Sheila

Hi, Everyone-- Majid Ali, MD, host of the radio program "Science, Health and Healing," will be interviewing me about my new book, Tics and Tourette's: Breakthrough Discoveries in Natural Treatments on Tuesday, January 24 (12:00 noon). The one-hour public radio program is being broadcast in New York City on WBAI 99.5 FM. To hear it live on the Internet, go to this link . I know it's short notice. If they provide a transcript or an archived version, I'll be sure to let you know. Sheila

Maybe the best advice on whether to show it to kids is to watch it first yourself and decide how it would help or be detrimental for your particular situation. I have only seen portions of it -- was out when it was on -- but I think it could be discouraging or frightening to a young child if they hear the message that there is no help except meds, and no cure--or they imagine that they will end up with all the types of tics and other issues exemplified. Readers on this forum know that there are real opportunities for healing. I felt the Oprah preview of the HBO program would have been discouraging, if not frightening, to a young child--but again, I haven't seen the entire HBO production. I have heard from others about them "catching" the tics for a while by watching it. It will be interesting to keep getting feedback on this! Sheila

Thanks, Cheri and Francois! It's always nice to hear some encouraging words! I really do need help with PR and getting the message out, so if anyone reading this can help--or knows someone who can--please let me know! Thanks again, Sheila

The session went well, and Chemar and her son provided the perfect balance with their great story. She also has local contacts for Orlando practitioners which was just what people needed. We could have used hours more--it was a short session, and it takes time just to open people's minds and set the stage. . . but the group was the most receptive I have found. Maybe the time has finally come for larger numbers of people to start understanding this approach! The response was quite encouraging. Sheila (THANKS CHEMAR!)

I'm glad you ordered that book--The ADD Answer by Frank Lawlis --I recently bought it myself, and I think it's the most comprehensive and updated one. Full of good ideas. It should help you a lot as you look for answers for Josh. As you suspect, it sounds like he has more going on than just ADD, but the approaches in the book tend to help kids with a spectrum of problems that seem to be related. Let us know what approaches you find useful, OK? Best wishes, Sheila

Hi, Carla. Probably, as you say, he does not mean to hurt you but he is hurting you, emotionally and physicially. You sound like a sympathetic person, and it's great you are working with autistic kids. I'll bet they love you! You should be looking for a boyfriend who will let you be fee to make decisions and see your friends without you having to worry about an emotional outburst. He is also physically abusing you which is totally unacceptable. You can't change him yourself, and you surely know this by now. He also can't change himself without professional help and possibly medical intervention. You won't be able to continue helping little kids if you are in a destructive relationship. It might be good for you to see a counselor and explain the situation to get advice on how to get through making this break. Best wishes--let us know how you are doing, Sheila

Hi--A few more days have passed. Is your son still very emotional? If so, I would call the doctor and report this. You didn't mention the age of your child? You might want to get the book No More Ritalin by Mary Anne Block, not so you can take him off drugs but to get other ideas of things you could be trying. Also, see the section on the opening forum page, at the bottom, where there are archived guests. Read all the Q and A with Dr. Albert Robbins.This will give you an idea of how nutrition and the environment can be affecting condtions like ADHD. Best wishes--let us know how things work out please. Sheila

Hi, Mr. Helper. Thanks for your interest in our forum. I think your checklist will help people see if they may have symptoms of OCD that need to be explored. Good idea. I would agree that behavior therapy can be very helpful for OCD. Medicine also helps many people, but our organization would not support the idea that everyone with OCD should pursue them. You probably know that more young children than ever are experiencing OCD symptoms. At the same time, some of the drugs used to treat OCD such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil are under new scrutiny for serious and even deadly rare side effects. We would tend to consider drugs a last resort rather than a first line of treatment, particularly for children. Also, there is increasing evidence that OCD is related to the immune system and brain inflammation from infection, in which case efforts to address the infection would seem a more sensible place to start. We are living at a time when major changes are taking place in the understanding and treatment of OCD. Some material has been added to our website on this topic, highlighting current thought. Natural treatments for OCD and anxiety Thanks for the reminder, also, that people should see a professional to determine if they have OCD. Best wishes, Sheila

Thank you for posting about the TSA meeting, Chemar! I'm so looking forward to meeting you after years of an Internet connection. I do hope any other readers who are in the area will try to make it also. Chemar and her son Aaron will be there for a testimonial that should knock the socks off a few people! Sheila

Lisa, there have been some interesting studies on ADHD and iron deficiency (see link below for a recent one). The lower the serum ferritin (iron) the worse the ADHD symptoms. So far there has been more emphasis on showing low iron levels in a higher than average number of people with ADHD than studying treatment with iron supplementation to see how symptoms improve—that will be the next step. Since your son's lab works shows a deficiency it would make sense to supplement for general health, and then observe the response. I would ask the doctor who performed the blood work to advise you. Please let us know if you try it and find it useful. We hope it helps! (Does your child have ADHD in addition to tics?) Best wishes, Sheila Click here

Thanks for the nice note, Andy. I know that you're a very helpful participant on this forum. It's so great to have such knowledgeable people posting! The forum is going to be shut down any day now for a few days, then back up on a new server. Sheila

Hi--Bernard Rimland has just announced the new biomedical protocol for treating autism (updated version). It can be ordered through Amazon. It's highly recomended for all our Forum readers. The title is Autism: Effective Biomedical Treatments $30. Also, an internet webcast of the DAN conference last month in Boston is availalbe online at no charge (for all the talks). www.danwebcast.com (This is a great service that they have provided!) Sheila

Hi, friends-- I wanted to let you know that we will be moving the Latitudes site to a new server sometime within the coming week. This may result in the forum being down for a few days—it should not be long. We will try to minimize any inconvenience. Thank you! Sheila

Hi, everyone--The large print for Abilify in Susan's post caught my eye! As anyone who knows ACN is aware, we are not on an anti-drug crusade. Conventional medications can help many people, and it's always a difficult decision when weighing the benefits versus the burdens or side effects of a strong medication. Susan mentioned that it is important to be aware of the potential side effects of this medication, which is so true--so I have included a link to an updated drug insert below. http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2004/abilify_pi.pdf Last year, the FDA had Abilify revise their side effects to include the fact that the drug can cause diabetes or hyperglycemia in addition to several other serious concerns. Also, it has not been tested on children which means families have to be extra cautious. Again, I know drugs have their place and can bring much needed relief in crisis times. We live in a complicated world, and there are not easy answers. Wishing everyone the best in their ongoing efforts, and thanks to all of you for participating in our forum! Sheila

Hi--it's often hard to tell the difference between someone having a difficult time attending to task or being bored, etc. You might want to try some behavior incentive charts with him and see if that makes a difference. They can help kids stay on task. The goals should be inexpensive, or an activity they enjoy. There are some good ideas on www.freebehaviorcharts.com I hope you have found additional ideas on this forum that can help your son's tics. Best wishes, Sheila

Hi, Sara-- I hope this is not to late, that you will see this. Tamar Chansky has started a website that might have information or resources that can help this girl. Please check it out: www.worrywisekids.org Best wishes, Sheila

Christine, I'm sorry -- I just saw your note. Please send me an email and put PANDAS in the subject line, and I will see if we can come up with any answers. If you want to call me, we can arrange that by email. Send the email to Sheila@Latitudes.org I am sorry you are going through such a difficult time with your little boy. I hope things are already starting to improve. Best wishes, Sheila

Angel, we will try to get an answer for you on this. It's wonderful that you are seeing some improvement from the neurofeedback. Best wishes--Sheila

You should stop taking it immediately and make an emergency call to your doctor about it to see if you need medical attention, as advised below. You should not be experiencing those symptoms. Maybe they will switch you or reduce the amount. The cardiac symptoms are very important. That is one of the biggest concerns with Adderall. But all of your symptoms are worrisome. Don't assume this is the only medication that can help you. Please call your doctor right away. These are warnings that come with the drug: If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking amphetamine-dextroamphetamine and seek emergency medical attention: · an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives); · an irregular heartbeat or very high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision); or · hallucinations, abnormal behavior, or confusion. • Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take amphetamine-dextroamphetamine and talk to your doctor if you experience · restlessness or tremor; · anxiety or nervousness; · headache or dizziness; · insomnia; · dryness of the mouth or an unpleasant taste in the mouth; · diarrhea or constipation; or · impotence or changes in sex drive. Talk to us after you have been in touch with the doctor, OK? Sheila

Hi, Kiamaria--I am sending you an email message since this post got overlooked! Sheila

Hi, ADHD addict! Thank you for writing, and sorry to be so long in getting back to you. I can imagine it feels great to have a medication that is helping you concentrate. Maybe you can talk to your doctor and see if the dose can be cut back some? Are you watching your diet? Do you want to try anythings like that? Let me know, OK? Thanks for writing, Sheila

Roro, sorry for the delay in answering you. Yes, heavy sweating can be a side effect of the drug. That, along with the icrawling scalp sensation might be a good reason to see if you can reduce the amount you are on. If you take some other natural measures, you might be able to do that. Please let us know how you make out. Best wishes, Sheila

This just in-- "In a small but startling preliminary new study, Texas researchers have found that after just three months, every one of a dozen children treated for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the drug methylphenidate experienced a threefold increase in levels of chromosome abnormalities—occurrences associated with increased risks of cancer and other adverse health effects." (Newswire) Researchers at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston reported their findings in a journal Cancer, but it won't be published for several months. The journal editors have made it available now for paid subscribers. For the abstract see this link and click on "articles in press" then search the page for methylphenidate (#13 on the list, at the moment). http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=JournalURL&_cdi=4992&_auth=y&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=120d31a92b40c7769b483ebc702f294c Sheila

Scott, yes it sounds like you have OCD because it is affecting your life so much. Lots of us have little habits, but yours are interfering with your schedule and emotional state. (Jenna also has a problem--you probably can recognize that--I didn't notice her post before.) There are some things you can try without having your parents pay a lot. (Is there a problem with letting them know? They may have noticed it a bit already.) Do you have an air filter because of allergies? What is your other health like? Do you have any other health symptoms--like fatigue (not counting when you don't sleep!) or stomach aches, or headaches etc.? Write back please and we will see what we can come up with for you. Sheila

Hi, everyone-- The Autism Research Institute has released their consensus paper on how to remove mercury and other metals in autism and other developmental disabilities. It is excellent and many of you will find it of interest. If you can't open this link, go to www.autismresearchinstitute.com and look for the link on the right. http://www.autismwebsite.com/ari/dan/treatmentoptionsmercurymetal.pdf They have a newly designed website, also, in case you haven't been on it in a while-- Sheila