oooh lordie.
SO after a week of trying (and failing) to teach my 6 year old to take a pill (argh!) i have been reaching out to my vast support group and have come up with what i hope is a solution. (and if you haven't read my previous posts, i had him on an adhd patch, and while it worked, that was $200 per month, so we can't stick with that. the pill was $12 per month which was why we are trying it, but it doesn't look hopeful)
i have a nurse/dietician/homeopath friend, and bottom line she recommends the following:
Attention Deficit Drops
Flora Synergy
Rescue Calm
-A protocal of the three of those, in drop form. The Rescue Calm is made out of flowers (all the calming flowers; impatiens, star of bethlehem, rock rose, etc). She doesn't give details on the others but she was my health coach for a year - i do trust her. and she has worked with lots of adhd families, and is highly recommended. i am just a little nervous because i haven't delved into this realm of "healing" before. but the little i have read so far is promising....-just wanting some more info. i thought i'd start here since you mamas are always so educated. i'm headed off to Google, too. thanks for anything you can add!
(just want to add, please be constructive in your advice. not looking to be bashed for not-enough-meds or too-many-meds, etc. just looking for anyone who might have some useful info on these remedies. thanks!)
I've known people whom when they took sugar and wheat out of the child's diet, it made a big difference. I will also note, when I myself have abstained from eating the two, I too have felt much better and my focus and attention span was much improved. Maybe you could try that if you haven't already.
Just be sure to discuss any supplements with the pharmacist. They may interact with his medication and you don't want to risk that.
I don't know anything about what you posted.....but wanted to offer information on a diet change. There have been many kids helped with a gluten free/casein free diet....my daughter is one of those kids (she Asperger). My brother is ADHD and saw major improvement he tried meds but reacted badly to all of them. My friend went off her ADHD meds to try to get pregnant and couldn't focus....she tried the diet and said she felt normal. It can take a few weeks to see a difference so you have to be committed. PM me if you want more information.
Ask the pharmacy if the pill that he uses can be crushed up & given with a spoon with yogurt or applesauce.
How "big" are those pills of his?
I have a 6 year old and 10 year old.
I have found, that drinking pills, by using a straw while sucking in the liquid from a glass, works.
So put the pill in your mouth, then take a big suck of water from the straw in the cup, and while your mouth is full of water like a goldfish... THAT is when you swallow. And the pill goes down with that gulp of water.
OR, tell him that WHILE sucking up the water from the straw, and before he swallows that mouthful before sucking up another swig of water from the straw... THAT is when you swallow the pill ALONG with the water that he is swallowing. The thing is, sucking up water from a straw and while swallowing and swigging up another bunch of water from a straw, can "distract" the person from the "pill" and it being swallowed. Just suck up a biggish sort of amount of water from the straw. Not a shy amount. And then KEEP "drinking" from the straw... and before you know it, the pill... will have gone down his throat in that repetition raft of water.
Some meds that are in capsules or where the pills are not supposed to be crushed can actually be crushed into two tablespoons of applesauce and taken that way. They can't be chewed but the applesauce can be sucked down more easily. I read this on a prescription recently. You may want to ask the pharmacist if that is an option and for any instructions.
Purified fish oil is also beneficial. Carlsson and Nordic Naturals are the best.
I strongly feel that when your child is facing any medical situation, looking into a natural route is fantastic!!!
That is how all medicines began. Herbs, roots, berries etc.
I saught out the advice of a homeopathic "doctor" a few years ago, when my medical doctor thought I may have had breast cancer. There was a large lump that had formed under my arm, and once it reached a certain size it quit growing. Couple that w/ the fact my breasts were different sizes they started delving into the possibility. All sorts of tests were ran that came back inconclusive. So long story short I went to her on a recommendation. She quickly pointed out things about my environment that could have contributed to my sysptoms and it turned out to be a huge exposure to mold and mildew. After a few months of taking some herbal products she recommended the lump went away, my complexion cleared up immensely, my energy level came back...
While I realize my experience has nothing to do w/ adhd I just wanted to share my story w/ you because I really believe in it!!
If you were close to Ohio, I would tell you to seek this woman out in a S.. She is amazing and has helped so many people with so many health issues! Give it a try, and give it some time. You may find some wonderful answers!! Good luck :)
If the drops work for you and your son, then great. If not, there are ways to get the pills to be much easier to take. Also, in my experience, the supplements get very expensive very quickly. You're probably looking at a lot closer to the patch.
Extended release capsules typically have to be swallowed whole just because of the way they are designed to dissolve over time. Immediate release tablets however, can be crushed and mixed with a spoonful of applesauce without changing their effectiveness.
If I were you, I'd talk to the doctor again. Either (s)he can give some guidance about taking the pills, can prescribe something else, or can not in the chart that DS is on the supplements so there aren't reactions down the road.
