no perscrip ADD med?

[luvmyfam444]

Is there something out there to help with ADD/ lack of concentration? I'm assuming there's something in a health foods store - but what? Have any of you had any luck with it?

 

[rwdavis2]

Probably nothing that works. The prescription meds are high-powered stimulants classified, I think, as narcotics with high abuse potential. They work very well in many kids but they are quite powerful.

If something over the counter worked I'm sure we would have heard about it. Did you try to google the subject?

 

[princesspumpkin]

I found success with flaxseed oil. DD wasn't diagnosed with ADD, but I always had issues with her concentrating (which spilled over into reading comprehension).

I used to make her smoothies with flaxseed oil in it. People also sprinkle flaxseed seeds on salads or in yogurt.

I also changed her diet - especially for breakfast. More protein, less sugar stuff.

Both helped immensely.

 

[luvmyfam444]

exactly - I'm scared of drugs - yea I know I should be scared of herbs too - that's why I never take anything other than headache meds

and it's not for a kid...it for an adult who won't admit that she needs it

and the coping just isn't working too well...once sidetracked.. there's no memory on what was going on before being sidetracked!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

You can try Omega 3's as was suggested by our Psychiatrist. There are also some homeopathic helps--but their effectiveness can be hit or miss. Essentially you are increasing vitamins/minerals that help with focus.

If you go into the kid section of a health food store, you can explore a variety of items and read their ingredients and figure something out from their. A lot of the things they sell get quite expensive.

 

[luvmyfam444]

thanks - I'll check out omega 3's

 

[LuvOrlando]

some people just get distracted easily, like me in real life (Not when I read) so just because someone loses concentration doesn't mean there is necessarily a defect, it could just be personality. If the person is genuinely ADD then I would assume any stimulant would help, even caffeine, since stimulants are how it is treated Ritalin & such are stimulants. A DF's son has ADD and she will give him a mountain Dew when he is drifting over dose time, she says it helps

 

[noodles]

Research the Feingold Diet. It did wonders for my son but eventualy we did need to give him the drugs. I didnt want to do but Im so glad now that we did. His grades have improved so much just because he can now focus.

 

[luvmyfam444]

some people just get distracted easily, like me in real life (Not when I read) so just because someone loses concentration doesn't mean there is necessarily a defect, it could just be personality. If the person is genuinely ADD then I would assume any stimulant would help, even caffeine, since stimulants are how it is treated Ritalin & such are stimulants. A DF's son has ADD and she will give him a mountain Dew when he is drifting over dose time, she says it helps

WOW! THat's interesting! I haven't had caffeine to drink for like 8yrs - (I do still eat a little chocolate) - so that makes me wonder if that's why it has gotten worse...I just assumed it was my old age & the fact that I'm more concious of it now & not ignoring it.

I remember Dr Phil saying once that I had true ADD I'd never be able to finish anything. I can finish things - last minute - if I have a deadline

I can't read without being distracted though - I often read passages over - or out loud & still don't always know what I read

 

[geffric]

Research the Feingold Diet. It did wonders for my son but eventualy we did need to give him the drugs. .

yep.. we are still a Feingold family..it is basically eliminates chemicals and additives.. highly recommended.

 

[Bilberry]

I've read of people finding some relief from ADD when avoiding wheat. Guess many can have sensitivities to the protein found in that grain. An article I recall about one persons experience when avoiding wheat.

"Wheat brain"
http://www.trackyourplaque.com/blog/2011/03/wheat-brain.html

Snippet:

Among the most common effects of wheat are those on the brain.

Consume wheat and susceptible individuals will experience a subtle euphoria. Others experience mental cloudiness or sleepiness. (This is what I personally get.)

It gets worse. Children with ADHD and autism have difficulty concentrating on a task and have behavioral outbursts after a cookie. Schizophrenics experience paranoid delusions, auditory hallucinations, and worsening of social detachment. People with bipolar disorder can have the manic phase triggered by a breadcrumb. All these effects are blocked by administering drugs that block the brain’s opiate receptors. (This is why, by the way, a drug company is planning to release an oral agent, naltrexone, formerly administered to heroin addicts to help control addiction, for weight loss: block the euphoric effect, take away the temptation, lose weight.)

Here is Heart Scan Blog reader, Nicole’s, mental fog story:

 

[creativeamanda]

An old wives' tale here for children with ADD is caffeine.

When my special ed class opened a school coffee shop, referrals for disruptions school wide dramatically decreased. It's not scientific, but since Ritalin is a stimulant, it makes sense.

 

[Crystal0608]

I've been giving my son coffee since we was 4. He has adhd and it calms him down. My 20 yo sis also has adhd, doesn't like meds, & drinks about 3 pots of coffee a day to calm her down. I couldn't do it, if I have caffeine in the afternoon I'm pulling an all-nighter.

 

[mom2d&b]

CAFFINE ( Mountian Dew, Coffee), both were suggested by the behavior specialist when my son was in pre K. We tried but he didn't like the coffee, and te Mt Dew was hard fr us to regulate. He is on meds now but we sill allow him Mt Dewwhenever he asks, as it helps.

 

[quasar4legs]

You might be interested in looking at the website, fed up with food additives run by Sue Dengate in Australia. The material on her website is related to the research done by the allergy clinic at RPA Hospital in Sydney, Australia.

Cheers

 

[graygables]

My GYN swears by coffee to help him focus. I have an ADDer which is why we were discussing it, I'd asked when I could return to sitting on my balance ball/desk chair after my surgery a few weeks back. I use one b/c I like it, but DD uses one as well as it helps her concentrate while her body is making the minute adjustments to stay upright.

I have also recently added a cocktail of flower essences to her treatment. Some of it will depend on your child's personality, but you can research "Bach's Flower Essences" online and sort it out. My DD is currently using Aspen, Heather, Clematis, and White Chestnut combined with a ginkgo biloba oil. I mix them in a "mixing bottle" (all ordered from www.iherb.com). She fixes herself a juice glass of V-8 Fusion with a dropperful 4 times a day and I have noticed a difference.

We homeschool, so I do get to see what works and what doesn't firsthand. I also buy into the theory that sometimes ADD/ADHD is a personality and not a "disorder". I don't think my DD necessarily has a "disorder", but her lack of focus and forgetfulness have gotten beyond her current coping mechanisms (and our patience) which is why we are trying the flower essences until she can either catch up in maturity. If her coping skills don't catch up, we'll cross the next bridge when we get there.

 

[RC Fan]

Have you tried any books on the subject? I am currently reading 'You mean I'm not lazy, stupid or crazy', and it is helping quite a bit.