Anyone with child//grandchild diagnosed with ADHD?

[Minniesgal]

For me medication for my ADHD son is the difference between getting an education and no education. And he is certainly not stoned. What a stupid term to use for children that are medicated to support a chemical imbalance in the brain. Neither is he like a zombie with no spark. He is himself only better able to focus and organise himself.

As for foods we have found real foods help. We don't give him processed foods much nor much sugar he doesn't get to drink fizzy juice. My kids drink milk or water, eat a lot of protein and veg we even don't give them a lot of fruit as it ski full of sugar.

The god thing is they grow out of it. At almost 13 my son is managing more and more unmedicated and we think the end of medication is in our line of sight.

There should eb no stigma that prevents kids with an issue getting the medical help they need.

 

[PigletsPal2]

DD#1's first grade teacher suggested that she be evaluate for ADHD when DD couldn't concentrate on her lessons, hummed throughout the day, drummed her fingers on her desk, swung her legs, twirled her hair and was generally off in her own little world every day. At home, she talked all the time, never sat down, and flitted from activity to activity. We took her to a doctor recommended by her pediatrician (can't remember his specialty - it's been 45 years ago!), and he prescribed a mild dose of Ritalin. The difference was like night and day. She settled down in school and at home and even seemed happier. She always made good grades (as much as they counted in first grade), but with the medication she became interested in her lessons and as a result her performance improved across the board. She left first grade reading at the 4th grade level and had started learning the multiplication tables. (Her doctor said that strangely enough, ADHD children seemed to have above-average intelligence!) At home she was happy to sit down with a book or to line up her stuffed animals on her bed and play school. When she played games, either mental or physical, she paid attention to and followed the rules instead of making up her own as she went along. Ritalin got her through elementary school.

The summer before she started 7th grade, the doctor suggested that we try to get her off the meds, or at least reduce her use of them. By the time school started, she was only taking one pill every other day. (I'm sorry I can't remember how many mgs her prescription was, but I do remember that we insisted on the lowest dose possible from the very beginning.) By 8th grade, she was off the Ritalin completely. In the intervening years, she developed some personal coping mechanisms that she still uses today: she keeps to a daily routine as much as possible (getting up and going to bed at the same time, certain household chores on certain days, driving the same route to and from work - little things, but they help her to keep on track); making ENDLESS lists - she has a list for EVERYTHING; making sure she has some meaningful creative activity going on - she's a talented portrait photographer, and if she doesn't have a shoot scheduled, she's scouting out new sites or researching creative lighting or subject poses.

This is a long post, but I did want to offer the perspective that sometimes medication is a viable alternative.

Queen Colleen

 

[Magpie]

I used to be very suspicious of ADD, having been - erroneously, I believe - diagnosed with it as a child. I met and worked with other children with the diagnosis who also didn't strike me as needing medication at all. I was becoming convinced all cases of ADD were just kids who needed more freedom to move, a different learning environment, more sleep, a better diet... Certainly not drugs!

But then I met a particular seven year old boy. He was the first student I'd ever had whom I couldn't work with at all. He wanted to learn, but he physically couldn't make his eyes stay on the page long enough to read his letters - his eyes flickered from side to side without stopping - I actually wondered how he could see. He couldn't remember anything. The multisensory approach, which normally works well with restless kids, failed with him. He'd hit himself on the head, trying to force himself to pay attention. Even his speech was scattered and confused. Then he was evaluated by a team of doctors at the hospital, and was put on Concerta.

The difference is night and day. He's happier. He can hold a conversation and remember his lessons. He no longer hits himself. And - just to confirm it wasn't just him maturing and settling down naturally - one day he showed up for his lesson saying, "I didn't take my pill today!" And it showed! His normally beautiful handwriting became jagged and messy. He shifted constantly, unable to stop moving his body. Some tasks which require concentration and short term recall were beyond him, and we couldn't finish the lesson, despite his best efforts.

He's a good kid. He wants to learn. And I think it's a miracle we have medications that can help kids like him.

 

[Hibiscus]

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

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

You haven't heard about the epidemic of stoned children on stimulant drugs wandering into mall food courts & sitting there alone?

 

[Christine]

For me medication for my ADHD son is the difference between getting an education and no education. And he is certainly not stoned. What a stupid term to use for children that are medicated to support a chemical imbalance in the brain. Neither is he like a zombie with no spark. He is himself only better able to focus and organise himself.

As for foods we have found real foods help. We don't give him processed foods much nor much sugar he doesn't get to drink fizzy juice. My kids drink milk or water, eat a lot of protein and veg we even don't give them a lot of fruit as it ski full of sugar.

The god thing is they grow out of it. At almost 13 my son is managing more and more unmedicated and we think the end of medication is in our line of sight.

There should eb no stigma that prevents kids with an issue getting the medical help they need.

Just to be clear, I hope you didn't think I was criticizing when I described my son when he took Adderall. That was how the drug affected him and he did VERY well on Ritalin. I was trying to relay that this particular behavior *can* be a side effect of the meds but that just means you are on the wrong one and people should not assume that all kids are "stoned" on the drugs. If they are, there's a problem with the medication and person.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

You haven't heard about the epidemic of stoned children on stimulant drugs wandering into mall food courts & sitting there alone?

No, I can't say that I have...

 

[luvsJack]

When younger ds was in elementary school he was diagnosed adhd. The only food item that seemed to have any effect good or bad was any kind of gummy candy. And it didn't matter if it was the "fruit" snacks or candy, he couldn't eat gummy or he would be out of control.

He took Adderall and an antidepressant and it helped. No acting like he was stoned.

As a child care provider we had several school age children who were on adhd meds. One young boy was a sweet child who just wanted to be liked by the adults. Apparently everything the kid did aggravated his mother and she would tell the dr. constantly that his meds weren't working and they would change the dosage. One morning he really did look like a zombie. I convinced her to let us give him his meds after breakfast. I pulled back on the dosage and just spent time giving him attention, letting him help when we could and giving him the ability to get a break from the confusion of free play with the other kids. He did so much better and we really got to see his wonderful personality. After that I met with his mom and we talked about all we had observed with him and what seemed to help him. She agreed to talk to his dr and turned back the dosage and started using some of the same techniques we used.

Honestly both sides of the meds debate can be right. For some kids, whether its the dosage and the parents expecting miracles or its just the wrong med, they can seem stoned or like a zombie. But for many the right dosage and behavior modifications can be a life saver.

Op, structure is a huge thing for childen with adhd. So staying with the same schedule at your house that he does at home can make a world of difference. And if they do limit foods, help them stick to that.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

"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.

This is exactly why a teacher's input and observations are so very important. I worked with DD's teachers to make sure we got the medication type and dosage right. I wanted to her focus in class but not at the expense of her bubbly personality. Her teachers knew her very well and loved her spirit. They really helped us get it right.

 

[momz]

Adderal has been a good thing for both of my kids. DD was first diagnosed in 5th grade. She was a daydreamer. Unable to stay on task long enough to hear or read the instructions of an assignment, mush less complete it. At home she was (and still is) a talker. Talk talk talk talk. From one idea to the next. It was very difficult to keep up with her train of chatter. Now she is a freshman in high school. We recently increased her dose to 30mg extended release. She is an A/B student in gifted/talented, honors and college prep classes depending on the subject. Without the medication, she would be failing in general classes due to her inability to stay on task.

DS started medication in 2nd grade, once it was recognized in his older sister, we realized he needed an evaluation too. It manifested very differently for him. While he also had (and still has) a tendency to bounce around from topic to topic, his grades were perfect. However, he would display some strange behaviors randomly. He would make rhythmic humming or grunting sounds, drum on his desk, fidgit with various items, and of course chat with his neighbor which was endlessly problematic for his teachers. His fourth grade teacher did not like my son the least little bit. She was clearly baffled by how he could master her lessons immediately yet be so disruptive. She was a mean old bird who gave us the vibe that ADHD is a made up diagnosis and the problem is just bad behavior. We couldn't get her to understand that his behavior is the symptom. She had him convinced that he was a "bad kid". It was horrible.

Both kids have been medicated for school days for years now. We give them a break on weekends and school holidays unless they have a need for it, like a music contest or something. It has been the difference between success a failure. And that is not an exaggeration!

As to why there are more kids now that are medicated than in years past...I think ADHD had been with us all along, it's just that the kids who had it were labeled as bad or weird.

 

[Liberty Belle]

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.

Many of our kids with ADHD need medication and they are certainly not "stoned." On medication they think and act more like a typical child, if the medication and dosage is correct.

 

[Liberty Belle]

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.

Then they weren't given the correct medication or dosage. No different than if you were given incorrect medication and acted differently.

 

[cijay]

Then they weren't given the correct medication or dosage. No different than if you were given incorrect medication and acted differently.

I think a lot of it was still in testing back then...same as they used to do with epilepsy medication. I spent 15 years stoned out of my gourd from the epilepsy medication they had me on but (at the time) it was the only one that didn't give me hives.

 

[cijay]

Many of our kids with ADHD need medication and they are certainly not "stoned." On medication they think and act more like a typical child, if the medication and dosage is correct.

20 years ago?

 

[3boymthr]

Oldest DS has ADHD. He was all ways a restless, go go go kid. For years he took Concerta but his senior year he stopped taking it. He is a sophomore in college now and copes with the stress of classes and work with no Meds just fine. I tried changing his diet but it made no difference. The Meds on the other hand made a HUGE difference. At the time he was in elementary through high school They allowed him to concentrate and get the work done.

Middle DS has ADD inattentive type. He also has learning disabilities. I never tried changing his diet because unlike stereotypical ADD behavior there wasn't an issue with too much energy rather he would instead sit and not move or respond retreating inside himself. It all started when he was 7 and he suffered from two weeks of extremely high fever (100 every day spiking to as high as 104 every afternoon - turned out to be Lyme). I think the inattentive tendencies and learning disabilities were there before the Lyme but after they were extremely noticeable.

Make sure that if you think there are learning disabilities that the teachers don't try to pass off the problems as being from the ADD. This is a fight I fought for three years. We tried out Concerta but it gave him muscle spasms. We also tried Ritalin but it was wearing off at noon. The teachers could see a significant difference in his behavior before and after lunch. Ended up swtching him to Adderall. DS also get special classes to help him cope with his learning disabilities.

One thing that not all doctors will tell you is that your kids don't need the Meds to control the at home behavior of if you just want to give their bodies a break then most ADD/ADHD Meds can be skipped on weekends and vacations. Always double check with your dr/pharmacist before doing but oldest always did this and my middle started skipping once we had his dose regulated.

Also if you do go the med route make sure to let the teachers know that your child is taking Meds and when dose or type changes. Their feedback is what pegged the need to keep changing middle DS medication.

 

[Christine]

One thing that not all doctors will tell you is that your kids don't need the Meds to control the at home behavior of if you just want to give their bodies a break then most ADD/ADHD Meds can be skipped on weekends and vacations. Always double check with your dr/pharmacist before doing but oldest always did this and my middle started skipping once we had his dose regulated.

My son was always off the meds on weekends, holidays, and through the entire summer. He was not a "behavioral" issue at all so we were never trying to fix that. He did just fine during the summers at his daycare or wherever he was. It was the classroom that he could not pay attention at all. He used to tell me that the clocks in the classroom (the ticking, which no one else seemed to notice) would drive him almost crazy.

 

[Magpie]

Oldest DS has ADHD. He was all ways a restless, go go go kid. For years he took Concerta but his senior year he stopped taking it. He is a sophomore in college now and copes with the stress of classes and work with no Meds just fine. I tried changing his diet but it made no difference. The Meds on the other hand made a HUGE difference. At the time he was in elementary through high school They allowed him to concentrate and get the work done.

Middle DS has ADD inattentive type. He also has learning disabilities. I never tried changing his diet because unlike stereotypical ADD behavior there wasn't an issue with too much energy rather he would instead sit and not move or respond retreating inside himself. It all started when he was 7 and he suffered from two weeks of extremely high fever (100 every day spiking to as high as 104 every afternoon - turned out to be Lyme). I think the inattentive tendencies and learning disabilities were there before the Lyme but after they were extremely noticeable.

Make sure that if you think there are learning disabilities that the teachers don't try to pass off the problems as being from the ADD. This is a fight I fought for three years. We tried out Concerta but it gave him muscle spasms. We also tried Ritalin but it was wearing off at noon. The teachers could see a significant difference in his behavior before and after lunch. Ended up swtching him to Adderall. DS also get special classes to help him cope with his learning disabilities.

One thing that not all doctors will tell you is that your kids don't need the Meds to control the at home behavior of if you just want to give their bodies a break then most ADD/ADHD Meds can be skipped on weekends and vacations. Always double check with your dr/pharmacist before doing but oldest always did this and my middle started skipping once we had his dose regulated.

Also if you do go the med route make sure to let the teachers know that your child is taking Meds and when dose or type changes. Their feedback is what pegged the need to keep changing middle DS medication.

I just want to second the recommendation here, not to confuse ADD with learning disabilities! They can certainly exist simultaneously, but it's also all too easy to mistake a learning disability for ADD.

I've tutored children with learning disabilities, and when the work we do bumps up against their disability they get wiggly, and floppy, and they don't want to look at the page. They'll claim to be "bored" and "tired". Absolutely anything will distract them, and send them off task. They'll fall out of their chairs. They'll try to distract me with chatter. It can be tricky sometimes finding that sweet spot between too little challenge and too much. But I know when I've hit it because the moment I do the child is focussed and attentive and enjoying the learning process.

And these are not children with ADD, though they've frequently had that label tossed their way. One mum I know went through several doctors before finding one who was willing to look past the "ADD" and realize that her daughter was simply dyslexic. Once the learning disability was addressed, all the symptoms of ADD vanished (they were only ever present in school, anyway).

One of the most frustrating conversation I've heard, over and over, goes something like this: "I don't know how my child can be ADD, she's got a great attention span!" "No, she's just hyperfocusing. It's another symptom of ADD!"

We all concentrate best on the things we like. And when the things our parents and teachers want us to like are actually painful to concentrate on, then all of us will show problems with our concentration.

 

[jrmasm]

When younger ds was in elementary school he was diagnosed adhd. The only food item that seemed to have any effect good or bad was any kind of gummy candy. And it didn't matter if it was the "fruit" snacks or candy, he couldn't eat gummy or he would be out of control.

He took Adderall and an antidepressant and it helped. No acting like he was stoned.

As a child care provider we had several school age children who were on adhd meds. One young boy was a sweet child who just wanted to be liked by the adults. Apparently everything the kid did aggravated his mother and she would tell the dr. constantly that his meds weren't working and they would change the dosage. One morning he really did look like a zombie. I convinced her to let us give him his meds after breakfast. I pulled back on the dosage and just spent time giving him attention, letting him help when we could and giving him the ability to get a break from the confusion of free play with the other kids. He did so much better and we really got to see his wonderful personality. After that I met with his mom and we talked about all we had observed with him and what seemed to help him. She agreed to talk to his dr and turned back the dosage and started using some of the same techniques we used.

Honestly both sides of the meds debate can be right. For some kids, whether its the dosage and the parents expecting miracles or its just the wrong med, they can seem stoned or like a zombie. But for many the right dosage and behavior modifications can be a life saver.

Op, structure is a huge thing for childen with adhd. So staying with the same schedule at your house that he does at home can make a world of difference. And if they do limit foods, help them stick to that.

What does that bolded mean exactly?

 

[Liberty Belle]

20 years ago?

Well, I don't know - I wasn't around anyone with ADHD twenty years ago, however much of the most popular medication is still the same. Some work for some people, others work for other people. If they're not acting "right" on it, they need a different medication or different dosage.

 

[roseaster]

Answering the OP's original question, I will say that, in my experience, diet changes or restrictions had very little effect on ADHD symptoms.

Now, I will give my own story.

I have ADHD. As a child I was inattentive. Not really a behavior problem, perhaps I talked too much to my neighbor at times, but not really disruptive. This was the 70s where a lot wasn't known about or believed about ADHD. I did well in kinder and 1st grades because I was ahead of the curve academically, so I could space out and still get good grades. 2nd and 3rd grades I had wonderful teachers that recognized the issues and were helpful in keeping me on track. It all fell apart by the 4th grade.

In 4th I had an older prim and proper teacher who felt I was just lazy. She made no secret of her feelings. I will digress to say that since 1st grade when I was called "a daydreamer" I had been on the Feingold diet. Google it. It didn't improve my attention span. By 5th grade I completely hated school. I had a horrible teacher who shamed me and publicly humiliated me in front of my peers. Who screamed and yelled at me and called my names.

In Jr. high it was a mix. Some good teachers, some bad. Better in some subjects than others. I was particularly better in the things in which I could be actively involved such as science, and I remember one history teacher who had a very interactive class. In 8th grade I got a science teacher that droned on in front of the class, and the majority of his grade was a independent science project. Huge fail. I was no good. I couldn't pay attention to the droning lecture, I wasn't organized enough to do the project well. When I did the presentation of the project he belittled me and made fun of it in front of the class. I was devastated. My only saving grace was that we were graded by our peers and they all felt so sorry for me they gave me As.

I checked out in high school. I hated school. Ditched when I could. Expended minimal effort, and barely graduated. Oddly enough, though, I had really good SAT scores and got into college. Luckily, 2nd semester I god a professor who was pretty astute and urged me to get tested. Adderall was the difference between me getting an education and not. I have a master's, I was on the dean's list throughout college For the 1st time in my life I loved learning.

As an adult, I have learned enough coping mechanisms to not require medication, but I am glad for it and glad to have teachers that were smart enough to recognize that I wasn't stupid or lazy.

 

[luvsJack]

What does that bolded mean exactly?

His mom had started giving him a whole pill when he had been taking a half or maybe it was two of the pills instead of one. She had talked to the dr and they increased the dosage of the pills he had. We just gave him the original dosage. Which technically was what the bottle said so by law its what we were supposed to do. This was the second or third time she had gottne his dosage increased.

The child had come in the morning she gave him the final increased amount, sat down in front of the tv and just rocked. Even when the tv was turned off, he just sat there. It was sad.