Anyone with child//grandchild diagnosed with ADHD?

[Snoozan]

My 6yo DGS is starting the evaluation process for ADHD as his behavior is getting more out of control and disruptive. He has always been an active boy, but even I can see he is just hyper most of the time and he is not able to settle down easily. Are there any diet suggestions or foods recommeneded to avoid that worked for your child? I want coming to my house to still be a treat, but realize consistency will be important. I am just looking for suggestions for things that have worked for others. I know his doctor will be making recommendations but real life is usually different!

 

[aaarcher86]

Not that she got it a lot, but we completely eliminated caffeine and candy or sweets. It wasn't a huge fix since they were so infrequent but I can tell a huge difference when she has that stuff.

We haven't tried anything gluten free, etc since she's also got other issues.

 

[mommysaurus]

My 8 year old has adhd/asd and was recently diagnosed with noctural epilepsy as well. There is a lot of information out there on eliminate/limit this or that from the diet. A lot of it is anecdotal and really depends on the child. For us, I really try to limit processed sugar and artificial food dyes. Hard to say if that alone has made a difference because he is on medication as well. He also has never had caffeine or soda in his whole life, before he was even diagnosed, but I'll continue to keep it from him as long as I have control over what he eats and drinks. I get him candy and treats from the bulk bins at natural food stores (like whole foods).

 

[Snap Crackle Pop]

It really depends on the child because each child is different.

I know of kids who have ADHD when they eat sugar it does the opposite of what you think sugar would do for someone who has ADHD/ADD, it calms them down and they are completely focused.
Then there are kids that absolutely cannot have sugar because it just changes their behavior.

 

[dotfurio]

I noticed a difference eliminating artificial dyes, especially red and yellow (anything with color #). Thankfully food companies are starting to do this, as well, so it's easier to find products that use natural dyes instead.

 

[cijay]

My friend's son was but before they could get him all stoned up with drugs, she took him to a.naturopath. They removed sugar and food colourings from his diet (just his, he actually survived the devastation that his sisters didn't have to stick to his diet) and bought a wii. They let him play in the back yard any time, day or night and work off what he described as the "monster inside". He is ADHD but drug free.

 

[Turn the Page]

DD5 is adhd/asd and we haven't really eliminated from her diet. We try to eat relatively healthy anyway but she doesn't get much sugar in her diet, when she is here anyway, we know she still gets pop and candy and lord knows what all else at her mothers.

DD isn't on medication at this time but we have found that giving her 5 or 6 chocolate covered coffee beans helps calm her down so we have done that several times.

I second the person who said physical activity. I was worried how she would do in WDW due to all the stimulation but she actually did amazingly well. I think it was all the walking, she just finally had the opportunity to burn up some of that energy.

Good luck.

 

[Planogirl]

My cousin's daughter didn't seem to react to any changes in diet. My cousin balked at giving her drugs and tried many things but finally gave up. Only the drugs seemed to help.

 

[mom2rtk]

My friend's son was but before they could get him all stoned up with drugs, she took him to a.naturopath. They removed sugar and food colourings from his diet (just his, he actually survived the devastation that his sisters didn't have to stick to his diet) and bought a wii. They let him play in the back yard any time, day or night and work off what he described as the "monster inside". He is ADHD but drug free.

I'm all for trying alternatives before moving on to drugs, but how does this approach work for your friend's son during the school day? I can't imagine that his teacher lets him go play outside whenever he needs to.

 

[nene0182]

My cousin's daughter didn't seem to react to any changes in diet. My cousin balked at giving her drugs and tried many things but finally gave up. Only the drugs seemed to help.

This was our personal experience as well. We eliminated processed foods which includes excess sugar and food dyes and tried gluten free as well before trying any medications. Now that he is almost a teenager, we don't restrict his foods as much but still try to eat fairly healthy.

 

[mommysaurus]

My cousin's daughter didn't seem to react to any changes in diet. My cousin balked at giving her drugs and tried many things but finally gave up. Only the drugs seemed to help.

Same for my son. He takes non stimulant drugs and isn't "stoned" the way some people may suggest. It works for him and helps him to be successful. I'm never going to be sorry for helping my son the way he needs to be helped.

 

[tcufrog]

We tried so many other options before medicine. It turns out that medicine is what he needs though. He gets lots of opportunities for physical activity (recess and PE everyday at school plus swimming 1/2 hours every week and yoga once a week) at home and school. The reality is that at school the older kids get the greater the expectations for them to be able to sit and pay attention. Now that's he's older we're also doing cognitive behavioral therapy which is helping some.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Same for my son. He takes non stimulant drugs and isn't "stoned" the way some people may suggest. It works for him and helps him to be successful. I'm never going to be sorry for helping my son the way he needs to be helped.

I agree with you! I resisted drugs for DD for years. We tried everything else first - diet, accommodations, tutoring, etc. She is ADHD - inattentive and hyper-verbal. She learned to control the verbal part in class on her own, but she was not mentally present during lessons. She went on meds in 7th grade. She saw/felt the difference almost immediately. She is now in 11th grade and doing very well.

Asking a kid with ADHD to sit still and absorb all the material presented in class without the proper tools/medication is like asking someone who needs glasses to read not to use them. Some people need glasses/meds/etc to reach their full potential.

 

[Lumiere Lover]

Drugs are the only help for my son. DH was truly against it, but it makes a huge difference and he is not stoned. Be open minded to what works for others.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

How the heck does a person get "stoned" on a stimulate drug?

And the stigma lives on.......

 

[cijay]

I'm all for trying alternatives before moving on to drugs, but how does this approach work for your friend's son during the school day? I can't imagine that his teacher lets him go play outside whenever he needs to.

Well, he's 25 now and has no teachers. The whole point was that with the change of diet and expendature of energy (the teachers didn't let him play any time he wished but he did all the running around and chores they needed him for - taking things to the office, safety patrolling the younger ones, sweeping, stacking chairs after assembly etc. He's still very high energy but he's not a kid anymore.

 

[Christine]

How the heck does a person get "stoned" on a stimulate drug?

And the stigma lives on.......

"Stoned" is probably a bad term to use; however, when my son first was diagnosed and given Adderall, he was like a zombie. It was awful. His teacher, who was working with us on this, cried and said the spark went out of him.

We immediately changed his meds to another type of stimulant and he was just fine. So, I guess they can seem "stoned" to some.

 

[jtobykrauss]

First of all children like my son who take stimulants are not stoned the drugs actually have the opposite effect on kids with ADHD it calms them not because they are stoned their brains work differently the meds increase dopamine and norepinephrine neurotransmitters in the brain helping to calm the child and help them to focus.

 

[cijay]

"Stoned" is probably a bad term to use; however, when my son first was diagnosed and given Adderall, he was like a zombie. It was awful. His teacher, who was working with us on this, cried and said the spark went out of him.

We immediately changed his meds to another type of stimulant and he was just fine. So, I guess they can seem "stoned" to some.

Right. The difference between being like a zombie with no spark in you due to a drug and being stoned is...?

Treatments were very different as the disorder was very new. They didn't know what to do so they just slapped them on meds as if to say 'okay, just sit there 'til we figure this out'. That is what my friend didn't want to happen so she sought other means.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I'm out...you all have fun with this one.