I am looking for an alternative to ridalin for my son. Any advice?

Question

My 4 yr. old has ADHD. His doctor wants to put him on medication, but I am very worried about side effects!! He is extremely hyper, and hard to control most times. I wanted to try putting him on something that is all- natural. Can someone give me some advice.....PLEASE!!

Answer 1

please please please please please please please please dont put your son on ridalin, aderall, or concerta, those types of drugs, they have way too many side effects for little kids to take, your son is too young for those kind of meds they can really mess kids up. i really think you should try natural meds or a different kind of treatment than those meds that have way too many side effects, and used to be weight lose drugs. i really don't think that you need to worry about him being hyper if hes only four unless hes a danger to himself or others, like if hes soo hyper that he could very easily, accidentally do something really dangerous that could hurt him, or could hurt other kids. but if thats not the case i really dont think at the age of four it matters if hes hyper or not. if you do think he needs meds try to stay away from ridalin, adderall, or concerta, or any of the meds that have appetite supression, decreased appetite, that kind of thing on the side effects because those really aren't good for kids that young. I dont know your situation exactly, but maybe this could also just be a phase, depending on how long hes been hyper and stuff, sometimes just a change in diet and putting him in sports or getting him some hands on activities will do just as well as the medicine. there are lots of alternatives to those types of drugs. im sure you'll find something that will work. just please try to stay away from ridalin and meds like it, i know way too many people who have gotten really messed up by taking those types of meds that were prescribed to them. i know lots about ADHD and the meds and help for it. if you have any other questions you can email me at [e-mail] i can give you links to alot of good sites and things like that too. good luck with getting help for your son, im sure you'll find the right thing to help him

Answer 2

I don't even think 4 year olds are supposed to be diagnoses at ADHD, much less put on medicine. There is a book out, I think it's called THE ADD SOLUTION. It's about naturally controlling a child's ADD/ADHD, usually through diet changes. I know that processed foods are not recommended as good foods for ADHD kids, but I'm not sure what other changes the book talks about. I saw something about that book on the news once and there was a family who said the book really worked for them and they were so happy to get their kid off of medication. Good Luck to you and your son.

Answer 3

Is this doctor just his pediatrician or is he a psychiatrist, does he specialize in ADHD...? Get a second opinion from another doctor. Especially one that works with this disorder and this age frequently. It has been found that depression can be linked to attention disorders so sometimes a combination of therapy and anti-depressant also helps. Many of the medications are designed to treat depression and ADHD together. But definitely therapy...also be sure that if you do go the therapy route, that your child approves of the doctor. I can tell you from personal experience if your child does not like/trust/respect the doctor, they will not benefit from that treatment. Good luck ; )

Answer 4

Instead of ritalin, try Concerta for meds. It is a cousin of it and does not have the same serious side effects.

Also, try structuring his day, and have clear rules.

I suggest reading Healing the Hyperactive Brain. By Michael R. Lyon. It is a good book on ADD/ADHD treatment. It also offers natural ways of treatment too. Another book is Driven From Distraction. By Edward M. Hallowell. it offers behavioural techniques and other helpful tips.

Answer 5

My mom gave my nephew a product from Sunrider . It was all natural and it worked well. He mixed it into a drink each morning I think. It balanced out his chemicals in his brain....He did seem to be a better kid. I remember it took a week or two to show an improvement. I think there is a website for them. Do an Internet search for Sunrider all natural products....If I figure out what it is I will post it here. I found it...www.sunrider.com

Answer 6

do it let him take the pills alot of people do take the pills and alot of us dont even know it and just use punishment but dont over do it and he is a 4 year old let him do his fav things and *** on hes little, little kids are extremly hyper as it is

Answer 7

Spanking is 100% natural.

Answer 8

im going to recommend a daily dosage of ***-whoopin'

Answer 9

I am adhd. Look at magnesium, vitamin b6,

Treatment of ADHD with French maritime pine bark extract, Pycnogenol.

* Trebaticka J,
* Kopasova S,
* Hradecna Z,
* Cinovsky K,
* Skodacek I,
* Suba J,
* Muchova J,
* Zitnanova I,
* Waczulikova I,
* Rohdewald P,
* Durackova Z.

Dept. of Child Psychiatry, Child University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Limbova 1, 833 40 Bratislava, Slovakia.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common psychiatric disorder in children. Pycnogenol, an extract from the bark of the French maritime pine, consisting of phenolic acids, catechin, taxifolin and procyanidins, has shown improvement of ADHD in case reports and in an open study. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of Pycnogenol on ADHD symptoms. Sixty-one children were supplemented with 1 mg/kg/day Pycnogenol or placebo over a period of 4 weeks in a randomised, placebo-controlled, doubleblind study. Patients were examined at start of trial, 1 month after treatment and 1 month after end of treatment period by standard questionnaires: CAP (Child Attention Problems) teacher rating scale, Conner's Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS), the Conner's Parent Rating Scale (CPRS) and a modified Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children. Results show that 1-month Pycnogenol administration caused a significant reduction of hyperactivity, improves attention and visual-motoric coordination and concentration of children with ADHD. In the placebo group no positive effects were found. One month after termination of Pycnogenol administration a relapse of symptoms was noted. Our results point to an option to use Pycnogenol as a natural supplement to relieve ADHD symptoms of children.

Supplementation with flax oil and vitamin C improves the outcome of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

* Joshi K,
* Lad S,
* Kale M,
* Patwardhan B,
* Mahadik SP,
* Patni B,
* Chaudhary A,
* Bhave S,
* Pandit A.

Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Pune, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411007, Maharashtra, India. [e-mail]

Considerable clinical and experimental evidence now supports the idea that deficiencies or imbalances in certain highly unsaturated fatty acids may contribute to a range of common developmental disorders including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Few intervention studies with LCPUFA supplementation have reported inconsistent and marginal results. This pilot study evaluates the effect of alpha linolenic acid (ALA)-rich nutritional supplementation in the form of flax oil and antioxidant emulsion on blood fatty acids composition and behavior in children with ADHD. Post-supplementation levels of RBC membrane fatty acids were significantly higher than pretreatment levels as well as the levels in control. There was significant improvement in the symptoms of ADHD reflected by reduction in total hyperactivity scores of ADHD children derived from ADHD rating scale.

agnesium VitB6 intake reduces central nervous system hyperexcitability in children.

* Mousain-Bosc M,
* Roche M,
* Rapin J,
* Bali JP.

Department of Pediatry, CHU Nimes, 30029 Nimes Cedex, France.

OBJECTIVE: Ionic magnesium (Mg(2+)) depletion has long been known to cause hyperexcitability with convulsive seizures in rodents, effects that have been reversed by treatment with magnesium (Mg). Metabolic disorders and genetic alterations are suspected in this pathology, in which Mg(2+) transport and intracellular distribution may be reduced without change in serum Mg(2+) concentrations. We evaluated the effects of Mg(2+)/vitamin B6 regimen on the behavior of 52 hyperexcitable children (under 15 years of age) and their families. METHODS: To assess intracellular Mg(2+), we measured intra-erthrocyte Mg(2+) levels (ERC-Mg). Our reference values for normal subjects were 2.46 to 2.72 mmol/L. In 30 of the 52 hyperactive children, there were low ERC-Mg values: 2.041 +/- 0.279 mmol/L). Combined Mg(2+)/vitamin B6 intake (100 mg/day) for 3 to 24 weeks restored normal ERC-Mg values (2.329 +/- 0.386 mmol/L). RESULTS: In all patients, symptoms of hyperexcitability (physical aggressivity, instability, scholar attention, hypertony, spasm, myoclony) were reduced after 1 to 6 months treatment. Other family members shared similar symptoms, had low ERC-Mg values, and also responded clinically to increased Mg(2+)/vitamin B6 intakes. Two typical families are described. CONCLUSION: This open study indicates that hyperexcitable children have low ERC-Mg with normal serum Mg(2+) values, and that Mg(2+)/vitamin B6 supplementation can restore normal ERC-Mg levels and improve their abnormal behavior.

Answer 10

never too late to get the abortion.