Weekly Research Updates for December 14, 2024

[@kenhaze5230]

We're all different, and maybe holidays work for some. I used to think they worked for me. But it took me finishing an entire doctorate in neuroscience and 2/3 of law school to realize they don't. My mistake was after taking the weekend off, on Monday, the meds caused mood lift in the morning which helped getting back to business during the week. But just taking meds through weekend, and being productive on the weekend to a reasonable degree, meant I was MUCH more PREPARED for the week. I don't get mood lift at all from meds when taking 365 days a year, but I get mood lift from being a productive and effective person, consistently, which is fundamentally what I think we're after as individuals w/ ADHD.

[@TheFabricTeapot1]

Thank you, Dr. Barkley. I very much appreciate all that you do. 🎉

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

You are very welcome

[@Herfinnur]

I thought the jokes on screen where going to be questions from some new study and I was so excited to see what the study was

[@TheFabricTeapot1]

I'm 69 years old. I was a later diagnosed female and gradually climbed to 54mg Methylphenidate daily (I'm in the UK) I attempted to reduce them. 40mg was useless, but 50mg is the perfect spot for me. I've tried (just the once) to take a drug holiday. What an absolute disaster. I could barely function. I've struggled my whole life, and I'm not going to make myself struggle unnecessarily anymore. That just doesn’t make sense.

[@clarewillison9379]

Fellow Brit and 63 on waiting list for assessment. May I ask did you get an NHS appointment or private? I’d like to get assessed (and helped!) before I’m 70 but I’m struggling to find a reputable place that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

[@4597-1]

No drug holidays for me! On weekends when not working I sleep in. Then if I forget to take meds I am unproductive, overwhelmed, unfocused, get behind in household chores, and feel foggy, and blah, have no clue what to start with or do next. No thanks!

[@BladeAustralia]

For me, a drug holiday results in a state of confusion, followed by indolence and ultimately distress - a bad experience to be avoided.

[@NWCyclist]

Drug holidays or lower doses on weekends, for example, are side effect reprieves, helping sleep quantity and quality, especially deep sleep, appitite restoration. If the drugs were free of side effects, I wouldn’t want to take a break or lower the dose. After many years of trying lots of variants and doses, I’ve learned that the most/minimally effective dose is just above what is a sustainable dose. If I don’t dial it down every so often, things just get worse. This is the balance that works best for me.

[@georgianabodoiu59]

I will say it once again. Dr Barkley, you are a blessing to this world and I pray God keeps you in it for mantqy many years to come, so you can help us and the ones who will come after us. ❤❤❤❤

[@susanwinters6325]

I appreciate your good humor, Dr. Barkley.

[@MsThorne2009]

Thank you for the study on drug holidays. I remember some people have mentioned taking their children off thier medications during the summer. Even my 13 year old daughter’s doctor had mentioned it because she has always been underweight. He told me when she was around 9 or 10 that some parents have stopped their children’s medication and others haven’t. She was on Ritalin LA at the time and was losing weight. Her doctor and I decided to keep her on it all summer because I was afraid of how she would react from going without it right back on to it. Same thing with my 9 year old son. They are both on Atomoxetine right now and take it all year round.

[@erinsjourney315]

Thank you so much!!

[@RabiaGulsenAlkan]

Hello Dr. Barkley, Could you make a video about sensory problems in children with ADHD? Thank you for being so dedicated in this field, I really learn so much from your studies and KZbin videos

[@flowers4mom_]

YEAH DR. RUSSLE BARKLEY

[@obgfoster]

My brother literally walked straight on into a utility pole in a park when he was about 8. I almost drove my car straight into one in a parking lot a week ago while off my meds. Do normies glance away and remember where they are in space or do they just not glance away? ... then there was the time I was looking at my back-up camera but I was thinking of something else, and I backed into a mailbox. I thought having a back-up camera would solve that problem!

[@georgianabodoiu59]

I tried methylphenidate, and it destroyed me. Insomnia and body aches, and horrendous headaches. And this on the minimum dose, the 10mg. 43 years old. I don't know what to try next but thanks to Dr. BARKLEY, I have all the research and ready to dive in.

[@TheAbhi28]

Hi , dr barkley thanks for mind wandering study in children with adhd, does this affect driving in adults as well ,as i had problems with getting distracted with internal thoughts while driving.

[@chriscohlmeyer4735]

Mind wandering and driving in adults: in my case having music playing let's part of my brain to wander while the rest of my brain concentrates on driving. If I don't have music playing my mind can sometimes get to dark places that tend towards taking over my whole mind - I try to avoid getting into that situation, another aid is driving a standard so changing gears for the terrain helps keep the driving part engaged. For other people it could take something completely different.

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

it might, because distracted driving is a major problem for adults with ADHD as it is for others but it makes their driving risks far worse than others.

[@aliafraz8402]

Sir plz find the cure plz 😢😢 i could nt type ​@@russellbarkleyphd2023

[@daireann80]

@@TheAbhi28 I started listening to podcasts and audio books to stay focused on the street. If my mind stays engaged it's easier to focus on the street. For me it's not a distraction but the opposite. My mind is occupied but with a direction if that makes any sense. I don't get lost in the rabbit hole of my mind.

[@mrmarksmeets]

On the suicide article - at the end you mentioned there was no decline shown but I wonder if there was a plateau / the rate stayed the "same"

[@publius9350]

Not surprised that stimulant group did not have a higher rate. A little surprised that the non-stimulant group had the same risk - just because I would expect the push against stimulants would lead to them being avoided even when the non-stimulant was inferior for treatment (atomoxetine has bifurcated effect for example). It brings up how much ADHD medication in general can lessen suicide attempts - and those with ADHD who have no medication have complexities when studied. I've been very interested in how much ADHD medication can reduce suicidality ever since the study that showed ritalin type medications working better than antidepressants and mood stabilizers for those with BPD, with benzodiazipines actually increasing significant suicidal attempts.

[@QuantPsychNZ]

I listed to a talk today by a clinical psychologist who claimed many studies that recommend adhd mediation are funded by drug companies and are therefore biased. There has been no placebo control trials. That most people discontinue within a year. That there was a Cochrane review that stated that adhd research was a very high risk of bias due to this issue? Do these claims have any legs? It would be great to hear your views/have a bit of counter evidence!.

[@daireann80]

I have a question regarding medication holidays and building tolerance. I read in an adhd forum that some people on vyvanse go on medication holidays on the weekend, or when actually vacationing, to avoid building tolerance and having to go on higher doses of the drug. I started taking vyvanse one or two months ago and it's a blessing. Currently I take 2 doses of 20mg because it doesn't last through the day and higher doses make me jittery. But I fear that in some years I might top out at the dosage and will have to find another medication that works. So does medication holidays actually prevent or delay building tolerance? Or does going off the medication reset the tolerance? No question at all that taking medication is important and the positive effects are undeniable. But if one can avoid or delay tolerance, isn't it worth the cost of less emotional regulation?

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

I don’t know of any evidence showing that such holidays delay developing tolerance. But they do cause two problems. One is that when returning back to medication the side effects will be ,ore likely because the body now must acclimate again to the initial drug effects. The second is that the person exposes themselves to all of the risks associated with the disorder when coming off their medication, some of which as with driving and other accidental injuries can be harmful or lethal, among other impairments that will return.

[@daireann80]

@russellbarkleyphd2023 wow that answer was fast. Thank you so much for replying. I'll stay on my meds continously and see what I'll do when the time comes. I'm just impatient what the future might bring and want to be prepared. Waiting for the outcome is not my strong suit but I guess that also fits in the picture of having adhd. Thank you so so much for your channel and for taking the time to actually get in touch. We all here really appreciate your effort and enthusiasm for your work, especially since you are retired and do this because you really want to help and educate people.

[@flowers4mom_]

I MEAM RUSSELL

[@TsutsuYumeGunnm]

Do you have some long term study, for i.e. 20-30 years, of taking stimulant medication? All my attempt to describe to other people ADHD medication is being smashed by "IN 20 years you become a dope junkie and die from fent overdose"

[@chriscohlmeyer4735]

He did cover something on addiction risk in adults with a prior history of addiction issues - prescribing stimulants to such persons does not result in addiction. My doctor believed in a high risk of addiction due to my past issues with addictions, so I was prescribed a Non-stimulant medication. Bonus for me was not being dependent on a month to month prescription allowing me greater freedom to take longer trips (I'm retired). Your question is from the other side if long term use can develop into an addiction. It would be an interesting study.

[@OrafuDa]

There have been studies that show that risk for addictions is lower for ADHD people on ADHD medications than for those not on ADHD medications. If I remember correctly, medicated ADHDers have a risk comparable to the general population, or maybe even to the non-ADHD population. I believe Dr. Barkley mentions this in his videos on medications.

[@sonyaparkin7841]

Johnny’s been on the keto diet for too long 😆😆😆

[@hereallyfast]

Chemtrails