Looking for Natural Remedies for ADD

I HIGHLY recommend getting an appointment w/Elaine Hardy, RN, MSN, APN, C her website is www.holisticfamilyhealthcarepc.com. She specializes in children in the autistic spectrum disorders like ADD, PDD, Autism and sensory disorders. She can lead you on the correct path and if she is not too close for you to see her, she will do the initial visit in her office, but then phone and email followups!! She is truly great and knowledgeable with many successful stories as you can see some testimonials on her website as well as ask for references to contact. You will NOT be disappointed!! I can't recommend her enough, but everyone is right, start w/avoiding food dye!! It's not easy, but it definitely is extremely helpful! Good luck to you!

You have lots of great suggestions so far.One thing that is often overlooked,besides the vitamin and mineral defficency,is chemicals and toxins in cleaning and laundry products.Many cleaning products on the market are actually registered pesticides.
www.ForMyKidsSake.com

Hi S.,

www.all-natural.com/add.html

Is a resource. Hope this helps. D.

10 HOURS OF SLEEP-NO JUNK FOOD. First steps! The chemicals, colors, sodium and sugars, heavy metal toxins from hydrogenated oils (in EVERYTHING packaged for kids) destroy the kid's systems, and then we want to drug them. Diet, sleep and exercise are most important-and lots of other great advice here.

Once she chooses the natural solution, tell her to stick with it for at least 6 MONTHS before giving up and deciding it's not working. And to try various things. Sometimes people will put their kids on ten drugs looking for one that works, but they won't be patient while searching for natural solutions.

A certain lack of focus may not hurt him, many great geniuses have and have untreated ADD, but a drug certainly might hurt him in the long run. Good for you being an advocate for your friend. Doctors pass out drugs way too way too easily. It should be an absolute last resort after everything else has been tried, and then only after a specialist has tested him thoroughly.

Also, boys are held down way too long in school, and then expected to sit still for homework etc. Yes, he needs discipline and support to stay focused, but he also needs to blow off steam. The idea to take breaks for jumping rope etc is really good if you can get his teacher on board. I'm sure there are some other kids in his class who could use the breaks. 10 HOURS OF SLEEP-NO JUNK FOOD. First steps!

My 7 year old daughter was diagnosed with ADHD in 10/08.
We put her on herbs called brightsparks (found on ebay). She has been on them for 6 months and they really work for her.
I do not want to put her on any kind of meds.
There is a magazine called ADDitude and it has so many good articles for children with ADD/ADHD. The website is additudemag.com (A lot of natural ways to deal with ADD).

http://www.rhinebeckhealth.com/rhc/4-a%20disorders.php

Dr. Bock's book is great.

Tell her to look into a dairy and wheat free diet. It makes a big difference!! It is probably food allergy. I would also have her take him to have a basic blood panel done to see what he is reacting to.
No Ritalin!!!

Good luck to her!

Hi S.,

I don't know this for a fact, but I have heard that giving the ADD child a small bit of caffeine in the morning helps them concentrate and focus better throughout the day. It has the opposite affect on them than other children for some reason.

L.

CrainoSacral Therapy helps with ADD. Go on www.upledger.com under find a practitioner, preferably one that took the pediatric CST course. If it's allergies NAET Nambutripads Allergy Elimination Technique is very helpful. Google NAET for the website. NeuroFeedback, biofeedback to train the brain to focus is helpful too. Homeopathy might also be something to consider.

I am currently studing to be a master herbalist so I will offer what I have counceled other mothers on that have children with ADD/ADHD. Food plays a huge factor into this. along with sleep. A parent of a child who show these signs needs to have a steady and constant routine when it comes to sleep. I would suggest getting the books on "how to eat right for you blood type by Dr. Peter j. D'Adamo" will get you started on the right path. At first this medthod seems really hard to follow but I can say I have been doing it for 4 years now and I have really gotten use to cooking differently according to blood types. Different blood types handle things differently and giving food that will optimized how your body runs is key. Cutting ALL sugar from this childs diet is a must. If the child has a hard time sleeping or falling asleep then I would recommend getting into the habit of doing chamile tea and working with Lavender Oil on the childs bedding. Start getting ready for bed an hour before the chosen time. Start by no TV before bed this will stimulate the child way to much. Read a quite book while the child sips their tea. Mist the bed with Lavender Oil. If this doesn't get the child into a calmer state for bed then you could do herbs that will help the child to relax. Alot of ADD children have a hard time consentrating because they are on a sugar high then crash and they become tired. That is why I recommend this course of action. If trying this first doesn't get the affect the parent desires, then you could start by finding a Master Herbalist in your area and working with the child. Every child is different and Herbs is a trial and error process. One may work for one child doesn't mean that same program will work for the next. There are products out there in the Herb world that will help. My husband has ADD and he takes a product called Focus Attention by Natures sunshine. He says he can tell a huge difference when he forgets to take it. But I highly recommend starting with the sleep, food, and making sure all sugar is cut from the diet. Eating right for this childs blood type will really help them in all areas.
Hope this helps.

Hi S.,

This topic is very near and dear to my heart as I have 2 boys with ADHD. You have plenty of responders who seem to be against any meds. Remember, just because something is herbal, doesn't mean it is totally safe, just because it is natural. Putting my boys on Concerta or any meds is very difficult for me. I struggled for a very long time with it before I finally decided to give it a try. The results were undeniable. My oldest son who was really struggling in school now gets all A's and B's and his teachers think he is the best (i do too). My younger son's results were identical. Every year I tell my kids teachers that I am going to take them of the meds for a week just to see if they still need it. So far they do and I can't deny the difference it makes in there ability to function in school. They are both on very low doses for their age/weight, and it works for them. They see a neurologist regularly who does a thorough checkup each time to monitor any problems if any. There have never been any issues. Of course we would all like our children to be successful and hope they don't have any issues, but the reality is some do.
I pray some day they won't need it because they have developed the coping skills to learn to succeed with out the meds. But the difference in there success makes it worth it for now. I had many conversations with my pharmasist before I would go with meds. She said try it, if it works, you know they needed it, if it doesn't work then don't use it. Good luck to your friend!! She will need your support either way. If she decides on meds, so many people don't "agree" or understand that choice and freely voice their opinions. She has to do what she feels is best for her family. I would say try the advice of the posters here who gave alternatives as long as the doctor feels they are safe. If they don't work, try the meds.

Deffinately try to avoid any foods with red dye.

Check in to behavior modification. on the web.
T.

I know a few women who have cut out food dyes and sugar with great results.

Herb are drugs too, they just aren't regulated by the FDA; so tell her to be careful with what she selects. I think checking his diet & sleep habits are great ideas. She should also reduce tv/computer/video game time & encourage more outdoor time. Also, find out what he likes & encourage him to spend time doing that; he should be able to focus better when doing things he enjoys & may learn some coping skills.

This is not a very common cause of those symptoms, but it's worth looking into. Many kids who exhibit attention problems actually have sleep disorders, and they have difficulty concentrating b/c they're exhausted. She should keep track of his sleep habits (does he snore/is he restless/does he have trouble going to sleep or waking up in the morning, etc). It might be worth talking to a sleep specialist and even doing a sleep study. I worked on a diagnostic team a few years ago with a pediatrician who got very into this subject and ended up taking a job at a pediatric sleep clinic. The research she showed me was amazing in terms of how many kids with "ADD" or "ADHD" actually are just exhausted, and even their own pediatricians didn't know to look at that. Wish her luck.

K.

S.,
not sure 100% , henceforth, I do know I have add in adult hood, my children had it when 'not an in' condition ...
answer:
none of us are on add drugs . ever .
eat real food[old fashioned meals w/all food groups]
rules rules rules
rules displayed in writting
rules never broken
teach child to focus ... a sport, a skill , a coloring book etc .. it will expand to all areas in time
wear all same stlye clothing [ causes stress to puick out ] buy 7 blue pants , 7 red shirts whatever .
this is an issue too .
parental focus, rules w/ greatr fun .
learn his disabilities and avoid them [ the stressers]
teach, feed , help add
t

I am glad S. asked this question. My son is 15 and has trouble focusing, and I am outraged by how many people in the US are dependent on prescription drugs -- and young people who spent their entire childhoods drugged! so these suggestions are very helpful to me as well. When kids are teenagers, it gets harder to influence them, and of course he thinks there is nothing wrong with him. We don't buy junk food, but he does love (is addicted to) Mountain Dew.
N

If he's just having trouble focusing, then that means he's a PERSON, not ADD. All people have trouble focusing on things that don't engage them.
If he can't pay attention to ANYTHING at all - even if it DOES greatly interest him - for more than a minute or so or forgets things in a 20 second span (think the character of Dory in the movie Finding Nemo), THEN I'd look into it possibly being ADD, there's a distinct difference.

DO NOT LET HER PUT HIM ON RITALIN! Of COURSE the doctors would recomend that, because that's what would be most profitable to them and the industries of Big Pharma and Big Medica in general. :P
Let me give you a few of the typical side effects of ritalin:
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Depression
Anxiety
Introversion
[Contemplation of] Suicide in young children (more common than you think or the industry would have you think)

For natural remedies to help him focus, try organic dark chocolate (70% cacao), and/or ginko (check the ingredient label for fillers, like alfalfa :P ).

Someone had allowed me to read from a book which states an incident of a couple boys from a family whose dr. put them on Ritalin. It made them even worse, so they finally went with naturals. They started them on flax seed oil and fish oil. It turned out that the boys graduated with very high honors.
In our case in the same day that I started giving my son flax seed oil, he was able to reason better. Now I have him on a regimen of various vitamins and supplements; we really notice a difference if he forgets to take them. We are with a group that you might want to check out: www.christianadhd.com and check the group "alt" . They use alternatives to medicine and it is a very supportive group. One lady on there has worked with various supplements for 15 yrs. and can even help with suggestions and doses if one gives the age and weight of your child. You might want to join. They are a good group and one can vent if necessary or just learn from others. Hope you find what works for you!

Hi S.,

Have a long history with this in my daughter, now 16, who has ADD. Anyway, I had her to a pediatrician who specializes in ADD and ADHD. She ran a series of tests of conditions/vitamin deficits etc. that can cause or contribute to ADD symptoms. It turned out that my daughter has an allergy to gluten. She explained to me that gluten allergy (also known as leaky gut syndrome) is a major contributor to ADD symptoms. She also has sensitivity to artificial dyes. Our pediatrician put us on a series of vitamins and medications, and a diet, that has helped a lot. She is 16 and doesn't want to eat "weird", but she can also tell when something she has eaten has bothered her. Anyway, the moral of the story is that she does not take any medications prescribed for ADD and although she struggles, she is quite aware of her difficulties and what she needs to do to compensate for them.

I'd say that pursuing allergy testing is at least one course of action to take BEFORE starting him on medications for ADD or ADHD. The side effects of the meds are horrendous, and certainly not worth it for my daughter.

Hope that helps,
L.

Hi S., I too have a couple of friends that had this same issue. Tell your friend to look into his diet. If she works on ridding him of as much sugar as possible (fruit juice is a biggy) and has him eating more veggies and one banana a day he should show improvement in a few weeks. I don't know the name of the diet but one friend found out about it from a GNC employee and the other from her doctor. Both boys responded amazingly and are doing fantastic now. Best wishes

Here's my suggestions:

1. Cut back almost entirely on video games, tv.

2. There is some research to suggest omega 3's can help with focus. Try a enteneric coated fish oil or you can now get gummys for kids.

3. Also, it is possible to work with an occupational therapist to increase focus time.

4. 20% of ADHD cases can be solved by adequate sleep. At 8 he should be getting 10 hours.

5. Routines should be predictable and make sure he is getting plenty of exercise and fresh air.

6. Work with the teacher to see if he can take break every 10-20 mins. One classroom for a boys school would let the kids go jump rope in a corner of the classroom by themselves when they lost focus or misbehaved. It brought them right back on track. Little boys were not supposed to be stationary creatures.

7. If she doesn't work she may want to consider homeschooling or a cyber charter school. He can take more breaks and she can build up his focus time gradually. (I did this with my son and its great beucase hes not getting behind anymore in school even though hes supper smart.)

8. Good nutrition is key to any healthy mind or body. It helps to balance out the brain chemicals and true ADHD is a chemical imbalance. Less prepacked, premade, processed food will go along way. Food that doesnt need a nutritional label is straight from the source or in its raw form and doesn't have preservatives and additives in.

Good luck

Just on tv today on the doctors... They where saying ..food dyes cause some of these issues..even cancer..whisch i now have i am surefrom the carmal dye...look up" doctors" also there are programs at hospital about addh...