Alternative Medicine Cost So Much for Me. I Would like to Use Them

Hi A.. I have a child with ADHD/Aspergers Syndrome. I have decided not to use any medications with her but instead use alternatives where I have studied the research. My daughter has multiple LD's, none to a severe level, and she is still being tested for a final diagnosis. So far they have diagnosed her an CAD and dyslexia. They are in the process of finalizing her testing to determine whether she is ADHD or Aspergers. Now that you know my history with all of this... What I've found is very interesting. There has been a great deal of research on the causes of ADHD. Dr. Benjamin Feingold has found that more than 75% of ADHD children suffer food additive and or sugar sensitivities and many also have unknown food allergies. In his double blind studies 84% of the children with ADHD showed monumental improvement when given a whole foods, hypoallergenic diet. After finding this I changed our way of eating completely. We now follow a whole, organic diet. My daughter eats very little dairy and almost no sugar. The changes in her are amazing... actually the changes in all of us. We can all tell when we have deviated from our diet. Here's the dietary suggestion list from Dr. Feingold's ADHD research booklet:

1. Add more whole foods to the diet (whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fish) while eliminating (or at least decreasing) processed foods that contain white flour, processed sugars and hydrogenated oils (i.e, chips, cookies and sodas).

2. It goes without saying that you should make it your business to read the ingredient labels on all food products you buy for your children. Many parents don't realize that much of the pre-packaged food--including supermarket multi-vitamins and the so-called "fruit" drinks--they give to their children is loaded with artificial sweeteners, preservatives, dyes and other harmful additives that could be triggering specific behavioral and health problems in their children. If the chemical ingredients outnumber organic ingredients--or if they are the first few ingredients listed--on a food label, you may want to consider buying something else. Check labels on milk, meat and eggs too because many farmers feed hormones and antibiotics to their livestock.

3. Shop for organic fruits, vegetables and meats. These are foods that have been grown according to specific agricultural practices (typcially without using chemical pesticides or fertilizers). Hit the health food store for whole grain breads and healthy snacks to give to your kids in place of the processed ones they've been eating. Not only do these foods taste great, but they are much better for your kids overall health (many are lower in fats and sugars).

4. Natural sugars like those found in fruit and fruit juices, or natural sweeteners like honey, blackstrap molasses and rice bran syrup, should replace all processed sugars in your child's diet (this includes raw or brown sugars). If your child drinks a lot of soda make the switch to 100 percent fruit juices and dilute them 50 percent with water. Instead of those sugary breakfast cerals, try feeding your kids oatmeal topped with honey and fresh fruit, or give them naturally sweetened granola or muesli. They'll have more energy between breakfast and lunch, and their teachers will love you for it.

5. Eliminate all the foods listed under Food Allergies/Sensitivies from your child's diet for four weeks and see if their behavior improves. Wheat alternatives, such as oat, kamut and spelt, are available at most health food stores as are milk alternatives like calcium-enriched rice or oat milk. Both taste great and come in flavors like chocolate and vanilla. Yogurt made from goat's milk should be substituted for products made from cow's milk (the same is true for cheeses, too).

I suggest researching ADHD Natural treatment for more info. That's how I found everything I am now following.

Another thing I found was simply the way that children with ADHD/Asperger's learn. They simply seem to be wired differently. I found a wonderful school that has changed my daughter's life completely. Its Summit Academy. They have several branches throughout Ohio. If you don't live in the area of the school most school districts will bus your child to and from the school, even if it is a far distance. My daughter's school is in Xenia, children are bussed as far away as Kings Mills (1 hr away)I can't say enough about this school, my daughter finally loves school again, she's learning SO much, the teachers are great and it's simply been a true blessing for us. You can check out their website at www.summitacademies.com

Some other websites to check into are:
www.centerforlearningdifferences.org
http://members.amaonline.com/nrogers/ld.htm
http://adhd.kids.tripod.com/teachers.html
www.feingold.org/home.html
www.vaxa.com/ADHD-diet-information.cfm

I know being a single mom is hard and atop that to have a child with ADHD takes quite a bit of strength at times. I think you're doing your child a wonderful service by not jumping on the medication band wagon right away and trying to deal with this from a homiopathic level first. A whole and organic foods diet with removal of dairy and sugar has worked wonders in our family. Learning new and better ways to communicate and learn with my daughter has also been a blessing. I hope that you too can find what will work best for your child. If you'd ever like to talk about it, the diet, the schools, or simply being a single mom to an ADHD child, feel free to contact me. I know it can get rough, just remember that there are other mom's out there who are willing to offer a shoulder if you ever need one. :)

2 moms found this helpful

My 6 year old son was diagnosed with inattentive ADD this past summer. I initialy was against medication. We tried therapy, tutoring, and had reg. meetings with his teacher. At some point, though, it became clear that these things were not working, and his success in school was more important than my desire to keep him off meds. He has been on Adderall for two weeks now and the difference is astounding. He has aced two spelling tests; he had failed all the others up till now. Now I feel guilty for not doing it sooner. You wouldn't deny meds to a cancer patient; why deny them to a child that genuinely needs them? I totally understand you not wanting to go that route, but the longer you wait, the more difficult it will be for your kid to catch up to her classmates. So far, I have not seen any side effects at all with the meds. He is on the lowest dose possible (5 mg) which he takes every morning. He even says it helps him, but I remind him it's not a "magic pill"; he still has to do the work. We have K-chip (it's like Medicaid) and pay a $2 co-pay every month for his $150 medication. You can surely afford that. What is best for your child? You will have to decide what is more important; your need and desire to not medicate, or her educational and social development. I have a brother with untreated ADHD and his life is a mess. He was teased relentlessly by peers and was even treated badly by his teachers because of his behavior. Now, at 29, he can't keep a job and is always in some kind of trouble. He cannot form meaningful relationships, and has extemely low self esteem. I did not want that kind of life for my son. I am just saying, explore ALL options, and don't immediately dissmiss what might be a great treatment option, especially since you don't have the luxury of affording some expensive quack with concoctions, herbs and potions.

1 mom found this helpful

I have heard success stories with an alternative natural supplement that is not as expensive as you might think. It is through a wellness company that I would love to give you more information on if you are interested. Let me know
C.
____@____.com

Hey there A.,

My son is ADHD too, and he has trouble staying on task. Did he have any other diagnosis? Like for instance, my son has Executive Function Disorder. You dont hear about it all that often but it is out there. Here is a website for you to look into it. Just in case...
http://nanonline.org/nandistance/mtbi/ClinNeuro/executive...
You can also just google it and a lot of different searches come up. I know the daily struggles that come with children like ours. I got a second opinion from Childrens Hospital in Columbus (Behavioral Center) and since that was done, I did opt for meds for him but he went from a d student to getting mostly A's & B's. He is also gifted so you may want to find out if maybe your son is too because I know that makes it difficult too. (as a parent and my son getting bad grades, i could not imagine at the time when I wasnt clear about his diagnosis WHY in the world they would invite him to the gifted program every year.) Turns out, many children who are ADHD, are gifted as well. It damages their spirit. So, on to my suggestion, try chiropractic. Not sure where you live, but there is a very well known practice in Reynoldsburg if you are from any areas around there. Dr Kohl, at Reynoldsburg Chiropractic. They also have some all natural suppliments you can give to your son to stay focused. If you need anything at all,..Im just an email away. Good luck!
B.

A., my son is ADD and I chose the route of putting him on meds. He's does not have the hyperness that goes w/ADHD, he just can't focus. The drugs have worked for him but I did hear from others when I was trying to decide what to do that there are books on ways to adjust their foods to try to correct the problem. I don't know what the names of the books are but I do know that it has something to do w/watching the ingredients in what he's eating, example, no yellow dye # 3 and things like that. I'm sure it's a lot of work but if that's the route you want then try it. I certainly can't hurt. I'd check out Amazon or call your library, I'm sure they can refer you to the correct books.

Good luck!
S.

Just a thought...have you looked into alternative schools? Some charter schools offer creative curriculums and structures that cater to ADHD kids. I don't know if that's the answer, but it may be worth exploring. ADHD can be a gift in the right environment. Take care...

Hi A.,
I also want to commend you for wanting to avoid medicating your child. I don't know what you mean by "Alternative Medicine" but I can share with you that others have success overcoming these symptoms by implementing a number of strategies. The other advice you received was very good. Personally I would avoid as much fruit juice as possible unless I juiced it myself. Diluting it is certainly a good direction though. One thing that was not mentioned is one that I have found can be very impactful and that is cleaning products. Most all that are available in stores contain extremely toxic ingredients, not only to children, but especially to them since their bodies are so much smaller. I have heard one testimony where mom switched to all non-toxic cleaners except for one (won't mention the brand). When she finally replaced that one, her son was like a different child. When she ran out of the non-toxic one and for one day used the previous one, within thirty minutes he had empties all the flour, sugar and cereal on to the floor and was in the process of smashing all her figurines with a hammer. That convinced her and she never used that product again. If you'll contact me off site (____@____.com) I'll give you the particulars. The good thing about this is you don't have to buy something that you're not already spending money for. You just use safe ones instead.

I can also share with you what nutritially people are usually deficient in who have ADD/ADHD challenges. I know a little boy who's life has turned completely around in school by making better food choices, only having non-toxic products in his environment and getting his nutrition straightened out.

I might even be able to help you find a way to help with your struggle of trying to improve your way of life - a very admirable goal.

I look forward to being able to help you.
S.

I have a very good friend who has ADHD and his grandmother tryed everything she could as far as medications is then she put him on St.Johns vitamins. These helped him more than the medications ever did. My sister little girl take them as well for ADD.

My 11 yr old daughter also has ADHD. I didn't want to try the medicine either but they explained to me that Stretra doesn't have the chemicals in it like the other medicine does so I swallowed my pride and tried it. She is doing so much better now that she is taking this medicine her grades went from failing to passing in the first 2 weeks she was on it. It also helped her to where she could concentrate so much better on everything. I admit she still had her moments but it has helped her. I checked out the different medicines that they offer and I am really grateful that she is taking this because now she can be a kid without getting so frustrated at everyone and everything
You could always try the medicine then if you still don't agree to it then talk to the doctor about it but it has really helped my daughter

Check your local library (free) or find some used, cheaply priced copies of the following books which might be helpful in narrowing your search for alternatives to medicating:

1) "Sleepless in America: Is Your Child Misbehaving or Missing Sleep?" by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka

2) "Is This Your Child?" by Doris Rapp, MD
"This 627-page “how to” book describes how typical allergies and environmental illness overlap, and details the typical and less-readily recognized clues in various infants, toddlers, children, adolescents, or adults. It is one of the rare books on allergies that explain how to recognize, test and treat infants. Dr. Rapp discusses how it is sometimes possible to detect and help prevent future allergies by recognizing and eliminating the causes, at no cost, with a diet in 3 to 7 days. She discusses hyperactivity, Ritalin, Tourette's, learning problems, aggression, depression, fatigue, headaches, intestinal complaints, yeast problems, muscle aches, and recurrent infections."

Also, please check out of the library and/or purchase any and all books by Ned Hallowell who is really an amazing advocate for those w/ ADD:
http://www.drhallowell.com/

Hope these resources are helpful to you and your son in some way. Best to you!

I took a psychology course once that said you can treat ADD with coffee. Any stimulant works, but I do not know if ADD and ADHD are the same in that regard; and it also depends on if it is a mild case or a severe case. The teacher said that she had worked in schools where she would have a couple of kids have a cup of coffee on their desk in the morning, one for lunch, and one before going home. I know that for ADD, the stuff in the medications that is really effective is the stimulant. Caffienated coffee is a stimulant and may work. Try it out at home on a weekend or something. What is the worst that could happen?

My son is about to undergo the process of diagnosing ADHD - he has almost all of the symptoms on the Vanderbilt Rating scale for Inattention and Hyperactivity/Impulsivity. He is almost 5. How old is your child? I've been doing alot of research and everything I've read has strongly recommended an approach involving medication, behavior therapy/occupational therapy, as well as investigation dietary factors such as undetected food allergies/sensitivities, and possibly psychological therapy. It also has reassured me about the safety of the medication and about how they work. I am not super excited about using drugs for him, but if that is what my pediatrician, whom I trust implicitly, recommends then I'll try it. We have already begun some of the behavior modification plans that his teacher has suggested and that I have researched and they are helping in some little ways. His teacher has already planned to have a "team meeting" once we visit the pediatrician, that will involve her, the school psychologist, and the school's occupational therapist. I would strongly recommend that you look into the resources your child's school has, even though they may not be quick to offer them up. There are federal laws protecting these children's right to get a good education, but witholding medication could be more detrimental than any side effects - he/she needs a good school experience and if they are struggling and getting behind - it's going to be even harder.

Good luck and I hope this helps a little.

Have you tired cranial scarial therapy? I have son I know sometimes the teach think this. It has helped even in his school writing. Also diet can be a big part. I have a Chiro that has helped alot so that I do not have to put him on drugs ever.

You might just want to try the med's because my son which is 19 now, has ADD without the "H" and to this day without the med's he is hard to deal with. Also suger, and some dyes in the food that he eats could be causeing you son the trouble so seeing an allergiest might help also. It could be a long road unless you get the med's or find out what sets him off. I have been down that long road, and I wish you the best of luck.
M.