Natural/Hollistic medicine for ADHD?

[LilahRoot]

This is for a 3 year old. He is at preschool for his first day and already in danger of being kicked out because he is so hyper. I don't trust his doctors to make any calls on medicine because they diagnosed him as autistic when he was a little over a year. My mother is ADHD and so is my sister.

So, really what I want to know is there anything that will help him to calm down? Something all natural that isn't going to have any side effects that will just help him to sit calmly and focus.

I am going to go to a hollistic health place before I pick them up this afternoon and talk to the lady that runs the place and see what she has to say.

Everyone kept telling me he would "grow out of it". He just turned 3. He is still only speaking minimally. My daughter is one and speaks more than he does. She will sit down and let me teach her things, he just never can sit and focus.

 

[Romy]

I'd try tweaking his diet before anything else. Make a list of everything he eats. Keep a food journal and write down his behavior before and after he's eaten, an hour after he's eaten, etc.

My brothers and I were diagnosed with ADHD and our symptoms went away when we were diagnosed with celiac and went on a gluten free diet. That's actually an extremely common symptom of celiac. I've seen it work on non celiac children too.

Another common allergy that seems to manifest behaviorally is red dye. It's pretty tricky too, because it's used to make hotdogs pink, and even dye fresh salmon from grocery stores but they don't list it in the ingredients.

Good luck. I'll try to think of some more things. My old job was as an early intervention specialist and we got a lot of out of area "ADHD" referral children who weren't allowed in their old schools without meds. I'm proud to say that solutions were found for every child that did not involve meds and they all went on to have successful academic careers (at least in elementary school )

 

[Dreeza]

Romy said everything I was gonna say.

Get rid of processed foods...try to have him eat a very "clean" diet. Here is a general article on that: ADHD: The food factor | Andrea the Gastronaut

I would really evaluate his diet before even taking him to a holistic place - some of them will kinda just load you up on expensive herbs. Can you give more details on his diet by any chance?

 

[darkchild16]

What Romy said its what we did with Connor and when he went to live with his mother is started back up but all she feeds is processed and sugar junk. Hes now on narcotics for it again when he didnt need them at ALL with us.

 

[zoe08]

Another common allergy that seems to manifest behaviorally is red dye. It's pretty tricky too, because it's used to make hotdogs pink, and even dye fresh salmon from grocery stores but they don't list it in the ingredients.

I don't know much about any of this, but I read this blog recently about red dye #40, so I thought I would post it: MAMAGINGER.COM: Red #40 = crazy in my house

 

[-bogart-]

Give him a cup of coffee in the morning. Seriously , My sister does that and now does not need meds at all for her kid.

 

[LilahRoot]

Thanks guys. I am very interested about the red dye, since his reward for using the potty is red licorice...

He hardly gets any sugar in his diet. Even his juice gets watered down 1/4 juice and the rest water. I cook almost every meal. For breakfast we usually have eggs in some form, a piece of fruit is split between them and they have either a piece of toast or half of a bagle or half of an english muffin each.

Lunch varies greatly but we usually have something quick for lunch such as pizza, hot dogs, pierogies. You get the point. Stuff that I can toss in the oven and have done quick.

Supper is almost always from scratch as well. We have meat a starch and a vegetable. Dessert is usually a piece of fruit. They get snacks throughout the day. They mostly get apples/carrots/cheese/pretzels for snack time.

I noticed when he was a little over a year old that he was much more hyper than other children, and he throws horrible temper tantrum. Now that he is getting older he is actually hitting and kicking me and hurting me. He hardly talks at the age of three because he will not settle to listen to a word you say to him. He just opens his eyes in the morning and starts bouncing off the walls until he falls asleep at night. Oh, and the meals that I outlined above he only eats about a 1/4 of what I give him. You can't get him to sit still long enough to eat it all. My daughter will sit and finish her meal say thank you and go off to play again. They are like night and day, and it is very frustrating.

 

[LilahRoot]

Give him a cup of coffee in the morning. Seriously , My sister does that and now does not need meds at all for her kid.

Sugar and caffeine do have that effect on some people (my mother), but my son is not one of them. He would never sleep if I gave him coffee.

Oh, and he doesn't nap either. He has problems sleeping too. Sometimes I have to stay up with him until 1a.m. because he sneaks out of bed and will wreak havoc if I don't, and then he is up at 4:30. I'm exhausted and trying to manage him while he is going full force.

 

[-bogart-]

ahh well not a good thing then.

Hyland's Homeopathic - Calms Forte 4 Kids

this has also been used with great results with my cousin.

 

[JennSLK]

I have ADHD. Get rid of ALL process foods. MSG is a big one. All dies and flavors too. I will get you a diet I fallowed and it helped SO much. Its restrictive but it made a world of difference. I am at work right now, so please PM me about it and I will do it when I get home.

 

[Dreeza]

Thanks guys. I am very interested about the red dye, since his reward for using the potty is red licorice...

He hardly gets any sugar in his diet. Even his juice gets watered down 1/4 juice and the rest water. I cook almost every meal. For breakfast we usually have eggs in some form, a piece of fruit is split between them and they have either a piece of toast or half of a bagle or half of an english muffin each.

Lunch varies greatly but we usually have something quick for lunch such as pizza, hot dogs, pierogies. You get the point. Stuff that I can toss in the oven and have done quick.

Supper is almost always from scratch as well. We have meat a starch and a vegetable. Dessert is usually a piece of fruit. They get snacks throughout the day. They mostly get apples/carrots/cheese/pretzels for snack time.

I noticed when he was a little over a year old that he was much more hyper than other children, and he throws horrible temper tantrum. Now that he is getting older he is actually hitting and kicking me and hurting me. He hardly talks at the age of three because he will not settle to listen to a word you say to him. He just opens his eyes in the morning and starts bouncing off the walls until he falls asleep at night. Oh, and the meals that I outlined above he only eats about a 1/4 of what I give him. You can't get him to sit still long enough to eat it all. My daughter will sit and finish her meal say thank you and go off to play again. They are like night and day, and it is very frustrating.

Obviously for a "normal" (I dont mean that in a bad way...hopefully you know what I mean ) person, this food all sounds fine & might have no affect on them. However, for someone who may be hypersensitive to certain foods...this is actually a pretty good amount of carbs (aka sugar). Don't just pay attention to the sugar...pay attention to the carbs...

The english muffin/fruit/starch at dinner/pretzels are all carbs & sugar. What kind of fruit do they usually eat? As awesome as fruit is, certain ones really have a pretty high sugar content (esp grapes).

I would really cut back on any breads/pretzels & definitely on the processed "quick" things they are getting for lunch. The best way to identify diet issues is to go very extreme at first to see if it makes a difference (i'd add wayyy more veggies & stick to grass-fed beef/free range organic chicken - check out the ingredients of what you;re buying - it all has crap added to it!!!), low sugar fruits (berries), limited amounts of whole-grains (quinoa & farro), minimal dairy. Then if it makes a difference, slowly add things back in to see if you can identify what the culprit is. Maybe add more milk/cheese at first...if all is good...then go ahead & add some more fruits...etc, etc.

It is a big pain...and it is why so many people turn to meds (cause it is just the easier route)...but in the long run, it would be so worth it if you can identify the problem.

 

[LilahRoot]

Obviously for a "normal" (I dont mean that in a bad way...hopefully you know what I mean ) person, this food all sounds fine & might have no affect on them. However, for someone who may be hypersensitive to certain foods...this is actually a pretty good amount of carbs (aka sugar). Don't just pay attention to the sugar...pay attention to the carbs...

The english muffin/fruit/starch at dinner/pretzels are all carbs & sugar. What kind of fruit do they usually eat? As awesome as fruit is, certain ones really have a pretty high sugar content (esp grapes).

I would really cut back on any breads/pretzels & definitely on the processed "quick" things they are getting for lunch. The best way to identify diet issues is to go very extreme at first to see if it makes a difference (i'd add wayyy more veggies & stick to grass-fed beef/free range organic chicken - check out the ingredients of what you;re buying - it all has crap added to it!!!), low sugar fruits (berries), limited amounts of whole-grains (quinoa & farro), minimal dairy. Then if it makes a difference, slowly add things back in to see if you can identify what the culprit is. Maybe add more milk/cheese at first...if all is good...then go ahead & add some more fruits...etc, etc.

It is a big pain...and it is why so many people turn to meds (cause it is just the easier route)...but in the long run, it would be so worth it if you can identify the problem.

The only problem with that is that I can't do that while he is in preschool. I don't know if they would be willing to make his meals differently than the others. I will talk to them about it when I go to pick them up today.

They are there for breakfast and lunch and snack in between and before I pick them up, so the only meal I have complete control of is supper.

 

[boneyjean]

I have ADHD as well. I took medication my entire life until I graduated from college and have outgrown it now for the most part, but really should start thinking about making changes to our diet now as it is apparent to me that my child will be hyperactive at the least, but probably ADHD as well. It runs rampant in my mom's family and so far not one of the offspring have escaped it!

I have heard a lot about gluten being an intolerance and people have great success with a gluten free diet, which seems to have a number of benefits for many people in many different ways. Diet changes though are going to be your number one helper in trying to make natural changes that don't require medicine. I am thankful that my parent's did medicate me because it was necessary and there wasn't as much information so widely available about more natural remedies, but changing to a healthier lifestyle as well is always beneficial as well!

Diseases Caused by Gluten Intolerance

I have also heard over the years about red dye being a culprit.

 

[Brattina88]

The only problem with that is that I can't do that while he is in preschool. I don't know if they would be willing to make his meals differently than the others. I will talk to them about it when I go to pick them up today.

They are there for breakfast and lunch and snack in between and before I pick them up, so the only meal I have complete control of is supper.

I had a child in my class who we provided a different diet for (4 years old at the time). He could NOT have red dye (and TRUST me, you could tell a difference if he had it!) and his family was also vegan. So no biggie there. If his preschool is unwilling to do it, or work with you through this, then I would find a better center, IMHO. Kicking out a three year old on his first day is ridiculous, they should be helping/working with you.

 

[Zoom]

Sugar and caffeine do have that effect on some people (my mother), but my son is not one of them. He would never sleep if I gave him coffee.

Oh, and he doesn't nap either. He has problems sleeping too. Sometimes I have to stay up with him until 1a.m. because he sneaks out of bed and will wreak havoc if I don't, and then he is up at 4:30. I'm exhausted and trying to manage him while he is going full force.

Give it a shot. I'm ADD/ADHD (never bothered to get formally diagnosed for the H part) and coffee has a tremendous effect on calming me down, enabling me to focus. Sugar winds me up, coffee stablizes. Just give him a really small amount, rather watered down with milk if he can have milk.

Otherwise, I've had good luck with taking 2 fish oil pills and 2000mg of Vitamin C every morning, along with SuperFood, which now comes in pill/capsule form as well.

Beyond that, I echo what everyone else has said, especially about the gluten.

 

[LilahRoot]

I had a child in my class who we provided a different diet for (4 years old at the time). He could NOT have red dye (and TRUST me, you could tell a difference if he had it!) and his family was also vegan. So no biggie there. If his preschool is unwilling to do it, or work with you through this, then I would find a better center, IMHO. Kicking out a three year old on his first day is ridiculous, they should be helping/working with you.

Oh, you have no idea how happy this sentence made me. I even took him in TWICE for them to meet him because I was so afraid of this, and they were all fine and good and said all the right things until this morning.

Thank you for all the suggestions everyone. I tried to get him into the doctor sooner than his already scheduled appointment, but apparently they don't think that he is needing to be seen until they get around to him. I keep on getting snubbed by his pediatricians and they have been dismissing my fears this whole time. The one told us he was probably autistic and that was the end of it. I would love to take him to a different hospital but being military if we go anywhere other than the army hospital we'll have to pay out of pocket.

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

do not have any early intervention services in your area? I am an occupational therapist working with 3-5 year olds. You may want to have him evaluated -- he may have some sensory integration issues contributing to his behaviors--and to help find the right kind of supports for your son.

 

[darkchild16]

Thanks guys. I am very interested about the red dye, since his reward for using the potty is red licorice...

He hardly gets any sugar in his diet. Even his juice gets watered down 1/4 juice and the rest water. I cook almost every meal. For breakfast we usually have eggs in some form, a piece of fruit is split between them and they have either a piece of toast or half of a bagle or half of an english muffin each.

Lunch varies greatly but we usually have something quick for lunch such as pizza, hot dogs, pierogies. You get the point. Stuff that I can toss in the oven and have done quick.

Supper is almost always from scratch as well. We have meat a starch and a vegetable. Dessert is usually a piece of fruit. They get snacks throughout the day. They mostly get apples/carrots/cheese/pretzels for snack time.

I noticed when he was a little over a year old that he was much more hyper than other children, and he throws horrible temper tantrum. Now that he is getting older he is actually hitting and kicking me and hurting me. He hardly talks at the age of three because he will not settle to listen to a word you say to him. He just opens his eyes in the morning and starts bouncing off the walls until he falls asleep at night. Oh, and the meals that I outlined above he only eats about a 1/4 of what I give him. You can't get him to sit still long enough to eat it all. My daughter will sit and finish her meal say thank you and go off to play again. They are like night and day, and it is very frustrating.

Sugar and caffeine do have that effect on some people (my mother), but my son is not one of them. He would never sleep if I gave him coffee.

Oh, and he doesn't nap either. He has problems sleeping too. Sometimes I have to stay up with him until 1a.m. because he sneaks out of bed and will wreak havoc if I don't, and then he is up at 4:30. I'm exhausted and trying to manage him while he is going full force.

He sound EXACTLY like Bev at this point I just let it go because it doesnt bother me too much but by August we will be learning to manage it because she will start preschool.

 

[Giny]

do not have any early intervention services in your area? I am an occupational therapist working with 3-5 year olds. You may want to have him evaluated -- he may have some sensory integration issues contributing to his behaviors--and to help find the right kind of supports for your son.

This!

Your situation sounds so much like mine was when my son was 3, he's now 15 years old. Early intervention with Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language were so beneficial. Also, the therapist had wonderful ways the help me deal with situations in helping him calm down by figuring out what sensory were over stimulated or under stimulated.

Another supplement that seems to have helped with children with ADHD is fish oil capsules. I wish I would have known about it when my son was little. He takes them now.

 

[Dizzy]

99% of the kids I meet with "adhd" do not have it in my opinion. Unfortunately not many of the parents are willing to try the advice you're getting now. I hope it works for you!!! Diet is such a huuuuge factor. Good luck.