Looking for Experience with Nutritionist Counseling for Teen Girls

My 5 year old has adhd and I noticed that when he was taking a higher dose of Aderall he was not eating at all. I got them to lower the dose and he is eating much better, still has issues but eating a little better. So you may want to lower her dose, if the doctor recommends or is willing to try that. However, the medication for treating ADHD and ADD unfortunately has the side effect of weight loss. My son was an extrememly picky eater and that was one of the reasons I did not want him on this type of medication. Lots of Luck

Hi C.,

I think you might want to seek out the help of a Naturopath, ND. They look at the reasons WHY the ADD problem, not just mask it with drugs! And they will assist with the eating issue as well. I'm in Fairfield County, CT and me and my son both see a Naturopath nearby whom I admire. Feel free to email me if you are in my area. ____@____.com

~J.

Hi C.-
I was seeing a holostic doctor years ago. He had me go on a special diet for a condition a had at the time. You would be surprised how food affects the body. I would look into a holostic nutritionist for your daughter.
Hope this helps
K.

My 15 year old son had the same problem when he was on Adderall XR. He has been on numerous medication for ADD/ADHD since he was 6 years old and the only one that gave him an appetite was Concerta.

My suggestion would be to get your daughter on Concerta instead. December of last year my son weighed 93 pounds and was 4'8" before putting him back on Concerta. Now he weights 118 pounds and is 5'1" and has a healthy appetite.

Just a suggestion from a mom who went through it.
Nanc

Hi C.,

There are wonderful nutritional approaches available to treat ADD. Food can be very powerful. It affects our feelings, emotions, energy level, mental functioning, problem solving skills, social interactions, etc.
Please do some research on this topic so you fully understand what is available out there. You may also call me at ###-###-#### if you would like a referral for someone who is in our area and specializes working with children with ADD. Are you open to approach this through natural methods without the meds?

C.

Hi C. F.
I want to give you my best regards with working with your daughter through this psychological, emotional, and physical time. I am glad to hear that your daughter is receiving nutritional care from a nutritionist. If she is diagnosed with an eating disorder, then it is important that she sees a psychiatrist too. The nutritional counseling would be more effective if she is seen by a psychiatrist and nutritionist. Eating disorders is quite common with teenagers because teenager are very self aware of themselves.
Good luck to you and God bless--Pam.

Hi C.,
a lot of the evidence based research show that there is a direct link bstenn ADD and nutriton. Not only in the foods that you eat but in the way it afffects your brain chemistry. I am a RN with a specialty in education and nutrition. I would be happy to discuss this further with you.
If you are iterested, please contact me, C.
____@____.com
###-###-####
Looking forward to connecting!

Hey C.,
Weight loss is a major side effect of Adderal and other hyperactivity meds just as weight gain is a huge side effect of most anti-depressant drugs. Other more dangerous side effects exist for both these classes of meds which is why I always advise my clients to explore all possiblities before going on medication.

I would strongly suggest that you obtain another opinion regarding your daughters management of ADD. I have a colleague who is a holistically oriented developmental/ behavioral pediatrician. He tells me that ALL kids have ADD! It's a smart response to their environment. There are many non-drug options which can be explored. Neurofeedback, nutritional/ food based approaches including omega 3 supplementation have all had exellent results.

For some children, there is a huge connection between the food they eat and behavior. This is why I consider sugar and other artificial chemcials that reside in our food to be a "secondhand smoke" in our schools. All you need is one child bouncing off the walls due to sugar and it impacts the entire classroom.

I urge you for your daughter's long term health and wellbeing to do some solid homework and research other options besides medication. I'm sure that there are holistically oriented pediatricians in your community. If not, Larry Palevsky MD is in NY.

HI! Find yourself a new nutritionist. I have a daughter that is ADHD and she is NOT medicated. We have found "triggers" with her. A few major ones are white sugar, red dye #40 (found in so many things including toothpaste!) and white flower. We switched to whole wheat paste, white cheddar cheese Its and watch what she eats and she is doing better. As for the picky eating you will have to try things and she what she likes. Diet definately affects ADD both good and bad and if your nutritionist won't discuss that part find one that will!!!! A.

We have been down this road, and it is not an easy one. You daughter is not at risk for an eating disorder, she already has one. I would not use the word "diet" ever again; it has too many negative associations for a girl like your daughter. I would talk about the importance of fitness and healthy eating to be able to do all the things she wants to do. If she is willing to go to a nutritionist, that's great, but then interview several carefully along with your daughter to see what their approach is and whether your daughter will be willing to listen to and work with them. You can ask her to help plan the family's meals, encourage her to eat healthy snacks, go out to lunch or dinner with friends, try to eat one more bite each day than the day before. Remember that if she has lost a lot of weight, her stomach has shrunk, so she won't feel hungry. She will need to eat a little bit frequently throughout the day -- she can have half her lunch at 12 and the rest at 2 or 3, for example. Or you and she can explore nutrition bars and protein shakes that put more calories into a smaller amount of food. Look carefully at these though to be sure you're not just adding sugar. Also, make sure that conversations about food are not the only ones you have with your daughter. Ask about her day, her friends, what she'd like to do tomorrow, next weekend, what she thinks about the presidential candidates, the plants you want to put in your garden, the neighbor's dog, etc. -- anything but food. Maintaining a relationship is very important. Watch some comedies on tv or DVD and have some laughs together. Research other meds and talk to her doctor about your concerns. If he or she dismisses them, it's time to find another doctor. I wish you well. We travelled this road for 6 years -- in the end our daughter took herself off of her meds and is doing much better without them. She eats healthy, laughs more, enjoys life, and makes wiser choices than she once did. She is now 19. A helpful website is that of Remuda Ranch, which is an amazing inpatient eating disorder clinic.

I would suggest with problems eating to get her Slim fast shakes or other nutrional drinks like that. That way she gets what she needs. I have to do the same myself as i have troubles eating

C.,

I would question whether a Nutritionist who does not address your question can be effective. Teens are difficult to counsel.
Is this person a Registered Dietitian? Today, anyone can call themselves a "Nutritionist" and you can not be certain they are truly qualified.
I don't know where you live. I suggest you go to www.eatright.org and do a search for an RD in your area.

M. (RD,CDN)