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Dear Listmates-

If someone has any consolation, please write me.

My son (now 13.5 yrs) has been gf since age 3.5. Even GF, he still
has some learning disabilities. We were encouraged by his school to
have him tested for ADD (he's not hyperactive). He did a test called
TOVA (not sure what it stands for), which tests concentration at a
tedious task under boring conditions, using a computer. He was tested
without Ritalin and with Ritalin (20 mg Slow release). In both cases,
he tested below normal, although the Ritalin did improve his score. I
also noticed that at school, even with the Ritalin, his improvement
wasn't as dramatic as I was told it would be.

Back to the neurologist who prescribed it in the first place. At our
first meeting, I emphasized that my son is a celiac and she indicated
that she knew all about it. She then increased the dosage so that he
adds 1/2 pill of regular release (10 mg) Ritalin to his slow release
pill every day. Well, after a long wait, she finally wrote the script
and I bought it. I decided to read the instructions anyway, to see
how the pill was cuttable and my eye fell on the inactive
ingredients: WHEAT STARCH! I was horrified! How could the neurologist
be so careless!!! Good thing I checked! It will be another week
before she can see me again and in the meantime, my son isn't getting
what he needs. I feel frustrated at the medical profession and with
the pharmaceutical labs because many kids on Ritalin are Celiacs. Why
do they make a pill that so many who could benefit from can't have?

FYI, the company is NOVARTIS.

Caveat emptor. Let the buyer beware.

Thanks for reading.
Sharon Marcus
Israel

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