ADHD Expert Dr. Ballas shares ADHD management news and commentary at ADHDCentral.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930 http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930 http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/47799/differences-odd-adhd Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:06:00 -0000 Dr. Ballas Over a third of children with ADHD have a second psychiatric diagnosis, and one of the most common diagnoses to be found with ADHD is oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).  This diagnosis causes a lot of frustration for parents, teachers and the children themselves. The disorder is lumped together with ADHD, in part because they occur together so often, but there are several differences in these diagnoses, and I feel that sometimes... http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/47799/differences-odd-adhd http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/47056/reduction-stimulants Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:08:00 -0000 Dr. Ballas It’s Halloween here in Philadelphia and as many of you know we are celebrating the Phillies winning the World Series this week. There was a huge parade downtown for our champions and it’s the most excited I’ve seen this city in a long time.  Because so many streets were blocked off and congested with celebrators, I had to use the subway tunnels to cross the street to get to work!   This perfect storm of celebration... http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/47056/reduction-stimulants http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/46506/lisdexamfetamine Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:49:00 -0000 Dr. Ballas The APA 60th Institute on Psychiatric Services recently ended in Chicago, and the results of many research projects were presented there for the first time. ADHD is so common, has such wide ranging affects on patients lives, and the treatment have been very effective so far, so naturally there were a number of projects on treatment of this disorder. Medications for ADHD have been around for half a century, and one of the newest... http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/46506/lisdexamfetamine http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/43730/medications-retitle Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:53:00 -0000 Dr. Ballas I encounter a lot of people who think that too many American kids are on psychiatric medications. It's a position that's hard to argue with, given that I am routinely referred patients who are on 3, 4, sometimes 5 or more different psychotropic medications. A new study that was published in the journal Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, suggests that American kids are more medicated than European kids. The evidence from this... http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/43730/medications-retitle http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/43398/st-john-wort-adhd Sat, 04 Oct 2008 02:21:00 -0000 Dr. Ballas Some parents have concerns about using stimulant medications to treat ADHD in young children. Parents sometimes feel these medications have too many side effects, including concerns about dangerous effects to cardiac health and may be worried about the potential for these medications for being abuse. Also, there is a fair percentage of children for whom stimulant medications do not improve the symptoms of ADHD. Families may turn to... http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/43398/st-john-wort-adhd http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/43408/depression-children Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:23:00 -0000 Dr. Ballas As I've written in earlier entries, symptoms of ADHD are shared by several psychiatric disorders, and parents are sometimes worried that their children are misdiagnosed with ADHD. In particular, depression in children shares several symptoms with ADHD and depressed children can look and behave much differently than depressed adults. Loss of interest, lack of energy, and fatigue are experienced in children who have depression.   These... http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/43408/depression-children http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/43252/sleeping-stimulants Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:36:00 -0000 Dr. Ballas For people who are taking stimulants to treat ADHD, insomnia is a real concern.  The medications aren't called "stimulants" accidentally. They do have a powerful ability to arouse a person who is feeling extremely sleepy, and used incorrectly, can cause problems going to sleep at night. It's one of the most common side effects patients tell me; the medication helps their ADHD, but keeps them up too late at night.    If... http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/43252/sleeping-stimulants http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/42420/intrauterine-exposure Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:10:00 -0000 Dr. Ballas Sometimes when discussing ADHD with a child’s parents, parents say something like: “I was the same way when I was that age.  Do you think I have ADHD?  Do you think my child got it from me?”  Parents sometimes feel guilty that they may have “given” their children ADHD, and if they are deciding to have more children, sometimes they feel helplessness about the prospect of passing ADHD on to future... http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/42420/intrauterine-exposure http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/36239/evaluation-disorders Sun, 11 May 2008 21:51:00 -0000 Dr. Ballas In my last entry, I offered some reasons for why children with ADHD may be evaluated for speech and language problems. In this entry, I'd like to continue along the same lines and discuss some of the specific disorders that cause problems for children.   Early in the evaluation of a child suspected of a communication disorder, it is necessary to ensure that the child can hear correctly. If the ability to hear is seriously in question in... http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/36239/evaluation-disorders http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/36234/evaluations-children Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:23:00 -0000 Dr. Ballas I wrote previously about the first meeting with a doctor for a child who is being assessed for ADHD, and some of the tests that are often recommended after an initial evaluation. Commonly, an evaluation for problems with speech is considered. This is a popular recommendation by clinicians because the development of speech and language are indicators of a child's cognitive abilities and how the child is developing overall. The development of... http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/7930/36234/evaluations-children