Gluten-free for ADD

I love a book by Kenneth Bock, MD called "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics - Allergies, Asthma, ADD & Autism" (or something very close to that title - can't remember the exact name off the top of my head).

My child does not have ADD (that I know of) but going gluten free did seem to greatly help him with focus (and other things).

Good luck.

We did. For ADD and PANDAS (a neuro-psychiatric disorder)

I have a food blog because we cut so many foods that I wanted to document our progress, trials and successes along the way. We've seen tons of healing for the whole family (we all do the diet.)

www.chickiepea.wordpress.com

another great option is the Feingold program. Cutting gluten and dairy are recommended for lots of neuro issues, not just ADD.

Also, there is NO test for gluten intolerance when you are talking about the blood/brain barrier issues involved like with ADD, Autism, etc. The tests for even Celiac are poor at best.

There are lots of alternative therapies out there too, to help supplement. We see an NRT (nutritional response therapist) and chiro. There are DAN! doctors too (not just for Autism) and naturopaths, as well as various therapists like pediatric neuropsychiatrists who can do tests and recommend therapies.

I would do ANYTHING before I would do meds. We did meds and it made various things SO much worse, and the side-effects were scary and long-lasting too :(

I'm happy to chat more about experiences, recipes, ideas, etc. if you want.

-M.

I agree about the Ken Bock book, Healing the 4A Disorders, it has changed our lives! I was so hesitant to try the gluten free diet, since we have a ton of other food allergies in our house, but the change (in everyone) is amazing. I think it is very individual, whether it works or not. I did not expect it to work, but in a matter of weeks, even days, the difference in behavior was obvious. I say give it a try, if it works, great, and if not, then at least you know. The Skokie library has the book, I have recommended it to a few friends who have checked it out there. Feel free to message me if you want to talk :) Good Luck!

A great site that was recommended to me by a mamasource mom is feingold.org. It shows how preservatives,
dyes and other additives affect kids on the spectrum (some people feel ADD/ADHD are a part of that).
My son is autistic. He has moments of hyperactivity within his disability. We put him on a GF diet because we noticed he becomes more hyperactive if he eats gluten filled foods. He is not casein free though because this doesn't seem to affect him.
It is a hard transition but becomes much easier in time.

I also agree with the poster below, Manda. Check out the DAN! Website (Defeat Autism Now) and look into seeing a clinician (chiropractor). This is not only for autistic children, but any child with a processing disorder. Starting my son with chiropractic has changed his life, really (not to mention the rest of our family). And it's all been done drug free.

I've been gluten free during some of my travels (how many ways can one eat rice and fish? Many, many ways). Chickpeas and lentils and meat (mid east), ditto another time. It's made no difference on me. And I'm talking about being gluten free for extended periods of time. Like a whole year at one point. ((And yes, non-enriched, locally grown rice that went from paddy to granary to steamer)).

But then again... true ADHD isn't caused by anything dietary or any kind of allergic reaction.

R.... ADHD-c

I would suggest trying Feingold first. We are just doing it so-so and are fortunately seeing a huge improvement already just avoiding artificial colors and flavors. That would be an easier place to start and if it isn't enough then grow to the GF diet. I am just amazed at how well and quickly our 4 yr dd changed for the better.

We have a family friend that went to a gluten-free for his grandson whom he raises, it has worked wonderfully!

We went Gluten free for 12 months. It was VERY expensive and we thought it was helping a lot. Until we went off the diet and things were the same as they were on the diet. So it didn't make a difference for us. But all kids are different. We joined several online groups of people who were doing GF too. That helped us with recipies and support, etc. Good luck.

Before you go taking things out of your child's diet, I'd suggest an allergist appointment. With two children with food-related chronic illnesses, and one child with add, I suggest preventing making food an issue in your home.

Also, I suggest working with the school on the add--there are many techniques that can be used in the classroom to modify behavior.

I do not have any personal experience with this, but it is something I am also thinking about. My little guy has sensory issues, and his OT recommended "The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide to the Gluten-free, Casin-free Diet" by Pamela Compart and Dana Laake. Also, someone posted this podcast on this site yesterday that I just started listening to, which may be of interest. http://www.drkendalstewart.podbean.com/

Ditto what Riley shared. It may help if your child needs a gluten-free diet for food allergy reasons, but it won't do anything for ADHD. ADHD is a genetic brain disorder and not something that can be changed by food (although it can tell you it wasn't ADHD if you see improvement). I would work with your child's doctors for appropriate treatment of ADHD. They're the experts.