Natural medicines and homeopathic alternative treatment options like Attend from VAXA are powerful alternatives today in the health care field. While each year there are an estimated 350 million visits to medical doctors, there are 420 million annual visits to alternative practitioners. That's 70 million more than visit medical doctors!
Consumer spending on alternative treatments has exploded tenfold in the last ten years! Why? Because these alternative treatments can be effective, often without harmful side effects. Diet interventions, EEG Biofeedback, and VAXA Attend (along with Extress or Memorin), are excellent ADHD alternative treatment options for your family to consider.
As many as 9% of children and teens meet the diagnostic criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and with growing doubts about the wide-spread use of stimulant medications in children, products like VAXA Attend are growing in popularity - they are safe, effective, and easy to purchase.
"His teacher said that (he) was completely different, and it was just the first day! She said that he went from the most distracted student last year to the most attentive student - a day and night difference! I'm excited! She wanted to know if I could bring some for all of the students." - David N., Ph.D.
"VAXA Attend" is a natural alternative ADHD treatment choice that really works!
So many parents buy Attend that it is one of the most popular alternative choices to ADHD medications for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Stimulants may not be as safe as once thought, and many parents are looking for alternative treatments or a natural remedy that works.
VAXA's Neuro-Scientists developed this Attend formula using cutting edge research with amino acid combinations, Essential Fatty Acids and Lipid complexes, homeopathic medicines, and precursors to specific neurotransmitters. This combination of neural building materials gives the brain what it needs to optimize performance in filtering out noise from the "outside world," and noise from "the inside world," to focus better on the task at hand. Attend helps children and adults who have problems with attention, learning, or impulse control!
"My son has been using ATTEND for five years now, and he couldn't do school without it. It has made a tremendous difference in his life - and our family." Laura C., R.N.
Attend is formulated with 72 specific ingredients for maximum benefit:
Attend is a homeopathic medicine that is combined with the most advanced nutritional formula available. Providing nutritional and homeopathic support to the Central Nervous System, VAXA Attend may help to optimize the brain by giving the support required for new neural growth and neurotransmitter production, according to neuroscientist Dr. Gregory Young.
Taken regularly, Attend was formulated to complement our body's natural calming and balancing agents, which may help to focus attention, calm down and relax more, and finish our tasks.
We personally performed the research and development studies for Attend, and we have seen the positive results in real life settings. Attend may help 70% to be more focused, to get their work done, and to think more clearly. It may help you too. Here is what we found...
The ATTEND group showed the greatest improvement in Self-Control. This means that as a group they made fewer mistakes, guessed less on responses, slowed themselves down to get the right answers, and showed better neurological self-control.
The next greatest improvement was in the Consistency of Performance, which is the most difficult category to improve whether using Attend or stimulant medications. The group saw an overall improvement of 1.2 standard deviations. The group using ATTEND could stay on task longer, and they had less "ups and downs" during the test. They were performing better and so could you!
The Focus to Task category, improved 1.0 standard deviations. This is also a very strong improvement considering it is for an entire group. This means that as a group they were paying attention to the task much better, and for a longer period of time. Their "attention span" increased to the boring task of the TOVA test.
The improvement in Reaction Time was 5 points, or 1/2 of a standard deviation, which is still statistically significant, especially for a group. Reaction Time is obviously neurologically based. Improvement in RT indicates that neurological performance had improved for the group for some reason. That reason was the use of Attend for 30 days.
"After bad experiences with meds and only partial help? with supplements I tried Vaxa Attend. It is really helping! However, I personally need to give up sugar & additives, & most milk, corn & wheat products, too. I find that if I take some caffeine powder in flavored water and sip on it when I feel a loss of energy, it helps me really keep going, while Attend helps me focus. I have to take 4 pills of Attend a day. It worked for me in hours, though for some it takes a month or so. " - a comment on YouTube regarding one of our ADHD videos.
To get the most benefit from using Attend as an alternative ADHD treatment option, we strongly recommend that you also use our ADHD diet recommendations. We also recommend that you study the Different Types of ADHD, and order recommended products for your type's Specific Treatment Strategy.
IMPORTANT: Use our Specific Treatment Strategies for your specific type of ADHD for the best results!
Find them under our section on the Different Types of ADHD.
Yes! Attend really works! See the articles below to see how using Attend for 30 days compared to using Ritalin for 30 days or EEG Biofeedback training for 30 days.
No. There are no known side-effects with Attend.
Attend is unlike prescription stimulant medications that may have harmful side-effects. Attend works to naturally stimulate neural growth patterning, creating more neural connections and a wider neural network. Try Attend as a natural alternative for ADHD treatment whenever possible.
And to find an experienced therapist who provides counseling in Tehachapi for ADHD please give my office a call at (661) 972-5953.
Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., M.S. is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Tehachapi, CA who has been a skillful counselor to children, teens, and adults helping them to overcome ADHD, find relief for depression or anxiety, and solve other problems in life since 1989. He served on the medical advisory board to the company that makes Attend and Extress from 1997 through 2011, and he is the Editor of the ADHD Information Library online resource. His weekly ADHD Newsletter goes out to 9,500 families. Visit his website at http://DouglasCowan.me for more information on achieving greater health, personal growth, Christ-centered spirituality, stress management, parenting skills, ADHD, working out the stresses of being a care-giver to elderly parents and also being a parent to teenagers, or finding greater meaning in retirement years, Dr. Cowan can be a valuable resource to you.
Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., MFT
27400 Oakflat Dr.
Tehachapi, CA 93561
(661) 972-5953
Attend is an over-the-counter homeopathic nutraceutical treatment - ADHD alternative medicine. There is no question that stimulant medications like Ritalin, Concerta, Adderall, and Dexedrine work well for ADHD. But they can have side-effects that can be serious - so much so that they carry "Black Box" label warnings from the FDA. A comparison of studies shows that Attend makes as much improvement as Ritalin or EEG Biofeedback training. Compare for yourself.
Attend, and stimulant medications for ADHD, can help you to be more focused, more self-controlled, and get work done faster.
Our clincial studies with computerized CPT tests found that 70% of the subjects using Attend for 30 days made statistically significant improvements in these areas:
These study results are the sole property of Dr Cowan and until they are published as a study for the public they are not to be quoted or referred to as fact without the express permission of Dr Cowan. This study was not an academic study, but was conducted as a "research and development" project for VAXA International, the manufacturer of Attend. It was conducted in 1996-97. The group for the study on this formula of Attend, which was later put into production and is the formula used today, included more than 25 subjects. These study results were used by the company to determine whether or not to continue with an existing formula (the Old Attend formula) or to invest considerable money and time to upgrade to a new formula, which they did in 1998. Since then tens of thousands of children, teens, and adults have been helped by Attend.
TOVA Test results with subjects who were given a baseline TOVA, and then retested after just 30 days use of Attend (4 capsules per day).
As a group the subjects improved in every area measured. TOVA results are objective, as opposed to subjective parent rating scales, which is why we chose the TOVA. We also gave out parent rating scales, and the results were that 80% of the subjects were reported to have significant improvements in the 30 day trial. We will report those results elsewhere.
Note: on the TOVA Test, an improvement of 1/2 of a standard deviation (or 5 points) is considered statistically significant. In other words, it was not just an accident but something significant happened to cause an improvement in performance.
Also Note: "100" on the TOVA test is the statistical mid-point, or center average. Between "90" and "110" would be considered in the "average" or "pretty normal" ranges. Scores in the 80's are "low normal" and scores below "80" need help. The TOVA is not an IQ test, but is somewhat related to IQ. In other words, the higher someone's IQ is, the better we would expect that person would perform on the TOVA. If there is a performance gap, that might indicate a neurological problem like ADHD.
The TOVA measures four categories of performance:
The study group showed the greatest improvement in the area of Self-Control, shown by a reduction of "Commission Errors". This item improved by 16 points, or 1.6 standard deviations. This means that as a group they made fewer mistakes, guessed less on responses, slowed down to get the right answer, and showed better neurological self-control.
The next best improvement was in the Consistency of Performance, which is the most difficult category to improve whether using Attend or stimulant medications. The group saw an overall improvement of 12 points, or 1.2 standard deviations. This means that as a group they were able to maintain their initial focus to the task longer, and they had less "ups and downs" during the test. They were simply performing better, longer.
The Focus to Task category, improved 10 points, or 1.0 standard deviation. This is also a very strong improvement considering it is for an entire group. This means that as a group they were paying attention to the task much better, and for a longer period of time. Their "attention span" increased to the boring task of the TOVA test.
The improvement in Reaction Time was 5 points, or 1/2 of a standard deviation, which is still statistically significant, especially for a group. Reaction Time is obviously neurologically based. It indicates that neurological performance had improved for the group for some reason. That reason was ATTEND.
Note that improvements were found in all four categories. These were very positive changes for the group.
To get the most benefit from Attend, learn about the Different Types of ADHD and the Specific Treatment Strategies for each.
Here is a rare radio interview with Gregory Young, Ph.D., Oxon., Neuroscientist and developer of Attend. This is from one of Dr Cowan's old "Your Family's Health" radio program from c.1999 on KERI radio. It is about 14 minutes long and is very interesting and quite in-depth. Listen to Dr Young on Attend
See how these results COMPARE with the use of SIMULANT MEDICATIONS or EEG BIOFEEDBACK TRAINING. The RESULTS were very close, and very interesting.
Note: These study results are the sole property of Dr Cowan and until they are published as a study for the public they are not to be quoted or referred to as fact without the express permission of Dr Cowan. This study was not an academic study, but was conducted as a "research and development" project for VAXA International, the manufacturer of Attend. It was conducted in 1996-97. The group for the study on this formula of Attend, which was later put into production and is the formula used today, included more than 20 subjects. These study results were used by the company to determine whether or not to continue with an existing formula (the Old Attend formula) or upgrade to a new formula, which they did in 1998.
Attend for ADHD - Clinical Trial Results
Parents are very concerned about the treatment interventions available to their children or teenagers who have been diagnosed with ADHD. And there is no doubt that the information on the internet can be confusing as everybody has their own agendas. The pharmaceutical companies hate the alternative treatments, and do what they can to bad talk them or even get the FDA to restrict them. And the manufacturers of alternative medicines, or the providers of alternative treatments are often just as opposed to medications being used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The friction is often more philosophical than even financial, as the physicians, psychologists, and researchers doing the arguing can all make money in their practices anyway.
Do medicines work? Yes. They just need to be carefully prescribed and monitored. We actually like Ritalin as a treatment. Ritalin is time tested and works for many with ADHD, and when properly and carefully used will help most people. Other stimulant medications can work as well. Do medications work for everybody? No. But the right medication with the right person will bring about a "day and night" improvement in that person, and with limited side effects. But badly chosen, badly prescribed, or badly monitored, and medications can be a nightmare, or worse. They are not toys to be played with.
Do alternative treatments work? Some really do! It just helps to pick the right one the first time.
We used EEG Biofeedback as an intervention in our practice for over ten years and liked it a lot. Does it work for everybody? No. But for about 70% of our patients it worked really well, and could work even better when combined with our ADHD Diet, or small doses of medication, or Attend.
We also like Attend by VAXA, and its sister products Extress, Memorin, or Deprex in combination, depending on the "type" of ADHD. We have been involved with this formula of Attend since we did the Research and Development trials on the formula back in 1996-1997. Since then VAXA has sold more than one million bottles of Attend - because it helps people! Does it work for everybody? No. But it helps about 70% of those who use it as directed for a month or so, as measured by computerized testing, and about 80% as reported by parent questionnaires. And it works better when combined with our ADHD Diet, and with Extress, or Memorin, or Deprex.
OK, prove it.
We came across Rossiter and La Vaque's study comparing Stimulants (Ritalin) to EEG Biofeedback Training for ADHD. They used the same tools for their study as we had, namely the TOVA test, and they also used the same time frames (30 days). They had two groups, and compared the TOVA test improvements on a group using Ritalin for 30 days to a group using EEG Biofeedback training for 30 days. One thing to note about these studies is that the TOVA test has no "placebo effect." That means that a researcher does not need a control group using a placebo for comparison. No one makes improvements on the computerized TOVA test scores unless there are some real neurological improvements.
A Comparison of EEG Biofeedback and Psychostimulants in Treating Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders. Thomas P. Rossiter, and Theodore J. La Vaque. Journal of Neurotherapy, 1, Summer 1995
When we put our information side to side with theirs, we have an apples to apples comparison for you to evaluate.
What should be obvious at first glance is that all three treatment interventions work. Each makes significant improvements on the TOVA. Each intervention is helpful at reducing the symptoms of ADHD and improving performance, so a parent could have some degree of confidence in choosing any, or all, of these treatment interventions for ADHD.
On close study is appears that the stimulant medication (Ritalin) performed slightly better overall than "Attend" or EEG Biofeedback training. However, we believe that both the EEG Biofeedback group and the "Attend" group would continue to make gains beyond their gains measured at 30 days, whereas the Ritalin group would not make any further gains. We have seen that our Attend group performed better at 45 days than at 30 days, and better at 60 days than at 45 days. Attend simply takes longer to get its optimum benefits. EEG Biofeedback training is similar.
The Comparison Data shows that each treatment option is beneficial.
Here's why we like the "Attend" more than EEG Biofeedback Training:
If you are doing the EEG Biofeedback training, consider using the "Attend" product while doing the training. We feel that using both can enhance the EEG training, and speed up the process (and lower the over-all cost of the EEG training).
"Attend" works almost as well, and does not have the potential serious side-effects of Stimulant Medications. See our articles on FDA Black Box Warnings. Stimulant Medications work, and work quickly. But make sure that your physician knows what he or she is doing. If you are going to use stimulant medications , also consider using small doses of the "Attend" nutraceutical product at the same time.
We have see many children and teens decrease their effective, or optimal dose of stimulants by 50% or more, ie. a child receiving great benefit from three 10mg doses of Ritalin might receive the same benefit from three 5mg doses of Ritalin plus the Attend. The Attend takes about 30 to 45 days to really take effect. ALWAYS talk with your physician before making any changes to medications.
Stimulant medications are not toys. These drugs are powerful interventions for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. They can be a sharp two-edged sword, offering great benefit but with potential serious side-effects, so treat them with respect.
Siegfried Othmer: Neurofeedback: The Experts' point of view
This video is an interview between Rien Breteler and Siegfried Othmer in 2005, and was part of a Brainclinics DVD series by Rien Breteler and Martijn Arns titled: Neurofeedback: The Experts' point of view. Siegfried Othmer is a neurofeedback speciali...
Note: The study results above are the sole property of Dr Cowan and until they are published as a study for the public they are not to be quoted or referred to without the express permission of Dr Cowan. This study was not an academic study, but was conducted as a "research and development" project for VAXA International, the manufacturer of Attend. It was conducted in 1996-97. All rights reserved. Comparison: Attend Ritalin EEG Biofeedback
Here is a rare radio interview with Gregory Young, Ph.D., Oxon., Neuroscientist and developer of Attend. This is from one of Dr Cowan's old "Your Family's Health" radio program from c.1999 on KERI radio. It is about 14 minutes long and is very interesting and quite in-depth. It's worth listening to
Attend contains homeopathic ingredients officially listed in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS). Here are the homeopathic ingredients and their respective potencies.
The VAXA Attend formula is an extremely well balanced combination of "brain foods". This formula is years ahead of other labs in the development of non-prescription treatments for ADD ADHD.
Hello, I have a question. Why does Attend have Lithum Carobonate and Lithium bromate? Are these derivitaves of eskatlith (lithium carbonate or lithium salts) that is used to treat Bipolar? If so, how can it be promoted as safe?
Sincerely,
SM
Thanks for writing. The ingredients that you refer to, Lithium Carbonicum and Lithium Bromatum are homeopathic medicines, not actual lithium salts or derivatives of the "lithium" used to treat bipolar disorder.
Re: Lithium Carobnicum: Used as Homeopathic Medicine (mineral). (Homeopathic potencies accredit their strength and efficacy to the electromagnetic signatures of the original substrate; these are scientifically created dilutions and succussions of medicines such
that generally not even a molecule of the original substrate or medicine is present in the medicine).
As a Homeopathic or used simply as a micro-nutritional, it has demonstrated effectiveness against the following symptomology: a good deal of confusion in the head. -veil before eyes -headache - rheumatic soreness in heart region - Pressing from within outward (Clark).
Paralytic stiffness all over, cerebral congestion, insomnia, epilepsy and threatened apoplexy. -scabby, tettery eruption on hands, head, cheeks, rough rash all over the body, much loose epithelium, tough dry itchy skin - Dizzy states with ringing in ears. (Boericke).
Re: Lituium Bromatum: Used as Homeopathic Medicine (mineral). (Homeopathic potencies accredit their strength and efficacy to the electromagnetic signatures of the original substrate; these are scientifically created dilutions and succussions of medicines such
that generally not even a molecule of the original substrate or medicine is present in the medicine). As a Homeopathic or used simply as a micro-nutritional, it has demonstrated effectiveness against the following symptomology: apoplexy, hemiplegic, numbness, vertigo, headache, and thickness of speech, epilepsy, prolonged metal exertion, flushed face, insomnia. (Clark)
These homeopathic medicines are safe. They are not potentially toxic like the high levels of lithium salts used for bipolar disorder.
Thanks for asking
Doug Cowan
Attention Deficit Disorder: Nutraceutical (Natural) Medicines
What's new and effective in the treatment of ADHD? ATTEND is the most advanced natural remedy for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADHD.
ATTEND is a powerful, all-natural treatment intervention that is Clinically Tested (with computerized testing, not merely parent reports), formulated with specific Amino Acid combinations, Essential Fatty Acids, Phospholipid complexes, and Homeopathic Medicines.
ATTEND can be as helpful as Ritalin or other stimulants, but without the side-effects of stimulant medications. When used with other advanced VAXA products in a specific treatment strategy, ATTEND is a powerful natural homeopathic intervention. But what about the other alternative medicines or herbal remedies that are so heavily marketed?
See the difference for yourself, and then decide which is the most advanced product, and the best value, for you to use.
Compare Attend to BeCalm'd and Focus.
Choose the Best Value!
Ingredients
List and Comparison |
ATTEND ($36.95/bottle) |
BeCALM'd ($37.00/bottle) |
Focus ($23.95/bottle) |
Clinically Tested with computerized testing ? (TOVA test) Demonstrated Effective Rate:
|
YES
|
NO
|
NO
|
Manufacturer's Satisfaction Guarantee |
365 days
|
30 day
|
60 day
|
Specific Amino Acids: |
YES (10)
|
YES (1)
|
NONE
|
L-Valine |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
L-Tyrosine |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
L-Cysteine |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
L-Cystine |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
DL-Methionine |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
L-Glutamic Acid |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
GABA |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Glycine |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
L-Glutathione |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
DL-Phenylalanine |
YES
|
YES
|
no
|
Vitamines, Nutritionals, and Minerals: |
YES (14)
|
YES (3)
|
YES (2)
|
Pyridoxine HCL - B6 |
YES
|
YES
|
no
|
Calcium Pantothenate |
YES
|
Calcium carbonate
|
no
|
Magnesium Aspartate |
YES
|
Magnesium oxide
|
no
|
OptiZinc |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Radix Heraclei |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Gotu Kola |
YES
|
no
|
YES
|
Gingko Biloba |
YES
|
no
|
YES
|
ChromeMate |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
DMAE |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Pycnogenol |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Pine Bark Extract (OPC85) |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
NADH- CoEnzyme 1 |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Catechol |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Trifoliumm Pratense/ Trens-cis-cloramide |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Complete Endomembrane Lipid Complex including: |
YES (4)
|
NONE
|
NONE
|
Phosphatidylcholine |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Phosphatidylethanolamine |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Phosphatidylserine |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Phosphatidylinositol |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Essential Fatty Acid Complex including: |
YES (14)
|
NONE
|
NONE
|
Medium Chain Triglycerides |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Lauric Acid |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Myristic Acid |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Palmitic Acid |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Palmitoleic Acid |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Stearic Acid |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Arachidic Acid |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Oleic Acid |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Linolenic Acid |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
EPA |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Decosanoic Acid |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
DHA |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
GLA |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Arachidonic Acid |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Homeopathic Remedies and MicroNutritionals: |
YES (17)
|
NONE
|
NONE
|
Agaricus muscarius |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Argentum nitricum |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Avena Iodum |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Kali bromatum |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Kali phosphoricum |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Lithium bromatum |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Lithium carbonicum |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Natrum muriaticum |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Hypothalamus |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Diopside |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Rhodonite |
YES
|
no
|
no
|
Other Ingredients: |
NONE
|
YES (3)
|
YES (5)
|
Folic Acid (Folacin) |
no
|
YES
|
no
|
L-Glutamine |
L-Glutamic Acid
|
YES
|
no
|
L-Tryptophan (5HTP) |
YES
|
YES
|
no
|
Scuttellaria Laterifolia (Skullcap) |
no
|
no
|
YES
|
Matricaria Recutita (Chamomile) |
no
|
no
|
YES
|
Avina Sativa (Hawer or Green Oats) |
no
|
no
|
YES
|
Urtica Urens |
no
|
no
|
YES
|
Kava |
homeopathic
equivalent |
no
|
YES
|
We all know the struggles that can be casued by ADHD:
And as parents of ADHD kids we would like to find something that would help, without having to use Schedule II prescription amphetamines or other stimulants to help our ADHD child perform better and have more self-control.
Ritalin has been shown through the years to be very effective in the treatment of ADHD symptoms, although it has potential side-effects which many families would like to avoid. More recently, other interventions such as EEG biofeedback training have shown themselves to be very useful in treatment as well. A great deal of energy and money is being poured into the development of non-prescription treatments for ADD ADHD.
Did you know that since 1996 there has been a "herbal remedy" for ADHD that is as effective as either Ritalin or EEG Biofeedback training in treating ADHD? ATTEND is a natural remedy, a homeopathic medicine, based on specific amino acid combinations, lipid complexes, and essential fatty acids. Look at the comparison. Here is the effectiveness of a herbal, homeopathic remedy for ADHD.
Attend by VAXA. There are a lot of younger kids who could benefit from Attend, but they cannot swallow the capsules, which can seem quite large to a young child. So through the years we have tried emptying the contents (which taste terrible) in strawberry jam, followed by a mouthful of orange juice, and other tricks to try to get the ingredients down, but none are very successful long term.
But, finally, the good folks at VAXA have come up with Attend Minis, the Attend product in ½ size capsules that are much easier for a child, or adult, to swallow.
Here is a letter that I received just three days ago, pretty well summarizing the problem that many of you have experienced:
"How do I give my 7 yr old son Jack the Attend pill? The pill is to big to swallow for him. I tried to open the pill and put it in juice but it didn't dissolve so he wouldn't drink it all clumped up in his drink. Do you have any recipes I could add Attend to that would be quick and tasty?"
Here is the answer for most children trying to take the large, but effective, Attend capsules: the Attend Minis … with an easy to swallow capsule size.
Here is the company's press release:
April 28, 2010
VÄXA Launches Attend mini….a Smaller, Easier to Swallow Capsule of their Top Selling
Homeopathic Medicinal for Attention Support
Tampa, FL. April 28, 2010- VÄXA announced today the launch of their smaller sized capsules of their best selling homeopathic medicinal Attend for attention and focus support. Appropriately named for its miniature size, Attend mini provides the same effective formula as Attend in smaller capsules for easier swallowing for children and adults.
With the high success of Attend, and the ever increasing demand for attention support for children, VÄXA created Attend mini to better reach those children and adults with difficulty swallowing pills. For many children, teens, and adults; capsule size plays a major role in whether or not they take a certain medicinal. VÄXA wanted everyone to have the opportunity to experience the benefits of Attend, without pill size being an issue. Now with Attend mini, VÄXA can reach a larger audience and better serve their current customers.
So, what has made Attend one of VÄXA's top selling products since 1987? The answer is easy. It's the advanced, doctor-formulated homeopathic remedies in a base of herbal and nutritional components. Just like the original Attend, Attend mini contains a blend of over 95 ingredients that support focus, promote mental alertness, maintain a balanced mood, and even aid with periodic bouts of nervousness and hyperactivity.
The advanced gluten-free formulation of Attend mini works safely and effectively without sleepy or stimulant side-effects, and will not interact with any other medications. The Attend formulation is accepted for use by the Feingold Program® and is featured in the Prescription for Nutritional Healing, America's #1 Guide to Natural Health.
We have found that Extress is an excellent remedy for certain symptoms common to ADHD, especially
When used with Attend a broad spectrum of ADHD symptoms can be addressed. We highly recommend its use for:
Developed by a neuro-psychologist, Extress can also be very useful for anyone with anxiety, problems sleeping, tension or stress, or even some phobias. Extress is the most popular product for our family, helping the Mrs. to feel less anxious and to sleep during certain hormonal changes, and helping others with stress related symptoms. Our family is never without it.
According to VAXA International, the company that owns and manufacturers Extress, this excellent product is a scientifically advanced homeopathic medicinal that provides the body its nutritional needs during periods of stress, tension, anxiety, minor phobic reactions or generalized anxious discomfort.
This formula contains a specific combination of amino acids as precursors to a series of neurotransmitters within the brain. Extress helps the body to naturally relax our muscles, helping us to avoid getting headache and backaches, etc. When these nutritional requirements have been appropriately addressed, the conscious mind is allowed to effortlessly become refocused without the bother of anxiety and stress.
The company reports that when stress increases, total caloric needs increase and are usually met by the breakdown of protein into amino acids, sugars and phosphate bonds. At least 30% of the diet should be made up of amino acids when the body is under stress because stress breaks down protein at an amazing rate.
Also of some secondary interest to athletes, these same amino acids used by the body to inhibit the breakdown of protein are used by the body to build up muscle tissue. When exercising, stress is encountered within the body and if sufficient free form amino acids are not available, especially those amino acids found within this formula, catabolic (the breaking down of cellular material) reaction will not be offset by anabolic (building up) reactions.
Extress was originally marketed to athletes under a different label, by the way.
EXTRESS is a Scientific Formulation of Natural Ingredients Including:
St. John's Wort (Hypericum Perforatum): Helping the body relax because of documented (1) MAO inhibiting properties, as well as (2) acts as a Serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, increasing the amounts of circulating Serotonin, and (3) also inhibits interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Cortisol, which cause anxiety and depression.
Taraxacum Officinale: Specifically useful for calming and generally for reducing excessive restlessness and tenseness.
Fructus Sophorae: Helps in reducing the feelings of being overwhelmed by external stimulation/ provocation.
GABA: Helps naturally relax all muscle tissue, relieving tension build-up and reducing blood pressure.
Chinese Herbs (Radix Condonopsis Pilosulae, Radix Heraclei, Radix Rehmanniae): Support the body in naturally combatting excessive tiredness, dissipating stress, releasing emotional tension. Traditionally useful as well for soothing over-activity in children.
Lavandula: Helps the body to naturally soothe and calm the nerves, dissipating stress and feelings of anxiousness.
5-HTP: The natural precursor to Serotonin and Melatonin, providing neurochemical balance during stress.
B Vitamins: Critically needed synergistic coenzymes needed by the body to enable relaxation both mentally and physically.
Specific Branched Chained Amino Acids (BCAAs) which aid in the preservation of muscle and neural tissue during times of stress and anxiety.
Supporting Amino Acids: Provideing critical anti-stress buffering precursors for Brain, Central Nervous System (CNS) and Skeletal needs.
Specifically Targeted Micro-Nutritionals & Homeopathic Medicines
Hi Dr. Cowan,
As part of an effort to utilize our medical review board I was writing you
with the hopes that you might assist me with an email question I received.
Nancy said that you had some protocols established regarding how individuals
might wean of pharmaceutical medications while taking Attend. Of course
this would need to be discussed with their primary care physician first, as
Växa want to take no liability in this, however it is a question that pops
up from time to time. Could you please share with me your thoughts
regarding this email? Your time and input is most welcome.
Danièl Giddens
Manager, Customer Service
Växa International
800-248-8292
Hi Daniel
Here is what I have observed...
When someone is currently using a stimulant medication such as ritalin (or other
methylphenidate compound), dexedrine, or adderall, they may make the decision to try to
switch to Attend.
There can be a lot of reasons for this. Perhaps the person is not a "positive responder"
to the medication (somewhere between 10% and 20% who try stimulants end up being
non-responders). Perhaps there are benefits, but there are side-effects that are too
intrusive or too severe, so there is a search for another treatment. Or perhaps there is
just the perceived threat of potential side-effects lingering over their heads.
For the non-responders the decision is easy, they should try something else.
Here is one of my favorite sayings: If what you are doing works, don't mess with it -- if
it doesn't work try something else.
But for those who are receiving some benefit from the stimulant medications the decision
is a bit more difficult. Usually what the family is looking for is to maintain the level
of benefit received from the medication but lower the severity of side-effects, or lower
the risk of potential side-effects.
Attend can often help to achieve this.
I have suggested to families that they (1) talk to their doctor, of course, and then (2)
start with the Attend, Extress, and etc. I recommend that they start the Attend slowly...
1/day for a few days, then 2/day for a couple of days, then 3/day, then 4/day. Once they
hit 4 per day, 2 in the morning and two in the afternoon, then the "clock starts" and it
will be about 20-30 days for the Attend to really start to work.
Often, around 30 days, it will begin to look like the patient is "over-medicated" from
the stimulant: "too much foot on the brake petal," "heading toward being a zombie," maybe
overly flat affect, maybe over-focused.
This is the time that the family should look at reducing the stimulant medication dose,
maybe about 25% less (from 20mg ritalin to 15mg ritalin per dose for example).
What they are looking for is to still receive the optimum benefit from the medication,
but at a lower dose - in fact now the search starts for the lowest possible dose that
will provide optimum benefit.
Over time the family should try to lower the dose to 1/2 the original beneficial dose,
and see if they still get the same benefits as the original dose. If so, then they should
see far fewer side-effects, both in the short-term and for the long-term.
This level, 1/2 of the "baseline" beneficial dose, is a great goal - a healthy goal. If
they can do better than this, it is outstanding.
By the way, it is somewhat rare for stimulant medication to be completely replaced by
Attend, Extress, and etc. I think it is because even small doses of stimulant can be so
"performance enhancing" that people just want to keep a bit of the stimulant in use.
Its sort of like going to Starbucks in the morning and afternoon for a "lift". In fact it
is estimated that 5mg of Ritalin is about equal to 100mg of caffeine, which is a small
coffee at Starbucks.
They can use as much Extress as they need from day one, they don't need to be careful
with the Extress. Great product for temper, mood swings, impulsiveness, etc. If temper is
a problem they can start at four per day, or more. It works quickly while the Attend is
taking its time to make a difference.
Memorin can cause temper problems, so people need to be careful. It is best with
"inattentive" ADHD, not the impulsive-hyperactive type. It is usually either Extress they
need, or Memorin, but rarely both.
Stay in touch
Doug Cowan
Here is the information from the VAXA web site on manufacturing standards. It can be found online at http://www.vaxa.com/manufacturing-standards.cfm
There Are 1037 Nutritional Manufacturing Facilities in The U.S., but only one Passed Our Rigorous 7 Step Examination. Less than ½ of 1% of the nutritional manufacturing facilities in the country match the exacting standards followed in the Växa facility. Our products are manufactured in a lab that follows standards beyond those suggested under Good Manufacturing Procedure (GMP) guidelines.
No Contamination The manufacturing lab is a clinical environment with all stainless steel construction. To clean the lab we utilize UV sterilization, carbon filtration, reverse osmosis, ozone injection, mix bed de-ionization and boiler kettle our own water. This procedure is above kosher requirements.
No Contamination Each room has its own air handler that completely exchanges the air 50 times per hour. Pure, clean air is a critical element in manufacturing a pure product. There are so many contaminants in the air that a state of the art air scrubbing system is a necessity. Many facilities just have a dust handler and rely on the air conditioning system to fight to replace the air. You might as well make the product in the parking lot. The temperature is at a constant 71 degrees and the humidity is less than 35%.
Every Capsule Has the Same Ingredient Mix The key element of our manufacturing process is particle sizing. Simply put, all of the elements come in different particle sizes. Picture BBs, ping-pong balls, golfballs, baseballs, softballs, and basketballs. Improper mixing yields batches that have all of the basketballs balls at the top and the BBs at the bottom. This would mean that each capsule has a different mix of ingredients (those early in the loading process - too many basketballs). We use cold process pulverization to take all particles to the same size - everything is a BB. Smaller particle size means that the body assimilates the elements more readily.
Capsules Have Longer Lasting Potency The product is weighed and blended in a static and gravity free environment. This incorporates 100% batch involvement in the mixing process with no dead spots. While in the blending process, the ambient air has been removed and replaced with stable nitrogen, which is heavier than air and reduces oxidation and process contamination. The bulk material is weight validated to assure batch size compliance, then formulation and quality control verified for batch uniformity. The lab signs off on weight sheets to make sure that everything that was supposed to go in went in.
Capsules are Loaded One at A Time In the encapsulation department, pharmaceutical standard, GMP certified machines employ the dose tamping method. Powder goes into the machine then is tamped with pins into the capsule to the milligram of accuracy. This process is done one capsule at a time. During this process, at 5- minute intervals, a person will test to validate quantities. The capsules are polished, dust is removed, and they are hand inspected to see that they are not dented, scratched, or broken. The finished product is analyzed using high-pressure liquid chromatography, which creates a quantitative analysis of a compound. Then a mass spectrometer is used to create a qualitative analysis. This creates the blue print that all future capsules must match.
No Short Cuts At the end of the production process, checks are run to insure that the product weighs what it should. Industry standards allow +/- 5% failure tolerances. We insist on a tolerance of +/- 1%. Many manufacturers cut corners here. It is in their interest to do so as 5% less material in each capsule adds up to serious costs saved over time.
In the end, each batch comes with a certificate of analysis and has a National Drug Control number. Once it is manufactured and packaged, the product is then tested by lot to ensure quality control, stability, consistency, weight, and content. Time series and dating analysis are performed twice on all lots, first at the lab and then when received as a finished product by Växa. Strict controls of inventory dating and ongoing computer evaluations are performed daily, while total rechecks of inventory are performed each month.
VAXA's manufacturing standards are the highest in the industry.
The following is a reply to a question regarding ATTEND and its NDC number with the FDA. The reply is from Daniel Giddens, Customer Service Supervisor for VAXA International. We hope that it may serve to answer some of your questions regarding Attend and its status with the FDA. - ed
Attend is a recognized as an alternative to pharmaceutical ADHD medications and has been available since 1987. Although Attend is not FDA approved (due to it being a natural product) it contains Homeopathics and is therefore recognized by the United States government as an Over the Counter medication (OTC). Due to this we have been assigned an NDC# (National Drug Control) for Attend; that NDC# is 67514-0266-3.
In order to verify the NDC # you must contact the FDA directly and tell them it is for a Homeopathic. There website will not list anything other than Pharmaceutical medications (ed.note - at this time the database seems to have only medications for diabetes treatment) which is why calling direct is important.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Web site: www.fda.gov
Toll-free: 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)
Address: 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857
Because of their long use in the United States, the U.S. Congress passed a law in 1938 declaring that homeopathic remedies are to be regulated by the FDA in the same manner as nonprescription, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, which means that they can be purchased without a physician's prescription. Today, although conventional prescription drugs and new OTC drugs must undergo thorough testing and review by the FDA for safety and effectiveness before they can be sold, this requirement does not apply to homeopathic remedies.
Remedies are required to meet certain legal standards for strength, quality, purity, and packaging. In 1988, the FDA required that all homeopathic remedies list the indications for their use (i.e., the medical problems to be treated) on the label.
The FDA also requires the label to list ingredients, dilutions, and instructions for safe use.
The guidelines for homeopathic remedies are found in an official guide, the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States. The Pharmacopoeia also includes provisions for testing new remedies and verifying their clinical effectiveness. Remedies on the market before 1962 have been accepted into the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States based on historical use, rather than scientific evidence from clinical trials.
Vaxa International meets all standards for manufacturing and production practices set forth by the FDA, which includes having an FDA attorney, and using a GMP Certified ‘A-Rated’ lab.
The Natural Products Association (formerly NNFA) praised President Bush's signing into law the Dietary Supplement and Non-Prescription Drug Consumer Protection Act (the "AER bill"), S. 3546. The legislation, which had cleared the 109th Congress in its final hours, will amend the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to require the reporting of "serious" adverse events for both over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and dietary supplements to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The bill was overwhelmingly supported by dietary supplement retailers, and suppliers who welcomed its passage as further proof that the industry is well-regulated and committed to consumer safety. "Our top priority is providing the products that people want to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives," said David Taylor, president of the Natural Products Association. "So we welcome and support reasonable legislation like this because it will help consumers and the public understand what we have known for some time -- that our industry is made up of good people who make good products and stand by them."
The bipartisan legislation was introduced in the Senate in June of this year by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and includes several provisions that were instrumental in earning the Natural Products Association's support. Among these key provisions are those requiring that only serious adverse events, not just any complaint, be reported; exempting retail stores from reporting directly to the FDA and preempting a potential patchwork of state laws on the issue.
"The industry has long supported passing this legislation and views it as the responsible, right thing to do," said David Seckman, the Natural Products Association's executive director and CEO. "This law is further proof that the dietary supplement industry is well-regulated and puts consumers first."
The Natural Products Association (www.NaturalProductsAssoc.org) is the nation's largest and oldest non-profit organization dedicated to the natural products industry. The association represents nearly 10,000 retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors of natural products, including foods, dietary supplements, and health and beauty aids.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 27 December 2006 )
Danièl Giddens
Supervisor
Customer Service
Växa International
800-248-8292
Important Note: The information contained in this email message is not meant to replace the advice or opinion of your own personal physician. In no way, does the correspondence above represent a diagnosis or treatment of any illness or disease. Växa International always recommends that you seek the advice of your personal physician before starting any nutritional program.
Attend and FDA Recognition Status
1. Learn about the Different Types of Styles of ADHD, and decide which Type is closest to describing your unique situation.
2. Learn about the Specific Alternative Treatment Strategy for that Type of ADHD.
3. Order the Products needed for that Specific Treatment Strategy.
4. Print out a copy of our Different Types of ADHD Decision Tree and Parent Rating Scales (PDF format), sit down, and rate the Baseline Performance section.
Keep the Rating Scales around. Once you begin the Specific Attend Treatment Strategy, then rate changes every two weeks and track the changes!
5. Begin our ADHD Diet as soon as possible, today if you can. This will take about two to four weeks to make a significant difference, so begin ASAP!
6. Once your products arrive, begin implementing the Specific Treatment Strategy chosen. Stick to it! Give the Strategy time to work! And stick to the Eating Program too!
7. Be sure to update your Rating Scales every two weeks.
Getting the most our of your VAXA Attend.
Attend is a powerful, all-natural treatment alternative that can make a positive difference! Attend is Clinically Tested with computerized testing, in addition to parent reports. The Computerized Testing showed over 70% improved with Attend in just 30 days, and the Parent Rating Scales reported 80% improved in 30 days.
Since VAXA International was sold to NutraCorp in May of 2012, we have set up an agreement with NutraCorp to still make Attend, Extress, and other fine VAXA products available to our readers. We have built a store at http://nutrition2you.com and process orders through PayPal for your convenience. Products are usually shipped within one business day. Here's a link: Nutrition2you.com.
People of all ages using Attend become:
VAXA's Neuro-Scientists developed the Attend formula using cutting edge research with amino acid combinations, Essential Fatty Acids and Lipid complexes, homeopathic medicines, and precursors to specific neurotransmitters.
This combination of neural building materials gives the brain what it needs to optimize performance in filtering out noise from the "outside world," and noise from "the inside world," to focus better on the task at hand. Attend is helping children and adults who have problems with attention, learning, or impulse control, and Attend will help your child... or your money back!
Attend is formulated with 72 specific ingredients for maximum benefit:
Attend is a safe homeopathic medicine that is combined with the most advanced nutritional formula available. Providing nutritional and homeopathic support to the Central Nervous System, Attend gives the brain the support required for new neural growth and neurotransmitter production.
Taken regularly, Attend complements our body's natural calming and balancing agents, helping us to focus attention, calm down and relax more, and finish our tasks.
We personally performed the clinical studies for the development of Attend, and we have seen the positive results in real life settings through our clinical practice.
Attend helps 70% to be more focused, to get their work done, and to think more clearly. Attend can help you too! Look at the results below...
The study group showed the greatest improvement in the area of Self-Control, shown by a reduction of "Commission Errors". This item improved by 1.6 standard deviations.
This means that as a group they made fewer mistakes, guessed less on responses, slowed down to get the right answer, and showed better neurological self-control.
The next greatest improvement was in the Consistency of Performance, which is the most difficult category to improve whether using Attend or stimulant medications. The group saw an overall improvement of 1.2 standard deviations.
This means that as a group they were able to maintain their initial focus to the task longer, and they had less "ups and downs" during the test. They were simply performing better, for a longer period of time.
The Focus to Task category, improved 1.0 standard deviations. This is also a very strong improvement considering it is for an entire group.
This means that as a group they were paying attention to the task much better, and for a longer period of time. Their "attention span" increased to the boring task of the TOVA test.
The improvement in Reaction Time was 5 points, or 1/2 of a standard deviation, which is still statistically significant, especially for a group.
Reaction Time is obviously neurologically based. Improvement in RT indicates that neurological performance had improved for the group for some reason. That reason was the use of Attend as an alternative treatment choice for 30 days.
IMPORTANT: Use our eating program, and our Specific Treatment Strategies for your specific type of ADHD for the best results! Find them under our section on the Different Types of ADHD.
Yes! Attend really works! See the articles below to see how using Attend for 30 days compared to using Ritalin for 30 days or EEG Biofeedback training for 30 days.
The computerized TOVA CPT test showed that 70% of children and teens using ATTEND made statistically significant improvements, including:
No. There are no known side-effects with Attend.
Listen to Dr Young on Attend. Here is a rare radio interview with Gregory Young, Ph.D., Oxon., Neuroscientist and developer of Attend as an alternative treatment for ADHD. This is from one of Dr Cowan's old "Your Family's Health" radio program from c.1999 on KERI radio. It is about 14 minutes long and is very interesting and quite in-depth.
Learn Much More about Attend as an alternative treatment for ADHD in the articles below.
keywords: "Alternative Treatment for ADHD" "Alternative Medicine ADHD" "Attend for ADHD"