ADD/ADHD: Medication – 7 Tips to Identify the Bottom of the Therapeutic Window

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Intro: Heads Up for This ADD Medication Series – Details about getting the meds correctly adjusted. Are the windows confusing? ADDWindows

This first post begins an ADD Medication Adjustment Series – it's a "Window Series" – at least 7 posts will be covering the details regarding the Bottom of the Therapeutic Window.

I've talked about this Therapeutic Window Concept regularly on these CorePsychBlog pages but find your comments often ask back for more detail. Let's take a moment here just to get the overview of this important concept.  BTW: This discussion, this series, is only a small portion of the discussion of my book Fixing the ADD Madness: The Patient's Guide to Medication Details. [-do sign up for some special bonus items over here on the right>]

The Essential Question About Meds:
Do you often find yourself wondering, "Just how do I get the medications straight for the best treatment for ADD/ADHD?" – And, "Just which meds are expected to do what?"

You are clearly not the exception, but too frequently the rule. So many find that stimulant medications are managed without clear objectives – with vague assessment questions like my favorite: "Is it working?" 

Join me in this series to understand the bottom of the window – how to recognize when the dose is simply not adequate, not enough. [More later as we move through the specifics about finding the top, and the sides of the Therapeutic Window]. 

Let's get this Window up and on our radar!

Also: soon these 7 points will be summarized in a single article at Ezine Articles. Over there is another article on the Top of the Therapeutic Window – more details to follow.

6 Comments

  1. Dr Charles Parker says:
    October 28, 2008 at 5:48 AM

    Terry,
    The first article is back up on the Top of the Window, will send out a brief post – it covers some good territory and I hope you can use it with your audience.
    Thanks,
    Chuck

  2. Terry Matlen, ACSW says:
    October 27, 2008 at 8:27 AM

    Thanks, Dr. P. I’ll probably wait until they’re up, then post them in my newsletter. The next issue is going out in the next day or so, so I’ll wait till the Nov. issue.

    Thanks again for all your hard work.

    Terry
    http://www.addconsults.com

  3. Dr. Charles Parker says:
    October 27, 2008 at 6:04 AM

    Gina,
    I love the donkey picture… and know that the real challenge for most practitioners is time. With an easy office measurement grid, as we suggest here and elsewhere, the time factor is minimized, so hitting the target will become less challenging.

    These meds simply need to be more precisely used to become more effective. So many downstream effects, for a lifetime, come from wrong starts, throwing a can of paint at the barn door.

    Your group will appreciate the articles as they get more into the meat of these questions and expectations

    Thanks g, hope you have a great week-

    c

  4. Dr. Charles Parker says:
    October 27, 2008 at 5:56 AM

    Terry,
    Sincere long distance thanks for your support, – and, yes, please use the articles for your newsletter, I consider it a privilege to work with others on the same path and admire your excellent work in communicating to the many who simply don’t have specific input.

    EzineArticles Update: I have fixed my first article on the 7 Tips on the Top of the Window, – actually added to it, so it is in review, will probably come out early this week.

    I have added a new article with specifics on the 7 Tips for the Bottom, – and this AM just wrote a fresh one – to talk about that first part of the bottom of the window, just getting started with meds in the first place – the devil is in the details!

    I expect the last two articles will take a bit more time for approval and will will send a posting on the blog here with URL’s as they come into my mail.

    I have a URL http://www.articlesbydrparker.com – a link for the planned articles over there, and will post when that is all connected. That should make it easier for reference – will likely be pointed up next weekend.

    Thanks so much for your interest,
    I do hope these notes help your team.
    Have a great week,
    Chuck

  5. Gina Pera says:
    October 26, 2008 at 9:16 PM

    Great idea, Dr. P.

    In my eight years of advocacy work, I think I’ve encountered not one person whose treating physician actually used rating scales (or any other strategic method) to gauge the medication’s effectiveness.

    It’s more like like Pin the Medication on the ADDonkey — with the predictable results.

    After experiencing some scary side effects, some swear off medication forever. And that’s just a shame.

    This is definitely an area where people have to be smart consumers. It’s not fair, but it’s reality.

    Gina

  6. Terry Matlen, ACSW says:
    October 26, 2008 at 10:10 AM

    Dr. Parker,
    You are such an inspiration, offering solid information that is otherwise lacking in this area. I send out an ADHD newsletter to over 11,000 subscribers. Can I use some of your articles? I went to EzineArticles but could not find you.
    Please let me know how to find them there or if you have something else you’d rather share with my readers.

    Thanks,
    Terry