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Treatment for ADHD may include medications, a stimulant that decreases hyperactivity, and increases attention. Learn more from our experts about ADHD.

If you decide that you or a loved one has attention deficit disorder (ADD), it does not mean that you are dooming yourself to taking medicine for the rest of your life. Indeed, there are a ton of great coping strategies to help, even alongside medicine.

Get Structured - Even if they may hate it, the vast majority of people with ADD will be way more productive if they are busy (but not too busy), and their days are broken into defined sections. Also, lists are vital for people with ADD. Again, they often hate them, but they will help immensely.

Research Stimulants - Everyone knows about the stimulants Ritalin and Adderall, but there are other medicines out there such as Strattera and buproprion that can often help, especially in cases of mild to moderate ADD, without the burdens of abuse potential or controlled substance regulations.

However, the most effective class of medicines for ADD by far is stimulants. Ironically, stimulants actually help people with ADD calm down, focus and complete tasks. While they are regulated by the FDA, stimulates have the potential to raise blood pressure and pulse.

Think you may need stimulants? One unofficial litmus test I use is, if a person feels the only time they can actually get anything done is after their third cup (or pot) of coffee, they might be a good candidate for stimulants.

Bottom line is, stimulants do have some baggage, but they can be a miracle drug in the right candidate. Your doctor can help you decide if a stimulant is right for you.

What is the treatment for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?

Is there a blood test for bipolar disorder? Unfortunately, there is no blood test to tell you if you have bipolar disorder. Learn more from our experts about bipolar disorder.

Unfortunately, there is no blood test to tell you if you have bipolar disorder. (I wish!)

Instead, blood tests are used to measure drug levels as well as basic bodily needs. Here is a list of specific and voluntary tests needed.

<ol>
	<li>It&rsquo;s essential to get a thyroid test when you are first diagnosed or suspect a diagnosis. Many people with bipolar disorder also have thyroid problems.</li>
	<li>If you have bipolar disorder and are on medications, you will need specific tests to measure the medication level in your blood. For example, lithium has a very specific measurement that must be present for a person to get maximum benefit from the drug. There is leeway with the number, but not much.&nbsp; I take lithium and it works pretty well for my bipolar depression. If I start to get really depressed, I always go in for a lithium level check as there is a chance it will be low.</li>
	<li>Other drugs such as Depakote and Tegretol- drugs that are used to manage mania- also need a blood level test. &nbsp;There is a Lamictal (lamotrigine) level test, but I am not sure of its efficacy. It&rsquo;s worth a try. Blood tests are often used to check liver and kidney functioning.</li>
	<li>Your vitamin D level is important in terms of depression.</li>
	<li>I always suggest a person, male or female get a testosterone level test, especially if sexual desire is low.</li>
</ol>

There may be other blood tests suggested by your health care professional. A naturopath or psychiatric nurse practitioner are good choices here! The really great news is that most of these tests can be done on one health care visit. 
It&rsquo;s important to know that many drugs have these testing requirements. Not just psych drugs.

Is there a blood test for bipolar disorder?

ADD/ADHD medications can calm a person down. Learn more from our experts about ADD/ADHD.

Research indicates that two drugs commonly prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Methylphenidate (Ritalin) and d-amphetamine (Dexedrine), may increase the rate of cigarette smoking. A study done at the University of Kentucky found that use of Methylphenidate increased the total number of cigarettes smoked, number of puffs, and carbon monoxide levels.

What are the effects of ADD/ADHD medications?

Who can diagnose bipolar disorder? The first step in getting effective treatment for bipolar disorder is to get a comprehensive and accurate diagnosis. Learn more from our experts about bipolar disorder.

The first step in getting effective treatment for bipolar disorder is to get a comprehensive and accurate diagnosis. The best source for a diagnosis is an assessment by a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychotherapist, or family practitioner. It&#39;s best to seek diagnosis from a psychiatrist, a medical doctor specializing in mental and psychological health who can also prescribe medications. You also can get a diagnosis from other professionals, such as your family practitioner, psychologist, or other mental health professional (for example, a licensed social worker or other trained psychotherapist). These other professionals can diagnose you and develop a treatment plan but some cannot prescribe medications. (However, some nurse practitioners and other selected professionals can prescribe medications in some states.)

Who can diagnose bipolar disorder?

There are a lot of misunderstandings about anxiety. Learn more from our experts as they dismiss these misconceptions.

One misconception about anxiety is that anxiety itself is bad. People spend a lot of their lives trying to avoid bad emotions. They&#39;ve labeled sadness as bad and fear as bad and anxiety as bad. Honestly, they&#39;re there to help people. The mind created these things to help people in situations. Anxiety makes people practice so they don&#39;t make mistakes. It makes people pay more attention when they&#39;re prone to make a mistake. When they&#39;re driving on an icy road in Idaho, it makes them grip the steering wheel, dilate the eyes to pay more attention, and move the foot over the brake instead of the gas to be safer so they don&#39;t wreck. Anxiety saves and helps people. People shouldn&#39;t avoid it.

Another misconception is that anxiety happens alone. People will assume a person has depression or anxiety. They somehow think that if a person has both, he or she must have bipolar disorder or something like that. Fifty-eight percent of people who have a depressive disorder also have an anxiety disorder. Thirty percent of people with anxiety also have an alcohol and drug use problem. The same is true of attention deficit disorder. Thirty percent of people with anxiety disorders also have attention deficit disorders. They often go together.

What are some misconceptions about anxiety?

Anxiety disorder can manifest in a range of symptoms in children. Learn more from our experts on what to look out for.

When parents are watching for anxiety in small kids, they should look for physical symptoms. If kids are always complaining about a stomach ache, they&#39;ve been to the doctor, they don&#39;t have stomach symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, other problems but it&#39;s a never ending stomach ache, that is likely due to anxiety. Same thing with headaches or when they&#39;re always trying to avoid the same situation. They always have a pain at the same time of the week. It&#39;s not like having a period once a month, it&#39;s every time church starts, every time they&#39;re supposed to go to basketball, every time a certain friend calls. Parents should watch for these things in little kids.

Older kids will actively avoid the stressful situations. Parents may notice that the child used to always be into drama or basketball and suddenly they&#39;re not auditioning or they&#39;re not trying out. Also, their sleep patterns get off. Teenagers are naturally going to want to stay up late and wake up late but suddenly they can&#39;t even wake up on time for things they enjoy. They can&#39;t wake up when their friends are going boating or they&#39;re going snowboarding. They&#39;re missing things they used to care about. Those are signs that parents should be talking to their child&#39;s healthcare provider.

Dr. Edith Geringer, MD

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Dr. Edith Geringer, MD

Dr. Geringer's Locations

Practices

Dr. Geringer's Accepted Insurance Carriers & Plans

Dr. Geringer's Accepted
Insurance
Carriers & Plans