Has anyone used any Native Remedies products such as Focus ADHD formula or Brightspark? I'm wondering if they really work.
I am glad you mentioned those because I just looked them up and printed to go to the pediatritions with me tommorow. My daughter is going for a screening by her doctor, the school one was already done back in November. I also plan to get her into counseling to help. I will let you know what he says over the weekend.My son has been taking Focus and Brightspark since late January. I think the focus may be helping him a little--but still not as much as meds. He is not taking any meds at the moment. Had him on Adderall XR for 3 weeks before Christmas and he had 3 great weeks, but started getting tics and was actually twitching at night while trying to go to sleep. I am trying desperately to find the magic "non med" bullet before middle school next year. Good luck. Carolyn
Evening,
I just got a order from them the other day but havent really tried anything yet. Im taking strattera at 120mg per day and nothing at all phases me for focusing, concentrating in that area...Im 44 years old so will call on Monday and see what now we can try..I think I will be on trial of around med #6 or so, am hoping something will give me that little boost for what Im looking for to help me with my college and attention span while sitting in the classroom.. Just fusterating..
I have the Focusadult and also the Study Plus but your really not suppose to take this stuff with other meds like they mention of strattera, addreall and so fourth so now Im sitting at what on earth to do..UGHH any suggestions would be greatly appreciated here....
I am only taking omega fatty acids and they are helping. I started with straterra an added alderall and ended up in the hosptial with severe chest pains. i am a 33 y/o woman without the hyperacitvity. I did some research on valerian root , it used to be used for adhd also.
http://www.healthychild.com/database/essential_fatty_acids_f or_good_health.htm
http://www.healingwithnutrition.com/newsclips/archive/omega3 add.html
please visit these sites, maybe they will help.
Hello there Momof3hcd and others
Re diet, I sort of always knew there was something wrong with me and my very good girlfriend who has a son and hubbie with ADD kept recommending the Friendly Food diet...this is a diet developed by the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Allergy Unit located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. I guess by that I'm indicating that this is a scientifically based food picture. Iam now 44 and have recently been diagnosed with ADHD and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Friendly Food operates on the the fact that many, in fact most foods contain naturally occurring salicylates, amines and MSG. Some people are intolerant to these substances and the intolerance can build in the body system to point of displaying some pretty significant symtoms. To identify if someone has a food intolerance to these substances they go onto Friendly Food for approx 5 to 6 weeks and see if there are some changes in the symptoms or behaviour and then challenge the individual salycilates, amines and MSG to see if if it is one two or all that are causing the problems. The diet is quite limiting and really you would not want to be restricting foods that you can have. The diet also looks 'unhealthy' as most friut and vegies contain salicylates at least if not amines and MSG as well.
I went onto Friendly Food before I was diagnosed with ADHD and then at 5 weeks into the diet, gave a presentation of the work I do in Quality Improvement in Mental Health to the the Chief Psychiatrist in WA. I was so on time I had time to spare!!! I was calm and focused and did not feel the need to take my usual dose of Sudafed prior to presenting.(one of my old self medicating tricks that I was unaware of, just that it worked)
Our family then headed off on an 8 week trip with the camper trailer up thru the northern territory and down the west coast during which the diet was too difficult to maintain ... buying raw cashews out there in the middle of the desert just didnt happen.
Meantime a friend over the road also put her little boy Sam, on the diet. He was 4 years old and horrid. At two years of age when we moved here he would do things like wait until Finn, my then little 4 year old, was mid air on the trampoline and push him off and laugh at his hurt. He would fight and pull out chunks of Finn's hair. If you asked him not to knock down the sand castle yet, we will do it in a few more minutes, he would bash it down, break toys, hit his little brother scream and yell and run away. Some days you would say hello and he would look right thru you. Not being rude, just not there and the next day he would chat. Needless to say, we avoided Sam a lot.
Just before we headed off on our trip, Sam's mother held both my hands, tears running down her face saying 'Andrea what if the diet doesn't work, what am I going to do?' Her third child was due in 4 months and I think she truely worried for the newborns safety.
Sam was an outright sucess on the diet. Unbelievable. He can come over now and Finn's new Lego Castle proudly on display will remain intact, in fact cared for and bits like the knights put back before he leaves. He can sit and play quietly and is gentle loving and kind with his new little sister. He talks coherently and responds each time he is spoken to....There are times when he is not so good and his Mum is then alerted to the fact that maybe she is being a bit too lenient on some foods, although Sam seems to be able to tolerate quite a bit of low and moderate foods now.
Then off I go and get diagnosed with ADHD/PTSD. I sked my psyche about using the diet instead of meds and his response was that as I was an adult and with the PTSD that he believed that the diet would only have a 20% impact whereas he felt that the medication would have an 80% impact. He said that he has noted much more sucess with the diet in children living in supportive stable family environments. He suggested that I retain the principles of the diet but not stress about it too much for now as he said I probably just needed a bit of a rest from the demands of life with ADHD and as I have compensted so well for so long with ADHD, a bit of time out was the best way to go. (It might sound silly but to do the diet properly is actually quite demanding) He said that a view to a 3 year stint on medications would be adviseable and then to wean off and back to the diet to see how it went.
So I guess that's where I am t the moment
Gaynor, my very good friend managed her Add son on the diet for as long as possible to avoid the side effects of ritalin, mainly the growth issue. Beau is now 18 and doing his motorcycle mechanic apprenticeship. He is sticking to the medication to maintain his focus during the apprenticeship. He hopes to go back to the diet once he has passed and is settled in a job. The diet was a sucess with Beau when he was younger, when mum had more control over what he ate.
Anyway I'd love to have the time, focus, organisation andfollow thru to do a study to compare the impact of medication and diet. Meantime I guess I'm doing my own little experiiment.
There is a lot of info re Friendly Food at www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info
Sue Dengate went through hell and back before she found the diet worked for her. I don't think it is the answer to ADD or all other learning disorders, but it sure would be worth trying out if you are having problems with medications, or better still worth finding out if it works for you or your loved ones .
Over and above Friendly Food which is a specific intolerance, I know that coloured lollies make me go vague and fuzzy. (Havent identified the distinct clours and dont really want to challenge to find out, so will just give them a miss altogether). Also the preservative in bread is a shocker as are the sulphites in presrved meat like ham, sausages etc. ..they make my little boy sad or mad ..lots of silly noises, and I hate myself talk. As for the saccharine in chewies, bubblegum, soft drinks..they make my friends daughter cry, for no or very little apparent reason. I guess knowing what to limit and then limiting it could help everbody, but hey us guys with the ADD or ADHD...we need every bit of help we can get!
hope that great ramble is of some help. Friendly Food info can be accessed in a lovely cookbook by Murdoch Books. Unfortunatley it was an inexpensive soft cover but is now this lovely hard back more expensive cookbook around Australian.
Andrea
Has anyone used any Native Remedies products such as Focus ADHD formula or Brightspark?
Brightspark contains Valerian which is a sedative. Focus contains high quantities of the same thing Aspertame is made of. Aspertame is an artificial sweetner. Children with ADHD should not be sedated and the safetiness of Aspetameis is questionable to date by the medical community, especially if a child also has diabetes. Please proceed with caution with the maker of herbal remedies as many coming from overseas contain led. Always check with your doctor prior to taking anything.
I just started my son on Brightspark about 3 weeks ago. They say it takes 3-5 weeks to see the full results. Either he is having a great week or they are working a bit. He is 5 and he was able to do more writing in the last few days then he normaly can and we played a game together. THE WHOLE GAME. He has never been able to sit through a game before. I was ready to take him to get him started on meds but I am gonna hold off and see if it is just a good few days or if It does seem to be helping. Vallerian roots relaxs you, so to much will put you to sleep.I use when I can't sleep.Try these products free of msg, preservatives.
CAIN'S TEA
SHWANEE'S FLOUR
POST CEREALS
GENERAL MILLS CEREALS
MCCORMICS SEASONINGS
FROZEN/FRESH VEGS AND FRUITS
CLEANING PRODUCTS FROM WELLNESS COMPANIES TOXIC FREE
LEAVE OUT SUGAR AND WHITE FLOURS ( BAD FOR US ALL)
WHOLE GRAINS BETTER FOR YOU.
CHECK OUT WHEAT GRASS ,VITAMIN WORLD
TROPICANA JUICES
COLD WATER FISH ( GOOD fATS)
SESSAMEE OIL
OLIVE OILS
JUST A FEW GOOD THINGS FOR US ALL.