ADHD or OSA?

A few weeks ago there was a statewide workshop for RT's, my manager went and when he came back told me about a lecture that really made an impression on him. It seems that a large percentage of children are diagnosed with ADHD are later found to have OSA. I would be interested in finding out how may people being treated for OSA now were diagnosed with ADHD as children. I know my son was on Ritalin for 3 nights, I refused to give it too him - the side effects weren't worth it.

Perhaps because I'm still riled by the Tom Cruise debacle, I am compelled to interject here that there are many children whose lives have been immeasurably improved by Ritalin. Prescribed by a psychiatrist, given for the correct reason at the correct time in the correct dosage, this drug has enabled children to attend schools they were previously expelled from for behavioral problems. This drug has helped children to read.... a whole book which they could never sit still long enough to get through before. This drug has allowed a D student to become an A student. This drug has allowed children to have friends over and go to friends' houses to play; a normal activity they were previously prohibited from enjoying because of behavior they could not understand, let alone, control.

It is well-documented that Ritalin has been over-prescribed. It is also well-documented that Ritalin has allowed countless children to experience control over their lives and obtain a sense of normalcy that eluded them for years prior to receiving this drug.

I'll step off my soapbox now.

Neversleeps, as a credentialed Special Ed teacher, I agree with you wholeheartedly. And yes, not only are children overdiagnosed and underdiagnosed, but they are often misdiagnosed. There is some research to support that many ADD-diagnosed children are actually bipolar (manic-depressive), or both ADD and bipolar.

I didn't mean to imply that I follow Tom's way of thinking. NOT! I just think it would be interesting to see if there is a correlation between the two. BTW, I took my son off Ritalin because night one, I awoke at 2:00 AM hearing what sounded like 'ghost' noises coming from my daughters room (she was 5 yrs old at the time). This happened 3 times and my husband assured me I must be having a bad dream. The 4th time I heard it, it was followed by a loud blood-curdling scream from her bedroom. I ran into her room to find my son (3 yrs old) with a sheet over his head, going woooo, wooo,! I lifted the sheet and he was sound asleep! Night 2 I awoke knowing a light was on in the house that shouldn't be. I followed the light only discover he was holding the refrigerator door open, 'tinkling' in it! Now, we lived way out in the country and the houses were a fair distance apart, so on night 3 when my neighbor called to say he rang her doorbell at 3 AM and wanted to know if her daughter could come out and play, I was devastated. Thus our Ritalin experience ended. That was in 1974 and there wasn't much they could do for him except take him off of all sugars, wheat, processed foods and red food coloring. Ever try to take a kid completely off of that stuff? !!

stetsongirl wrote: That was in 1974 and there wasn't much they could do for him except take him off of all sugars, wheat, processed foods and red food coloring. Ever try to take a kid completely off of that stuff? !!

http://www.feingold.org

I have no diagnosed-ADD kids, but it's a good organization. I had a cousin who was one of the original 70s-era Long Island "Feingold kids", my aunt was way into it. I remember buying carob chips at health food stores with her and she made her own yogurt, did the supplementing and hair analysis stuff, the whole enchilada.

Wow, I forgot about all that! Carob easter bunnies, yes, I made my own yogurt and subscribed to Mother Earth News!

Wow, I forgot about all that! Carob easter bunnies, yes, I made my own yogurt and subscribed to Mother Earth News!

hahaha! So did I! Carrot juice and soyburgers too! But it had nothing to do with ADHD... just a healthier way to live.
Quit MOM when it got too glitzy. Switched to Countryside and Small Stock Journal! Had goats... discovered accidentally that it takes 1 gallon of goat milk to make enough cream cheese for one cheesecake!
- JB