The 10 Biggest Problems with ADHD Medications: CorePsych Radio Series

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February 24, 2009
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March 4, 2009
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ADHD Meds: Do you think there is a big problem with not paying attention to the medications used for paying attention? I do.

«?», Robert Stadler’s question mark installati...
Image by Dom Dada via FlickrADHD

Well, I do agree, but I am not trying to find someone to blame – on the other hand, I'm trying to give you, the public and interested professionals, some real answers.

Hint: The answers are in the new science, not in the old.

Tune in to CorePsych Radio this Thursday afternoon [details on times here at CorePsych Radio Program], live  for 1 hr. More on this specific program in next post. Think “Burn Rate” and you will be close to the topic.

For now, permit me to ask you a question: think about the critical problems facing psychiatry today – ADHD meds are a significant problem – but what else would you like me to address as host of CorePsych Radio?

What is your most urgent comment or question, or the most pressing concern you have with psychiatric practice today? Please ask it here, and I will get back to you in the program on it.

Of course you can Tweet, Download here Tweeting CorePsych Radio in PDF, but this will give you a bit more room to hammer it home.

Click on this link to write it up: Ask Dr Parker.

Just let me know if you want me to mention your name, or leave it anonymous…. I will have plenty of time to answer it, and may even ask one of my very cool, preeminent national authorities to elaborate on the answer with me after we get our recording gear more firmly together.

Talk soon,

cp

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4 Comments

  1. Josh says:
    March 31, 2009 at 8:23 PM

    Cool!

    Thanks for the reply!

  2. Josh says:
    March 29, 2009 at 10:06 PM

    Dr. Parker,

    Great blog. Sorry for dropping this comment on a month old post (I hope you still read this) but I wanted to get this to you while I had a second.

    What do you think about the combination of amphetamine with memantine?

    As you may be aware, AMP, in the first few days of dosing in an AMP naive person, exhibits a significant mood enhancement (though, we don’t want to depend on that so much with dopaminergics) but, importantly, motivational effects, as well (a la MPH). A few days to a week in, though, these feelings trail off. Also a few days to a week in, glutamate systems are starting their downregulation and sensitivity to the hyperexcitation going on due to AMP. Also, this glutamate hyperexcitation is responsible for downregulating NA dopamine sensitivity.

    Memantine, then, in theory, antagonizes the NMDA efflux via AMP. This lowers glutamate tolerance. Sensitization to an even wider range of therapeutic effects occurs.

    In fact, in some studies, memantine has proven to improve symptoms of ADD symptoms alone. Also, in theory, at the right dose, memantine does not impinge on normal levels of glutamate activity. Finally, a nice benefit, chronic memantine dosing increases BDNF:
    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WNB-457CVNJ-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=5ed9335b1820d583c1ff2e18b737f34a
    (at least in rats)

    I am thoroughly interested in any thoughts you may have on this.

    Best,
    Josh

    • Dr Charles Parker says:
      March 31, 2009 at 1:17 PM

      Josh,
      A cool aspect of this new WordPress blog platform is that all my unanswered comments come up right in front from any post, so no prob – just had to get down the list to jump on this earlier comment.

      Regarding your very interesting and deep thoughts about Memantine – brand name Namenda I am in the process of simplifying this type of intervention by a newer method of in office measurement: using neurotransmitter testing with Neuroscience. Amino acids provide both an interesting augmentation strategy as you suggest, but using amino acids to fix that problem at the outset of treatment might prove more acceptable to many folks down the line.

      Interesting how this shift is taking place between neurotransmitter modification [as with most psych drugs] to neurotransmitter precursors such as Deplin and Cerefolin NAC, and the precursor focus.

      Bottom line: the science looks good, appreciate that excellent link, but I have been avoiding some of these problems you describe by using Vyvanse, with no NE, and much less agitation and a longer half life than all the rest.

      Will keep you and other readers posted on the Neuroscience results as we move further down the line,

      Thanks,
      cp

  3. drcharlesparker (drcharlesparker) says:
    December 31, 1969 at 11:59 PM

    New blog post: The 10 Biggest Problems with ADHD Medications: CorePsych Radio Series http://tinyurl.com/abxyyb