Have any parents decided against ADHD meds & gone a natural route?

Laurie - posted on 06/06/2013

My daughter has been on Vyvanse for 3 yrs for ADHD. At first it seemed to help slow her down. Then she stopped eating and was having trouble sleeping so they added Risperidone to help combat the side effects of the Vyvanse. I feel after long term use her mood has become very extreme from happy to sad to angry with little patients. I love My daughter and everyday of my life when i hand her meds i feel like i'm destroying her health and future. Vyvanse is Amphetamine its like giving my daughter a dose of cocaine. I never been a believer in drugs very rarely do i consume meds for a headache always look for an alternative source. I talked about this with our doctor and she said she would look into it further. However I've seen many doctors and many opinions and even had a mental health counsellor come to my home once a week for the last two years. I pushed the school and advocated for my daughter spoke with the teachers every year who were involved with her and always had their cooperation. With a lot of love and support I feel we are ready to stop the meds, continue with support that is available, see what happens. We have a very open family concept here anything goes we speak n listen, no judging. Love is a powerful emotion along with time and perseverance anything can be achieved. My husband is ADHD and has never been medicated it can been very trying for me but in the end we get there.

Stephani - posted on 11/05/2012

We decided against medications for many of the reasons that have already been listed here. My son, 12 with ADHD and Aspergers, has been on a special diet for over 7 years now and is doing well.



The key to diet is NOT to substitute medication with things like coke, coffee or other stimulants! It's about getting rid of the artificial additives and possible food allergens/sensitivities. It's not even always about the sugar - although generally speaking, the less sugar the better - for us all. :)



There are so many misconceptions about what a diet for adhd/autism is and what it isn't! I work with parents of children with adhd and autism spectrum disorders on dietary solutions to reduce or eliminate their child's symptoms and behaviors.



I'm hosting a teleclass this week (open class by phone conference line) to address the common misconceptions and get to the truth on what a diet for adhd and autism really is. (It's free so I'm not selling this - just for your information!)



If you're interested in hearing more, you can get the information here:

http://nourishingjourney.com/index.php/1...



Stephani

http://www.nourishingjourney.com

Jami - posted on 11/04/2012

thanks me too, it was a hard day when I realized nothing would help him but the meds...I'm so relieved that his newfound personality is still with him over the weekends without the meds...a huge part of that I think is that his other issue is also being taken care of. :)

Dawn - posted on 11/04/2012

Thats good I hope it continues to work for you guys and that you are able to do that this next summer.

Jami - posted on 11/04/2012

I think it's partly that some parents don't want to take the time & effort to really try the "natural" methods first...it took me two years to determine that no matter how many schedules, routines, charts, diets etc I put him on, they would not help him. he has been medicated for 13 months and just now he's starting to be able to be med free on weekends. I think we've made great progress in 13 months! I'm hopful we can have a med break this next summer :)

Dawn - posted on 11/04/2012

Yes that is what a lot of people miss out on if someone either pressures them to medicate their children or they are ill informed about their options. Medications and other therapies are a tool to help the children, their families, and their schools to help these children to learn and use their full potential like other students. Some kids are not able to go without medications but they are older if ever but some children do not ever have to be on medications for ADHD I think it just depends on their chemical makeup in their brains that affects the part of the brain for focusing. Even our son's therapist agrees that they are just there to help us have the tools to help him to succeed like we know he should since he is a very smart boy he just does not always know how to use in a form that allows others to learn when he is learning.

Jami - posted on 11/04/2012

one thing you have to realize is that the medication is just a tool, my son is in family therapy/regular therapy...as a whole treatment. Our hope is that he's off the meds in a couple of years, until he can get his inattentive adhd under control the meds will help him learn to control it.

Dawn - posted on 11/04/2012

My husband and I along with our doctor when our son was diagnosed 3 years ago with ADHD discussed the procedures on how they start the treatment program for a child with ADHD. What they had us do and we have been attending these sessions most of the time for the past 3 years is family therapy/counseling sessions. Our doctor referred us to a center in our large city that is the main location that is licensed to prescribe the ADHD medications but they take a unique approach to children with ADHD. Instead of just prescribing them medication they try other forms that parents can use to help their children focus and calm or slow down. Our son has Inattention and Hyperactivity so it is hard for him to focus in the class room but he is also showing some signs of giftedness. Family therapy has helped us tremendously on how we can help him to get some tasks done. Whenever he starts to have a breakdown due to the overwhelming feeling of doing some tasks what we do is we break it down into smaller tasks that are easier for him to understand and he seems to work a lot better on tasks that way. At school they are having him doing enrichment assignments to help him keep focused at school and as a way for them to judge if he needs to go into the gifted program or not. As it stands right now he is only a quarter into his second grade year and he is already at the reading level of a end of the year third grader and can test very well on his state standardized testing he just has a habit of talking or acting out when he is bored. Though the last week and a half at school he has not had to pull a card for anything that he as done wrong because he has started focusing better and seems be behaving. Earlier in the year we were afraid we were going to have to break down and put him on medications but after talking to his teacher they are finding ways for him to get rid of excess physical energy if they need to during class like sending him on fake errands just so he can move around and not be stuck at his desk when he is bored sometimes. We have been lucky to have a great school district and school that is so willing to adapt at times to help him to learn. Oh and we haven't really changed anything with his diet or anything because we really have never let him have much pop or candy or other sugary items.



Dawn, mother of a 7 almost 8 year old with ADHD

Jami - posted on 11/03/2012

I tried every single non medication adhd "cure" or "treatment" I found before he started school. not one single thing made any difference whatsoever. Until adderall and now focalin.

Jean - posted on 10/23/2012

Hi Laurie,

I have a daughter (8) who has ADHD. I switched from the medications because I did not like the results I was seeing and how they effected her physically. I'm using a neurofeedback platform called play attention and have had great results. All the research I have seen is that ADHD/ADD is a neuro disorder that can be treated. This platform is based on the concept of "neuroplasticity" - the mind does have the capability to grow and expand. Her behavior, focus and attention span are normal now. She does not "wiggle" and has made friends. Something I feel great about. I am a complete advocate of this method and it has changed our family environment and her school environment into a peaceful happy one.

Amanda - posted on 09/11/2012

i think the person above probably needs meds now more than ever!

Andre - posted on 08/26/2012

Ma'am, Adhd is pretty much a false disease. 80% of the people that go in for ADHD "testing" will get positive results. they ask questions like, "do you have difficulty concentrating at work," well no shit, it's work, of course your going to space off. I garuntee you, your child would have no "attention deficit" if you set him in front of a tv with some video games. The symptoms of adhd disappear when the processed foods and sugar disappear. martial arts teach discipline and give plenty of physical activity. working out, helps a ton. just have your child do some serious working out every night, let them focus on being stronger.

giving your child adhd medication is giving them poison. adderall can cause ED (erectile dysfunction), stunts growth, and makes ADHD worse after 5 years of "treatment". Not surprising to me, after 5 years of legal, watered down meth (dextroamphetamine) the kid can't pay attention without it anymore, thus putting more money into the hands of the pharmecuetical industry at the cost of a broken person. I remember when i was put back on adderall after years of being off it, I would literally lose track of what I was saying in the middle of a conversation. completely. part of the reason I used my legal rights to refuse it at that time.

Amphetamines lower blood flow to the extremities. lowered blood flow means lowered oxygen. your giving your son less oxygen to his sexual organs, hands, feet, etc, during growth. do you see the problem here?

Then, we have the problem of psychological dependency. You cannot raise a child to expect that they cannot go through life without a pill that makes them behave. Thats absurd, and a serious problem with adults in Modern America. I know people who had depressing events happen in their life, and then decided to take pills for depression. Does this not.... seem like a problem to all of you? happiness from a pill, rather than facing their sadness, rather than deciding to MAKE CHANGE to be happy. oh, did I mention Grief is now going to be a disorder, that insurance companies will have to pay for, and that there will be a pill for?? The pharmecuetical industry is just that, a massive industry, with ADHD medications as its love child.

On another, very serious note, forcing a child to take medications that make them an entirely different person, make them feel unable to act as they want, makes it impossible too just be themselves, infringes on a human right so basic, so essential, that it wasn't even thought to be put in the constitution by the founding fathers. That is the right of every person to be themselves. I cannot remember how many times I was in tears as a child, like serious tears, just wanting to be off the medications that I was being given. my mom beat me every day when I was a kid, then gave me amphetamines, and then, when I started getting mad and defiant all the time, gave me an anti-psychotic. a highly toxic anti-pyschotic. I am left forever wondering what I could have been.

In closing, I will say that vitamins are good, however, they aren't really the answer. what you want to do is give your children better nutrition, as they would get from vitamins, in their food. and cut the toxins out. Shop organic, eat organic, get a good, well rounded diet going. And NO genetically modified crap. If you get vitamins, get food based. Don't use tap water, it contains all the toxins from your pipes. plus added fluoride. Fluoride is very serious. Researchers are finding now that it doesn't even prevent cavities, it just hides their appearance for 3 years. back in the 20's and 30's, researchers knew it was toxic, they knew it lowered IQ's, among other things. here is an important link: http://www.fluoridealert.org/ please take the time to read it. It's worth it. Herbs can also be good for a number of things. look into that. And look to see where you are being poisoned, where you have been lied to, the information is all over the internet.

I probably will never check this thread again, I was googling to find a website of a man who was pressured into giving his child adhd medication by his school's teachers, and the meds killed his kid, and ended up here. Best of Luck.

thanks, Andre wilson.

Laurie - posted on 05/01/2009

I am so grateful for all the fantastic advice and info that has been offered in just a few days. I have started a new community for families with ADHD who have chosen NOT to medicate, so we can continue to share these great ideas. Please let me stress that this community is open to everyone, regardless of whether you choose to use meds or not, and not about judging one another. We need to help & learn from each other so hopefully in the future we may cut down on the # of meds given to our children and can help them in other, healthier ways. What a wonderful prospect!!! I hope to see you there soon. :)

Amanda - posted on 05/01/2009

One thing not mentioned is that you should stay away from all types of corn syrups etc.. Also anything artificially flavoured or colored. 90% of food we give our kids contain syrups. That is a big trigger for most ADHD kids. Also stay away from anything that has BHA, BHT, and TBHQ. These are all perservitives.



You should also stay away from Aspertame and other such sweetners.



Seems like alot i know but it's something that comes habbit while reading food lables.





I've also found that unless your child only has ADHD alot of these diets don't work. If they are accompanied by ECD, Tourettes etc... I don't find changing the diet works at all.



Jade(10) has ADHD, OCD, ODD, Tourettes and is in the process of being tested for Aspergers. Changing his diet has done nothing for him. But i think it's because of the abundance of disorders he has.

Christina - posted on 04/30/2009

You should see if your school system has a preschool for your son. My son is also 4, and I knew by the time he was 2 something wasn't right. ADHD runs in my family. He was diagnosed at 3 with ADHD and SID (sensory intergration disorder). He's not on any meds, he doesn't eat much, so we can't mess with his diet. But our school has a special pre-k for "learning disabled" and he qualified with just the diagnosis. Of course, as most parents know, it's not really a disability b/c most ADHD kids are extremely gifted, but don't fit in the standard schools very well, due to focus. Anyway, they set him up with visual aide cards that I hang up, where we can "check" our schedule. Ok, we have to clean up and then we can have snack. Between the school and home, in 9 mths, he's become a different child! I cannot thank he's schooling enough. Even his therapist said he's doing fabulous.

Meagan - posted on 04/29/2009

My Son is 4 and just recently diagnosed i havent gotten much information his soon to be ex peditricain just said yes hes has it and was ready to deal our Rx's for concerta im wondering what i can do to help my son, any advice??? I really dont like the idea of these medications i work as a pharmacy tech and they are locked up in a cabinet and the number of Rx's i get for them daily is crazy i dont want to see my little boy druged up like the kids i see at work.

Barbara - posted on 04/29/2009

Hi Ladies, I was reading your posts and I found it odd that soda, caffeine and sugar were "Nutritional" options. Many of my friends have had much success with making changes to what types of foods they eat- less processed foods, avoid the food colorings, sometimes removing the gluten. Many cases of ADHD can be linked to food allergies and by eliminating these foods you can have some great results BUT a good Nutritional Supplement program is the way to go. I would recommend a good source of Soy Protein, Lecithin, Zinc, GLA/EPA, Calcium Magnesium, B Complex, Vitamin C and a good source of acidophilis.



I have a really good source if any of you are interested in going this route I would be more than happy to talk further on this topic.



All my best to you

Dana - posted on 04/29/2009

We used to use meds for our daughters ADHD but we took her off them at Thanksgiving as she was the same with or without the meds. We don't use any home remedies really. We limit her soda and sugar intake, not just hers but all of our kids. We also make sure she has plenty of rest and sleeps well at night. We decided to remove her from public school to be homeschooled (all our kids are homeschooled). This allows us to keep her on a better routine and help teach her how to stay on task and limit her distractions so she can function better as an adult with ADHD. She has a daily schedule written out for her (all the kids do) and so far this has worked better than anything we have tried in the past.

Laurie - posted on 04/29/2009

Quoting Brandy:

The only change that we have made to my son's diet is removed dairy. also we see a chiropractor that works with children with ADD and ADHD ( my son is ADHD and gifted talented) he does different excercises that stimulate an area of the brain that is not getting what it needs in the day to day activites. We have been through several medications which would only work for a little while, finally I came across this chiropractor and I am so glad we took the meds away and have went this route instead. The results are Awesome! Here is her info, I know you are probably not anywhere near us but you can call and talk to her, I know she will talk to you ....

DR NESHAYDITH TOMPKINS
------------------------------------------------------
BALKMAN CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC, Ltd
3444 Old Greenwood Rd, Suite A
Fort Smith, AR 72903
Telephone: (479) 646-3984
Fax: (479) 646-2129

 

Thank you sooo much for this info to your doctor.  I am in CA, but will definitely contact her (?) and see if they are familiar with anyone in my area that practices the same way.  Since ADHD is an area of the brain that isn't "making the connection,"  I love that they work to stimulate specific areas.  Great info!!!

Laurie - posted on 04/29/2009

Quoting Phyllis:

Quoting Laurie:

Thanks for the response. What kind of benefit do you see in the 1/2 cup of coffee every morning? I would think that would have a negative response, so I am very curious as to how this helps her. I do understand that extra protein in their diet is beneficial, but was told to stay away from caffine & sugars from my son's dr.

I also give my son coffee and coke or pepsi. They are a stimulant just like most ADHD meds, although not to the same degree. It helps on the days he is off meds.  Also, my Dr. gave me a list of the most common food triggers for ADHD. The top ones were cows milk, soy milk, red & yellow food dye, and gluten. Sugar was surprisingly low on the list. Every kid is different though and these things dont seem to affect my son.

Thanks for the explanation of the caffine "treatment."  I have always been advised to stay away from products that contain things of that nature, but treating it like a stimulant makes since, since that is what most preferred ADHD meds are.  Now it makes sense :).

Laurie - posted on 04/29/2009

Quoting Melinda:

My son was diagnosed 2 monthes ago. We decided to go the aternative to med route. We have changed his diet but not so much that he has even really noticed. Like instead of candy he gets organic fruit leather and he loves it! The vitamins and supplements he gets are a multi-vitamin, DHA, Magnesium,vitamin D, and a liquid vitamin b-6. So far so good he hasn't gotten his name on the board since he's been on these and he used to be on it everyday!! He also is bringing home better grades. Another thing we have been doing is alot of rewards. When he reaches a goal he gets a small toy, it gives him something to look forward too and seems to really be working and he seems happier instead of frustrated.

Thank you for all the great info.  We had  a really big health scare with our 5 year old son after reluctantly starting to treat him with meds, only 5 months into treatment, so we will never see medication as an option again.  How did you decide what supplements to give him, and how much of each?  Are you under the advisement of a Specialist?  Are you using the Vit D becuase you have weaned off dairy products?

Melinda - posted on 04/29/2009

That's the same way I felt, I don't want my son to have to take drugs for the rest of his life! Do some research online there is so much info out there! My cousin is a naturopath Dr in Arizona and she has helped alot with trying to figure out which vitamins to put him on. Changing his diet has been harder, reading labels has made me relize how bad alot of the food is out there. It will take alot of work but hang in there.

Jenein - posted on 04/29/2009

Hi guys. I have a 2 1/2 year old son that was diagnosed w/ADHD and a seizure d/o a few weeks ago. He wasnt started on any meds for the ADHD because he had been given two new meds for the seizures but the doctor did say to come back in 3 months and she would prescribe something then. Im sorry, this is just bizarre to me. A 2 1/2 year old being diagnosed w/ADHD. I really saw his behavior has just being in his "terrible twos". To put him on meds, I dont think so. I may have a long and hard road in front of me but its one Im going to take. I cant see doping him up on so much stuff. There has to be another way. He's not even in school yet...

Brandy - posted on 04/27/2009

The only change that we have made to my son's diet is removed dairy. also we see a chiropractor that works with children with ADD and ADHD ( my son is ADHD and gifted talented) he does different excercises that stimulate an area of the brain that is not getting what it needs in the day to day activites. We have been through several medications which would only work for a little while, finally I came across this chiropractor and I am so glad we took the meds away and have went this route instead. The results are Awesome! Here is her info, I know you are probably not anywhere near us but you can call and talk to her, I know she will talk to you ....



DR NESHAYDITH TOMPKINS

------------------------------------------------------

BALKMAN CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC, Ltd

3444 Old Greenwood Rd, Suite A

Fort Smith, AR 72903

Telephone: (479) 646-3984

Fax: (479) 646-2129

Doreen - posted on 04/27/2009

Yes I have, after my 13 year old got down to 88lbs. I give her St Johns wort and Ginko Biloba along with a centrum mulitvitamin and she's doing great

Kimberly - posted on 04/27/2009

My son has to be unmedicated due to having multiple issues that the meds counter act each other. We had a doc due a deduction test, for a month we would remove one food/food ingredient from his diet. Seeing if his behavior changed, then we would slowly add it back in to see if he returned to being his normal over active self. He now can not have wheat gluten and red dye #40. We have also discovered that caffeine knocks him out. Sugar doesn't affect him one way or the other. He was on Strattera back when he was first diagnosed because it was able to be used in Tourette's Syndrome patients as well as ADHD. * he has ADHD, OCD and Tourette's Syndrome. Although his new Psychiatrist wants to test him for Asperger's (they think he may have been misdiagnosed with the ADHD.

Phyllis - posted on 04/27/2009

Quoting Laurie:

Thanks for the response. What kind of benefit do you see in the 1/2 cup of coffee every morning? I would think that would have a negative response, so I am very curious as to how this helps her. I do understand that extra protein in their diet is beneficial, but was told to stay away from caffine & sugars from my son's dr.

I also give my son coffee and coke or pepsi. They are a stimulant just like most ADHD meds, although not to the same degree. It helps on the days he is off meds.  Also, my Dr. gave me a list of the most common food triggers for ADHD. The top ones were cows milk, soy milk, red & yellow food dye, and gluten. Sugar was surprisingly low on the list. Every kid is different though and these things dont seem to affect my son.

Lori - posted on 04/27/2009

My son has no chocie but to be on a diet for his. He has a heart proplem and if he was to do the meds it could kill him. So we just took suger and dyes and increased his protein and he gets no caffine sets him off really fast.All kids are diffrent have to find out what works for them.

Melinda - posted on 04/27/2009

My son was diagnosed 2 monthes ago. We decided to go the aternative to med route. We have changed his diet but not so much that he has even really noticed. Like instead of candy he gets organic fruit leather and he loves it! The vitamins and supplements he gets are a multi-vitamin, DHA, Magnesium,vitamin D, and a liquid vitamin b-6. So far so good he hasn't gotten his name on the board since he's been on these and he used to be on it everyday!! He also is bringing home better grades. Another thing we have been doing is alot of rewards. When he reaches a goal he gets a small toy, it gives him something to look forward too and seems to really be working and he seems happier instead of frustrated.

Laurie - posted on 04/26/2009

Thanks for the response. What kind of benefit do you see in the 1/2 cup of coffee every morning? I would think that would have a negative response, so I am very curious as to how this helps her. I do understand that extra protein in their diet is beneficial, but was told to stay away from caffine & sugars from my son's dr.

Lacey - posted on 04/25/2009

I give my daughter a half cup of coffee every morning before school with breakfast. On the weekend she gets a soda for the day. As for meals, she doesn't eat a lot of sugar. She is mainly a pasta eater or veggies and chicken. She's picky...lol. I give her a vitamin daily. Just a regular childrens vitamin. The only other thing I can say is that when she does crash (and she does at times), I just have to be patient and let her work through it.