Homepathic meds? | ADHD Information
My son exhibits signs of adhd, while the administrators at his school say that he can't have it because of his test results. In the mean time, his grades are falling and his behavior is getting worse, even on a behavior modification plan. Has anyone tried homepathic meds, specifically Bright Spark by Native Remedies? I ordered this product and have been searching for any thoughts or concerns regarding side effects.
The administrators of his school are not medical Dr's and cannot say whether he has or does not have ADHD. I would ask when they got their medical licenses.
You would need a Psychiatrist, or Neuropsych to rule out ADHD, not a School administrator who is nothing more than a glorified teacher.
I have tried Brightspark, and native remedies, both did nothing, and neither contains enough of any one ingredient to make a difference.
Don't take this the wrong way. I've had lots of science training. Am not an MD, so take it for what its worth:
Homeopatic meds don't do anything beyond the placebo affect. They are not based in science. Your money would be better spent with an MD and prescription meds. There are lots of people willing to take money from parents who are desperate to help their kids....
I agree that the school administrators cannot diagnose or rule out ADHD, so a visit to a medical doctor would probably be the first step to take.I also agree that there are lots of people "willing to take money from parents who are desperate to help their kids." And I personally don't have much belief in homeopathic meds. I am also not familiar with Brightspark or Native Remedies.
However, if you do some reading in this alternatives forum, you will find that many have found nutritional supplements, such as omega 3s (for which there is quite a bit of scientific support) and PS helpful.
over the counter homeopathy did not work for my child. homeopathic treatment under the guidance of a homeopath did, but you are not going to get dramatic results. it's subtle and slow.Our son has been on a remedy given by his homepathic doctor for over
2 years now, and as someone said earlier the improvemnets were slow and
subtle, but it has helped him tremendously. The remedy coupled with a
casein free diet has shown consistently better behavior at school and at
home.
As for homeopathy having a "placebo" effect...we are 2 years into his
homeopathic treatment with lasting results.
What type of test scores are they talking about? ADHD children run the gambit on intelligence and testing skills.
You need a doctor to determine if your child has ADHD. I would recommend you take him to someone that specializes in ADHD and not just your Pediatrician. Pediatricians do not have the expertise to manage anything more than very simple ADHD. Many times ADHD children can have comorbidities that mask/confuse their symptoms and make their management very hard. Right at this time we are screening my son for Asberger, which was missed by the Pediatrician.
A lot of pediatricians are uncomfortable with some of the meds that are prescribed to our children. For example, my son takes lamictal which is prescribed for bipolar conditions. We use it as a mood stabilizer. I had to have the Pediatrician write a prescription when his Psychiatrist was out of the country. I saw his hestitation when I gave him the med bottles to look at. I will say he did write the scripts for me. Also, I could never get the Pediatrician to prescribe anything to help him sleep. Insomnia is a common side effect of some of the meds. All they wanted to talk about was behaviour modification to improve his sleep, things I had been trying.
I have my son take a multi-vitamin, magnesium, calcium and fish oil. I am not sure it is helping but I feel better because he is such a picky eater. (The joke at our house is that he only eats 10 things, it is probably up to 12 or 13 now.) He is continuing to grow and gain weight at a normal rate, I tend to believe the supplements are helping in that respect.
You might try diet modification. Many people have had some sucess with it. Processed foods, preservatives and sugar can bothersome. We tried the Feingold diet years ago and found out he is very sensitive to chocolate. This diet was developed by an Allergist for his patients. You can find a copy of it on the web or at your local library. Because my son is a extremely picky eater he just about starved and we stopped after two weeks. He was 4 years old at the time.
Homeopathic remedies (Bright Spark), like medical drugs (Ritalin) and natural supplements (PS) are only going to "work" if that is the element that is out of order in your child's system. The only way to really tell which to go after, is to see a legitimate practitioner to get tests run and get appropriate supplementation.
I suspect, that Bright Spark would work if you kept using it long enough (homeopathic remedies need a LONG time to build up and show change) - I tried Bright Spark, but a few days later, "discovered" PS and it had a much faster result in my son. I chose to return the Bright Spark and go the Omega/PS route, with neurological transmitter testing, instead of continuing on with the homeopathic route, simply because I'd read enough to believe it matched my son's issues.
In short, I tried BrightSpark, briefly. But chose to move on with Omega/PS and other supplements, including the TESTING.
Homeopathic remedies, like natural supplements and drugs, will only "work" if they are correctly and specifically chosen to match and support a precise imbalance.
There's a book called "Ritalin-free Kids" that's about homeopathic treatment for ADHD. The stories are really fascinating and I do think that lots of people get great results. The homeopathic dr. close to me is also a medical doctor and any visits were actually covered under insurance. I took my son for about 6 months but quit because of wanting to try something else and the hour drive and my dh not believing that it was helping. I've recently been reading up on it again and have had a lot of successes treating headaches, colds, fevers, sore throats, stomachaches this past winter with my 3 kids and myself.
Lisa
andrewsmom wrote:
If you feel prescription meds are the only choice for your child that's your decision, but for us the small benefits did not justify the side effects.
I didn't say that prescription med's where the only choice for my child. I stated that medication is the only treatment proven to effectively treat all the symptoms of ADHD in the short and long term. Sometimes several med's and doses have to be tried before the right one is found for the child but its your right as a parent to decide not to continue doing a trial of medication. Some people don't respond well to ADHD medication and in that case of course the parent wouldn't continue giving the child the med's. Regardless of what form of treatment the child is on, its the parents decision as parents know their children best but in the process of making such a decision, I feel parents should have accurate information in order to make an informed decision. That's my point. If people try to pass off their opinions as factual information they do a terrible disservice to those trying to make informed decisions for their children. I'm happy to here that what your doing to help your child manage his behaviors effectively is working for him.
3littlekids wrote:
By simply medicating them so they can conform to the educational system of un-naturally sedentary levels of activity, often we are merely covering over their hyper-kinetic behaviors with medication, instead of addressing their environment and primary health issues first.
Parents dont medicate their children to conform to an educational system. I'm only commenting because you are being quite presumptous and your information is not correct. The role of medication is to allow the child to focus so that they can meet their full potential, socially, emotionally and educationally. It allows the child to bring out their natural abilities. It doesnt make them smarter nor is it a behavior pill. The medication affords them the opportunity to make a choice rather than act on impulse. There is nothing being masked. ADHD is not a school problem. It affects life across the board. Primary health issues should be checked first to rule out a medical a condition first and parents are advised to do that on this message board all the time. If the treatment your using is toning down your child's unacceptable behaviors for whatever reason he has them that great but again, parents need accurate infiormation to make informed decisions whether they are considering medications or alternative methods.
So am I to understand that you are placing your son on a non prescription medication? If this is so....I have been studying up on these to get both sides....it will all depend on the child but most people have had no luck and are out lots of money. I just recently heard about a family that is taking the company to court to see if they can get reimbursed thousands of dollars that they spent on the stuff as it is not covered by insurace. This family does go to my sons school and I do know them personally so it is not a rumor or "urban legand" I say the prescription meds is the best way to go along with a structured environment, discipline for his outbursts since he has to learn that it is not acceptable behavior. Many parents and children say....well he cant help it. I agree to some extent but my 16 year old son is currently "training" my 11 year old son on how to behave in school with his ADHD as he has been there already. Hint....the trick is to get them to continue to take he meds after they get in high school.[QUOTE=Chelsea]If you believe... your words here:
(Sam E) - "Prescription medication for ADHD may not be right for everyone
but its the only treatment proven to be effective for managing all the
symptoms of ADHD in the short and long term."
What are you doing in the alternative boards?
There is a bit of hostility in your message...please, we are all here just trying
to do the best for our children, and share what is working for us.[/QUOTE]
This is not my beleif, its' factual and documented in medical journals. I am here to pass along accurate information. If something is working for your child but you don't know whether your child has ADHD or not, you give the impression that your method has worked for your ADHD child when in fact your child may not have ADHD at all.
I was not being hostile. I'm defending the rights of others to recieve accurate information. I simply asked you a question about whether your child was formally diagnosed with ADHD because parents that come here are asking others what alternative methods worked for their children to fully manage the symptoms of ADHD. Other posters have asked you this question in the past but you never responded. I'm glad to hear that what you are doing is working for your child but again, what was your child's diagnosis?
I will say, that we must think carefully before medicating our children (and ourselves for that matter), to ensure that we are not overlooking the origin of the hyperactivity. Our lifestyle these past 30-40 years has changed tremendously - we are much less active than before, our diets are far more unhealthy than ever, and our lives are extremely more stressful than ever before. Diet, exercise and stress all contribute to our well-being. Combine these factors and you get bodies that aren't burning off the energy they are biologically built to do, all the while building up stress levels that seemily never let up -- only add to our weakened systems.
By simply medicating them so they can conform to the educational system of un-naturally sedentary levels of activity, often we are merely covering over their hyper-kinetic behaviors with medication, instead of addressing their environment and primary health issues first.
It's no surprise to me that ADHD is affecting more and more kids. Our lifestyles are becoming more and more unhealthy. Prescription meds are not the only solution, but they are the most commonly used for their immediate response in reducing hyperactive behavior in many but not all cases.
I fear however, that far too often we are medicating our children into compliance, rather than delving deeper to find the root cause of their excess energies. Perhaps it's not a case of why can't the child fit into the system, but why the system doesn't match the natural and biological needs of the child?
In my opinion, meds have their place, need and use. However, they shouldn't be used as a first and only solution to a child's excess energy or lack of focus.
3littlekids39606.2226967593
I am looking into alternative forms of help for my 11 year old son who is adhd. His father will not let him take meds stating that they will stunt his growth and that the school only wants him to take them to get money wich is so not true....
any way....any ideas? I am open to suggestions!
If you believe... your words here:(Sam E) - "Prescription medication for ADHD may not be right for everyone
but its the only treatment proven to be effective for managing all the
symptoms of ADHD in the short and long term."
What are you doing in the alternative boards?
There is a bit of hostility in your message...please, we are all here just trying
to do the best for our children, and share what is working for us.
I've done both. My son was diagnosed ADHD with hyperactivity by 2 different psychologists and different times.
We tried prescription medication, one teacher turned him into a zombie, he didn't disrupt the class but he didn't learn anything either. The next year we tried another med, a total disaster, so we switched back at a lower dosage. His teacher was able to manage him, but his schoolwork still suffered.
He was retained after that year. We took him to a homeopath over the summer. He remained in the same teacher's class, and she could not believe how much different he acted. He was totally different. He was able to go to school, do his work, and behave with only a few reminders.
The prescription med also decreased his appetite, he didn't eat hardly anything. At his 8 year check up, he had only gained 2 lbs in 2 years (he was on meds during this time). He only weighed about 45 lbs. After coming off meds last summer, he's gained 15 lbs just during summer break. Now he's 9 and weighs 60 lbs. He has maintained his weigh gain and eats much better.
He can still get a little wild at times, but not as bad. We feel with possibly a little maturity, and the help of the homeopath, we have reclaimed our son. It has made a major difference.
If you feel prescription meds are the only choice for your child that's your decision, but for us the small benefits did not justify the side effects.
[QUOTE=Chelsea]Our son has been on a homeopathic remedy & omega fish oil
for over 2 years now with great results and not "out" lots
of money.
Prescription meds are not always the best way to go,
in our experience.
Many parents on this board have also had good
results with alternatives.
Was your son ever formally diagnosed with ADHD and if so what improvements have you seen? I do recall you stating in another post that your child has food sensitivities. Prescription medication for ADHD may not be right for everyone but its the only treatment proven to be effective for managing all the symptoms of ADHD in the short and long term.
Our son has been on a homeopathic remedy & omega fish oilfor over 2 years now with great results and not "out" lots
of money.
Prescription meds are not always the best way to go,
in our experience.
Many parents on this board have also had good
results with alternatives.
My 9 yr old son has been under the care of a Homeopath for almost a year. He repeated 2nd grade this year with the same teacher. She said this year he is totally different. Hopefully a combination of meds and maturity.
My son was on meds until last summer, the meds were suppressing his appetite. In 2 months he gained about 10-15 lbs, and has maintained his weight.
How old is your son and what were his problems in school?
For me I find that a combination of of meds and alternatives has been working really well. I am hopeful that with further balancing of my sons amino levels and somehow, controlling their over active flight of fight response that the meds may no longer be needed.
Adhd is really a list of behaviors and other than a few who have had imaging done there is not a medical blood test or x-ray that will confirm it. That said there is lots of causes for the behaviors.... My sons were exposed to alcohol in eutro (but not all kids exposed are ADHD) and had traumatic backgrounds. A change in parenting has helped immensely with the cortizol problem and the amino balancing has them at a much more level state. Sure meds can work and they can seem like a miracle... but... here is the but.... I for one want to know why this is so rampant in our world today and we know for sure it is not just one thing. What if I correct say 6 things but miss the crucial seventh one?
Another thing is that this is not a competition... if a child shows the behaviors he has ADHD and if you find a natural way to help him that does not mean he did not have it, it just means you found the reason and it was something that could be corrected.
I have tried so many things and many were helpful and then I go to add another layer. Some things were just bunk! Ah well lets say an adventure.
So here is a list
Interactive metronome... Helpful
EEG...Not helpful
Work with a chiropractor to mature infantile reflexes.. very helpful
Occupational therapy for Spd... very helpful
Amino test and balancing protocol... helpful
Several over the counter fixes... not helpful.
Meds (concerta)... very helpful.
Tenex in summer
Lots of active play... Helpful
A new parenting paradigm....Helpful.
Wow I know there are more but my mind is blank.
If I can find some one who does it I would like to try EMDR.
I did use a couple of meds (Focus, Bright Spark) from Native Remedies. They sure make their stuff sound like a miracle cure. Bright Spark did nothing, and Focus (which smells awful) only made him tired for a while. I really feel like I wasted my money on them. Sorry for the negative info!
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Hi I am new to the boards and I hope I am posting in this in the correct place. My concern's are for my 5 yr old grandson. He has been diagnosed adhd, along with a few other issues that have come from the adhd. He was showing explosive behavior, really violent, and this worried my daughter being that she has other children, ages 2, 3, & 9. She feared he might hurt one of the children, which he did, and that is when she took him to a neurogolist. Please fogive my spelling. They put him on meds, I believe (sp?) risperdall, then they added adderall? which seemed to work. Then he started wetting the bed. He seems like he is going backwards instead of foward. He can be very babyish at times, and has a touchy feely problem. Although I saw a small improvment with meds my daughter did not. I also believe, (JMHO) that along with meds, there has to be some kind of family therpy going on also, and both parents should be in some sort of parenting program to learn how to deal with the issues that arise. Unfourtunalty my daughter disagreed with me saying she had no time to do any of that. And her husband is my grandson's step father and he believes he needs a good swift butt kicking
which totaly breaks my heart. There is a lot going on in her houshold with small children and all, and i know she has her plate full, but I also believe you have to MAKE time for important issues.
As of a week ago her mother-in-law told her to take him off of all meds cause she read about it killling other children. Instead of calling the doctor, talking aboout her concerns, they took him off all meds, waited about 2 weeks, and started him on Focus, and Mind Soothe Jr. I see a difference only when he just takes it then, he's on his own. My concerns, I have a son who suffered from adhd, and I was the parent who said my child will not be medicated, and I am so sorry i did that, I wont go into that, that is water under the bridge my son is 23 yrs old today, severly depressed, so no med's did not work for me. Well thats a whole other post.
I wish my daughter had consulted with the doctor first before making any changes in the meds of my grandson, and she also changed his diet which is good. Now my grandson is totally out of control, neither parent is getting help there household is like a war zone, and I am scared for my grandson.
As a grandmother, what can I do to help my grandson? Thanks inadvance for any advise.
Thank you all for your responses. I have since placed my 11 yo son on bright spark. I definitley saw a difference and so did others. I have also started including an omega-3 supplement and will be introducing a regular excercise plan. His behaviors in school were constant/excessive talking, outbursts, distracting others and himself, not completing assignments in or out of school, making inapproriate comments, hyperactivity, inappropriate laughter, poor distinction of child/adult relationships and implusivity.
I am waiting for him to visit with a psychatrist next week to discuss additional methods for treament of the situation.
Does anyone have any other solutions or ideas?
< =text/>_popupControl(); Hi all
Wyatt's Mom yes I agree my daughter is doing whatever she can to HELP her son, but not with the consent of a doctor, which is what scares me. I certainly know how this all feels being a parent of a adult child who suffers from adhd. I just did not want her to follow what everyone else says. As a matter of fact I was kinda hoping that this natural remdy worked for my grandson, it all sounded so good. And I do know that what works for Joe jr, may not work for Mike Jr, or vise a versa. I guess I see her going threw all of what I went threw and to be honest, I am scared for all involved. I tried to tell her to get involved in a support group, counseling, something, cause I know that "why is this happening to only me" feeling. But she says she dont need help. And your right I dont want her to close the door on me, I love my grandchildren more then anything in this world. Thank you for reminding me how hard it really can be, I think I needed that 
Thank you to all who responded, I needed to be here. I will continue to read threw the boards with the hopes that I can find things that will take the edge off for my daughter.
Worriedgranny, was the child also diagnosed with bipolar disorder? Children with ADHD are not violent or explosive. They get angry and frustrated but they don't not spin out of control and rage. I ask because the child's behaviors are indicative of bipolar disorder and if your grandson has both bipolar disorder and ADHD, they need to get the bipolar disorder under control first before giving stimulant medication. Giving stimulant medication to a child with bipolar disorder can throw the child into a mania. Your right in that medication is only one tool to help manage symptoms and in this case on going individual and family counseling is necessary. That is especially true if your also dealing with bipolar disorder. Its a very touchy situation because you are not the parent but you are the grandmother and you should keep speaking out but if you don't step in, when the child goes to school. the school will intervene. I hope the parents step up because the child is endangering himself and others and without the right treatment and help, things will get far worse
If the parents at this point are doing nothing, they are negligent.
Because the child is acting out in a violent way, this is not the time to try this or try that. The child needs serious help with treatment that has proven to work and treatment that has a good safety record. If the child is under the care of a qualified physician, med's are monitored and are very safe. It may take a while to get the right cocktail of meds but when that happens they work very well.
For the sake of that poor child and the rest of the family, I pray that the parents see the light and do what needs to be done to save this child. This child is crying out for help and as parents, its their responsibility to do whatever needs to be done to provide the child with quality of life as well as the rest of the family unit. Please stick around as there is a mountain of support on this board :)
blmoretti wrote: Another thing is that this is not a competition... if a child shows the behaviors he has ADHD and if you find a natural way to help him that does not mean he did not have it, it just means you found the reason and it was something that could be corrected.
Nope, not competition because for those who choose medication, it stands on its own merit. Also, if its truly ADHD, it cant be corrected, only managed and the only scientifically proven method is medication. Again, medication isn't for everyone but for people to assume their child has ADHD because they show certain behaviors (behaviors that can be indicative of other things like allergies, fetal alcohol syndrome, etc), try some remedy and state that it corrected or cured their child's ADHD is irresponsible and damaging to those who are truly looking for accurate information about ADHD and how to manage it.
I am not here to push medication. I just think parents should be cautious with remedies or strategies that don't have a scientific base and also leery of people who claim their children have adhd without really knowing and then push a product claiming it cures.
jjsmom, you were using remedies that have not been tested by the FDA for saftey and effectiveness and any company claiming a miracle cure is only going for your wallet.
Worriedgranny, you have very valid concerns and worries and your right when you state that a doctor should always be consulted before any changes are made with medication. Because people buy into inaccurate. misleading information. decisions are made through fear and as a result of that the child suffers and just keeps spiraling downward. I wish I had some advice for you but because your not the parent, there is not much you can do to change the situation
< =text/>_popupControl(); Luvmykids02
Thank you, my daughter did visit a doctor today with my grandson, I dont know the out come as of yet as I believe my daughter is a little angry with me. But, thats ok, cause if me speaking out got him to a doctor then so be it.
I will be taking my grandson over the July 4th weekend, so my guess is that she will fill me in then.
I just know that everybody concerned should be getting some sort of help for this situation, and yes I do believe he should be checked for bi polar, I thought of that the first time she told me he was violent. Then again on the other hand, I also think home life plays a huge part in his behavior. I only pray this time they stick with the program.
When she first took him to a neurolgist, she did everything she was told, she went on the internet did research on adhd, then all of a sudden her mother-in-law told about children dying from medication, and I think, it scared her, as it would have any parent. My point to her and her mil was, communicate with the doctor, never think any question is silly and by all means dont take matters into your own hands your not trained. And everybody got mad at me. Then the insident at his graduation I feel proved my point. LIsten this is my grandson, I love him with all my heart, I want only whats best for him and thats something I dont think I made clear enough. I got kinda upset and we all started just having a yelling match. I admit I acted like a child myself.
I dont plan on going anywhere, I am staying here on this board and reading all I can. This board is a God send. I cant thank you all enough for your posts and for sharing your lives cause you have no idea how helpful it really is. 
< =text/>_popupControl(); Hi everyone
I am so happy to say that my daughter did in fact call me last nite to tell what the doctor said. He is running more test's but does in fact believe that my grandson has adhd, but with further testing he can look for other things.
He also felt that he should be on medication, the same as he was on before, except they r going to try the rispedall by itself. At least he is under a doctors care and on medication that will help him, (we know this cause he was on the rispidall before and it worked well). I also gave my daughter the link to this web site and told her to visit often cause there is a great deal of information here, Once again I can not thank you all enough!
I'm glad to hear the good news!