The leading causes of death in the United States (U.S.) are heart disease and strokes.…
Author: Suzanne B. Robotti
Suzanne is the President and Founder of MedShadow, and the Executive Director of DES Action USA. MedShadow’s mission is to preserve quality of life by ensuring everyone has access to the risks, benefits and alternates to using drugs to manage healthcare. Read More
Can ADHD Give You Dementia?
You may have heard of a new study that concluded that people diagnosed with adult ADHD were more likely to end up with dementia, especially if they choose not to treat it with medications. The headlines in the popular press were scary: “Adult ADHD may take a toll on the brain,” and so forth. Worse, some health sites have already embedded this possibly untrue information in articles. But don’t panic because there are good reasons to question the research. The study claimed that having a diagnosis of adult ADHD and not using medicines like Ritalin more than doubled the risk…
Do I Have ADHD?
Every fall I remember my son’s middle school experience of nearly being bullied by the principal and the teaching staff into taking Ritalin. When my son was 12, my husband and I arrived for the normal teacher conference a few weeks after he started at a new school. Two teachers told us flat out that he had ADHD. All his other teachers complained of his inability to sit quietly through a lesson and that his homework was incomplete. We explained that there had recently been seismic disruptions in his life and asked that he be given time to settle in.…
A new study suggests a higher risk of association between perinatal and prenatal acetaminophen exposure and childhood neurodevelopmental risk.
Think the only way to deal with a child who has ADHD is with a stimulant? Think again. More parenting skills and other resources can help your child out more than you might think. What causes hyperactivity and ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder)? A combination of temperament, environment and parenting. The most important factors are parenting skills and resources, especially those that can help create some calm. You can learn them. “I would suggest we can head off many cases of ADHD in the first 2 years of life,” says W. Douglas Tynan, PhD, ABPP, director of Integrated Care at the…
Lung Cancer Screening Isn’t for Everyone
Billboards, TV ads and Internet pop-ups are increasingly promoting lung cancer screenings. Despite the touted benefits, should you go and have one done? Should you get screened for lung cancer? It certainly seems like it. Billboards, TV ads and pop-ups have increasingly appeared on my computer screen telling me that it could save my life. At the risk of bringing down the wrath of the arbitrary cancer gods, it won’t save my life. I’m a never-smoker. While I was raised in an envelope of secondhand smoke (every relative near and far smoked), I’ve lived as an adult in a smoke-free…
A 6-question test purports to diagnose ADHD in adults. Can such a simple test screen for ADHD when many of its symptoms are associated with other ailments? I had a terrible time writing this ADHD blog today. While I was working, I was texting my sister, making a dentist appointment and helping my kid with his homework. I was restless and kept jumping to my feet for a glass of water or to let the cat out. Even when my blog was done, I couldn’t relax. There were just too many things on my mind. Thank goodness my husband made…
New Research on ADHD Meds
With new studies piling up warning of risks of stimulants on kids, are the risks of ADHD meds worth the benefits? I’ve never hidden my concern about giving stimulant medicines to children, teens and even adults with ADHD. When my child was diagnosed ADHD, we took a long, considered view of ADHD meds and decided against them. Behavioral therapy is the first line of treatment and we went that route. But we circled back to reconsider meds many times, when notes came home from teachers complaining of his behavior; when we couldn’t, try as we might, get him to concentrate…
Radiation Damage — What a Surprise
My father’s grandfather, Francis Colgate Benson, was a pioneer in the treatment of cancer with radiation. He became a surgeon before the turn of the (last) century. By the end of WWI he became fascinated with the new field of radiology and worked on curing cancer with radiation. He died before America entered WWII. There is no way of knowing for sure, but family lore — and logic — has it that he died from the long-term effects of radiation exposure. As did Marie Curie, it’s believed. The pioneers of radiation didn’t realize the power they were working with and…
ADHD Drugs Side Effects What’s the harm in using ADHD drugs to get a little help studying? If you actually don’t have ADHD, these stimulants can lead to nausea, headaches, high blood pressure, arrhythmia and other side effects, as I learned by reading Teresa Bergen’s great article ‘Smart Drugs’ on Campus: Too Easy to Get & Abuse. She explores the growing phenomenon of college students taking illegal prescription drugs — stimulants mostly — in order to focus more clearly and improve their grades. I wondered whether the kids who do have ADHD and are taking stimulants have the same risks for nausea, psychosis and…
18 Tips for Mastering Adult ADHD
How adults with Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADHD) can create a structure that supports them instead of tripping them up Adderall, Ritalin and Vyvanse don’t need to be a lifetime sentence. Many people find they can taper off and end their dependence on drugs once they’ve created a structure that helps them concentrate. ADHD medicines can be used as a temporary tool to aid you in focus, while behavioral therapy teaches you life-management skills and techniques. In fact, many people have set a goal of getting off ADHD drugs because so little is known about their effects on the mind and body…
About MedShadow
MedShadow Foundation is an independent nonprofit health & wellness journalism organization focused on helping to protect lives from the side effects of medication and lower risk with alternative health options.
We help protect your life and the lives of your family by making sure you have the information you need to make informed decisions about the risks, benefits and alternatives to medicines.
Even though MedShadow is nonprofit, we refuse to accept support from pharmaceutical companies or medical device manufacturers. You can be sure that our information is free from the influence of pharmaceutical companies.
FIND ARTICLES
Conditions
Symptoms & Concerns
Medications
SUPPORT
Contribute
Donate
Contact
MedShadow Foundation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information.
MedShadow Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. MedShadow does not accept advertising or contributions from pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers or political action organizations.
Copyright © 2022, MedShadow Foundation. all rights reserved. Designed by Dante Steward