Anyone with a Child or Grandchild with ADD?

I have a nephew with ADD/ADHD and after heavy research my sister decided to at least try a few other methods before putting him on medication. As it turned out he has multiple food allergies (none severe enough to cause serious reactions) that cause him to exhibit ADD behaviors. When he is on his restricted diet his behavior is remarkable and he is a joy to be around. When he has foods that contain things he is allergic too (wheat, dairy, eggs, preservatives and other things) he is bouncing off the walls, disrespectful, loud, obnoxious and can hardly have a conversation. He is now 11 years old and due to my sisters hard work on his diet he is now in the top of his class with very few disiplinary problems.....unless he eats something he's not supposed to! He recently went to a birthday party and had a piece of pizza and birthday cake and was obnoxious and bratty for two days!
Anyway, just a thought it might be worth checking out some food allergies, especially since it's a "mild" case. I've heard of many others that have controlled ADD symptoms by simply changing diets. It's not an easy thing, especially since youngsters are bombarded with SO much unhealthy, processed, preservative-filled, easy-to-eat, junk food! Many people think food allergies cause you to be sick, break out in hives, etc....but many times there are food allergies (or 'reactions') that can just cause mood and/or behavior issues. Good Luck, hope you (and he) have success!

2 moms found this helpful

I am a retired teacher and my grandson is ADD. He takes Addarol (sp?) and hates it. I did research (I taught chemistry, biology etc in high school and college) so I love good research. The Japanese treat their kids with L-theanine. It's a non-essential amino acid. My daughter, the mom, also has signs of ADD and she tried it and loved it. It has the same effects as the meds we use in our country. She also gave it to her son over the summer. It is natural (from Japanese green tea - Camellia sinensis), has no lasting effects, doesn't build up in the system, and is not habit forming. I found the brand of L-Theanine on-line. I looked and found several brands but I choose Swanson Ultra L-Theanine. My grandson wants to take it now (he's in 6th grade) and forget the Addarol. Hope this helps - it works just like the prescribed meds - I taught school in Asia for many years and learned that we have been stiffled in our use of natural medications here in the U.S. Hope this helps. The amino acid comes from a Japanese tea mentioned above - I would never drink any other green tea now as this one really soothes and is high in anti-oxidants.

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My sister's child is ADHD. I think my child is ADD but never been diagnosed. The meds make you not hungry therefore stunting your growth at the time so he is probably much much smaller than any of the kids his age. My mother tried something she ordered over the internet. She said that it kept him from getting too hyper but don't think that it helped his concentration. It wasn't anything but a mixture of vitamins basically.
I will tell you something that I have found that works. Running. If you can get him involved in running and work him up to any length of time and at least about 5 miles at least every other day, I think that you will see a difference. What that does is release the endorphins that is naturally made in your body which is basically what that medicine does synthetically. If you go to a website and read about what running does to you chemically and then find what the meds do chemically, you will see that it serves as the purpose.
When you run it makes you think better, feel better, eat better, sleep better, more rested, feel better about yourself totally,.... it is just great all the way around. On top of that, he will build muscle which every boy likes and age 10 may be too young to run 5 miles at a time but 3 would not hurt at all. I think that is your answer, in my opinion.
Also, quit eating processed foods.... that stuff is so bad for you. Eat more of the healthy stuff; vegetables, fish once a week, lots of pasta if he is running and spinach and vegetable and whole wheat pastas are best and always whole wheat breads... no white bread (that is bleached). I have read reports that sometimes kids with ADD and other minor problems like that are actually allergic to certain things that are so small that they will never know it, but it is enough to do things to you like ADD. I am not sure if it is proven but there is certainly alot of theories behind all of that. It is worth checking out. If he can eat more whole foods and more basics and leave off as much of the processed stuff and the McDonalds, and get some exercise, I think that you will see a BIG HUGE difference. And when he quits taking the meds, he will sleep better, eat better, grow and just be healthier all the way around.
Good luck.

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Hi M., my son was diagnosed with ADD in January, he is nearly 8. Personally I have found a great deal of info from the following site; www.chadd.org . There is so much information on there and a section on medication and side-effects too, but I think your best bet would be for his parent(s) t speak to his Paediatrician . My son does not currently take any medication, at the moment behavioral strategies, good support and communication with his school (including modifications to his lessons ) seem to be working for us .
Although I don't have a personal experience as regards the medication side-effects , I do know from reading into the condition and treatment options, that sleep disorders are more common in these chidren , is he getting a good nights sleep? does he find it difficult to get to sleep? Also the dosages often have to be tweaked to get the effects just right, children's bodies are growing and changing all of the time. The fact that he is so active and on meds that have a side-effect of weight loss is worrying. One option could be to increase the amount of healthy snacks he has , avoiding sugary ''quick high '' stuff like candy etc. , a banana is instant energy for instance and the effects will be longer lasting, same with oatmeal for versus sugary cereal.
I hope this is helpful, I have gone on a bit ! Good luck and I will keep your family in my prayers.

1 mom found this helpful

Have they tried more than one medicine? We had to cut our dose in 1/2. It allows our daughter the abiility to get through school but decreased the lethargy and appetite issues. She gets more spun up at night but we manage that as opposed to her feeling like she did. We have not tried all natural but if you look through this site there have been lots of posts in the past on ADD and ADHD.

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My daughter is in the same boat. First I would talk to your peds doc about meds. Try something new. We just switched to Vivance and it has made a HUGE difference. It is the same medicaton, just time released, so you don't need as much. She is back to being more of her self, and her appetited has doubled which is great. Self esteem is better two.
The other thing I would mention that is HUGE is doing Karate. We begain this last year and C's went to A's and she is just All around happier. The group we use is After School Karate, and Chris Redmond the owner is just stellar. He really gets in with the kids and helps them find their strenghts.
Honestly this has been such an huge force in our lives, as we are calmer at home and the all around respect level has changed. She is less anxious and frustrated.
it really is worth it. He charges 75 a week and picks up at most schools.
Also join the local CHADD group here in Wilmington. They are wonderful.
Finally, go to a website called www.celebratecalm.com I think? Or google Kirk Martin. He has entire programs on teaching and techniques to help kids just like yours. We have been implementing these strategies, and they honestly work.

I also just received this and thought it was worth getting out there for all ADHD parents:
Hi everyone, I think it's really exciting that one of our Olympic heroes, Michael Phelps, was told by one of his teachers that he'd never be able to focus on anything! Michael' mom has been vocal about his struggles with AD/HD as a child, and how his ability to focus on things he loves has helped him to become a record-breaking swimmer. My daughter thinks this is "awesome," and ranks Michael up there with Justin Timberlake on her list of well-known people with AD/HD. Please share this with your kids if they don't already know.

1 mom found this helpful

M.,my daughter and my son are on meds for add my daughter also argues with me about takind my granddaughg her meds my son just takes granddaugher without concern but my granddaughter only drinks coffee

1 mom found this helpful

My daughter has ADHD...she was on meds but complained about the same, and never went outside to play...just like she was "stoned". I removed her from the meds and tried her on Vitamin B12 Complex. This worked. As they get older, with loving guidance from those around them to direct and show them, they mostly grow out of it. My daughter will NEVER go back on those meds from the clinics again....plus they promote drug usage as they get older. I love my daughter and I want her to be a kid!!! I don't like her to not be able to eat, play, and have fun....when she was on the meds, she just wanted to lay still inside and watch TV....NO thank you....now she is outside more than in....and it helps her to play to keep her energy and concentration levels inside better! Good luck and we will keep you in our prayers, because we know its not easy!

1 mom found this helpful

My son has ADD and is currently starting new meds. before school starts. My Dr. recomends him take Melatonin 5mg 1 hour before bedtime. This is something that is naturally in your body but the medication sometimes does not let it work so with a small pill it gives this ability back to him and allows him to get a sound sleep. You can find it in any vitamin ilse. Feel free to ask the pharmasist or your Dr. about this pill. Now, eating is another story. Just try to get him to eat a really healthy breakfast before he takes his meds in the morning.This will help him to get a good start. I have also considered finding some type of natuaral remedey. My son also just has the concentration problem, with no hyperness. I am not very pleased with his new meds they are making him very emotional and thats just not my boy. Good luck with your quest and I hope I helped you out a bit.

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I don't know if you would want to consider seeking out a homeopathic doctor - my sister's daughter was recently diagnosed with this and was prescribed medicaton for the ADD. My sister had gone to a homeopathic doctor for her own personal reasons and ended up discussing her daughter's ADD. My sister has been very reluctant about putting her daughter on the ADD medicine specifically because of the side effects and long term effects. The homeopathic doctor (find a good one) asked her to give her three weeks of treating her before resorting to the ADD medicine suggested by her physician and see if she could see results first. They are just at the beginning of this but this doctor sounds very confident that she can get results and my sister has read up on this and sees that there are incredible results for this method. She also discussed it with her daughter's physician that said the homeopathic methods are not at all harmful to children and can't say that they won't work. My prayers are with you - I know this is a very difficult situation.

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Yes, my child experienced the same. He did not like the medicine because it made him feel funny. He started hiding the medicine. However, the medicine helps. We eventually stopped the medicine. Contact your doctor and maybe they can decrease the dosage. Also you may want to check to see if there of any educational programs in your area that specialize with children with ADD. The child may attend that program half a day. We have one in our area called the Hill Center.

C.

1 mom found this helpful

I am also the grandma to 4 girls and 2 boys. My daughter, now 30, has adhd. She had a hard time growing up, and also hated her med, and stopped taking it at college age when she needed it most. I would try to find a different med, one that is easier on him. My dd did swim competitively during high school. I wish she would take something now, as she would be more grounded with her emotions. She is a wonderful mother, and keeps a beautiful home, and is creative. Good luck.

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M.,

I don't have a child with ADD but I have it. It got really bad after I had my daughter and I decided to try the medication. I had the same problem my weight dropped to 101 lbs. I just had no appetite. I started to feel so tired I complained about my legs hurting when I walked up the stairs. I could concentrate but I became lifeless. When I tried to get off the medication I had withdrawels.I have never heard of that formula but I may try it. For me I just have to make a concious effort to pay attention. I have the most trouble listening to others and reading. Just so you know I am 33 years old, I have had this my whole life and I finished school and graduated from college without medication. It wasn't easy!! But nothing really is.

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My son has a ADHD ,,,what meds is he on. when my son started taking meds he lost so much weight it scared me and we switched it and he is doing really well now....

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Hi M.,
My son has been on Medication for ADD for about 6 years now. To begin with he was the same way, he lost so much weight, he said he was hungry but could not eat, sometime it seemed as though he was in another world. I kept him on the medicine but made sure he took it with food, and after a couple of months it just didn't seem to bother him anymore. I didn't force him to eat, I let him eat when he was ready. But this was the only way he could function at school. Also I read that anything with red food coloring would make a ADD or ADHD child worse. He also complained with nausea. I haven't heard of any other alternatives, I have heard other mothers say their child went through the same thing. I did voice my concerns with our doctor, and he pretty much told me to give it time to get in his system good and it should level off, and it did. I don't know if this helps, but you are not alone and neither is your grandchild.

L.

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I went thru this with my son years ago. I would go back to his doctor and insist that the dose be reduced or the medication changed. There are alot different types of meds for ADD. You can't allow the meds to solve one problem and create another. If the doctor is not willing to work with you on this I would find another doctor.

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Two of my four boys have ADHD. In the spring we switched them to a new medication, Vyvanse. It does not have as many side effects. It still decreases their appetite but not as much. They don't seem to be lethargic either with the Vyvanse. We have tried the other remedy that you spoke of but did not have great results. We are taking one of our boys to a pediatric/adolescent psychiatrist that specializes in dealing with these type of kids. He has always had a really hard time emotionally. We have been through many therapies with him. Our pediatrician said that this other doctor might be able to help us with medication that would help with that and the inattentiveness/hyperactivity.

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My son is 7 and has ADHD. I agree with the other posts that your grandson is over medicated. I had the same problems, but my pediatrician assured me that there were many medications and every child reacted differently to each one. After approximately 1 year of different meds and dosages, we are using the Daytrana patch. We do have decreased appetite, but no problems going to bed. My son is on the heavy side, so the decreased appetite is a plus. The changes in his behavior are subtle, but enough to help us all deal with his impulsivity. Work with your pediatrician to find something that works for your grandson.

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I have a 13 yr old daughter that has ADD. If he is feeling so tired and not eating then he is being over medicated. My daughter takes a very mild combination of 2 meds. She takes 10 mgs of Prozac and 27 mgs of Concerta. This helps her control her outbusts during school and concentrate but also helps her to be able to come off of the Concerta at night to sleep. All ADD meds are stimulants. They are controled substants. At first I was very freaked by this but to see how much it has helped her. She went from getting into trouble 1-2 tmes a week to never. If she gets into trouble now it is because she did not take her meds that day. Concerta is one medication that you can see the effects immediately. Also she does not take them in the summer when she is not in school. This gives her body a break from them. Then when she starts back on them at school time we start with the lowest dose and go from there. The doctor told me that the meds work better if you give the child a break every now and then. Sometimes they need lower doses after the break from them. I would really take him back to the doctor. If you are not taking him to a psychogolist then I would start. They have helped me more with this then my family doc.

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I really liked what Moe wrote, sounds as if she gave some information that would benefit many children that are given these meds. I read what Dr. Dean Adell, a pediatric doctor that had a column in many news papers, wrote about his childhood and that the school wanted him to be put on meds for ADD. His comment was,"most children are ADD" and the medications are given too often with little diagnosis, he believes the fault lies with teachers, not the children. I don't blame you one bit to question his "bla" feeling ....heaving sighing and loss of weight. Is this too much to pay for good grades? This is way out of my league, as I assume it is for most mom's and grandmother's. I don't think the diagnosis of ADD is very selective, and is given quite often to children without thorough diagnostic testing. So many times "they" are dishing out more and more medications to young children without a proper diagnosis. Good for you to question his symptoms from this drug and I hope your family has the resourses necessary to either do further testing or wean him off of the drug with a realistic approach to his education without the use of prescription drugs. Again, I was very impressed with what Moe wrote. Aren't you amazed at how many children are all on the same drug, or so many children have ADD? Is this really the answer to so many children? It frightens me that I read your same story over and over again by so many women with their children or grandchildren. I think you're very wise to consider that there may be another more natural approach to his mental health. I really am taken aback by reading this weekly in mamasource...or when I listen to soccer mom's talk on the side lines about the ADD medication their child is on. God bless M., and good luck.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi M.,

This is my first time posting on this board, but I can relate to this and wanted to share what I know, and it sounds like your grandson's dose just needs lowered.

My 12yo son has ADD as well and is also on medication. (He uses the Daytrana patch). It helps trememdously with his concentration and impulsivity. My son had the same complaint a year ago about how it made him feel. It kind of made him like a zombie. In fact, I noticed that he was TOO mellow--TOO quiet. I was also concerned about weight loss, because at 12yo he was growing in height but had not gained weight in a year.

Well, we had his dose lowered, and now it's just right. When he is medicated, he doesn't need reminded to do everything, and the daily homework fights are gone (mostly). There isn't a meltdown with every confrontation. But he has his personality back, can still joke around, and has his appetite and is gaining weight. I think we found the happy medium, and he is still doing well in school.

We also do fish oil (Nordic Naturals has chewable DHA with strawberry flavor--not bad, really. The Vitamin Shoppe carries it and you can order it online too.) I've also researched and have been in the process of cutting out processed foods, foods with artificial colors, flavors, etc. Like others have posted, I think we see more symptoms today because of the effects of these things we ingest, and that is how our bodies react...some more sensitive than others. There is a diet out there called the Feingold Diet, that some swear by, but I can't quite get to that extreme yet. The more natural our diet, the better I think we all feel. Well, good luck and God Bless.

1 mom found this helpful

We have had luck with Travacor and Adrecor. They are a magnesium, vitamin B and zinc combination which help raise dophamine levels which stimulate the brain. You do have to take several large pills at a time, and once the child has quit taking them they resort back to their old ways. But we have seen some definate improvements. It is not a quick fix, though, like the medicines.

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My son is 10 and has ADD. We have him on Concerta, which is taken only once a day. He did lose some of his appetite but that was in the very beginning. Now he eats his three meals a day, smaller portions, but it does not make him lethargic. It does start wearing off after about 8 hours but we have learned to deal with it. You may want to ask his doctor about changing his meds.

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Hello M.,

It has to be frustrated having someone u really love who has ADHD. I have friends who has kids or grandkids who has ADHD, Autism, Bi-polar and so many other diagnosis. Please listen to your grandson when he is telling u how the medicine makes him feel because he knows his body more than anyone else. Have you got rid of all toxic chemicals household products out of your home? Usually toxic chemicals household products is the most reason why kids have ADHD and other health issues. My friends had send me letters about themselves and their kids with ADHD. They have put kids on medication to help their learning and behavior and their fear that there are side effect from medication so they joined Wellness Company that has free of harsh chemicals household products. The parent have put kids on vitamins,antioxidant medications, and replace all toxic chemicals out of their homes with Wellness household products. They were so happy with the new results. They r saying now their kids are so happy and full of life. After trying their products, their kids are now off the medication from the doctor and the doctor was amazed that they don't have ADHD anymore. But the BIG problem is their school, most of school are still using harsh chemicals cleaning products and it usually affect the kids with ADHD. The Parent are doing everything they can to get the word out about toxic chemicals in schools. I would love to give you more information about Wellness Company if you r interested. You can view my website at
www.cdavis.fourpointwellness.com
or email me at
____@____.com
I would be glad to help u with all the information u need. It is awesome company...there is no products that I don't like and I end up working for them. It changed my and my family's life! My son and I have heart conditions and we get sick so easy so it is not good for our heart. Amazingly, after trying the products, me and my son had not seen the doctor whole summer and till now. My husband was amazed and join the business with me. Some people are just a customer and some people are customer and business builder. I believe this company will put your and your family's mind at ease. :)
Hope to hear from u soon.

C. Davis

I would seriously recommend trying him on the same treatments that are used for autism and ADHD. It has been shown that some of the symptoms of ADD & ADHD are similar to those of children with autism and that the underlying causes behind them are also similar. My son was recently diagnosed with autism and he has improved dramatically on those treatments. He has been on the gluten-free casein-free soy-free diet. We also found out that he had lots of IgG food sensitivities and have eliminated most of the foods he was highly sensitive to. He has been on some heavy-duty vitamins from Kirkman Labs and New Beginnings. It is much better to really treat the things causing his issues than it is to just medicate it. And he will feel much better in the end. One book I would recommend for you or your child(in-law) to read would be a book by Dr. Kenneth Bock - Healing the New Childhood Epidemics - Autism, ADHD, Allergies and Asthma. You can get it for pretty cheap on Overstock.com. It's a fantastic book! The lab where we did alot of our testing for my son is Great Plains Laboratory. You can google them and they have lots of great tests. You can probably call them and explain your situation and they can recommend the tests that should be done. The only complication with that is that our insurance denied all of our claims for them saying it wasn't medically necessary. I'm getting ready to fight them on it since my son does have lots of food allergies, gut inflammation, some GI yeast and bacterial issues. Anyway, hope this information helps you out! Good luck to you and your child(in-law).

My 10 year old daughter has the same problem. The only solution I feel if I could home school her, she could go without meds. This is not possible. I'll be anxious to hear of anyone's solutions. We do try to watch her diet but that is not enough to keep her from needing meds. good luck

I share your concerns. We have a grandson who just graduated from high school. He was diagnosed with ADD/ADDHD during grade school. (I am not sure exactly what grade. We have 14 grands and I do well to keep up with birthdays!) The encouraging thing is that he is now off meds and has been accepted to an accredited Univ. for this fall. He is majoring in engineering. All this to say there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, we didn't have all these diagnoses with our own children and since this is supposed to be a "gene" thing, we have looked back at parents and grands and can see the symptoms were there, we just didn't know what it was. We simply survived and worked through it.
The latest I have witnessed was a young boy, probably 7 or 8, receiving acupuncture treatments for ADD. That was a new one for me.
I will pray for your grandson.
D.

I don't have any children that age, but I taught 6th grade and have had many students with ADD/ADHD. I've had several with the symptoms you described. Have you tried cutting his dosage and seeing if that helps? I've had students whose parents cut the medicine out altogether in the summer to see if they can cope with that. It's really hard to make the call without knowing more information. Of course, there are other medications, but they do all seem to have side effects. If it's not a sleeping issue then it's an eating issue. It would be troubling that he has both. You just need to weigh the pros and cons. Does his academic success matter more than his quality of sleep and appetite? I'm guessing you're going to say no to that, so if I were you I'd probably first try cutting his dosage (make sure to speak with his doctor first). If you see no change then check into these natural remedies (again, make sure to check with his doctor). Good luck! I hope it all works out the best for him!!