I've spent an enormous amount of time and money on alternative treatments. It simply misses the boat on focus. Yes, it reduces hyperactivity and impulse symptoms, but not focus to the degree required by academic demands. If your child has mild ADHD, alternatives may be all that you need.
NoTellin39449.4013657407Hi,I've never heard of that particular book, so I can't really comment on it, but I can tell you about a few of the research studies I've read recently. I had to do a speech for a class I'm taking and adhd/medication was my topic. According to Russell Barkley (leading expert/researcher- I highly recommend his books) stimulant medication is among the most researched medication given to children. Ritalin has been in use for over 50 years, and in one of his books Barkley cites research that shows that medication is the only treatment proven to improve or normalize brain function and that it is effective in 75%- 92% of those who try it. That's not to say that other things don't help, but meds are typically recommended because they are highly effective and have minimal side effects.
As a parent, I spent the first week that my son was on meds in a teary- eyed state. Not because I was sad about him needing meds, but because for the first time ever my son was able to communicate with me in an organized fashion- he could tell me about his day in a way that didn't leave me standing there saying "Huh??????" and in sequential order no less!
He's been on meds for over a year now and I have never regretted it. It can be a difficult decision, but I've seen my son's self- esteem soar over the past year. He's consistently getting good grades now and when he has trouble or gets frustrated he understands that it's because his brain is being uncooperative, not because he's stupid.
As I said, it can be a difficult decision, but I'm sure that most of those of us who's children are on meds would agree that it's worth it.
I have read the book, it does not give a therapeutic dose for Omega's however and IMO misadvises on vitamins and minerals.
We do omega's and you will find alot about them in the alternatives section of this board. That said, we do omega's but DD also takes Concerta because she does have Adhd, and needs meds to concentrate and have a productive life at this time.
"If your child has mild ADHD, alternatives may be all that you need."
You mention about mild ADHD, is there a degree of measurement, some kind of scale that is provided by diagnosis process? How do doctors decide on the dosage, I mean beyond the factors of age and weight?
thanks
The homework battles is one of the reasons I finally gave in and had my gdd
tested both by the school and pyschologist for ADD. In second grade it was a
fight every night to do homework....but we got thru the school year. Very
supportive teacher who work hard with her. No medication....that year.
When she got to 3rd grade their was even more homework also she has to work
more alone with just the teachers directions. To say the least it has become
an nightmare ...with the hassel of getting the work done. And her not following
directions in class.
We started med. over holiday and will see if homework situation improves. And
class work improves
But I noticed that since she took the med. started on Friday .....she has
sat still and worked on a project where you colored a page and cut it out.
She would never sit still long enough to finish anything before stop half way thru.
Even her social out look has improved and that is a big plus.
I am so hoping medication will help with the follow thru and help her focus more
on tasks.
I was also very against med. but after reading more and more information....
weighing the pro and cons.....I think I made the right choice. What ever you
decide it is a very big decision to make........ weighs heavy on you to make the
right one. Hang in there.
We agonized for months while we did aletrnative treatments over meds and when we finally made the choice to try them because nothing else was helping the focus, my ds took them for 2 weeks and then refused saying he didn't need help. BIG MISTAKE! Life around here is very hard. My son has mild ADHD but still needs the meds to focus and he has BAD anxiety and needs meds for that as well. It is a big decision but do not be so afraid of meds. It is trial and error but when you hit the right one things can really change for the better for your child and for you. Good Luck with your decisionmy daughter has "moderate ADHD, mainly inattentive". Thats how the pcyh diagnosed her. To describe her, unmedicated, she it SO inattentive she cant shower and remember to wash and rinse her hair all the wya without getting distracted by the shampoo and bubble bath on the side of the tub. She looks in the cabinet to get a cup for a drink, but is so distracted she forgets why she's there. Needless to say, imagine her trying to get through 7th grade social studies . On medications she still needs to be redirected, but not every single step of the way. I still have to remind her to do this or do that, but she can do it unassisted. I cannot imagine where she'd be today if we hadnt used meds. She has coexisitng LD so schoolwork is hard to begin with, but impossible with her added ADHD if untreated. A child who is very smart and learns easier may be able to more easily overcome their distractability, or get by being distracted if things come more easily. Not sure if that gets my point across, but........
Doctors decide which med and dose soley on experience. This is why it is very important to have a psychiatrist manage meds as they the most experienced. They generally start low and build until symptoms are relieved without seeing any/mild side effects. There is no wya to know until you try which med at which dose is going to work. We've use dseveral different meds and combos over the past several years. She is now doing very weel, so far, on Strattera. She does also take 1200mg Omega's and daily multi vitamin.
Thank all of you for your responses. My main concern is the fact that I have hypertension and was diagnosed in my early twenties plus I have a severe allergic reaction to any type of medication that has serotonin in it (even IBS meds like zelnorm that has a tiny bit of serotonin). I know it is not the same drug used but it messes with the neurotransmitters and I worry that because I have such a severe reaction to these types of meds, my blood pressure skyrockets to a life threatening state and I don't want my child to have a heart attack. It is really scary.