Expert: Dr Billy Levin - 4/18/2010

Question
Dear Dr. Levin,
My son is 19 and has stuttered since he was given Ritalin at age 11.  We stopped the Ritalin as soon as we noticed the stuttering, but it never went away.  He seems to be in a fog most of the time with a very low energy level.  He's fun, very bright in history and science, struggles terribly with basic math, geometry and algebra are easy, and has a great sense of humor and is an affectionate person. At 17, we tried Vyvanse, but the stuttering became horrible, so we stopped it and went to a homeopath who worked with him to reduce the impact of the Vyvanse and was successful...  We are now trying Attend and fish oils, but are open to any suggestions you may have.

Thanks in advance for your reply

Answer
Ritalin and Vyvenese will work for ADD only if used correctly but neither can cause a stutter. The stutter will be worse if neglected and the person is stressed. The stutter needs a separate medication and speech therapy. Attend, Fish oils and homeopathy have no scientific proof of value except placebo value.One of the complications of neglected ADD is depression in teenagers, possibly explaining his current lethagy and  the depression possibly in need of it's owm medication. The vyvenese has no long lasting impact. Once you stop it it is out of the system within hours. My advice is to see a medical expert urgently.