Living with undiagnosed ADHD, in a loved one or in oneself, can feel like being lost in the fog—often on a roller coaster. In fact, after the term roller coaster, the word that people most …
Living With Undiagnosed Adult ADHD — A Foggy Roller Coaster Read More »
With the introduction of a liquid and a chew, people with ADHD gained yet another novel way to benefit from stimulant medication. That’s increasingly important these days, as the Concerta authorized-generic (most recently distributed by …
Liquid and Chew “Ritalin”: Quillivant XR & Quillichew XR Read More »
What are the benefits and limitations when it comes to using ADHD gene-testing to guide medication? That’s the topic of post 5 in this series: Genetic Testing for ADHD Medications. Throughout this 7-part series, we …
ADHD Medication Gene-Testing Benefits and Limits — Pt. 5 Read More »
To the uninitiated, it sounds horrifying: Toddlers medicated for ADHD! They’re drugging babies! Yet, if you understand the ADHD-associated range of physical symptoms—and physical risks—the reasons are obvious. If you still believe ADHD is a …
Part 4 in a 7-part series on genetic testing for ADHD medications—from ADHD expert Gina Pera and her scientist husband, Dr. Goat
One factor to consider when aiming for that sweet spot of medication effectiveness: your specific gene variants that affect drug response.
That is, do your gene variants mean that you metabolize drugs slowly, normally, or very fast?
That’s where genetic tests can come in handy: They identify these gene variants—that is, variations on a common gene.
In turn, this information helps you to:
1. Determine what dosage you should start with, and
2. Decide the order in which medications should be evaluated.
This information can be especially valuable if you are
—Beginning drug treatment for ADHD,
—Considering changing to a different drug, or
—Introducing an additional drug to your regimen.
Note: Information from these tests will not be a “silver bullet.” It is simply a starting point. The last post in this series will examine how I might use my personal results.
Toddlers medicated for ADHD. It’s a hot topic in the news lately. Did you miss Part 1? 10,000 Toddlers Medicated for ADHD? Part 1 Here in Part II, I continue to educate the public …
Do I recommend the new revision of Understanding Girls with ADHD: How They Feel and Why They Do What They Do? Consider the opening lines of my review on Amazon.com. After, you’ll find a personal …
“Gene-testing said that my daughter cannot take stimulants for her ADHD.” A reader sent that to me in 2015. As a result, the girl was taking only Strattera, at a “maxed-out dose,” and not experiencing …
What Is Genetic Testing for ADHD Medications? — Pt. 3 Read More »
In this post, we share our own results from genetic testing for ADHD medications. We hope this helps make the information a little more concrete, less abstract. My husband, Dr. Goat, and I share many …
Gina & Dr. Goat Share Our ADHD Genetic Test Results Read More »
People often ask me, “Gina, what’s the best medication for ADHD?” No one wants to hear the answer: “It depends.” These days, they also ask me about genetic testing for ADHD medications. That is, DNA …
