Natural remedies for kids with ADD | ADHD Information
My son is 11. His father will not consent to medication for ADD. I want to try a natural remedy for him. Has anyone tried anything that worked?Please help.You might want to check out my post in the Parents
of ADHD Children section under the heading 'how to
improve ADHD symptoms', and also my post in this
section under 'Research on biochemistry and ADD'.
There are many interesting websites in the latter..
all with alternative therapies.
Also check out Matt's post in the Parents of ADHD
Children section under the heading 'valuable info for
anyone with ADD / ADHD' for someone, though he is
an adult, who has experienced relief from his ADD
symptoms through natural remedies.
Good luck to you..pi1838018.9287384259
Natural treatments - like meds - can be frustrating becuase what works for one child may not work for another; these kids are so unique!
A few great books are "The ADD Nutrition Solution" by Marcia Zimmerman, "the LCP Solution" by Jacqueline Stordy PhD and Malcolm Nicholl, and "Healing ADD- The Breakthroug Program that Allows You to See and Heal the 6 Types of ADD" by Dr. Daniel Amen.
My son reacts to artificial dyes, chocolate, corn syrup and all dairy products. He also had an essential fatty acid deficiency and by adding Efalex we completely eliminated most of his behavior problems, dyslexia and he no longer wears glasses. We also had to add supplements because he was not getting the nutrients he needed from the foods he eats. Most of the ADHD kids tested are deficient in calcium, zinc, magnesium and B vitamins, and deficiencies in these can cause behavior and ADHD problems. Kyle also had a Candidia yeast overgrowth that we are constantly treating and is allergic to Candidia.
One great thing to do is go to either the Great Plains Labs or Great Smokies website. They have test kits you can order that will allow you to find what problems you have and you can go from there. The test results have to be sent to a doctor; we used an excellent osteopath in our area. Osteopaths and chiropractors are trained in supplements and treating the causes of problems not just giving meds to treat the symptoms.
Kyle's Mom ~ I went to the Great Smokies website and it says that you can only order from them if you are a medical professional. Is there someplace else you can go for this that you know of? I'm having a real problem with the doc's ~ they don't really like the natural approach and don't know what I'm talking about when I discuss having her tested for deficiencies and/or allergies/intolerances. I've searched the internet for an Osteopath ~ there don't seem to really be too many in MA that I can find. Any other suggestions on where to go or what type of doc to talk to about this? My daughter has (finally) mastered swallowing pills, which I think is great for 6 (my son is 24 and still has a problem). She is taking calcium/magnesium (which I crush and put in her food ~ it has no taste but it's HUGE) 2x/day, a combination B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and folic acid 1x/day, a combination Omega 3, 6 & 9 1x/day, 5-HTP 1x/day and a multivitamin 1x/day. Basically she has 3 in the morning with breakfast and 3 with dinner. I started her on the calcium/magnesium 1 1/2 weeks ago with the omega's and the multivitamin (she's been taking that one forever). This week (4 days ago) I added the B's and the 5-HTP. Without being tested I don't really know if there's anything else to add ~ except that I think I'd like to add a Vitamin C. I'm having such a hard time getting any support from the medical community. I'm really trying to keep her off drugs if at all possible. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
My boy was diagnosed with Auditory Delay, at age 4. There are many things that cause attention deficit. and the general medical population lables it as ADD and wants to medicate it. Auditory delay means he has difficulty understanding what is being said in a confusing or noisy environment like a classroom. As a result, our son was really out of synch with what was going on around him, and became disruptive out of frustration. It was after he hit someone that we took action and got him tested.
I worked with Dr. Gerry Schwartz, the owner of the Learning Centre in Vancouver, B.C. Canada (she has a website) to help our son with his learning difficulties. She taught us that children need to learn to use the brains God gave them, and that it is the parents job to figure out how to support and advocate and fight for them. She also recommended a communication workbook that our son took to school everyday from Kindergarten until this year. The teacher reported daily with a smiley, so-so,
or a frowny
measuring his Focus, Behavior, and Cooperation. This way we knew on a daily basis how our son was doing, rather than waiting for the meeting your usually get 3x a year. In this way, things don't get too out of control, and you can stay on top of your child's progress. Your child also wants to try harder when they are accountable on a daily basis. As a result, our son became excellent in reading and Math, and his marks when way up. He also developed a gift in music. We kept him out of team sports and focussed more on sports such as tennis, skiing, karate, as it is hard for these kids to understand what is going on in a team dynamic. We also put him in the Montessori kindergarten for 3 years from age 3-6 as these kids really benefit from a structured environment. I have an interest in food allergies and the effects on the brain, because I am affected in this way, and so chose to do my research for our son in this direction, and totally changed his diet, even though I had Psychologist PHD friends who claimed it wouldn't make a difference, it sure did!
He is now 12 years old, is in one of the best choirs in the Country, has been on the honour role in a private school, is doing better in team sports, and got a scholarship there for choral singing. We got him in this school when he was in grade 4, as private schools can be more accomodating to kids with special needs, epecially if your child is bright and has special talents.
I have had him on a vitamin called kid3.com (put this into Google for more info)and had all his food allergies figured out by a Naturopath. He also takes Effalex (containing EFA's Essential Fatty Acids and Fish oils)Vitamin B complex,vitamins, Vitamin E, an antioxidant, IQ by Albi, from Blaine, Wash, which contains natural stimulants (just started on this one.) A great book is by Dr Michael Murphy and is called "IS YOUR KID'S BRAIN STARVING'
Dr Murphy has a vitamin company called NATURAL FACTORS which makes a great vitamin smoothie product called "Learning Factors" it is very helpful.
He is off of foods containing molds (ie cheese) soy, dairy, chocolate, sugar, wheat products, artificial colours, aspartame (lots of this in diet drinks and gum), so called 'natural' flavours,(just another name for MSG, as is hydrolyzed vegetable protein. He brings junk food and cupcakes home from school, and eats it after dinner occasionally as this food on occasion on a full stomach doesn't do much harm, and helps him to not feel deprived. At school, you have to be very strict with the teachers, as they hand out all kinds of candy and junk to your kids. They are only recently getting smart about peanuts as an allergy to this can cause death, but they aren't up to speed about sugar or sugary drinks as many teachers are addicted to this stuff themselves, and don't want to understand the harm it can do to kids that are sensitive to it.
What a difference. Our son is still very slow in doing his work, and has difficulty writing essays, but he has a 78% average in one of the top schools here in Toronto.
I have been tempted to put him on drugs, as it takes a lot of time to support our boy in doing his homework, He takes 3x longer to do everything, but he does it with excellence. He uses the computer and TV in moderation, as the screen can make his symptoms worse. Nintendo needs to go in the garbage for these kids. Staring at a flickering tv screen definately makes them worse. A modern computer monitor can be rigged up for tv and games, and is not so over-stimulating as its screen flicker rate is much higher than tv screens.
But he feels loved and knows who he is, and can sing solos in church in front of 600 people without being a bit nervous. He may not be the most socially adept or popular kid, but I don't know if drugs would change this either. There was a boy in his choir who was on Ritalin, and was the most difficult and nasty kid imaginable, and didn't stay for very long. He had difficulties staying awake, and never ate when the other kids did, unless it was to eat candy. It was heartbreaking.
Perhaps when my son is older he may use medically prescribed amphetamines (that's what Ritalin, Concerta, etc are.)
But at that time, he will have had his brain mature without chemicals, and can self medicate when he really needs it for university studying, etc to increase his focus abilities.
I am constantly researching and looking for ways to help my son and myself deal with focussing problems. I became a practicing Architect and have managed with the the help of my Architect husband to have a great business, and raise 2 challenging teenagers. It hasn't been easy, but I am so greatful for all the support I have been able to find on the internet and from friends and relatives who deal with ADD symptoms. I am heartened and encouraged by all the parents out there who are sticking to their guns and choosing the non medicated, clean up the diet route. I know it may not work for everyone, but it is worth a try. Anyone who reads this post is please invited to ad other ideas that have worked for you and your family.
Best wishes on your journey,
Marilyn
Kim,
I'm sure you can find it at a GNC or somethng similar but I have not looked. The pills can be swallowed and as far as when they are taken is up to you. I give my daughter 2 before school and 2 after school. Remember tho with the MIN-TRAN you also have to cut back on the sugar intake in thier diet.
I also tried the Feingold diet and found some postive response from my son. I found that his overall activity level seemed to decrease however his impulsive actions did not.
I do believe there is alot of merit in the Feingold diet, unfortunately it is a full time job to monitor what your child is eating. All the labels must be read, organic foods purchased (expensive), etc. You must be 100% dedicated to see results and in our case the results were minimal.
We too are at a point where we must decide whether or not our son will begin a drug treatment - It is a very scary decision.
I've been giving my daughter calcium/magnesium, omega 3 supplements & multivitamins. It's been a week so far and I am seeing a few small changes already. For 2 days now she has come out of school happy telling me she had a great day. I'm going to add vitamin C and omega 6 as well. I've been checking interactions and these can all be taken together ~ I'm thinking of possibly making like a shake or something with them to make it easier than her having to take so many. Anyway, small steps lead to bigger steps. So far so good.Jenny:
Is the chiropractic office the only place you can get the MIN-TRAN? and do you have to crush the pills up? Can the child take the pills whole? Are all 4 pills given at one time? Thanks in advance for answering my questions. I may give this a try. Kim
chrisHello All!
I was looking for message boards for parents experience with different medications when I found this board. I was reading your experiences with natural remedies and really feel our experiences could be helpful to SOME.
My 8 yr old old son was diagnosed ADHD 2 1/2 yrs ago. He was diagnosed ADHD with a strong emphasis on HYPERACTIVITY and IMPULSIVITY. He saw an Internal Med. Pyshician, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Neurologist and even an Allergist trying to find answers and even alternatives to medication. (important note: the allergist did not find any food allergies in his testing).
Because this can definately become way too long of a post I will cut out a lot but try to just keep the main points of my post....we tried Concerta for probably 2 weeks and my son began having tics (blinking). He was to be temporarily removed from the meds. (Dr.'s recommendation) until we could get in to see the Dr. In those few days I was scared out of my mind because my son was worse then ever, though not hyper he seemed severely Dyslexic and APPEARED to be having brain seizures (that is how we eneded up at the Neurologist). Please not the is not a post putting down Cencerta this is just MY sons reaction to the medication.And it scared me enough not to try the meds. again (at that time anyway).
I found on message boards some people claiming vitamin deficiencies or food intolerances/allergies but mostly people not having any real answers and needing to accept the diagnoses and seriously consider medication.
We tried the vitamins with no luck. Then tried a food elimination diet and figured we wouldn't get so lucky. Well we did, BIG TIME!
It is a LOT of work, a bit more expensive and I am lucky my son will not eat anything that is not MOM APPROVED, which usually means only the food I give him.
This has made a TREMENDOUS difference. Over the past 2 years we even believed that we found the answer to his poblem.
Well again to keep from becomming a novel, we have since moved 2 times due to military retirement then to a more affordable area, and my son has now been at a new school for 2 months. Areas that he has had some difficulty in before comming here (though did not appear to be a major problem or ADHD related because it was thought to something that time would correct)have really a lot more noticable. These are still not hyperactivity and not so much impulsivity.
He seems to struggle with reading and writing. Slowing down with his reading because he makes many mistakes which is causing him not to do well with comprehension though comprehension itself does not seem to be a problem. And slowing down with his writing to avoid mistakes. And checking back over the work he has rushed through to find and fix mistakes.
So he is failing for the first time. He is also being tutored and in intervention groups (this is new for him). All teachers and tutor (and myself) feel the same, he knows all this stuff but can't seem to put it on paper. So this brings us back to treating the ADD but without HYPERACTIVITY.
For the most part he does not disrupt the class, he completes his homework, he is vey polite in school, raises his hand and often, though not always, listens in class to the lesson. I secretly observed him for 1 hour in class the other day. He was perfect (on task and well behaved) up until the last 15 minutes of class when he was supposed to write his rough draft of his paper. Then I saw total avoidance.
Anyway, I am now considering a small amount of medication to help with what the food could not. We will see the Dr. next week and I have been working closely with the school.
The reason for my post is that the food may not have been a cure all but my goodness the difference is AMAZING.
I have to do a Conners and Copeland checksheets and bring them to our Dr. visit. I compared my answers to the folder of information I have from past checksheets and letters from schools and Dr. when first diagnosed, it is like we are talking about a COMPLETELY different child. Dealing with ADD for us is a HUGE difference from dealing with ADHD. Though things are a little stresssful now trying to keep him from failing and already being in the 4th qtr, there is no comparisson to the struggle and MANY tears cried before his diet was adjusted.
I just wanted to post outr experience since it was someone elses post that helped us get this far. Hopefully our experience can help at least one family somewhere out there.
Thanks for listening!
Mychelle
Hi Mychelle,It sounds like you are on the right track, please re-read my post, and if you feel comfortable with it, try 'Learning Factors' shake by the "Natural Factors' company. You can look them up on line.
The update on my son is that he just got on the honor role, a mighty struggle for a boy who takes 3x longer than everyone else to get his homework and everything else done. My husband should get a gold star for his patience, in watching over him and coaching him. The food thing takes a lot of patience, and the food sensitivities change. We recently discovered our son was very allergic to soy products, after tolerating them well for many years. By the way, our MD didn't find any food allergies, but our Naturopath found 10 of them, and tested our son electronically with an instrument, not those brutal neanderthal needles! I think the Naturopathic field is way ahead of the MD field in the area of allergies.
Good luck with your son, and let me know how the 'Learning Factors' remedy works. That Natural Factors company has also published a book called "IS YOUR CHILD'S BRAIN STARVING?" that has given us a lot of nutritional coaching.
Best wishes,
Marilyn
WE TOOK OUR 6 YR. OLD OFF CONCERTA AND RESPERDAL, AS HE WAS ON THE HIGHEST DOSAGE, AND STILL NASTY, AND ARGUMENTIVE. YOU CAN FIND ALMOST ALL, AND IN THE RIGHT AMOUNTS OF VITAMINS, AND MINERALS, (AS SUGGESTED ON THE AMOUNT OF SUPPLEMENTS FOR ADHD, WEBSITE0 IN A POWDERED PRODUCT CALLED 'ALL ONE' ON THE NET, THEY SUGGESTED I GIVE MY SON 2-3 TSP OF THE RICE ALL ONE, WHICH THEY ARE OUT OF FOR THE MOMENT SO WE ORDERED BOTH THAT AND THE ORIGINAL. I FIGURED OUT THE SUGGEST SUPPLEMENT AMOUNTS, AND 3 TSP COMES OUT EXAC TLY RIGHT WE ARE ALSO GIVING 2 CAPSULE be CALMED, - BE CAREFUL THERE ARE OTHER PRODUCTS CALLED THAT, THIS IS A SUPPLEMENT, CONTAINING 5 HTP, vitamins, minerals, DL Phenylalanine - L Glutamine, etc. Ben is getting
1 capsule beCALMED am 1/2 before breakfast,
1 "" &nbs p; &nbs p; around 3 or 1/2 hour to an hour before eating
this was posted before I was done, Ben is getting
1 becalmed in am
1 late pm, must be taken on empty stomach, or small amount of juice,Etc
3 tsp. all in one in am for breakfast mixed in applesauce,
Websites are great with info, and answering questions. We are also going to add DMAE when I find it. 1-- mg.
all one web site www.all-one/supplements
beCALMED www.adhd-becalmed.com
ok will try again, here are websites
www.healthwell.com for ADHD supplements suggestions, and amounts
www.lanspeed.com/all one for that supplement,
sorry i am having so much trouble, these are getting posted before i am done,
Thanks for replying to my post. It's nice to know someone read it
I did re-read your post and looked up the Learning Factors shake as you suggested. I guess I would need to contact the company directly to be sure but I am betting that something in there comes from a corn source.
Corn is the hardest thing to avoid. My son has problems with corn, soy, yeast, wheat, gluten, citrus and berries. We are back to a food journal this week and keeping him off dairy but yesterday and this morning seemed worse then usual so who the heck knows. I will probably let him go ahead and have the dairy back tonight.
I would have to find out for sure but I bet the shake has an allegern or two of his in it. Then what, ya know? <sigh>
I would love more then anything to keep him off meds. But at this point, honestly, it doesn't look like we are going to able to do that. My biggest problem is his self esteem is taking the blows each day he struggles. And self esteem is everything.
Marilyn, is your son, or anyone else's child reading this post, under the Section 504 Plan in school? The school recently suggested it but I am back and forth on it since knowing my son like I do, he will probably just take advantage of it and it may actually cause more harm then good. I am wondering if anyone else is using the 504 plan without meds. and what their experiences have been.
Thanks,
Mychelle
Hi ~ My daughter is 6 1/2 and was diagnosed ADHD combined in September, 2003 (although I think I knew years before that). I am trying very hard to keep her off meds too. We had her IEP meeting in February and it was determined that she didn't qualify because she does not have a learning disability, but she automatically qualified for 504. She doesn't know that she is on any plan and her teacher certainly isn't going to let her take advantage of anything ~ she barely gives my daughter credit for anything she does right anyway. I started her on supplements about 6 weeks ago and what a difference. She hasn't been to the principals office at all in almost 5 weeks (used to be at least a couple of times a week). Her classmates have made comments about how much nicer she is lateley, telling her that they are proud of her (I volunteer in the classroom). Through the 504 they started a friendship group with her and 3 other children to teach her how to be a better friend. In the initial evaluations they did, one of the things they noted was that she doesn't really interact with other children in her class. She has trouble picking up on social cues (classic ADHD from what I've read). The 504 just makes the school follow through with giving them what they need to learn. My daughter has a great deal of difficulty transitioning from one thing to the next. By the time she's gotten herself and her mind set on to the next thing, the class is ready to move on to something else. Now, they have check lists on everything that's going to happen throughout the day and give 10 minute warnings, 5 minute, so on. She came home from school last Friday and said she couldn't wait for the weekend to be over so she could go back to school ~ she loves school now. The one thing I've noticed that does have an affect on her behavior is red dye so we try very hard to stay away from that ~ although it has less of an affect if she has something with red dye on a full stomach.
Hope this helped ~ good luck. τΏτ
Hi Mychelle,You can go to http://naturalfactors.com/product/_details.asp?l+&ac+&am p;id+450&cat=17
or if you can't block and paste this url into your browser, just go to
www.naturalfactors.com and type Learning Factors into the search box.
I have read the ingredients on the can, and there is no corn. That would be counter productive to a smart company like Natural Factors, as they totally understand the allergy thing and its effects on the brain. The protein source in the shake is rice protein, which works for my son, as he is allergic to cow dairy (not goat or sheep, though) and soy and wheat products. We buy the unflavoured shake mix and add a banana, or frozen blueberries and raspberries.
I highly recommend the book from this company, "Is your Child's Brain Starving?"
Here in Toronto Canada we don't have Section 504 Plan. It sounds like a good idea. Our son goes to a school where he gets really good social coaching, and when he is older, if he wishes, he can go to a Psychiatrist (we have most of our medical costs paid by our Federal Government up here- a mixed blessing because there are line-ups for anyone who is good)
Our son also gets no candy with ANY artificial colours or flavours. The tartrazine candy manufacturers put into sour candies and gum is very toxic and addictive to ADD kids. If he gets something sweet, it is homemade, with spelt or oat flour, or comes from the healthfood store, after careful inspection of the ingredients. He can have a sweet dessert after a large protein containing meal, with no ill effects. In this way he doesn't feel deprived, but he has had to learn delayed gratification in the sweets department, otherwise it derails his whole day. He will bring home a treat from school or a party and eat it after dinner, for example.
Toronto is a large city of 3 million people, and we have lots of very competant Naturopaths and Chiropractors. For this I am most greatful, as my family has had a number of serious illnesses and injuries that have been treated by these alternative means, with great success. Here in Canada, if you get a letter from a cooperative MD (of which there are also many here) that states that your family needs vitamins, herbs and homeopathic medicine to manage a cronic condition (such as ADD or allergies) then you can write off the cost of your vitamins on your income tax, just as if they were prescription medicines. This has been helpful for us as we have a high vitamin bill, but practically ZERO drug expenses!
Best wishes,
Marilyn
Hello all,
I can't tell you how happy I am to find this discussion board and to have others who are also looking into more natural solutions for their children. I have an 11 year old son who has been diagnosed with ADD (not ADHD) and has been on Concerta for the past 2 years. Last Thursday, we took him off and will not be putting him back on it, or any other drug that the dr's have to offer. He has developed a facial tic (squeezing his eyes shut and kind of grimacing), which is now diminishing without the meds, but we aren't sure how long it will take. Our Pedicatrician has recommended a psychiatrist to review other meds, but it's a 3-4 month wait if you want to use insurance. Regardless, we are now working harder on diet and looking at natural supplements (such as ATTEND - has any body tried that one) and hoping that we haven't destroyed his wonderful brain.
If anyone has tried the ATTEND, I would be very interested in your comments. It seems to be a complimentary product of the beCalmed that I see some of you are trying.
Thanks so very much.
Kathy
Kathy-I have used the "attend" product, as has my son
.We did it for about 6 weeks and my son was helped
a little but There was no big differance in me .
Now we are trying "BeCALMED" and I think it
seems to be even better for him,although I still cant
notice a differance for me.Maybe I need to give it
more time as it's only been about 2 weeks.
The benefit we saw in Nick was that he seems to
be bonding with me better and is generally a little
happier. We are still dealing with issues of
insecurity and selfishness and attitudes.
We have also upped his dosage of ginko biloba so
maybe that has helped some ,too.
Hope this helps a little- If you need more details
let me know- ; -songwriter songwriter38091.4450810185
Songwriter -
Thanks. I think we are going to try Attend, then if there isn't a noticable change, we may combine it with the beCALMED. I will also look at the ginko biloba as well as additional vitamins and supplements. My son primarily has difficutly making and maintaining friendships, and he seems to be a target for bullies. We have been working very hard coaching him on behavior and he rarely has an outburst unless we are at home and he feels comforatable with his surroundings.
I'm sure most of the contributors here know what I mean when I say I can't sleep at night and I've pratically run dry on tears trying to find ways to help him. I've even looked for a 'social skills coach' but there isn't one in our state. (hmmmm, maybe I should go back to school.) Even on the Concerta, his social skills were an issue - it only seemed to help his school work. It breaks my heart to see him try so hard to make friends, and then to see these kids turn on him and be cruel. He actually told me one day 'Mom, I know you love me, you have too. But, I just want one person to like me.'
Hi Grama Kate again, BeCalmed did not work for us, as I had hoped it would, Researched for a week, tried Focus, ( no luck,) Now are going to try Attend and their product Extress. Both products seem to have all the stuff he needs, and they have a money back guarantee.
We discovered we did this all wrong, we took him off the concerta and resperdal, before the vitamins, had a chance to work. Now he is back on a lower dosage of concerta, about half of what he was on before. He is on the supplements and vitamins, in the suggested ADHD supplement chart, and will be on 2 attend, and 2 extress as soon as they come, we are going to do this for 4 weeks, then take him off the concerta again. Want to give the supplements full time to kick in this time. Click on www.healthwell.com, for the supplement info for ADHD . Also there is a great product, All One, has all - but enough B_ vitamins and supplements, on the chart, and is in a powder. We thought this would be great as Bear was taking 8 different supplement pills a day., he would not take the powder tho, no matter what I put it in, but then he has a narrow passageway for eating, and has trouble drinking in much quantity, so guess I just had it too thick, I sent that back, (money back guarantee too,) but if you kid would drink a smoothie, would be a great way to get all the vitamins in at once,
We have Ben on Shaklee vitamins, 2 adult vita lea, 2 B complex,. 1 C-1 omega
and 1 E, (their E has selenium and grapeseed) This is 7 pills a day, and we have to break some in half for him to swallow them, but he is great about it. That plus the attend and Extress and concerta, sure is a lot for a kid to deal with.
Ben is 6 and weighs 63 lbs. He recently told me, would I please unscramble his brain and make him Ben again. For awhile on the beCalmed he seemed to do better, I did too, then after 2 weeks, we both became hyper. I don't know why. What a problem this is. I understand TIREDmentally it is so draining to try to stay one step ahead, of his emotions, my husbands, non understanding, and trying to get him off drugs. Hope you work this out, Love Grama Kate
Thanks for the input on Focus and BeCalmed. I know that different things will work for different kids, but I seem to have found more postive stuff on the Attend than any of the other products.
I'm amazed that your little Ben puts up with so many pills in one day, but honestly, I think my Matt man would do the same if I asked him to. Fortunately, it's a piece of cake for him to take a pill. I've ordered the Attend and will start with the 2 caps morning and night for the first month, and then go from there. I didn't order the Extress because he is not hyper, just very inattentive and VERY impulsive.
One thing, though - right or wrong, he's not going back on the concerta. The kids at school started calling him a freak when the facial tic occured and that was worse for him than not taking it. Besides that, the last few months, the concerta didn't seem to be working as well and the dr. wanted to raise the dosage until the tic started.
I'll let you know our results with the Attend and if we feel that we need to add anything else. Grama Kate - I'll be interested in your results, too. Hang in there. Much luck. It's nice to know that I'm not alone. Kathy
I have been searching the web and have found information on (DMAE)it is was used in the early 50,s and it was pushed out of the way when ritalin came it is said to do the same thing as ritalin and it is found at the health food stores and is very inexpensive .you also look up information about it and give it a try it is said to be very good we are going to give it my son and hope it works for him he has adhd .
Here are a few of the things I found through reading alot of information at the websites I mentioned before. In two studies that I read all the children (ADD) that were tested (through hair and/or urine tests, blood tests don't work) were calcium and magnesium deficient. Also, all of them were extremely ticklish, exhibiting an inability to disregard unimportant stimuli. Some also had zinc deficiencies, which apparantly you can tell by white spots on the fingernails.
Medications seem to take effect within 30 minutes and nutritional supplements take at least 3 weeks. The majority of these kids had so many other similarities (I found that my daughter has these as well). Several ear infections with many doses of antibiotics can apparantly wreak havoc on your system, causing problems with the absorption of calcium. I found this to be amazing. My daughter was on antibiotics for almost the first 3 years of her life for constant ear infections until she finally had surgery to remove her adnoids and put in tubes.
I could go on ~ but there's SO much information. I will end by saying that I had an appointment today with the psychiatrist, they want to put my daughter on ritalin, but they agree that I should try everything first. They also recommended that I take her to her pediatrician for testing on her hair and urine ~ before I start her on supplements. So, that is my next step as I have already ordered the supplements. Oh, and also ~ check information about food allergies ~ it's really interesting the reactions one can have from allergies to different additives and things. Good Luck
My daughter was recently diagnosed with ADHD and she is on ritalin but we don't like it. A firend told us about a natural remedy called Min-Tran....said it made a world of difference in her son and it is very affordable. We are going to start her on it this week and see how well it works...we will let you all know if it does. Putting a child on ritalinis very scary ome and probably most of you. If anyone else has any other natural remedies please let me know.Hi ~ My daughter is 6 1/2, diagnosed with ADHD in September 2003 after a very rocky start of 1st grade. I have been urged by many to put her on meds but I don't feel comfortable with that. I'm working on behavior modification at home (mine as well as hers). I found a website that has some really interesting info about ADHD and alternative treatments.
http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articleindex.htm
There are several articals there that I found were very helpful and informative. So many of them apply to my daughter. One that I found particularly useful:
http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/DrugfreeADD. htm
Hope this helps. Good luck.
CJC321: I went to the web link you posted, and am very intrigued. I too am into the prospect of having my son examined for hyperactivity. His kindergarten teacher had mentioned a relative who had great success in trying dietary changes, which had made a world of difference with their child. I guess I should probably follow up more with her to see if she has any resources. Let me know if you find anything particularly helpful, and good luck with your daughter. I know the anguish school problems puts the parents and the children through, but feel so much better knowing that I can gather information to help my child. DeeAnnYes, I hope, -"beCalmed, "-just look up the word, on the web. They are not into pushing anything, just suggesting, I take it, 3 per day, and since it is a website for ADHD, started giving it to my son, 6 yrs, old who has been on the whole range of meds, and now on such high dosages, it frightens me, and he just gets worse. Know it is the kiddie cocaine he was on. I gave him 1/2 becalmed, ( a capsule you can break open, and mix with a bit of applesauce, ( before breakfast) and gave him a whole one at 2 pm, along with his concerta 54 mg, and resperdal 1 mg, twice a day, the longer we went to a psychiatrist, the more and more meds he was given. He got so nasty, I took this natural route for 3 days, well, it had been a great three days, and not even much time to work, but I know he is better, so gave him absolutely no 'drugs" just the beCalmed for the last three days, and what a difference. Your husband is right. Look up alternative meds for ADHD, there are many out there This one SEEMS to be working for us. They may be hard to deal with, without the drugs, but the drugs only work for a little while, then the kids get angry, and nasty, the way we would if we were on cocain. Good Luck, Kate.
I want to take my son off of the concerta and try something natural. I tried the BeCalmed on him about a year ago and really did not see any results. Has any got any positive feed back from a product? My son picks himself until he gets sores on him and I think it might be due to the Concerta. He is 7 and on a very low dose 18mg however, I don't want to up the dosage.
IMac38942.7528819444
We are military and I do not have a lot of faith in some of the doctors. He just said make an appointment with mental health for his picking and we could either stop the meds to see if he stops picking or change the meds. I am looking around just to find some good vitamins for him because he does not eat well and hopefully I can find something that is good for the ADHD to.
Hi Southerngirly44,I posted a very large letter a while back, on what we did to help our son. We went to naturopaths and chiropractors, cleaned out all the crap (sugar, wheat and white flour products, commercial cereals, artificial flavours, candy-particularly containing tartrazine and artificial colours, soft drinks, anything containing msg or yeast extract) and put him on B vitamins, Focus formula by NuLife, Learning Factors by Natural Factors, Lots of Essential Fatty Acids EFA's and various algae products such as E3Live (check them out on the internet.- algae products are very helpful) If you do a search for my user name marilynlake the letter will probably come up.
The happy story is that our son was diagnosed when he was four, all the teachers and psychologists that assessed him wanted him on adhd drugs, and we said no. He is now in grade 9, has been on the honor roll 3 times in the last 5 years, and is doing quite well emotionally. I recently picked up a dvd to help him learn facial features recognition as that is still a challenge for him, and improving in this area will help with his social skills.
So there are folks out there who can help you, and there are some families who have had success with this nightmare without using the drugs.
Wishing you lots of strength to perservere,
Marilyn
IMac38942.7533680556Yes, it is. But he is very high functioning. He was originally diagnosed with "auditory delay" syndrome which is part of adhd . He had difficulty processing and understanding auditory information. Even though he is very gifted musically and was one of the top soloists in church and was sent on choir tours to England and sang a solo in St. Paul's Cathedral.
He also used to pick at himself, as still does occasionally when he gets nervous. These days he will pick at his zits if he gets too edgy. Our chiropractor helps him with controlling this. We have great chiropractors here in Toronto, and I don't go to Doctors unless they agree with using naturopaths and chiropractors, as there are a lot of drug happy doctors out there who aren't very broad minded or educated in nutrition and the study of food allergies. I took him off diary products recently, and his zits are fading. Of course he is supplemented with Calcium and Magnesium to make up for not getting that in milk.
Our son also has to work to remember to not be jiggling his knee repeatedly and fiddling with his hands. He is so much better at doing this then he used to be. Although he still needs reminders. He also has to be reminded to maintain eye contact when speaking with people. Many of the diagnosis of our kids overlap, so this labelling that the psychologists do can be confusing. Do you have access to a good naturopath or chiropractor? You need someone in this field who can test your son for food allergies. The traditional medical route does not have a good grasp of this.
cheers,
Marilyn
IMac38942.7537037037
Auditory delay same as capd or known as apd. Our son has it. He get's no different stuff since he was diagnosed with this either. We did redo his langauge therapy goals though. Rn
Phytonutrients make a different in our son. Since we ran out his 2 main subjects he is failing in where as before had a c in them. I gave after his medacine. I plan to go back on this. Some say gylonutrients have helped their kids.
Today our brains are starving nutrients cause poor sol nutrient plants.
oldtimer38824.2835648148
Mine was diagnosed with Auditory Information Processing problems, and problems with Speech, Fine Motor skills problems, Binocular Visual Disorder, ADHD, possible Juvenill Rheumatoid Arthrtis which so far so good on that and when smaller Hypotonia, along with Oral Motor skill problems. The problem is we move around due to military then have to start over with doctors and schools.
Hi Marilyn,
thanks for all of your info in an email, I just can't believe you had the strength to find out and do what you did for your child. I am glad to hear he is doing fine. I am going to try to figure out something and I'll check out those products you mentioned
Kelly
Well it is nice to have others who are going through the same thing. This get's very frustration trying to find out what is wrong with your child and then getting the help they need. Thanks for sharing your info with me and, when mine was born everything seemed to be ok other than he swallowed some Meconia or however you pronounce it. At 3 weeks they did a spinal tap on him which was horrible to have to watch. They had to stick him a few times to get it done right. So far mine has not had to have glasses for his binocular vision. Did you go through visual therapy with yours for this? Ours went for about 5 months then we could not afford to take him after that because we ran out of money and insurance did not cover it, most people think miliary families have the life but military insurance would not cover for him to have therapy on his eyes, their reason for it was it is not quaranteed to work so there for it is not covered.
hello everyone
Im so glad to find this site. My daugher who is 6 has add and was on concerta. She started complaing of chestpains,not eating ect. so i took her off and now i give her haliborange high dha concentration omega3 fish oil. You can find it at www.sevenseasusa.com. I did tell her doctor but not the teachers. They thank she is still on the meds and said she is doing great.
JJWATSON2838825.4075115741If you haven't already, check out the Alternative and Complimentary thread on this board. There is a lot of info on Omega3's and magnesium. I've been looking into omegas for my son since my husband is reluctant to try meds for him and the people there have been very helpful Hello all,Omega3 fish oils are great, and so is Borage oil. We also use algae products from Klamath oregon. my favourite is a product called E3live You can find it at www.e3live.net
It helps with focus and mood.
For auditory delay, Dr. Geraldine Schwartz of the Vancouver Learning center taught us a great strengthening exercise for our son's brain and listening capabilities.
It goes like this. Try it on your partner first.
Say to your partner random object words such as: BEAR, SKY, ORANGE, CAR
Start off with 3 or 4 words like this.
Then ask your partner to repeat the words. Then ask your partner to repeat them back to you BACKWARDS!!!
This simple, elegant exercise forces your child to listen, then repeat, then process the information and repeat it backwards.
My kid started with 4 words and after a month he could do 10. We did it in the car, the bath, or whereever. It is a great excercise and good practice for adults as well.
The brain gets better at really listening and processing. Make sure your kid is really looking at your face at first. Once he gets better, then you can do it in the car, when he can't easily see your face. It forces them to work hard and listen. Only do it for 2 or 3 minutes at first, because it is really hard work for them.
It was hard for me too, at first. I guess I have a touch of auditory delay as well!
These kids will be highly visually gifted because their auditory processing is behind in the development. So their natural tendency will be to use their eyes rather than listen. With this exercise, you can help your child to get stronger in this area.
Cheers,
Marilyn
Hello all,
Omega3 fish oils are great, and so is Borage oil. We also use algae products from Klamath oregon. my favourite is a product called E3live You can find it at www.e3live.net
It helps with focus and mood.
For auditory delay, Dr. Geraldine Schwartz of the Vancouver Learning center taught us a great strengthening exercise for our son's brain and listening capabilities.
It goes like this. Try it on your partner first.
Say to your partner random object words such as: BEAR, SKY, ORANGE, CAR
Start off with 3 or 4 words like this.
Then ask your partner to repeat the words. Then ask your partner to repeat them back to you BACKWARDS!!!
This simple, elegant exercise forces your child to listen, then repeat, then process the information and repeat it backwards.
My kid started with 4 words and after a month he could do 10. We did it in the car, the bath, or whereever. It is a great excercise and good practice for adults as well.
The brain gets better at really listening and processing. Make sure your kid is really looking at your face at first. Once he gets better, then you can do it in the car, when he can't easily see your face. It forces them to work hard and listen. Only do it for 2 or 3 minutes at first, because it is really hard work for them.
It was hard for me too, at first. I guess I have a touch of auditory delay as well!
These kids will be highly visually gifted because their auditory processing is behind in the development. So their natural tendency will be to use their eyes rather than listen. With this exercise, you can help your child to get stronger in this area.
Cheers,
Marilyn