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ADHD in the News

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Update on Generic Concerta: Counterfeits?

February 20, 2012 in ADHD in the News, ADHD medication | 5 comments

Several comments to my previous post on the new Concerta generic (made available only in the U.S., not Canada) suggest that this “authorized generic” might not be exactly the same as the brand name, as claimed by the manufacturer. Then again, a news report this morning leaves me wondering if some people have received counterfeit pharmaceuticals.

A recap from the previous post:

The U.S. generic for Concerta is methylphenidate hydrochloride extended-release tablets. It is a co-licensed product by exclusive agreement — that is, a deal between the original manufacturer (Ortho-McNeil) and the pharmaceutical marketing arm of Watson Laboratories.

Both brand-name Concerta and the so-called “authorized generic” are manufactured in the same plant, said the Ortho-McNeil spokesperson by phone. And, this authorized generic is both bioequivalent and clinically equivalent. Does that mean it’s the exact same medication? I think so, but I cannot be absolutely sure at this point.

This morning, the California Report’s Sarah Varney explained a California law designed to protect consumers from counterfeit medications (the law has been fought by trade groups for years):

A state law meant to thwart counterfeit prescription drugs is finally set to go into effect 16 years after it first passed. The electronic tracking system will make business harder for those who sell fake drugs. (Listen to this short report here.)

I’ve found no data documenting counterfeit problems with the more expensive stimulant medications (Concerta, Vyvanse, etc.). And readers’ comments offer no details on where the medication was purchased.  Stay tuned. And please share any tidbits you learn.

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Listen Up! “You Me ADD” Now Audiobook

December 22, 2011 in ADHD in the News, The Basics, View from the Roller Coaster, Welcome | No comments

At least weekly since my book was published, I receive an e-mail asking when the audio version will be available. Thank goodness I can finally say NOW.

Seeking a unique gift for yourself or loved ones this holiday season? How about a comprehensive spoken-word guide to understanding the broad strokes and small nuances of ADHD as well as its treatment strategies (step-by-step medication guidelines, the types of therapy to seek/avoid, and more), with three chapters devoted to the effect on relationships when ADHD goes unrecognized. And lots of first-person stories, advice from top experts, and much more. Perfect for listening to on those long commutes, working out at the gym, taking a walk……

Tantor Audio published the audio version this month (featuring an award-winning narrator), and you can access it in several formats (downloadable Mp3 files, two CDs with Mp3 files, and a case of 12 CDs) and through several outlets:

  • Tantor Audio’s website: To download the free chapter (my author introduction), register with Tantor and click back to the book’s page and click on the link at the top of the page.  You can also listen to a sample on the book’s page; look below the cover image.
  • Amazon.com
  • Barnes&Noble.com
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“You, Me, ADD” Now Available for Kindle

November 23, 2011 in ADHD and Driving, ADHD and Health, ADHD and Relationships, ADHD Diagnosis Issues, ADHD in the News, ADHD medication, Adult ADHD Myths, and Intimacy, Brain Storming, Denial about ADHD, Driving, Finding Support, Money, Practical Solutions, Questions about Adult ADHD, science of ADHD, The Basics, View from the Roller Coaster | 1 comment

A quick note to let you know that my book, Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?, is available as a download from Amazon.com for Kindle devices and Kindle applications for iPads, iPhones, PCs, and so forth.  Just click on the book title above to go directly to the product page.

Please tell your friends in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom that the Kindle is available on Amazon.com in those countries. (This is the English version.)

Thank you for spreading the word.

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ADHD and Diet: Parsing the Recent Research

April 19, 2011 in ADHD and Health, ADHD in the News, science of ADHD, The Basics | 9 comments

We’ve seen the headlines and read the stories regarding a recent study on ADHD and diet.  But what is the real story behind the research? You’ll find out below. But first, a brief examination of the situation.

Increasingly, even legitimate news outlets lift stories verbatim from the press release, without bothering to ask important questions of experts not associated with the study or explaining the limitations of the study and its relative importance.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Confusing Left-Right, Not Politics But The Brain

November 4, 2010 in ADHD in the News, Brain Storming | 9 comments

Confusing the left and right is merely an annoying “brain quirk” for some people, but for police officer Johannes Mehserle it could mean a lengthy prison sentence and a catalyst for riots in the streets of Oakland.

Mehserle is the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer who shot an unarmed Oscar King, a young man with a troubled history who minutes before had been removed from the mass-transit car for unruly behavior on New Year’s Day of 2010. One news report, including footage of the shooting, is featured below. The Wikipedia entry on the incident is here.

Mehserle contended that he was reaching for his taser (holstered on the left side of his body) to subdue the unruly Grant, but he actually reached for his gun (on the right side of his body) and shot King. Much of the public is incredulous that he could have made such a grievous error, and continued unrest is simmering today as Mehserle’s sentencing awaits judicial decision. Read the rest of this entry »

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And Now … The REST of The Story

October 8, 2010 in ADHD in the News, science of ADHD, The Basics | No comments

Call me the Paul Harvey of the ADHD Roller Coaster blog. The fact is, I knew there were “issues” with the recent widely reported research on the genetic links of ADHD, especially in the media’s coverage of it. Because  I could not competently parse this complex study, however, I found an expert who could. Because her research institution requires that all information given to the media be cleared with the press office and because time is of the essence, I decided to share this expert’s comments, with her consent,  by identifying her simply as a respected neurologist with significant background in ADHD research.

The published paper is reporting a genetic association between ADHD and abnormalities in CNV in some areas of the genome that have been previously associated with autism and schizophrenia.

Some comments:

  1. The main association is found in a group of patients that the authors define as “ADHD with intellectual disabilities,” those patients have an IQ ranging from 43 to 69 (or less than 70). Those IQ scores fall in the range of Mental Retardation definition. Read the rest of this entry »
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ADHD’s Genetic Basis Old News! Recent Research: “First Direct Genetic Link” (Maybe)

September 30, 2010 in ADHD Cyber Command, ADHD in the News, science of ADHD, The Basics | 11 comments

The study’s lead investigator, Professor Anita Thapar, explains the important new research behind the headlines. Congratulations and gratitude go to the hardworking scientists who teased out this discovery.  As for the reporting of this research, ADHD Cyber Command  finds that some did better than others, especially in implying that until now we had no evidence that ADHD wasn’t caused by bad parenting or that this is the first news of a genetic link to ADHD.

What? You say you already knew that ADHD is highly genetic?  Of course you did.  I can’t account for the headlines, but it seems these news outlets missed a key adjective in Dr. Thapar’s explanation of her team’s research findings: direct, as in “the first direct genetic link.” But even that is being contested; stay tuned for more info on that.

Meanwhile, here’s a sampling of how various news organizations covered the study, some of them as if stuck in a time warp from, oh, 30 years ago:

New Scientist:

Have gene findings taken the stigma from ADHD?

For the first time, evidence has emerged of genetic mutations linked to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. But how strong is the link, and how far does the finding undermine claims that children with the condition are simply naughty kids, victims of bad parenting or driven to hyperactivity by dietary additives? Read the rest of this entry »

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Can A Pulitzer Prize Offset Entry to The ADHD Roller Coaster Hall of Shame? You Decide.

August 24, 2010 in ADHD and Driving, ADHD in the News | 3 comments

The New York Times Silicon Valley technology reporter Matt Richtel won a Pulitzer Prize for his series “Driving While Distracted.” Good for him. Too bad his continued glaring, and even intentional, omission of ADHD in his subsequent reporting on similar topics has earned him a spot in The ADHD Roller Coaster Hall of Shame. (Yes. I know. He’ll be really upset to learn this.)

For any good reporter who dips the tiniest toe into the research, the evidence is clear about ADHD deficits’  adverse effect on driving safety. Moreover, I have written to Richtel numerous times over the years explaining the substantial research in this area, as highlighted in my book chapter on the topic:  “Driving to Destruction.”  (Yes, many people with ADHD drive very well;  when it comes to research, though, we’re talking significant trends within a group, not individuals.) I have also invited him to sit in on our Silicon Valley Adult ADHD Salon in Palo Alto, so he could talk to his fellow  Valleyites about their experience with ADHD.  No response. None at all. Read the rest of this entry »

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Cyber Command: “To Ritalin or Not to Ritalin”?

August 18, 2010 in ADHD Cyber Command, ADHD in the News, The Basics | 10 comments

I really thought we were done with stories like this, especially on the blog of a well-known medical school. Ah, but this is Stanford, in my backyard, and if you seek evaluation or treatment for ADHD there, well, good luck to you.

In many ways, I consider the Bay Area, in general, the Third World of ADHD medical treatment. Yes, there are a few excellent clinicians in private practice. And the University of California, Berkeley has as its Psychology Department Chair an internationally renown ADHD researcher, Stephen Hinshaw, Ph.D.  But the two university medical schools that serve as Silicon Valley bookends? For all their Nobel laureates, Stanford and UCSF simply can’t hold a candle to Harvard or the University of Pennsylvania when it comes to ADHD research or expertise, and this lack filters out into the community.   Still, even I was surprised today to read this post in Stanford School of Medicine’s blog, Scope: “Blogger Asks, To Ritalin or not to Ritalin?” It is in response to a blog post by an adult who was treated for ADHD as a child and is now a behavioral therapist. Read the rest of this entry »

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ADHD Cyber Command On The Watch!

August 11, 2010 in ADHD and Parenthood, ADHD Diagnosis Issues, ADHD in the News, science of ADHD, The Basics | 8 comments

There’s a cartoon floating around among my Facebook friends. One character says: “Come to bed, honey.” And the other character, at the computer keyboard, says, “I can’t. Someone is saying something wrong on the Internet, and I must correct it!”

For 10 years, I’ve resembled that character, rat-a-tat-tatting at my keyboard to counter fallacious information about ADHD on the Internet. The latest just this morning, which as both an ADHD advocate and responsible journalist, was too hard to resist.  (If you’d like to skip my preamble, scroll to the end of this post to get to a recent CNN article and my response to it.)

And yes, it’s been a  personal mission, though it hasn’t kept me up late at night and I aimed for surgical strikes, not omnipresence.   As a writer and editor with a long-held reputation for fairness and accuracy, though, I’ve found this new “medium” of the Internet by turns extremely exciting yet unsettling. Read the rest of this entry »

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