Non-drug Alternatives? | ADHD Information

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You can look on the alternatives board to see what others are using. Keep in mind that when going that direction, you are basically trying different things out and looking for improvement. It can take time to see if a potential treatment works so you need to be patient when trying them. There are no good controlled studies on most alternatives to help you know if they work and what side effects and long term health issues they might cause (that is why they are called alternatives). Omegas have some small studies showing usefulness, so at least that is a start.

I would suggest she continue with her meds as prescribed through school and then see if maturity has eliminated the need for the meds. Depending on her career choice, she may still need meds for tough projects, or not need them any more. As a person grows and matures and thier life demands change, so do thier needs (or lack of) for meds as a treatment. Some of the aspects of ADHD like hyperfocus can be beneficial in some types of jobs.

Meds and many alternatives have side effects. Is she experiencing side effects from her meds? If not, then what "negative effects on health" are you worried about? Many meds are used long term to improve quality of life by making symptoms improve and making life not so hard. People dealing with the daily diffeculties that ADHD can cause, can easily go into stress related disorders like depression and anxiety.

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Well, if she was diagnosed by a psychiatrist and that is what was prescribed then she should stick with Concerta. Concerta is time released Methylphenidate, Ritalin basically and has been used safely for years and years.

If she was not diagnosed by a psych, and only needs it "some of the time" then it is probably not ADHD and she needs a reevaluation.

It's still hard for her to concentrate without is, so she usually only takes it if it's really important that she's able to focus.

And the point is that pretty much all drugs have negative affects on health, and we'd rather find an alternative.
My 17 year old girlfriend has ADD and she's currently on Concerta (54mg I believe) though she only takes it when she feels she needs it (test at school, didn't get enough sleep). We don't particularly like having to use a drug to deal with ADD, and I was wondering if anyone knows any effective alternatives. Nutritional changes, concentration exercises, natural alternatives, any suggestions are welcome.

I don't like the idea of her taking something that could potentially cause health problems, or her depending on a drug to suppress symptoms, but I don't want her failing school because of her ADD either. I worry about her and I just don't know what is best...advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.