ADHD: Emerging Treatment

While building my linkroll recently, I began to read the blogs that are found on two of the websites I featured. From both websites I found blogs on ADHD and believed they were both interesting and informative. Both of the posts hinted that dietary changes may reduce the risk of ADHD. of The first blog, hosted by Psychology Today, is written by Lawrence Diller, M.D. and focuses on how the drug industry has shaped the way the country currently views ADHD, strictly as a biological disorder. Diller, a clinical faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco Medical School, suggested that the drug industry has the general public fooled on that nature of ADHD, and urges that a solution is found. The second blog, hosted by WebMD, is written by Dr. Richard Sogn, who has spent the past twenty years focused on ADHD and its associated disorders. In his most recent post Dr. Sogn writes about the use of iron supplements as a possible treatment for ADHD symptoms. He states that those who are affected by ADHD tend to have an iron deficiency, iron is needed by the body to produce neurotransmitters involved in ADHD. The image to the right shows the differences in the brain between those who are affected by ADHD and those who are not. My comments to both posts are as follows.

“The Coronation of Pharmarchy”
Comment:
Dr. Diller,
I would like to applaud you on your inaugural post; it was both interesting and informative. I was not aware of the controversies which surrounded ADHD treatment, and personally, I had always been quick to turn to medication as the solution. Since reading your post I have been researching ADHD treatment, and have found myself taking your perspective. It is not hard to believe that the drug industry is controlling medical treatments. In this country it appears that sooner or later, large industry always takes over. They have been very affective in their approach, because until recently I believed that ADHD was simply a biological disorder. However, upon further review I realized that no disorder is purely biological; this ties into the whole nature vs. nurture debate and I believe you would agree with me that everything is a mixture of both.

I was pleased with your term ‘pharmarchy.’ It is unfortunate that the good intentions of researchers are being overshadowed by the personal agenda of the drug industry, and it is our children’s mental health which suffers. I recently read that a home DNA test for ADHD is being offered by many companies (another ploy perhaps). I wonder if such a test could prove to be beneficial if used on newborns. Like the PKU test, early detection may be important. You stated that there is no direct evidence that dietary changes can help those with ADHD, but what if specific diet needs are met since birth? If children were tested for ADHD from infancy, we would be able to explore all avenues before resorting to medication. I also noticed that you failed to mention the use of cognitive behavioral therapy on children with ADHD, do you believe that this sort of treatment is effective? I would like to thank you for addressing such an important topic and I look forward to reading your future posts.

“Iron Supplements for ADHD”
Comment:
Dr. Sogn,
Thank you for an informative post, and although your post was short, it allowed me to raise some questions. I was intrigued by your previous post “Home DNA Testing for ADHD” and believed that a section in that post tied in well with this one. In this day and age medication, such as Ritalin, is used to quickly fix a disorder, but in your previous post I believed you offered an alternative. You stated that a nutritious and balanced diet low in sugar and high in omega-3 fatty acids would be a good diet for children who are at risk of developing ADHD. In this current this post you focus on the effects iron supplements have on ADHD symptoms. It was apparent to me that you believe a child’s’ diet may help prevent ADHD and its’ symptoms; however, I wonder if you have come across direct evidence that supports your claim? I am also curious to know if children may eat food high in iron instead of taking the supplement. Is there a significant difference? Also, is there a reason why children with ADHD have an iron deficiency?

On a side note I was intrigued by your blog description. It states that 3%-5% of children and adults are affected by ADHD. However, the media does make it appear as if there is a higher prevalence of this disorder. I personally know many children who are affected and are currently being treated for ADHD. I would have guessed that the prevalence for this disorder in children was higher than the number you suggested for both children and adults. Do you believe that the public’s perception of children affected by ADHD would lower if alternative methods of treatment, such as diet, proved to be successful? If this did happen, do you feel that people would continue to quickly turn to medication?