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Blood Pressure Vs Heart RateIs blood pressure the same thing as heart rate? ... Your High Blood Pressure Questions Answered - Blood Pressure vs. Heart Rate Read full post here. (c) Vital Signs (Body Temperature, Pulse Rate, Respiration Rate, Blood ...Electronic blood pressure monitors may also measure the heart rate, or pulse. Two numbers are recorded when measuring blood pressure. The higher number, or systolic pressure, refers ... Read full post here. (c) Medications For ADHD - 4 Things You Must Know Before Giving This Common ADHD Drug to Your ChildPrescribing clonidine for ADHD is becoming increasingly common, even though this drug hasn't even been approved by FDA, let alone thoroughly studied, as an ADHD treatment for kids. This is definitely another situation of caveat emptor : parents should really understand what clonidine does and what clondine side effects are before deciding to put their child on this medication. Here are some things to consider. 1. Off-Label Prescription. Clonidine is prescribed for ADHD off-label. It is actually a blood-pressure lowering medication, more recently also used in drug addiction treatment and in anesthesia. As such, use of clonidine for ADHD has not yet been tested in any large double-blind, placebo controlled studies. So far, there's been only one government sponsored study, in which about half of a group of 122 ADHD kids ended up receiving clonidine. Their parents reported improvement in ADHD symptoms; their teachers did not. Patients are often told to avoid natural treatments for ADHD because there have been no large scale studies supporting their use-- well, here is a pharmaceutical with serious side-effects that hasn't been studied for this use either, yet it's widely recommended! 2. Side Effects. Clonidine can significantly lower blood pressure; it also has sedative effects, causing sleepiness. Other frequent clonidine side effects include lightheadedness, dizziness, fatigue. extremely dry mouth, constipation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and headache. This medication is often used in conjunction with stimulants, so be cautious of any additional side effects caused by drug interactions. There have been a few reports of sudden deaths of children taking the combination of clonidine and stimulants, but no certain connection has ever been proven. 3. Purpose. Clonidine is mainly used to treat impulsivity and hyperactivity in ADHD; it's also prescribed for tics and sleep disturbances, which can sometimes be caused by stimulants. It won't help with the child being distracted or inattentive. He or she will still need to take a stimulant for learning and attentiveness during the day; then be given clonidine later in the afternoon or evening. 4. Dosing. It takes a few weeks for clonidine to start working. Since clonidine can cause very bad drowsiness and substantially lower blood pressure, some kids are better off with smaller, more frequent doses. Because of these side effects, doctors generally can't start prescribing whatever the full effective dose is right away. The amount you give the child has to be increased slowly and carefully. Similarly, your child won't be able to simply stop taking clonidine: he'll have to taper off gradually, or else you risk causing potentially dangerous spikes in his blood pressure. Given the very real clonidine side effects, parents must be very clear on what they are trying to accomplish by resorting to this drug. Really give the use of clonidine for ADHD some thought: do we want to treat the root of the problem, or do we want to be using drugs to counteract the effects of more drugs to temporarily suppress the symptoms? Consider the cost to the health and personality of your child; then consider some of the many natural treatments for ADHD. Hyperactivity, inability to concentrate and impulsive behavior can all be controlled without risking your child's long-term well-being. Svetlana Gibarac has been researching natural remedies for various health conditions for many years. She is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor and a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She contributes regularly to http://www.treatingadhdnaturally.com , a site discussing some of the most promising natural treatments for ADHD. If you are interested in finding out about alternatives to harsh medication, visit the site to learn more.
NAVIGATION
Do Intelligent Research & Avoid Pitfalls of Drug Therapy
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