Help! Natural Treatments for ADD

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fabandfit4life
fabandfit4life Posts: 8
in Food and Nutrition
I am really frustated because I have a child that has ADD. We are not willing to use traditional medicines because of the side effects. Has anyone treated their children with Natural Remedies or Diet? What kind and have you seen positve results!
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Replies

  • G30Grrl
    G30Grrl Posts: 377 Member
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    Eliminating sugar, caffeine, and food additives works for lots of people. There is a book called "Is this Your Child?" by Doris Rapp that explains that some childhood issues are actually caused by food allergies. You might want to consider that.
  • fabandfit4life
    fabandfit4life Posts: 8
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    Eliminating sugar, caffeine, and food additives works for lots of people. There is a book called "Is this Your Child?" by Doris Rapp that explains that some childhood issues are actually caused by food allergies. You might want to consider that.
    Thank you, I will look up the book, although I read that caffeine helps kids with ADD because it has some kind of stimulant effect on the brain??? Any thoughts on that?
  • fabandfit4life
    fabandfit4life Posts: 8
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    Anyone else have experience with ADD or ADHD children?
  • scaiter
    scaiter Posts: 9 Member
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    Hi there: My 8 year old has ADHD Inattentive (which I think is the same diagnosis many of us "dreamers' had in the classroom 20 years ago). However, because he was diagnosed in a diagnostic classroom at a local hospital, I'll give it some credence... but I digress.

    For the first two years after his diagnosis at age 5 and ten months, we had him on the following:
    5HTP
    Vitamin D supplement (we live in Northern Canada, so it's a recommended supplement regardless)
    Omega-3 DHA fish oil tablets

    We had him assessed by a naturopathic MD in October, who recommended that we switch him from 5HTP (we weren't seeing a lot of changes in his behaviour and thought that perhaps he'd "leveled out" on his dosage) and switch him to Theanine, which is used widely in Japan to treat adult-ADHD.

    Wow, what a change. Happy, calm boy vs. prone to tears and a tendency towards the "I can't do it!!" attitude.

    His current regime is
    Theanine
    Vitamin D
    Probiotics (he has problems with his digestion, but apparently that's common with kids with ADHD; something to think about, maybe)
    Omega 3-DHA
    multivitamin.

    If you're thinking about naturopathic treatments, I strongly recommend talking to a professional. But, it worked for us!

    Good luck!
  • scaiter
    scaiter Posts: 9 Member
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    RE: Caffeine: two of my brothers have ADHD and one drinks caffeine to help him study; he says it helps him concentrate. The other can't drink coffee because it puts him to sleep. Like, zonked out immediately.

    Different strokes for different folks, but caffeine, in the appropriate dosages, is seen to be a positive therapeutic treatment for ADHD.
  • dream_big
    dream_big Posts: 75 Member
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    My son has ADHD, he is on medication for it and it works perfect for him, so far no side effects that I have noticed. But yes caffeine should help because its a stimulant. For some reason stimulants "bring down" kids with ADHD/ADD. I haven't really adjusted to much otherwise with his diet or anything, but I would recommend trying something with caffeine.
  • mcknjack
    mcknjack Posts: 20
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    Hi, my son is ADHD and autistic. This summer we went 100% gluten free with him and he was able to get off 3 medicines, including Intuniv, a long-acting ADHD medicine. We also have him take iron, fish oil and L-Tyrosine supplements, all of which have helped him. I keep finding new supplements which seem to be supported with research, but always ask his doctor if he recommends any. If I had to choose only two, I'd say the gluten free and L-Tyrosine are the two most important in his daily regimen. Good luck to you!
  • abberbabber
    abberbabber Posts: 972 Member
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    My guy has a daughter who's being tested for ADD/ADHD and learning disorders. Wanted to keep this thread in my feed :)
  • elexichoccyeater
    elexichoccyeater Posts: 310 Member
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    I teach kids with ADD ADHD CONDUCT DISORDER ODD OCD .... ETC I am on my way to work xxx befriend me if you want xxx
  • mcknjack
    mcknjack Posts: 20
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    Also forgot to say that my son's psychologist recommends high protein/fat for breakfast. We don't do low carb, or anything like that, but focus on having scrambled eggs, a piece of bacon or sausage and a piece of fruit for breakfast. Helps him pay attention and focus better until lunchtime.
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
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    Eliminating sugar, caffeine, and food additives works for lots of people. There is a book called "Is this Your Child?" by Doris Rapp that explains that some childhood issues are actually caused by food allergies. You might want to consider that.

    Caffeine has a reverse effect on many people with ADD, so it may be ok. However it's not the healthiest to give them. Sugar on the other hand - no evidence that shows giving kids sugar makes them hyper. It could be the placebo effect - parents telling them this makes them think it. No scientific or clinical evidence though.

    As someone who was drugged up on medication for ADD when I was a child, I can tell you - mood swings, sleeping problems, and very high marks are the usual side effects.

    My score in Math went from 51% (due to not paying attention) to 116% (16% in bonus marks) from grade 10-11. It is like steroids for learning. However, it does not make the kid smarter, they had it all along. the side effects outweigh the benefit. In fact, I was too young to realize until later. Many parents with kids on the "pill" have no clue what their kids could be going through b/c many choose to not talk about it or don't relate their feelings with the medication - thinking they are just feeling how they normally should.
  • abberbabber
    abberbabber Posts: 972 Member
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    Hi there: My 8 year old has ADHD Inattentive (which I think is the same diagnosis many of us "dreamers' had in the classroom 20 years ago). However, because he was diagnosed in a diagnostic classroom at a local hospital, I'll give it some credence... but I digress.

    For the first two years after his diagnosis at age 5 and ten months, we had him on the following:
    5HTP
    Vitamin D supplement (we live in Northern Canada, so it's a recommended supplement regardless)
    Omega-3 DHA fish oil tablets

    We had him assessed by a naturopathic MD in October, who recommended that we switch him from 5HTP (we weren't seeing a lot of changes in his behaviour and thought that perhaps he'd "leveled out" on his dosage) and switch him to Theanine, which is used widely in Japan to treat adult-ADHD.

    Wow, what a change. Happy, calm boy vs. prone to tears and a tendency towards the "I can't do it!!" attitude.

    His current regime is
    Theanine
    Vitamin D
    Probiotics (he has problems with his digestion, but apparently that's common with kids with ADHD; something to think about, maybe)
    Omega 3-DHA
    multivitamin.

    If you're thinking about naturopathic treatments, I strongly recommend talking to a professional. But, it worked for us!

    Good luck!

    Quoted for the comment about digestive issues, because she's made a few comments lately about how she can't eat certain foods. I thought she was being melodramatic, lol. Thanks for that info!
  • traceyjj
    traceyjj Posts: 406 Member
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    One of my twins was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 5 or 6... I remember the doctors talking to us about Ritalin. My hubby works for a big US corporation and spoke with people there about the meds, and was told all sorts of horror stories so we decided to avoid the meds and just try to cope. He had an exercise ball to sit on, as the constant movement of trying to keep his balance seemed to help him, as did the school just letting him out of the class to run in the school hall when he got too fidgity. Of course there were bad days, but as a family we all came to accept thats how he was and got on with life.

    THEN CAME PUBERTY.... and omg! but it was he that came to us and asked to go back to the doctor as he felt he was unable to cope with school. He had more tests, and the doctors spoke with him (with me in attendance) of the various options. They came to the conclusion that slow release "ritalin" was the way forward... He was anxious to not take too much, as he has a wonderful character, and he/we didnt want that to get lost.. He took this for the last 4 years of school, the lowest dose he could be prescribed, and the difference was fantastic. No side effects, just our happy son who was no longer getting into trouble at school because he was disrupting the class.

    He stopped taking the meds when he left school... he didnt need them for college.

    I have to admit, I was against him going on them, but I'm glad I agreed to give it a go for his sake! So I know you asked for natural treatments, but sometimes the medical treatments do their job well enough to not need them for a lifetime.
    Good luck with your decision... its never an easy one.
  • spinnybecky
    spinnybecky Posts: 28
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    Check out Dr. Joel Fuhrman. He writes a lot about how a super nutrient-dense diet can help with many types of diseases. I highly recommend his book, "Disease-Proof Your Child." He also has a great website full of information.
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    Options
    Hi there: My 8 year old has ADHD Inattentive (which I think is the same diagnosis many of us "dreamers' had in the classroom 20 years ago). However, because he was diagnosed in a diagnostic classroom at a local hospital, I'll give it some credence... but I digress.

    For the first two years after his diagnosis at age 5 and ten months, we had him on the following:
    5HTP
    Vitamin D supplement (we live in Northern Canada, so it's a recommended supplement regardless)
    Omega-3 DHA fish oil tablets

    We had him assessed by a naturopathic MD in October, who recommended that we switch him from 5HTP (we weren't seeing a lot of changes in his behaviour and thought that perhaps he'd "leveled out" on his dosage) and switch him to Theanine, which is used widely in Japan to treat adult-ADHD.

    Wow, what a change. Happy, calm boy vs. prone to tears and a tendency towards the "I can't do it!!" attitude.

    His current regime is
    Theanine
    Vitamin D
    Probiotics (he has problems with his digestion, but apparently that's common with kids with ADHD; something to think about, maybe)
    Omega 3-DHA
    multivitamin.

    If you're thinking about naturopathic treatments, I strongly recommend talking to a professional. But, it worked for us!

    Good luck!

    Quoted for the comment about digestive issues, because she's made a few comments lately about how she can't eat certain foods. I thought she was being melodramatic, lol. Thanks for that info!

    Interesting... I get sick from certain foods occasionally. What's her triggers?
  • amazing_shrinking_woman
    amazing_shrinking_woman Posts: 66 Member
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    bump
  • abberbabber
    abberbabber Posts: 972 Member
    Options
    Hi there: My 8 year old has ADHD Inattentive (which I think is the same diagnosis many of us "dreamers' had in the classroom 20 years ago). However, because he was diagnosed in a diagnostic classroom at a local hospital, I'll give it some credence... but I digress.

    For the first two years after his diagnosis at age 5 and ten months, we had him on the following:
    5HTP
    Vitamin D supplement (we live in Northern Canada, so it's a recommended supplement regardless)
    Omega-3 DHA fish oil tablets

    We had him assessed by a naturopathic MD in October, who recommended that we switch him from 5HTP (we weren't seeing a lot of changes in his behaviour and thought that perhaps he'd "leveled out" on his dosage) and switch him to Theanine, which is used widely in Japan to treat adult-ADHD.

    Wow, what a change. Happy, calm boy vs. prone to tears and a tendency towards the "I can't do it!!" attitude.

    His current regime is
    Theanine
    Vitamin D
    Probiotics (he has problems with his digestion, but apparently that's common with kids with ADHD; something to think about, maybe)
    Omega 3-DHA
    multivitamin.

    If you're thinking about naturopathic treatments, I strongly recommend talking to a professional. But, it worked for us!

    Good luck!

    Quoted for the comment about digestive issues, because she's made a few comments lately about how she can't eat certain foods. I thought she was being melodramatic, lol. Thanks for that info!

    Interesting... I get sick from certain foods occasionally. What's her triggers?

    I'm trying to remember exactly...I know the other day she said bacon. If she mentions anything else, I'll update :)
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    Options
    Eliminating sugar, caffeine, and food additives works for lots of people. There is a book called "Is this Your Child?" by Doris Rapp that explains that some childhood issues are actually caused by food allergies. You might want to consider that.
    Thank you, I will look up the book, although I read that caffeine helps kids with ADD because it has some kind of stimulant effect on the brain??? Any thoughts on that?

    I have seen this to be true - but I have also seen regular chiropractic care to be very effective (sounds crazy, but not really if you think about it). We had to remove red dye and processed carbs - that helped too.
  • fabandfit4life
    fabandfit4life Posts: 8
    Options
    Eliminating sugar, caffeine, and food additives works for lots of people. There is a book called "Is this Your Child?" by Doris Rapp that explains that some childhood issues are actually caused by food allergies. You might want to consider that.

    Caffeine has a reverse effect on many people with ADD, so it may be ok. However it's not the healthiest to give them. Sugar on the other hand - no evidence that shows giving kids sugar makes them hyper. It could be the placebo effect - parents telling them this makes them think it. No scientific or clinical evidence though.

    As someone who was drugged up on medication for ADD when I was a child, I can tell you - mood swings, sleeping problems, and very high marks are the usual side effects.

    My score in Math went from 51% (due to not paying attention) to 116% (16% in bonus marks) from grade 10-11. It is like steroids for learning. However, it does not make the kid smarter, they had it all along. the side effects outweigh the benefit. In fact, I was too young to realize until later. Many parents with kids on the "pill" have no clue what their kids could be going through b/c many choose to not talk about it or don't relate their feelings with the medication - thinking they are just feeling how they normally should.
    This is exactly what I am afraid off. My kid is very smart but just can't seem to focus or pay attention. I'ts just a really hard decision because I'm afraid that he is going to feel drugged up at the cost of doing good in school and making it easier for us the parents but then on the other hand I read the other comments of children doing well on medication and afraid that I'm holding out on him if I don't let him have it.
    Although I have heard some positive things about parents dealing with ADD and medication I woul like to hear more experiences of people who took medication as children and how it helped or didn't help.

    Thanks everyone!
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
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    Interesting stuff being said about caffeine. Ritalin, for example, is a stimulant. That's why it's used to treat both ADD and narcolepsy. So yeah, the stuff about caffeine having a reverse effect makes a ton of sense.

    Basically, you need an evaluation to see what's off-kilter and causing the ADD, and then finding a method of treating that thing that works for you. It may be a stimulant, it may be a vitamin, etc, but you won't know until a proper workup is done.

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