ADHD and food/herbs

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Rhiana1188
Rhiana1188 Posts: 67 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Not sure if this is in the right section but... I'm a 25yo mother of 3 little ones... I was diagnosed in early middle school with ADHD, and was put on Adderall. I stopped taking it after high school and had my ADHD pretty well under control up until about 6 months ago when I gave birth to my third little one. Now, my ADHD is off the wall, (I can't watch a movie or even read a magazine/newspaper article without getting up or givng up reading) and I'm having mild anxiety. I've cut caffeine out of my diet completely and do my absolute best to exercise at least half an hour every day, usually more. I don't really want to be put back on anything because from what I remember, Adderall made me feel like I was on crack and I really want to feel like myself. I've heard of people taking valerian root for anxiety or sleep issues. I've also heard of cutting out red dyes... Is this effective? Before asking my doctor for more drugs... Are there any other "home remedies" that anyone knows about? Ones that work?

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  • momwhosbusy
    momwhosbusy Posts: 154 Member
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    My hubby, oldest son, and youngest daughter are all ADHD and I have done pretty extensive research and a lot of trial and error through out the past 18 years! Yes cutting out the food additives and dyes helps. Red Dye is often the one focused on but in reality ALL food dyes can problematic. Yes Valarian Root helps, and actually, caffiene helps.

    Caffiene is a stimulant which is what adderall, concerta, etc.. all are. Just 4 oz. at a time spaced several times through out the day can work wonders for focus and concentration. It won't cause sleeplessness, it will be calming to someone who has ADHD. If you aren't a coffee drinker, try tea, if not either of those...yup, soda. You could check out your local health food store too, I know that they often have herbal combos that work great for ADHD.

    If you want to stay away from the caffiene Celestial Seasons Wellness Tea has one called Sleepytime Extra that contains Valarian, chamomile, and a few other calming herbs and it works great for mild anxiety.
  • ajhugz
    ajhugz Posts: 452 Member
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    Are you feeling anxious or do you have an anxiety problem? My boyfriend has ADHD and I have really bad anxiety. I have panic attacks and have been having them for about 4 years.

    The best thing for my anxiety has been meditation and exercise. Pretty much anything that relaxes me helps. I do breathing exercises when it gets really bad. I've never tried that kind of tea but I like tea. Its really important to discover what triggers your anxiety and to figure out how to resolve or cope with those things. Once you learn to manage your triggers it'll get better.
  • ajhugz
    ajhugz Posts: 452 Member
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    actually, caffiene helps.

    Caffiene is a stimulant which is what adderall, concerta, etc.. all are. Just 4 oz. at a time spaced several times through out the day can work wonders for focus and concentration. It won't cause sleeplessness, it will be calming to someone who has ADHD. If you aren't a coffee drinker, try tea, if not either of those...yup, soda. You could check out your local health food store too, I know that they often have herbal combos that work great for ADHD.

    I was going to say this but I wanted to confirm with my boyfriend first. He definitely looks for something with caffeine when he has trouble focusing. Its usually coffee or a soda.
  • creatureofthewind
    creatureofthewind Posts: 34
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    I have ADHD and don't take meds for it. Too much caffeine is not good though makes you not focus. One cup or two cups of coffee is ideal.
  • Rhiana1188
    Rhiana1188 Posts: 67 Member
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    actually, caffiene helps.

    Caffiene is a stimulant which is what adderall, concerta, etc.. all are. Just 4 oz. at a time spaced several times through out the day can work wonders for focus and concentration. It won't cause sleeplessness, it will be calming to someone who has ADHD. If you aren't a coffee drinker, try tea, if not either of those...yup, soda. You could check out your local health food store too, I know that they often have herbal combos that work great for ADHD.

    I was going to say this but I wanted to confirm with my boyfriend first. He definitely looks for something with caffeine when he has trouble focusing. Its usually coffee or a soda.

    I had one cup of coffee this afternoon after not having caffeine in a while and my brain truned into a blender. I felt like I was on crack and could barely read or write a sentence. Maybe it was because my body hadn't readjusted yet...
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    My hubby, oldest son, and youngest daughter are all ADHD and I have done pretty extensive research and a lot of trial and error through out the past 18 years! Yes cutting out the food additives and dyes helps. Red Dye is often the one focused on but in reality ALL food dyes can problematic. Yes Valarian Root helps, and actually, caffiene helps.

    Caffiene is a stimulant which is what adderall, concerta, etc.. all are. Just 4 oz. at a time spaced several times through out the day can work wonders for focus and concentration. It won't cause sleeplessness, it will be calming to someone who has ADHD. If you aren't a coffee drinker, try tea, if not either of those...yup, soda. You could check out your local health food store too, I know that they often have herbal combos that work great for ADHD.

    If you want to stay away from the caffiene Celestial Seasons Wellness Tea has one called Sleepytime Extra that contains Valarian, chamomile, and a few other calming herbs and it works great for mild anxiety.

    was going to suggest the same thing - no red dye 40 and add caffeine regularly to counteract the H of ADHD. In my experience with children, caffeine also helps with concentration.
  • creatureofthewind
    creatureofthewind Posts: 34
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    I had one cup of coffee this afternoon after not having caffeine in a while and my brain truned into a blender. I felt like I was on crack and could barely read or write a sentence. Maybe it was because my body hadn't readjusted yet...

    Same here. You should see how I am doing chores today. XD

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