ADHD Meds...?

Question

With all of the bad side effects that we know about ADHD medication, why am I getting such a hard time trying diet changes and behavioral modification in my child to control his ADHD rather than just shove some pills down his throat? It seems to me that I'm being told "Ritalin.. so much easier than parenting"

I live in Canada.. where lack of testing and pill pushing is all the rage.

Answer 1

You are so right!!!!!! I do not like that drug, it puts ur child in a comatose like state, and they will perscribe it at a drop of a hat (atleast they do here in Canada), without looking or telling the parents bout other methods. Talk around, research, get a second opinion before you start pumping that drug into your child. A very good friend of mine has a son the same age as mine who has ADHD, and he does not use the drug at all, he is very tight with his disipline, many rules, and he keeps him active throughout the day, they are always doing something. But it works for them, he has a great, mostly well behaved child without the drug. I hope this helped you a little bit, and best of luck to you!

My comment about Canada is accurate.... I have worked with and for a number of physicians i have 3 medical degrees, I see this on a daily basis!!!

Answer 2

I think you're on the right track. My son was required to take Ritalin in order to go to school. His real problem was that he's a genius and was bored with school. Now he's 21 and he makes more money than me because he is in an environment in which his intelligence is valued instead of considered an inconvenience. There are amino acid supplements that will help with behavior modification by supplying depleted neuro-transmitter chemicals. I have been diagnosed with anxiety-depression disorder and I have found some products at my local health food store that have precluded the need for any prescriptioin medication. I think it's a "cop out" to explain behavior problems as diseases. The drugs just make it easier for those around you; not for you.

Answer 3

My girlfriend has a son with adhd and they told her ritalin also, but we looked around and found an over the counter medication called Calms Forte, it works just like ritalin but no nasty side effects. Another thing is if you give the child a cup of coffee in the am, it usually brings them down a few notches rather than medicating them!! Hope all goes well for you.

Answer 4

my child has adhd, but has pretty much outgrown the hyperactive part . he is on ritalin la at a very low dose and only when in school. we find the only time he needs help is doing his school work. have had him off during school and he does poorly. some people find that the change in diet works and if it does that is great. definitely cheaper. don't worry about what other people say it is your child and if the change in diet helps him than do it. i feel the same way as you do because i give my child the medicine it's like everyone is saying that is the easy way out. i don't think of it that way it is what works for him. it doesn't change his personality just makes it so he can concentrate on his studies. when he's at home we just deal with it and get along fine. good luck and i don't know how old your child is, but they seem to grow out of the hyperactive part and slowly they learn to handle the add part too. good luck

Answer 5

There are several things to consider here. First, is the establishment of a diagnosis. A.D.H.D. can be a difficult diagnosis to make because it can look like other things, and other things can look like A.D.H.D. And what is more, one can have A..D.H.D. and other things as well. This is actually quite common and goes a long way in explaining why some kids with A.D.H.D. might not be getting better, or may only have partial improvement with standard treatments. Proper diagnosis is key.

Secondly, whether or not you use medications you will have to almost inevitably use "behavior modifications" of some sort or another to help your youngster deal with his or her core difficulties. Medications are often quite helpful and yes, safe as well (they must be closely monitored by a competent treatment provider) but they very rarely address all the difficulties a child may be having. You may already be doing behavior modifications without even thinking about it.

I am not sure about the specifics of the focal point of your query, that being difficulties you are having with others giving you a hard time about treatment, without knowing more about who is giving you a hard time and what their specific concerns might be. I will share some thoughts anyway.

There can often be pressure from schools to treat what teachers may see as A.D.H.D., though I have to add that it is not the role of a teacher (or school administrator) to diagnose and make treatment recommendations. Rather, they can only suggest that your child is having difficulties at school and elaborate on these. A treatment provider would be wise to contact the school to get information to assist in the diagnosis.

Family members may also have advice based on their experiences and that of those they have come in contact with, or things that they have read in the press or on the web. Having said this, I recommend that you seek out, if you have not already, the consultation of a child and adolescent psychiatrist to guide you in your child's care. You can find one by getting a reference from your child's primary care provider or you can go to the website of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

My only comment on dietary modifications is that I am not aware that there are any specific dietary modifcations can be helpful in the treatment of A.D.H.D. provided that the child does not have any underlying medical difficulties that might lead to nutritional deficiency, and that they have a sound diet in the first place. I would encourage you to discuss this issue further with your child's doctor.

Finally, a word about medications. Ritalin is only one of a large variety of options available today to treat A.D.H.D. Once again, this issue is best discussed with a licenced child psychiatrist to make an assessment as to what might be the best overall treatment strategy for your child.

Good luck!

Answer 6

My daughter has been tested and diagnosed as having severe adhd. Her teachers don't know. We have worked with her since she was an infant on how to control her behaviours. She has never been medicated and she has attended school for three years. She has been the top student in her class every year. Her first year of school was a challenge behaviour wise, but she has learned to do well in the classroom.
We make sure to schedule several hours of very high activity every day, let her do quiet activities like reading and crafts after bedtime if she can't sleep, and talk endlessly about strategies for dealing with different situations. We also laugh a lot when she loses her shoes for the 5th time in a week, leaves her pants at school in grade primary, or loses every single note sent home from school, including positive ones. You have to decide what behaviours are essential, like no hitting, and which ones are just desireable, like remembering papers.
I have taken care of many children on Ritalin and I would never medicate my child. They lose that wonderful spark of creativity and energy that makes living with ADHD so much fun.
I prefer children with adhd and taught a class in school for gifted adhd kids. When you can engage their interest, children with adhd are extremely bright and creative. They grow up to be wonderful at jobs that require short intense periods of focus like emergency room physicians and nurses.
Children with adhd will also often tend to over focus on tv, video games, and computers. We limit our daughter to 1 hour per day of all three combined. She rarely even uses that hour up, she is kept too busy with active living.

Answer 7

There are certain things in food that can cause ADHD symptoms--like aspartame (nutrasweet) and MSG. Keep your child off those things. Don't give him a lot of sugar, either, or anything with caffeine--it can have him bouncing off the walls.

Also, boys are naturally rambunctious, and it seems in today's society it's not acceptable--boys are not allowed to be boys. I'm concerned about this attitude because I'm also the mother of a boy.

Your concerns about "Ritalin, easier than parenting" are not unfounded at all. Schools get kickbacks from labeling children, and the pharmaceutical companies get richer.

Answer 8

Don't use Ritalin or any such easier then products. You will regret it all your life and a good portion of your child's. ADHD is mainly a hype that gave the pharmaceutical industry an unexpected boost. Just make sure your kid eats healthy food and restrict on sugar when and where you can. You can also try multivitamins to supplement your kid's food. And give them much leeway to run around and jump about. So take your kid outdoors as much as you can, lucky if you have a garden or a playground nearby.

Much patience to you.

Answer 9

the pills can cause more problems such a depression and lack of food intake. they can also cause long term side effects. Do some research and decide upon that but I wouldn't recommend pills. They are not the way to go. My nephew has to take 4 pills a day due to adhd and it's cause more problems which lead to more meds.

Answer 10

I hope you see my answer to your other question. What you said about Canada is simply not true - maybe you feel it is in your case only. I think the most important thing is to make sure psychologists and neurologists have seen your child - to do brain scans and chemical analysis, because ADHD symptoms can be an easy answer to symptoms actually caused by other things. And, yes, parenting has a great deal to do with your child's behaviour. Both you and your husband need to be on the same page with discipline, positive reinforcement - and you don't say your child's age - in contact constantly with the teachers at school and the educational psychologist. I wish you and your child luck!