Perscriptions VS Herbal

My youngest son (6 1/2) has just been diagniosed with ADHD. I have long been suspect in the back of my head, but did not know the details. When you read the information, it nails him! I want the very best for him. I am scared of the perscriptions. They all have scarey side effects. Is there and herbal or natural remedy out there that works? Some people say they have sucess with some of them, others say they do nothing. I don't know what to do. Thank you for your help.

Hi,

I'm glad to see a parent interested in treating ADHD with non-drug therapies -- it seems to be a less considered method, but considering the risks of giving amphetamines to a young child, it's a good alternative. In addition, some kids have food allergies, or other developmental disorders, that make them behave in a manner that is diagnosed as ADHD. My friend's little sister had extreme difficulties concentrating, and keeping up in school, causing her to become frustrated, and act out in a hyperactive manner. Her parents hesitated to put her on a stimulant, and instead explored alternative treatments, such as behavioral and learning therapies. Through this, they eventually discovered that she had dyslexia.

Then, there are also individuals with ADHD that respond negatively to drug therapies (it can provoke aggresive/violent outbursts, or become tolerated to an extent that fails to produce effects). I think that giving such a strong drug to a child should be considered the last option, if alternative methods don't work.

I found a good article -- http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/ ... i_19733247 -- that seems to explain most of the alternative therapies well, and also lays out the common foods to avoid feeding a child with ADHD (not just food allergies). Most are obvious, but can really help lower the intensity of the symptoms, and are followed to some extent by many parents using drug therapies. For me, white flour, sugar (even in jam), all artificially processed foods, and ESPECIALLY artifical sweetners trigger the worst episodes. I credit my success in school to a very natural diet (my parents were/are major hippies), including no processed or junk foods during the time I was in school.

I know about the effects of Adderall and other stimulants from personal use, starting at the age of 19 (recently diagnosed). Adderall makes my life much more organized, and gives me motivation to do daily tasks; however, my diagnosis is Bipolar, co-morbid with ADHD, so much of the effect seems to be lifting me out of a mild depressive state (Adderall is also prescribed for treatment resistant depression). I still eat very well, and have found replacements for the trigger foods. I've lightly "experimented" with street drugs, but nothing interested me since most all are non-functional, often impairing my ability to study even the next day. Adderall and the other stimulant I'm prescribed, Provigil, are very strong comparitively, as well as highly addictive, since they combine functional concentration with a recreational-type buzz. Today, for example, I didn't need to concentrate very much, so I only took 10mg of Adderall at 5pm. I met some friends around 4am, and though I haven't consumed ANY legal or illegal recreational drugs in over a month, I still felt a tipsy sort of buzz that made it harder for me to walk or drive well. I've read enough horror stories of teen/adult drug-abuse to be very conservative with my use of Adderall (erowid.com gives prescribed & illegal drug testamonials, positive & negative, and thorough drug info). It might seem hypocritcal, but due to my and others' personal affects of Adderall, I certainly wouldn't want give a drug like this to my child, and would try to postpone use of pharmaceutical therapies until the child was older, could fully understand the risks of future addiction, and consent to responsible use.

Sorry that this is so long, I hope that it may help.

Good Luck,

Jessie