adhd without medication

[Crybaby2384]

My 5 year old son has ADHD. I think the medication for that isn't really worth the risks. I have been having a lot of trouble dealing with him though. He gets in trouble at school and he doesn't listen well to anyone. I know he is very sweet and most of the time I think he wants to be good but he has a lot of trouble being good. Any one going through something similar? Any advice?

 

[ex-pat]

This is really something you should discuss with your pediatrician, and definitely make an appointment with an ADHD specialist as well. ADHD meds take a few months to work fully, and for the body to get used to them, so if your son is recently on them, they may not be working fully yet. Also, re: the trouble at school and wanting to be good, an ADHD specialist can tell you that recent studies done with MRI imaging on the brains of people who are ADHD shows that they are effectively functioning at 3-5 years behind their calendar age for impulse control. These things can get a child labelled quickly as a trouble maker when he is simply not capable of impulse control on his age level. My prayers for you and your son!

 

[Ministrymama]

My son was diagnosed as having ADHD when he was 4. We tried many techniques and diet changes but ultimately resorted to meds. What a relief when we began using medication along with behavior techniques to help him adapt. Medication is not a magic bullet, he still challenged us and kept life interesting but we were all better able to cope. For us, meds were worth it.
My son is now 20 years old and says he was glad we chose medication to help him get through school. He graduated High School a year early, works at a great job, lives on his own and attends college. He eventually grew up enough and found other ways to cope without medication but he believes that he would not have succeeded as well without it in his younger years.
The nice thing is that you can always try medication for a couple of months, if it doesn't help then take him off again. If he were diabetic would you give him insulin? If he needed glasses would you refuse to supply them? Those are the questions we had to ask ourselves when we first had to weigh the options of giving him medication or not. Tough choice I know but I can tell you I am so glad we opted to try meds.

 

[Crybaby2384]

I have a younger brother who is 18 now. He has been on meds since about 4. He can't sleep without taking more pills. He weighs over 400lbs. I think those were side effects of his meds. I just think there has to be other ways to help my son than the pills. A lot of diabetic people are fine with just watching diet closely. I know some illnesses can be fix by diet and other lifestyle changes. I just want to try everything I can before I resort to meds.

 

[Ministrymama]

I hope you are able to find something that works for your son. What medication was your brother on that made him gain such weight? One of the possible side effects of most ADHD meds are that the child may LOSE weight, so most Dr's really monitor weight to make sure the kids don't get skinny. I don't know of any that cause weight gain.
My son was always very thin, I don't think it was the meds but in High School he had to get a waiver to wrestle cause he only 3% body fat and was supposed to have at least 7%.
I would certainly suggest talking to parents of kids with ADHD both those who opt for meds and those who choose alternatives, and talk to your pediatrician. Please don't assume that all kids are the same on meds. There are also newer meds out there that have very few side effects and the kids do well with a combo of meds and behavior modification techniques.
Life doesn't have to be so hard for you or your son, I remember how hard it was to deal with my precious boy at time. He was always a challenge growing up but it was always worth it, especially now when I see what a great man he is.

 

[ProudMomxmany]

I have a younger brother who is 18 now. He has been on meds since about 4. He can't sleep without taking more pills. He weighs over 400lbs. I think those were side effects of his meds. I just think there has to be other ways to help my son than the pills. A lot of diabetic people are fine with just watching diet closely. I know some illnesses can be fix by diet and other lifestyle changes. I just want to try everything I can before I resort to meds.

Type 2 diabetics can control much of their blood sugar problems with attention to diet. Type 1 diabetics are dependent on Insulin...period. There's a HUGE difference between them. My husband is a surgically-induced type 1 diabetic and I would go OFF on anyone who would try to tell us that his diabetes can be controlled by diet alone.

ADHD meds have changed a lot. However, the best thing to start with is consistent discipline and routine. HOWEVER, ADHD (the real, bona-fide thing, not an unruly, undisciplined child) is a biochemical dysfunction of the brain. The other problem with meds is that some parents use the meds and do not follow up with the needed behavioral interventions. Meds are not the end all-be all of adhd. Meds help the child to slow down enough to learn self-control.

Stimulant ADHD meds do not cause weight gain. Some ADHD kids have problems sleeping because their brains won't shut off (I have this problem). However, if your brother weighs 400lbs, it's probably more due to bad eating habits than ADHD meds. If he's taking any sort of anti-depressant, those can lead to some weight gain, but I don't know of anyone who ends up morbidly obese from those either.

Start with behavioral interventions in conjunction with a reputable specialist. Meds may be advisable just to slow him down enough to learn the needed self-control. Most of these kids are smart, creative, great fun. However, they are exhausting! Channel that energy and ability.

 

[MountainBluebird]

We are just in the process of having my son tested for ADD, and he is in his late teens. I never took him to be tested earlier because I didn't want to put him on unnecessary meds, so I understand your reluctance. I now realize I should have had him tested, even if I we decided to go the natural route, because he would have had some extra help at school.

 

[beaverpond]

My nephew has been diagnosed with ADHD and my brother has him on the meds during the school year because when he is not on them, he is completely out of control and says some of the most off the wall things...things that as adults we might think but would never say, this child has no filter. He is fine when the teachers are men, but when they are women that is when he gets into trouble...part of it has to do with his parents getting divorced at a young age and his mother having multiple affairs while married to my brother and then continued to have multiple relationships when she had weekend custody of the kids. It really messed up their son.

During the summer months, my brother took his son off the ADHD meds because he did not want a zombie living in his house because that is what he has. He also does not have him take the meds on long weekends and vacations. He wants my nephew to enjoy life as a normal kid as much as possible.

 

[Odetta]

We chose to do medication for both our kids because their behavior was getting them in trouble, and they felt very badly about themselves because of it. The doctor and I have asked them if they prefer to be on meds or off, and they say they prefer to be on because they have more control of themselves. They can also tell us when the dose feels like it is adequate or when it is not enough. They are ages 12 and 10, though.

As a parent I saw big changes to the positive in their behavior once they were on meds. This made our household much more peaceful. Not to say we don't still have issues. But it's not hourly anymore. My kids were very H of the ADHD.

Also, side effects have not been bothersome for them, once we found the right med. The first med I put my youngest son on made him go psychotic in the middle of a store. We stopped that one right away and tried another that worked better. Some of my friends have not been able to find meds that work without bad side effects, and have chosen more natural methods to deal with it. You have to do what works for your children.

 

[Crybaby2384]

I have had my son a new diet for a couple of weeks now. He isn't eating any artificial colors, nitrites, nitrates, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and hydrogenated oils. We also started trying to get more things organic. He started taking fish oil, magnesium with chelated zinc, and a different multivitamin daily. He isn't what most would say is calm, but he is definitely improving. Since we started this, he has had 2 days with no slips and several days with only 1 slip at school. He was getting 4 or 5 a day before. It is a work in progress but I think overall a very good change.

 

[ALEA40]

When my son first started 1st grade he had a huge meltdown at school due to another child teasing him. When I picked him up he was curled in a ball shaking and crying. This had never happened before. He had meltdowns before, but not like this. I was shocked. He had said some crazy things in the midst of his meltdown (he would blow up the school). I took him immediately to his pediatrician that same day. I was lucky because his pediatrician recommended that we try the Feingold Program before we did anything else. He had had amazing results with his own son. Within 3 days of starting the program, my son's hyperactivity completely seized. He also no longer had stomachaches, headaches and he had normal BMs for the first time in years. My son could actually sit down and watch a program on the TV without bouncing continuously. It turned out that my son is severely allergic to food dyes, including play-doh and markers on his skin. It causes hyperactivity. He's was also allergic to all temperate tree fruits.

His pediatrician recommended this program because it's a great way to clean up our kids diets. I like to think that this is another tool in a parents arsenal. This is also the first step recommended for all children in Europe exhibiting ADHD symptoms. I think we owe it to our children to feed them whole, real food, first, and then look to medication sources second. Just my thoughts. It's not an easy road and it's good to team up with other parents who are going through the same things.

On a side note, my son was not diagnosed with ADHD, but with an autism spectrum disorder at the end of 1st grade. Feingold didn't solve the problems of his autism, but it sure evens out his moods and reduces debilitating symptoms like anxiety, depression, and OCD. He has not needed medication, yet, but I wouldn't rule it out. He's 10 yo now and has a therapist for anxiety, but only needs to check in occasionally. You would never know he has autism unless you sat in his classroom at school. But that's another topic

Blessings to you and your son!!!