) you will absorb a significant amount of

aluminum.

 

 

SOIL

 

Our soils are becoming contaminated with heavy metals and organochlorine

pesticides and may be a source of neurotoxins. A few years ago laws were passed

to

prohibit the dumping of sludge from our municipal sewage treatment plants

into the oceans. Instead, they sold these materials called 'biosolids' to

fertilizer companies and now they get dumped on our agricultural soils! The big

problem is not that it is a bacteriological risk, but that it contains a certain

amount of heavy metals like zinc, lead and mercury that accumulate in the soil

over time. In the last 30 years, heavy metals have increased several

hundred-fold in the soil and some of these metals are absorbed into our food

crops.

 

PESTICIDES ARE NEUROTOXIC

 

Research at Duke University has shown that pesticides, particularly

organophosphates, are neurotoxins and can evoke neural developmental damage in

children. They can actually interrupt brain cell development and cause very

serious

harm during the time of critical brain development. Of greatest concern are the

organophosphate pesticides, and they have published a number of studies on the

effects of organophosphates on the brains of children. These pesticides were

developed out of the technology that gave us nerve poisons like tabin and

sarin. Organophosphate pesticides are virtually these same nerve poisons watered

down. They are used extensively because they are cheap and they are very deadly

pesticides that kill the brains of bugs. If you eat foods like apples,

peaches, pears, strawberries and spinach you are guaranteed to get excessive

levels

of organophosphate pesticides. It is not unusual for an apple to have a level

of methylparathion that is 200 times the known safe level. And these are

actually legally allowed because the laws that govern pesticide levels are so

archaic that they do not have up-to-date toxicology on chemicals which should be

fully banned. The ideal alternative is to eat organically grown produce. There

have been some very disturbing trends in the pesticide industry. In the past,

they used laboratory animals for testing until they found a level of pesticide

that started to have adverse effects on the animal. Then they divided that by

ten and added an additional ten-fold safety factor. In terms of the short-term

safety, it is probably all right, but the effects of long-term exposure are

unknown. Unfortunately, today there is a trend towards using humans from

foreign countries as test animals. They apply the ten-fold safety factor and

they

end up with a legal level of pesticides that is many, many times higher than

what was previously allowed, even though that previous allowance was probably

higher than what was safe. These studies are two weeks or so in length at the

most. We don't know what happens with long-term exposure. Companies like Abbott

Laboratories that make the bacillus bacteria pesticide that is commonly used in

corn keep the other ingredients a trade secret. Many people believe that it

contains agents like arsenic and mercury.

 

Recent research about the amount of pesticides in our food supply are

available on the internet through the Environmental Working Group in Washington,

D.C,

at www.ewg.org. Their research is based on data from the U.S. Department of

Agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's intensive sampling program

has been going on over the last five years and they peeled or washed fruits and

vegetables as a consumer normally would do. In certain cases you can peel off

the pesticide residue. If you peel an apple you reduce the methylparathion by

about 75%. But sometimes you can't because it is right inside the flesh of the

fruits or vegetables. You can't wash it away in spinach, strawberries,

grapes, potatoes, and green beans.

 

1. HIGHEST PESTICIDE LEVELS in apples, spinach, peaches, pears, strawberries,

grapes (Chile), potatoes, red raspberries, celery, green beans.

 

2. LOWEST PESTICIDE LEVELS in corn, cauliflower, sweet peas, asparagus,

broccoli, pineapple, onions, bananas, watermelon, cherries (Chile).

(Compiled from USDA and FDA pesticide residue data 1992-1997.)

 

SMOKING

Last year an Australian study revealed that 25% of all children with

behavioural disorders were exposed to smoking in pregnancy (a neurotoxin).

 

LEAD

Dr. Herbert Needleman at the University of Pittsburgh found a higher

prevalence of Attention Deficit Disorder, aggression and delinquency among

children

with increased lead exposure (Neurotoxicology 1993;14:161-6). The primary

sources of lead are old flaking paint containing lead, contaminated soils, and

drinking water tainted by lead-soldered pipes. You can get your water tested for

lead at any local laboratory. It is not very expensive.

 

FISH

Neurotoxic exposure also comes from fish. Fresh water and large predatory

fish are a very reliable source of neurotoxins, particularly PCB's and mercury.

Dr. J.L. Jacobson from Wayne State University demonstrated that children whose

mothers reported eating two to three servings of fish a month from Lake

Michigan during their pregnancies were more likely to have children with

symptoms of

ADHD with cognitive and behavioural problems (N Eng J Med

1996;335:11:738-89).

 

CHEMICALS

 

Household chemicals, cleaners and lawn chemicals may contain sources of

neurotoxins, especially if our children are around these chemicals.

 

THE WORKPLACE can be a very serious source of toxins and anyone who has ADHD

should avoid occupations like bodywork or welding, or any job where they

handle toxic chemicals.

 

TOXIC HERBICIDES AND PESTICIDES are used far too liberally around schools.

 

MERCURY FROM DENTAL AMALGAMS is a very serious issue. The World Health

Organization tells us that the majority of the population is exposed to mercury

through dental amalgam fillings which ranges from 3 to 17 micrograms. The WHO

says

about 4 to 4.5 mcg. a day is safe for the average person.

 

RITALIN

Pharmaceutical drugs are said to be effective with about 75% of children.

However, we don't know the long-term future consequences of prescribed doses in

terms of higher risk of degenerative disorders of the brain or cardiovascular

disease. We know for certain that if these drugs are abused, they ferociously

damage the brain and cardiovascular system. There has been one CAT scan study

by the chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Ohio which

found that 20% of men in their twenties who had been on Ritalin as children,

had cerebral atrophy, or shrinkage of the brain, which is an effect you get a

decade or two prior to the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Dr. H. Nasrallah, who

conducted this study back in the 1980's, concluded that we have to suspect

that the stimulant medication was the cause of this cerebral atrophy (Psychiatry

Res 1986; 17(3):241-6). Today there are strong factors which indicate that

these drugs may lead to a more rapid aging process in the brain.

 

A HOLISTIC TREATMENT

 

NUTRITION AND SUPPLEMENTS

Reduce or eliminate junk foods and replace them with healthier foods and lots

of dietary fiber. Improve the overall nutritional density of the diet, using

whole foods rich in all of the nutrients that the brain requires. Identify and

eliminate allergic or intolerant foods and remove them from the diet. Give

nutrients to help repair the leaky gut. Get rid of intestinal parasites and food

allergies. You may have to use digestive enzymes or other substances to help

digestive processes get back to normal again. Reinoculate the gut with normal

bacterial flora. Probiotic supplementation (the friendly bacterial flora)

actually repopulates the human intestinal tract. Improve the immune system by

using various nutrients. There are critical building blocks that build brain

cells

during fetal development and in early childhood, especially essential fatty

acids. At the nerve endings you will find very high amounts of an omega-3 fatty

acid called DHA that you find in fish oils, and about 80% of kids with

Attention Deficit Disorder have low levels of DHA. Adequate protein is required

for

the neurotransmitters to keep the brain running normally. Iron supplementation

improves cognition and behaviour. Magnesium alone has been shown to calm

hyperactive kids. Low zinc has been shown, in isolation, to be a factor in

Attention Deficit Disorder and is probably a very important nutrient. A

multivitamin

with B vitamins will improve behaviour and school performance. Phytochemicals

are important in helping to optimize brain performance in kids. Kids with ADHD

often are deficient in phytochemicals from fruits and vegetables,

bioflavonoids like grape seed extract, pycnogenol and gingko biloba. Use lots of

pure

water. Even a small amount of dehydration can contribute to poor brain function

and bad behaviour.

 

HERBAL MEDICINES - AD-FX

We have found that potent extracts of ginseng, particularly American ginseng

and gingko biloba have real potential to replace amphetamines and other

prescribed drugs used for ADD. We have worked with researchers at the University

of

Alberta who brought a product to the market called AD-FX (a combination of a

very potent American ginseng extract combined with an extract of gingko

biloba). Before it actually came on the market, we used it in a research project

where we studied 37 children with Attention Deficit Disorder averaging 10 years

of

age. When they were given AD-FX, 90% of symptoms like oppositional behaviour

and cognitive problems improved significantly. In some children, the effects

were virtually miraculous, even though they had not responded to orthodox

medications. Note: There is no such thing as organic ginseng. Any ginseng needs

to

be tested for heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides because the

Asian ginsengs are commonly contaminated, especially with fungicides. The

American ginseng preparations we use (AD-FX and Cold-FX) are tested.

 

RESEARCH USING AD-FX IN VITRO

The most exciting thing about the American ginseng extract in AD-FX is what

it does to brain cells. Damaged brain cells kept alive in a nutritional growth

medium for a couple of weeks initially look just like little blobs; they don't

look like brain cells at all. When you add American ginseng from AD-FX to

them, they start to differentiate into regular brain cells and some start to

sprout long connections (axons). Rather than gradually degrading the brain like

the amphetamines do, the herbal medicines in AD-FX have anti-oxidant effects and

even nerve growth stimulation effects, so they may help to develop these

underdeveloped regions of the brain over time. AD-FX is manufactured by a

company

called Herb Tech, which is a University of Alberta company.

 

DOSAGE

Children should take four AD-FX capsules per day on an empty stomach, and

that works in 90% of cases. In adults and adolescents, AD-FX alone is not always

enough. About three more gingko capsules (totalling about 300 mg. per day) and

hypericum or St. John's Wort often works very, very well.This combination in

adolescents and adults often works better than Ritalin without any side

effects at all.

 

COLD-FX is an oligosaccharide preparation discovered by the University of

Alberta. It is obtained from the root of the American ginseng plant. It is

marketed as a cold product for respiratory infections like colds and influenza,

but

it can be used for any kind of immune problems. Research at the University of

Alberta has demonstrated that Cold-FX is actually 20 times more potent an

immune stimulant than Echinacea. When you combine it with a probiotic, it

actually

helps to eradicate nasty species in the gut by strengthening the immune

system.

 

DETOXIFY accumulated neurotoxins, We use various methods of detoxification

including saunas, sometimes chelating medications, and sometimes

nutrient-oriented approaches.

 

EXERCISE

Every child with ADHD needs to be involved in regular vigorous exercise.

Research has shown that exercise improves brain function and mood. It even

improves executive centre function.

 

BIOFEEDBACK AND SPIRITUAL

People need to learn to focus, and biofeedback, particularly neurofeedback

(also called EEG biofeedback) can be extremely helpful. Prayer and meditation

every day is most important.

 

I really believe that every person with ADD can be helped and that ADD can

eventually become a great advantage and ally to anyone who has it.

 

* * *

 

Healing the Hyperactive Brain by Michael Lyon and a videotape of Michael

Lyon's Total Health 2000 lecture with slide presentation are both available at

Consumer Health Organization. For more information, try Michael Lyon's website:

www.pureliving.com AD-FX and COLD-FX are manufactured by Herb Tech.

For info call 1-888-8HERBFX (1-888-843-7239) or email sales

website www.herbtech.com

AD-FX and COLD-FX are available at Consumer Health Organization at

416-490-0986.