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Old 09-05-2019, 02:48 PM
 
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My gf's kid was diagnosed with ADHD and she would like to try a more natural approach before medicating him with drugs. Has anyone seen positive improvements with ADHD in their child using non-prescription remedies?
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Old 09-05-2019, 03:42 PM
 
Location: A Yankee in northeast TN
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I've not heard of any type of OTC med that would help with ADHD, but we were shown some techniques to use with my son to help him handle some aspects of the ADD better.
https://www.understood.org/en/learni...-focus-in-kids
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Old 09-05-2019, 06:56 PM
 
Location: North Texas
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Some people try removing gluten from person's diet. Breathing techniques. Search for a holistic dietitian and see if diet change or other things could work.
I have had ADD all my life and as a child I never did good on medication. Learning to manage the disability without depending on meds is often better.
What does the child's school for to assist? Special class size? Extra time on tests?
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Old 09-06-2019, 06:53 AM
 
Location: New Yawk
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Diet, high EPA fish oil, aromatherapy... I guess it helped a *little*. But as she got older, it became apparent that it just wasn’t helping with the big issues, like inattention and impulsively.
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Old 09-06-2019, 07:24 AM
 
Location: Northern Virginia
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I have not dealt with this personally, but friends have said that changing their kid's diets have helped. However they said it was not a complete "fix". Eliminating dyes (red dye was a key one), gluten and other things. In most cases, it was just a complement to additional treatments.
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Old 09-06-2019, 08:47 AM
 
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My youngest son took Ritalin growing up, and it helped tremendously, as far as improving his grades, concentration etc. However, he never liked taking it. (He told me this as an adult.) He did a little research, and decided to start taking Gingko biloba supplements. You can google Gingko Biloba and ADD and see what it says.


My son thought it was helpful. Now...he doesn't take anything I don't think.
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Old 09-06-2019, 11:31 AM
 
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There is none. Please don't encourage her to torture her child with food restrictions, or to endanger him with "supplements", which are all untested, and unapproved. If the child's ADD/ADHD is interfering with school and life-functioning, they should see their pediatrician or a child psychiatrist, and follow the doctor's recommendations.
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Old 09-06-2019, 01:00 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grassroots View Post
My gf's kid was diagnosed with ADHD and she would like to try a more natural approach before medicating him with drugs. Has anyone seen positive improvements with ADHD in their child using non-prescription remedies?
I was urged to take a nutritional approach so, after seeing references to the Feingold diet, decided to read Dr. Feingold's book. He did 20 years researching allergies, stumbled upon this and spent another 20 years researching the effects of artificial colors and flavors on some children. It was life changing for me and my son.

"Torturing" is not what you do by feeding them healthy. That would be what you do by putting those chemicals into them.

They recognize the difference. It's easy and only takes 3 days for the chemicals to leave once you start.
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Old 09-06-2019, 02:06 PM
 
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There are behavioral approaches, too, depending on how severe it is. My son did well in a military boarding school (structured environment) but then had issue sin college where he was more on his own. We finally got him a good therapist (and insurance covered diddly) who started him on Adderall while they worked on other techniques. Some of the requirements: no video games, regular sleep hours, no junk food, physical exercise, and some specific techniques to help him get organized.

Now, thank heaven, he's 34 and happily married with a good job and wonderful kids. Interestingly, he ended up in a field (claims adjusting in insurance) that suited his need for variety in his work. You get bored with one claim file, you work on another. He gave up the Adderall long ago- said he felt better without it than with it- but he still plays basketball regularly, eats healthy and sleeps regular hours. I don't know what the psychologist's bills added up to but he was worth every dime. And, while I'm glad DS is no longer on meds, they were a good "bridge" while he attacked the issue from other angles.
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Old 09-06-2019, 02:13 PM
 
13,262 posts, read 7,978,903 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by parentologist View Post
There is none. Please don't encourage her to torture her child with food restrictions, or to endanger him with "supplements", which are all untested, and unapproved. If the child's ADD/ADHD is interfering with school and life-functioning, they should see their pediatrician or a child psychiatrist, and follow the doctor's recommendations.

Since OP said that the child was recently diagnosed, one can assume the child IS under a doctor's care. But I would agree with you, GF should consult with her doctor rather than ask us really.
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