Familiar with ADD/ADHD & Ritalin?? I Need Help

I highly recommend reading "Healing ADD" by Daniel G. Amen, M.D. His website is amenclinics.com. Also, nativeremedies.com has great homeopathic supplements for ADHD.

Have you tried alternative therapies like craniosacral or ortho-bionomy? They are therapies that use light touch to provide a number of things for the body. If you would like more information let me know.

C.

I have a 19 year old who was on Ritalin and as he got older he would not take it because of the way it made him feel. My brother had the same with his daughter but they gave her a cup of coffee (they are both stemulints) and enrolled her in marshal arts classes to learn self control, she is 21 with two girls of her own and doing great. There is lots of alteratives please try some of them before Medication and use it as a last resort.

My son has been given a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD and was put on Concerta. I saw some things and others from this medication that I did and didn't like. My son's sleeping patterns became more difficult. His emotions became more sensitive on the con's side. So he was crying at every little thing. On the positive side he was able to speak clearer (he also has difficulty with speech for which he goes to speach therapy) and he seemed more focused with his homework.

We wanted to try something else than medicine. It didn't seem right for our Son. I did put him on a Fish oil suppliment and we started seeking other alternatives.

My husband and I went to a parenting class called Transforming the Difficult Child: The Nurtured Heart Approach by Howard Glasser (This is a book too.) We noticed that some of the problems our son was having we contributed to by our inconsistancy's and unrealistic expectations.

If your 12 year old son was abused for the first 6 years of his life. This could also be a contributing factor to his inablility to focus. Another option is to get him Occupational Therapy that helps him to learn other coping skills when he is unable focus or to express himself appropriately.

The last suggestion I'd have is that if there is any way that you could be home when you son gets home and before he leaves and can take time to discuss and review and make him feel special and loved. (without concern for time) This would be very helpful. I think you will notice a big change.

I hope these suggestions help. We have seen a difference in our son. It is a slow gradual change and There are still very difficult times. We have been blessed by a very understanding teacher at school who is very inspiring to my son.

Hi L.,

Just wanted to let you I also have a son who is ADD and yes, he has been taking meds to aid in his daily journey. I too was hesitant for the same reasons of not wanting to drug him but its been 4 years now and it has been very beneficial for him. There have been some side effects but we've all learned how to handle these effects. All I can say is its a personal decision and from experience has helped him tremendously. I wish you and your son the best.

Hi L.-

I have a similar situation to share, I definately understand your frustrations! My step-son just turned 13 and had lived with his mother until this past August. He now lives with us, so we finally have some control over his daily raising. He has been diagnosed with ADD (no hyperactivity) over and over again since he was in pre-school. His behavior in school was very disruptive, causing a very bright child to bring home just average grades, and to be on different "behavior" plans all the time. His mother refused to do anything and, believe it or not, she also refused to believe the diagnosis' even though they were given by Child Psychology professionals on more than three occassions. Since we have had him living with us full time, the decisions are ours to make and we decided to get him some help. We started out the school year with emails and notes being sent home about disruptive behavior. We took him to a child psychiatrist in October and he was put on Adaral XR. Since that time (literally almost immediately) the teachers stopped having issues with him and several of them even made a point to contact us and thank us for taking care of the issues. He has brought home straight A's for the past two grading periods and has had no more "behavior" issues at school. Granted, we are much more strict with him and have a very structured routine that he is expected to follow than he ever had at his mother's, which I think helps, but the medication has DEFINATELY made a big difference for him in school. We tried Concerta also, but our insurance did not cover as much of that drug so we went back to the Adaral. Just a side note, my husband has also recently been diagnosed with ADD and now takes Ritalin. He feels a difference while he is on it and takes it when he is at work. Neither my step-son or my husband notice any real side effects, and both of them are happy that they have found something that helps them to concentrate.

Good luck, I hope you are able to get your step-son the help he needs to become more successful.

I believe only you can decide if the drugs are right for your family. Many people out there say the drugs are the devil & the easy way out. Sadly for many parents that is true. It is easier to have you kid drugged then to be a mom. But in some circumstances when all other options have been exhausted it is crippling to the child not to give them the drugs. Sometimes it helps your child lead a normal life a happy life one they could never reach without the drugs. Many people say that the mental health issue did not exist when they were young honestly I believe the did. Both my father & my husbands bio father struggled all there lives to have normal happy lives (husbands fathers has been married 7 times.) Both did drugs. in their 40s & 50s both went to counselors they have bi-polar had it all their lives but everyone said for years they just had "problems". Do what is best for your family, for your son. I would still save the drugs for the very last resort also keep an eye on your son if he gets on them if they dope him up & make him lethargic His dose needs decreased. My husband was diagnosed with adhd in school his is a mild case so he never needed the drugs did therapy & his mom had to work closely with the school & teachers. Still to this day I caught him getting distracted sometimes he is worse then the kids. Hope this helps.

My son is 10yrs old and he was diagnosed ADHD at the age of 7yrs. He first started on Medadate and a small dose of Ritalin, also weekly therapy. That worked for him. When I moved to Arizona in December 2006 he was given Concerta and Ritalin. That helped for a while, but then last August his grades started to drop very bad and fast. I spoke with his doctor and he diagnosed my son ADHD and mood disorder he prescribed my son Addarall, Seroquel and Depekote. Along with that he got a social worker and a therapist to see him weekly at school. My son imporved as a matter of fact the social worker and therapist are closing the case because of his improvement. I'm still working with him one day at a time. At first me son would have episodes that would last upto 4hours and distroy anything in his path. I now have learned to controll his sugar intake, also to be more constint with him. He still tries to pull one over with homework but since I've been working together with the school and his teacher he can't get away with it. He has told me himself told me that he feels better and more orginized. I also had second thoughts about medicating him but with the changes I seen in him I'm glad I did.

I commend you for not trying the medication right away and approaching different techniques. Sometimes those techniques work, and other times they don't. I work with some kids that have ADHD and some can control it just fine at school, and others can't. Most of the kids that are on medication react well to it, and it does help.

Sorry I'm not more help than that. Just do your research (which you are doing by posting here) and make the decision that is best for you and your family, whatever it may be.

Good luck!

I wanted to add, sometimes the only way to find out how the medication will affect your child is to try it. If it doesn't work, you can take him off it.

I had heard of a shake to give kids but I have a son who is 3 and a step son that is 16. His bio-mom wants to get him on meds like her other 2 small children because he is depressed. See all the kids who gun down schools and commit suicide? They all were on prescription meds. It is a dangerous route in my opinion, not for me. We grew up without it and you never heard ADHD. I think its a teachers way of not knowing what to do with a child and the schools try to play psycologist and doctor. He may need to talk to someone he has alot on his mind, which adults have alot on our minds and sometimes forget or not be able to focus right. Do we need drugs to? He has been through alot and making him a zombie so people teachers dont have to try or give any extra effort makes their life easier. No way. He needs to let it out yalk to a shrink, maybe alternative route, hypnosis. This country now adays is full of burned out teachers and drugged up kids. I saw what drugs did to my 2 twin nephews and they were spun out. They are fine now and 12 years old. He needs more than a school therapist he needs to talk to someone to release those horrible memories so he can get on with life. Its horrible his own mom did things to him. You will do the right thing for him, to love him is the best medicine you have given him, a home, a mom a family... Good luck and best wishes. And I have 2 boys misbehaving a little is in their nature..

Hi L.,

It sounds like you have done everything right so far.

Ritalin is very over prescribed but if it is truly needed it works. I would only consider it if I had tried all the other behavioral options. If you feel you have exhausted other options perhaps it is time to try it. Boys are almost always going to be more active than girls but by age 12 they are usually settling down and you need to get him focused on being more successful at school as high school is just around the corner. I have a 13 yo boy and fortunately we have not struggled with this.

Dont' be afraid of using the drugs, just make sure it is necessary and it sounds like it could be!

T. C.
Spa Girlfriend Parties
www.spaescapescottsdale.com

Before starting Ritalin, you might consider having him tested for food allergies/sensitivites. My friend's son had started Ritalin, was doing better behaviorally, but started getting facial tics - a potential side effect of the meds, so she decided to take him off the Ritalin. Desperate to find a safer alternative, she asked around for advice and was directed to an environmental nutritionist (by the way, they live in Massachusetts, but I'm sure if you go online you could fing a dr. with this training in your area). Her son was tested for food allergies - he ended up being allergic to wheat, dairy, sugar, and food dyes. They modified his diet and very quickly got good results, eventually even better than the Ritalin. With behavior modification techniques they have been able to help him learn to control most of the rest of his 'unwanted' behaviors.

M. J.

I have a son who is 11 years old and the doctors have told me that he is ADHD and they put him on meds to but it was not Ritalin. I can't remember the name right now but i took him off of it about a month later. He alway looked out of it to me and he just was not the same kid. He could not sleep, he didn't eat very good. I was scared. I have him now taking some chewable pills that I buy at High Health or GNC. It is all netural and it seems to help him alot. My son is also on a IEP at school but could not concentrate.

Hi L.,
I could talk to you for hours about chemical imbalances, as my 15 yr old daughter and I have both had them. She was diagnosed with Fead/Anxiety at age 8, Dyslexia and ADD at age 11, and Childhood Bi-Polar around age 12, and believe it or not she is now off all meds and seems to be doing pretty well--even at school and with her friends, etc. They mainstreamed her from Special Ed in Jr High, but now they have just put her back in Spec Ed math; she's in Grade 9-otherwise she is mainstreamed in her other classes. It has been a very long road and I have learned so much I would like to write a book some day! I was diagnosed with Adult Bi-Polar, but now also lead a very successful life. I was even in the Mental hospital twice, but since have worked in an Operating Room environment, always held stable jobs, have had a very successful re-marriage, and very close friends with my ex-husband, who now finally understands, etc. Since I presently have Thyroid Nodules which I am getting help with, they have suggested that I don't go off meds at this time, however. But for my daughter, the Psychiatrists experimented with almost every med possible. It was a very very painful process. Fortunately, I could understand her since I was also experiencing difficulties myself. The doctors even overdosed her twice and she couldn't wake up at school, she hallucinated, and many more terrible things! It was a very horrible process getting help for both of us! Actually, the prayer of others was probably the thing which helped us the most! My number one advice to you is to make sure ADHD is what he really has. Also, I discovered when one is involved there are usually other problems as well. For instance, not only was my daughter fearful, but she was having trouble in school, and also Dyslexic---these disorders are very inter-related so that even the doctors can't tell them apart,especially since most of them haven't experienced any of them themselves. We tried Aderal, Concerta (which are for ADD/ADHD)-they are stimulants similar to caffeine.--They made my daughter act especially horible. It was embarrassing and unbelievable!!! We discovered if the problems aren't really ADD/ADHD, these meds (and Ritalin for instance) won't be the meds that work.--Because it could be a closely related imbalance, not necessarily ADD/ADHD. I noticed that eventhough the doctors were diagnosing and treating my daughter, I was more familiar with what she needed because I was experiencing something similar but had slight differences. As the child grows, their chemistry also changes. So, although they might need meds in the beginning, they may grow out of the need as their body chemistry becomes more stable. Also, look up Reactive Attachment Disorder on the Internet. Alot of people that have these problems starting out when they are young have these tendancies, and reading about this may provide help. (Basically all of the different imbalances which start out at a young age have these certain characteristics. The help advice they give is to give the child extra love and reassurance. When something happens to them at a young age causing these disorders, they don't feel protected by their parents and need extra hugs, smiles and reassurance. Next, they suggest giving extra discipline.--discipline that too most seems extra strict. The reason for this is because they children usually try to take charge at a young age, because they have a instict to protect by taking control. Like toddlers they suggest asking for extra permission and things which would normally seem strange. But some of these children (like my daughter) need to learn to respect athority and make wiser decisions, etc. So, Check out RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder) also. Ticia

Hi, L.~i commend you on exploring other natural options and intervention, a very valuable source that i use for all things natural and for hearing "the other side of the coin" of "conventional medicine" i recommend you visit. www.mercola.com it has a great search engine and articles on every subject of health. good luck on your search. i have a son with autism who i chose not to medicate. at age 11 after years of well-meaning advice to "try it" we did it for 3 months (anti depressant) to dismal results. he regressed for the first time ever and he became very agressive and angry. since then, everything from diet to face scrub (to ward off acne) is done with natural ingredients.
I wish you the best, he's a lucky boy to have a mom who is willing to go the road less traveled...
:)

Hi L.,
I feel for you with the challenge of a troubled child. I am in the business of health education. One of our doctors is a specialist in ADD, ADHD and autisim. You will only be able to see him if your pediatrician refers you to him. He is Dr. Newmark in Tucson, AZ. He speaks at our health education lectures. I went to Tucson to hear him and he recommends a natural approach before drugs (some children do need medication but he feels it is given to freely). He recommends changing heir diet, whole foods, fruits and vegetables and he recommends a whole food supplement that I offer in my wellness practice. Definitely take out all food dies, sugar, processed foods, soda, etc. and give that some time to see if you notice an improvement, then remove gluten, many children, including autistic children respond well to a gluten free diet, you may also try dairy free. It is work to change one's eating habits, however, the entire family will benefit from healthy eating!
Here are some links for you as you are doing your research:
Whole food supplement: www.sherryfritz.com
Childrens Research: www.childrensresearch.org
Dr. Newmark: www.doctornewmark.com
Dr. Wm Sears: www.askdrsears.com (also recommends our whole food supplement)
Miracle in Wisconsin: http://www.chattanoogahealth.com/Articles/2138/1/A_Miracl...
Science and Health News: www.scienceandhealthnews.com
Dr. Mitra Ray: www.fromheretolongevity.com
Dr. Pam Popper: www.wellnessforum.com
We have a health education lecture in Scottsdale on Tues, March 4 at 7:30 pm. You are welcome to come as my guest.
S. Fritz 866-508-2910

I am am a teacher of 9 years. I say absolutely not! No child should be on class IV drugs. (speed) I am willing to bet he has some serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Please call Glen Parnham of International Health for a free consultation. Ihsite.com ###-###-####. Also go to News Target.com and do a search on ADHD and see what comes up. There was a study done in Turkey that mentions vitamin B12 and Magnesium that has been quite useful. However, you must talk with Glen to get the right stuff being that over 80% of the vitamins we buy are synthetic anyway. Also, I don't know if you have heard of a medical intuitive, but check out this site. Quantumpathic.com Sherry Anshara has done wonders for me and so many people. She has even helped people overcome stage 5 cancer. Please also become a member of Dr.Mercola.com. What you will find more than anything is that a lifestyle change is required. I hope this helps.

W. Cheri

Hi L.,
My ex-husband suffered from horrible ADD his whole life. He tried everything and finally found relief with a woman named Jane Fendelman. We also had several counseling sessions with her when we were going through our divorce and it made all the difference in the world! I would strongly recommend checking her out!
Good luck!
V.
Jane Fendelman, MC
Counselor/Author/TV/Radio
###-###-####
www.JaneFendelman.com

Hi L.,

I do not have experience with this myself but I was wondering if you have tried investigating his nutritional needs. If certain foods, food additives, etc make it worse or better. There are some great nutitional suppliments available for children. I use some of them myself.

I understand not wanting to medicate so if you have an interest in trying some nutritional suppliments, please let me know. Perhaps you would not need the medication or very little of it.

Prayers to you,

D.

I have an 8 year old who has ADHD, but she is not on ritalin. You can always talk to the physician to see what they can prescribe. It all depends on how severe their condition is. My daughter is borderline so we have her on metadate and methilyn with low doses and it's been working. She has improved in all her school work and pays more attention during class. Plus some children do outgrow this condition. Talk to your doctor because there are options as far as medication. Plus my daughter will drink a cup of caffeinated coffee in the morning, it helps calm her down a bit.

our son has a very rockey path he is now 12 his birth mum left him when he was 18months old i have known him since he was 3 and it has been very hard and we have been intouch with ss support workers all sorts he was told he had adhd when he was 7 he has been on 2diffrent tablets he is now on concerta and they realyhelp him even more so at school he has and do have big problems at school and the poor school knows if he has forgot his tablet not goog for him or school we did think not to give him drugs to start of with but it has realy helped our son and us hope this sort help

ADD/ADHD is a neuronal imbalance. Ritalin stimulates the brain. it activates some neurons to create a state of equilibrium, and helps the kids be them selves. If a kid had a really bad allergies and spends his whole life always being tired weak and whinny, and a mother gave him medication so that he would feel better so he could be himself, most people wouldn't say, "that mother isn't excepting her son for who he is! she's trying to change him with medication." Why then, do people do that when a child has ADD. A person who doesn't think things through and can't concentrate isn't who your child really is. They are side affects of his disorder. Giving him medication is a way of letting the real him out. Going strait to drugs isn't a good idea. going back to the example of the child with allergies, before giving him medication, the mother should try keeping him away from what causes the problems and do what ever she can to help treat the child naturally. HOWEVER if that doesn't work, that's what the medication is for. it sounds like you have done everything possible to treat his ADHD naturally. if those aren't working, the medication might be the only way to go.

on a personal note, my cousin had ADD and he was VERY violent when he didn't take his Ritalin. When he was on it, he was a pleasant child and fun to be around. Before he was on the medication, he got bad grades and he got in fights a lot! now, he's graduated from college with a degree in Engineering! hope this helps, and good luck! :)

L.,

All those boys, sounds like you have your hands full!

A year ago we went to see an integrative medecine specialist here in Tucson. His name is Dr. Newmark and he specializes in kids with Autism, allergies, chronic ear infections, ADHD etc. He trained with Dr. Weil. My daughter was having some attention issues and instead of medicating, I wanted to first try diet. Dr. Newmark recomended fish oil (Nordic Naturals brand) and a product called Juice Plus. Juice Plus is actually food in a capsule. Kind of like the Jetsons. It contains 17 different fruits vegetables and grains and comes out to be about 10 servings a day.

After reviewing the research, and there is a lot of it, I decided to help spread the word. My website is www.nutritionwithjennifer.com. Juice Plus also has a non-profit wing. They are trying to get over a million children on JP for free. Pretty great! Dr. Sears the famous pediatrician sits on the board. Of particular interest to you would be www.childrenshealthstudy.com . You will find a lot of statistics on the effect of good nutrition on children.

Let me know if you have any questions. A big chunk of what I do with Juice Plus is help educate people on the foods that they eat. I would be happy to help you figure out things that he might be eating that are contributing to the problem. Best of luck with this!

J.

my 11 year old son is add. it was an extremely tough decision to medicate, i'm pro organics and practice yoga daily. my son's quality of life was not good. he could not make it to take the dishes from the table to the counter without getting distracted (so many nights he would be in his bedroom before noticing the dishes in his hands). he was also speaking with a counselor and was diagnosed hands down. the final decision for me was one night we were talking and he broke down in tears and said mom, everything is hard for me, everything. he was trying so hard and not progressing, for me it was like watching your kid have an illness which was impairing his ability to function in life. i started him on an excersice routine (unwillingly for him) which helps him sleep and was not helping the brain. i began giving him aderall in the past two months i (and his teachers) have noticed a huge difference. he handles hard situations much better. the councelor i'm working with has also suggested a program in which kids with add/adhd learn skills to deal with this therefore can be taken off the medication at some point. i appreciate our counselor because add is not looked upon as a disability or problem, it's looked at as a gift. good luck.

Though I have not had a child of my own with ADD/ADHD, I have had experience working with children with these disorders. I personally have found that 1) each individual child and situation is different and therefore some decisions may have to be made by trial and error and 2) most children I worked with responded well to a combination of medication and therapy. What typically happens is the child is administered the drug, then once the child has calmed down and is able to concentrate, they are taught the proper way to act, cues to determine when they feel themselves "drifting off", ideas on how to manange their own behavior in those situations, etc. Then slowly, the child is weened off the drug until they are able to manage their own behavior without the help of the drug. There is a lot of stigma attached to kids who have to take meds during the school day, so if it is at all possible, getting a drug that would allow your child to only receive doses before and after school could help. You may also find that his teachers will suddenly have a better attitude when it comes to your step-son when they know he is on meds, even a small dose. Just knowing you are open to do something they think is effective to help your stepson, and in turn his teachers, may cause them to be more likely to point out his positive actions instead of focusing on his negative. As other moms have noted, in the past school psychologists and special ed teachers tended to overuse meds in situations such as this, but I think if you look deeper you will start to find more and more who agree that a combination of meds and therapy, with eventual elimination of the meds is more prefered. More and more, meds have received a bad name and, though there are side effects in some cases, I think that it is an unfair assessment. In a lot of cases the benefits far outweigh the negatives. But as I said, each case is personal. If you try the drug (I would look into alternatives to ritalin however) and it works, then go with the progress. But remember to empower your stepson to realize HE IS IN CONTROL. He has to learn that HE determines whether HE will concentrate, do his best and change. You certainly do not want him becoming dependent on a drug for the rest of his life if he doesn't really need it. Also, something to consider is that he may have the early signs of Bipolor Disorder. It is often misdiagnosed in kids as ADHD. With what you implied his home life has always been like with mom, it wouldn't hurt to have him tested. Please let us know what you decide and how it turns out. Take care!

you gotta ask yourself do you really think that he would have these problems if he was not abused by his mother. i think you should concider this to be a problem that was caused noy that he was born with. mental disorders need medication but taught behavior needs love,stability and some family therapy