Natural Remedies for ADHD and ADD

I know EC already has remedies for ADHD and Autism, what I'm referring to here is more specifically "Frontal Lobe Disorder or Syndrome" or "Executive Dysfunction Syndrome" (EDS) I mentioned ADHD and Autism in my post because they have some similar symptoms too. Diet and brain acidity seem to have a lot to do with ADHD and vaccinations seem to have a lot to do with autism. In my case, as a baby and child, I had a few bad falls and my head was hit hard (plus toxic lifestyle) which seems to be cause of my EDS. Maybe the treatment for ADHD and Autism (and brain damage) may help with EDS? What else? Thanks.

Hi August, It doesn't sound as if you've tried that hard regarding your ADHD. And I disagree with you. I don't have ADD/ADHD but have dealt with plenty of people who do. I know for certain diet can make a huge difference and exercise. I have seen the results in students of mine and family members. Personally, I think staying away from medication is always the first and best solution in trying to find answers. In this case, especially since alternatives can have a profound effect on this issue. I have spoken to some of my students who were put on medication and they have told me how strange it makes them feel and they'd rather not take it and have opted out of it. Some have said that dancing on a regular basis is what helps them control it. Without it, they feel completely scattered. Obviously, dance is a form of exercise.

And your argument for medication, "had it been dangerous, healthcare professionals wouldn't have thought of prescribing it in order to save their ass. " doesn't hold up at all. Witness all the medications handed out daily by the thousands and the disclaimers then attached to them! Also, for the most part, everyone who comes on this forum is actually looking for choices outside of turning to medications, surgeries, etc. You might want to ponder on this. Lisa

My child has ADHD and I can testify that diet changes absolutely worked for him. Research how the chemicals in a western diet harm the body/brain. Google the Feingold diet - this is what helped him many years ago. Also, I am in agreement with you that sugar isn't the culprit (although I do not think that sugar is healthy! )... I think that hyperness in kids is caused by corn syrup. The majority of candies/kid's treats are now sweetened with corn syrup and not sugar. Corn syrup is just evil!

I just came here after reading a NYtimes article describing parents who administer ADHD drugs to kids who don't have the disorder. They do this to improve grades... There can be some serious side effects to these medications. Some are, after all amphetamines. The article I read describes one side effect one young boy suffered: he saw people and heard voices that were not there.

Here's a list of things I do, and I find they help.

1. Work out every day. Even if you just jump up and down til you sweat.

2. No MSG _ever_; this will only exacerbate problems. This means no yeast extract, hydrolyzed vegetable/soy/other proteins, etc. There are sites where you can find lists of MSG type substances.

3. Make sure you get enough proteins - but try not to use processed foods (sausages, fast-food burgers, pre-prepared meats, etc. are all usually inferior and usually contain a flavor enhancer akin to MSG).

4. Very important!! : Consider a creatine supplement; find your dosage. I don't know how this works, but it helps a lot.

5. Take Phosphatidyl Serine. You can get soy or sunflower based. It doesn't work right away, but has a long-term healing sort of effect.

6. Supplement with a good B complex, Magnesium (I use a glycine complexed magnesium, not oxide), and omega 3 fats. It is important to get enough vitamin D3, so maybe a supplement is a good idea.

7. This one is important!!! : A little before any mental struggle, take 500mg acetyl-l-carnitine. This really helps enhance my problem-solving capacity, and focus. The benefit is enduring. I cannot say enough about this one. I can feel my brain making new connections, my focus and memory retention are better, I think faster. It is amazing. Make sure the acetyl-l-carnitine is pharmaceutical grade.

8. Before bed, drink about a tbsp of good quality gelatin in broth or hot milk (even coconut/rice/almond milk - I don't drink soy milk b/c my body doesn't like it). I like to put barley sugar in milk, or even make some cocoa. Yes, it has sugar so it is not the best thing for you, but I find malted milk very comforting! This really improves quality of sleep, and seems to regulate mood. If you use broth, make sure there is no MSG or MSG analogue in the ingredients list.

9. Apart from all this, I take cod liver oil vitamin k2 every day, eat lots of fruits and veggies, and make sure to get enough vitamin C.

Personally, I suspepct my ADHD was created as a defense against constant interruption. I wasn't jumping from one thing to another but simply exploring things very quickly. Before I could be interrupted by some form of "authority". I'm in my 60s now and still dig into things that interest me very intensely and very quickly despite there being no one around to interrupt me or take whatever has my attention away from me.

I wasn't raised like that at home and didn't develop "problems" until school. At home, we were encouraged to explore things for ourselves rather than simply ask questions and take someone's word for "fact" but school was quite different. At home, I merely learned to avoid things that also interested my brother and/or sister, LOL. At school...it was very different. You had to be fast as supervision was everywhere, competition was fierce and one could be interrupted at any moment. No warning and no recourse that wasn't guaranteed to steal even more of your exploration time.

My son has been on an organic diet since birth. He was born at home with no epidural or drugs of any kind. I am terrified of any prescription drug given to kids, but am running out of options! He was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 7 and we've tried behavior modification, vision therapy, prescription DHA, probiotics, multivitamins, Yerba matte tea (for its gentle caffeine) and enzymes. So far he is still struggling in school & considering he has a high IQ, this is affecting his self esteem. Please let me know if you have any other option for us to try.

If your son has a high IQ maybe he is just bored. Maybe that school is not for him. My experience is that it's not always the child.

ADHD could be a magnesium deficiency, try Epsom Salts in his bath ( soak for 20-30 mins)

Have you tried the elimination diet to rule out any food allergies or sensitivities?

go see a certified orthogonist/ a upper cervical Dr. neck issues can cause a lot of problems including adhd which can come from blood flow to the brain. Hope this helps it saved my life!

Vic Sondhi in Mississauga is a NUCCA (upper cervical) chiroprator, he is the best of all Upper Cervical chiropractors out there, I have been going to him for years...... He never rushes a treatment so don't be surprised if you have to wait awhile some days and he has a wonderful personality. You will be in good hands..... kids love him because there is no cracking involved, my daughter tells me when she needs to go for a adjustment.

To Sue from Lehigh Valley: Hello Sue, you do have a battle ahead, but I side with you. When the doctor wrote a Ritalin prescription for my then 5 year old son - I took it in my hand, left, tore it in half and threw it in his waste can on the way out. If you and your son's father can sit down and talk - I mean really calmly discuss this situation without yelling and screaming and hurling accusations - do so. If not write him a letter beginning with "I know you love our son as much as I do and I think we both want to do our best to protect him and keep him healthy" then proceed to ask him to at least look at why you feel differently about medicating him than he does. Then either print out references your opinions based on or give him sites and topics to look up for himself if he has a computer and on line. One site I highly recommend is International Medical Veritas Association (IMVA) and the free down-loadable "The Terror of Pediatric Medicine". There are many web sites by doctors such as Dr. Mercola, Dr. Jonathan Wright and many others to gather information from. Printing out copies for yourself & your lawyer in the event that you do go to court will also be helpful. If you know the name of the medication he is wanting to put him on - be sure and get a complete report on it and any unwanted side effects, both for you and his father. You will also probably find helpful information on educate-yourself.com. I have seen many questionable medications for children - one of the most dangerous was when a mother brought her 6 month old in and showed me a prescription to start him on one of the hypercholesterol drugs for adults, and asked my opinion. After looking up the drug in the PDR, I told her about the possible side effects and after telling her that I wouldn't tell her not to do it, but if it was my baby, I definitely wouldn't give it to him. Hopefully you and co-parent look at why you have different opinions and what they are based on and make an intelligent decision and keep this child out of the courts.

Sue, I am not sure how helpful this will be for you, but there's a book called NonViolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg that I want to suggest. There may be some techniques to help you with your situation. Funnily enough, I heard one of the guests on Charlie Rose last week (the mayor of Denver, Colorado re the Democratic Convention) talk about how he deals with an angry person and sure enough, it was an NVC technique. Charlie Rose asked the mayor to give an example of how he would respond to an angry person he encountered in the public and the mayor's response was exactly how Rosenberg would have you do it - to repeat back what the person just told you (which validates that you heard everything they just said). It has an instantly calming effect in most cases. Anyway, that's just one of several NVC techniques, but I thought it was quite remarkable to hear it employed by a public figure!

Please keep us updated...

To Sue from LeHigh: Hello again Sue, I just left a site that I want you to visit. Mercola.com. He has something that you might find you really need in talking with the other parent. The head of the CDC admitting that vaccines can cause autism in subsets of children. Another one that will probably come in handy is the recent case where the federal government settled a claim for damages to their child from the vaccines. I don't remember when it was but it was probably in the last 6 months. Probably will turn up somewhere, if you just search on-line for autism. Dr. Mercola also mentions a book written by neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock about childrens' neurological problems related to vaccines. I have a lot of respect for this man and think if you do land in court, this book will come in very handy. In discussing this with the other parent, all the ammunition you can find to back up the fact that the vaccines recommended by the CDC is what caused the autism, should at least make him want to look a little deeper into less harmful ways of helpin his son to get better health through nutrition and other non-medicated routes, because there are no medicines without unwanted side effects. I think EC posted a release from health authorities in Atlanta (which was probably the CDC although they weren't named)a week ago and I found in our newspaper the next day. I think if you look at what they said and what I found wrong with this picture - it will make the other partner more willing to dig deeper and look at your opinion. Go to Mercola.com and click on autism, vaccines, and any other thing you find relevant. One very important question you might give the other parent to think about is "Have you ever heard or read about any autistic child who had not had the vaccines?" If anyone has ever asked that question, it nor its answer was not released. The answer to the question would definitely provide the answer as to whether the vaccines are the cause of it.

From Dr. Jonathan Wright's Health e-tips for Sue from Lehigh Valley:

"Many of your kids or grandkids probably headed back to school this week. And on that first day back -- and every day since -- half of his or her classmates probably made a trip to the nurse's office for their daily dose of Ritalin or Adderall.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has become such a common diagnosis and the drugs are looked at as such a cure-all that it seems like both are taking over the school systems in this country.

But the fact is, these drugs are powerful stimulants that mimic things like speed, which I'm positive most grandparents and parents would do anything to keep their little ones away from. The good news is, you can keep the kids in your life away from these medications and improve, if not completely reverse, their ADHD....For nearly 30 years, Dr. Wright and his colleagues at the Tahoma Clinic have been using natural approaches to help parents do just that. In the upcoming September issue of Nutrition & Healing he outlines the various approaches they've used with such tremendous success over the years. It's an issue no parent or grandparent should miss, so keep an eye out for it to arrive in your mailbox soon. (And if you're not already a subscriber, visit www.wrightnewsletter.com for details on how you can become one).

Yours in good health,

Amanda Ross
Editor
Nutrition & Healing

My son has autism spec. Disorder. I have taken him to every specialist imaginable. Psych neuro chiro holistic I found the most benefit was from a center where the biologically balance. Lots of blood urine stool hair was taken and the results showed he had pyroll disorder. We went gluten Carsin free. We cannot eat or drink sugars even in juice. We take melatonin to sleep. A vitamin was made us for his personal needs. He takes ltyrosine acetyllcarotine primrose oil pro dha insitol cal/mag liquid insitol methionine

The most dramatic results occured with injections of b methalcobalamine. This allowed him to make sentences. He receives ot and speech. To address his sensory integration disfunction. He still suffers from auditory processing disorder which causes him to have significant learning disability. GABA did not work for him nystatin helps his chronic internal yeast I fection most of the time. We also use enzymes with meals. He is able to attend school and was down graded from profound autism to his separate ailments. It is costly but very beneficial to determine the weak spots in an individual bio chemical make up.

In follow up to my son's treatment. Nystatin was not very effective in eliminating his systemic fungal imbalance. We have started lemon, baking soda, and sea salt drink. We noticed a DRAMATIC Improvement in overall neuro function by substituting a cayanne capsul for the b injections and other b supplements. The cayenne has had such a huge impact on my sons behavior. He stopped spinning, putting holes in the walls and making disjointed sentances. He is no longer considered autistic, the ADHD label stands. I have high hopes for tumeric and the baking soda drink. Curiously he craves apples and sunflower seeds.

Would he be best served by magnesium gluconate or citrate, granulated lecithin or kelp? He refuses to take so many supplements and the cost of a taylored multiple is not possible. Also. I know he has heavy metal poisoning. He reacts severly to changes in his chemistry. Would Epsom salt cream applications suffice? It seems the more you learn the more your realize you do not understard. I am grateful for this site.

Ps I cant remember my password sorry

My son dealt with Add his school years. Most people with this are low on EFA. Take evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil is good too. B complex helps, as well as melatonin 5 mg TR (time release) at night. Its hard to relax and wind down at night, this will help you sleep and keep you sleeping all night but not too much to wake up in the AM. Good luck and I hope this helps.

I saw a special on CBNnewschannel.com where l-theanine was used to replace drugs to treat ADHD. The testimonies were very convincing.

Thank you to Amazinggrace... I just went online and watched the clip on l-theanine. Just placed an order and I am hopeful that this will help my son with his ADHD. I will post my results.

Be careful trying Theanine, for my son it caused him to be groggy(sp) and grumpy - you know like when a child is overly tired. He may have been calmer after taking it but like a tired child he was not able to function emotionally. Someone else wrote on this site that for ADD/ADHD stimulants (like caffine) usually work better than calming remedies (such as theanine) and that is what I have found as well. Green and Black tea both have theanine in them. I wonder, since they both contain caffine too, if it wouldn't be better to try that instead of the theanine supplement.

Very interesting post Ted, and thank you for the advice! Another great site with information about ADHD, including how to use a symptom rating scale, can be found at onlineceucredit.com/edu/ADHD-td. I found it very helpful!

Our family too has been trying many ADHD therapies over the years for our son who is now 15. Some of the therapies we have done are: eye therapy, after doing a free questionnaire @ cookvisiontherapy.com and an appointment with Dr. Cook it was found that our son had convergence insuffiency in the left eye, after nine months of eye therapy his eyes were 100% corrected. Yet he still couldn't read well enough to get passing grades. A hearing test by an audiologist confirmed Auditory Processing Disorder. We did 40 visits of Brain Core therapy which is biofeedback. The changes were slight. He was put in an online therapy for auditory processing called fastforword by gemm learning. This is a good reading program but our son still struggled so much. After reading 'Disconnected Kids by Dr Millello' we had an evaluation done at Brain Balance. The results showed the left hemisphere of his brain was under developed. It was explained that the right hemisphere was doing the work of both sides, on some levels he was at second and third grade. He is currently doing 36 weeks at Brain Balance therapy. We do therapy at home and bring him in 3 times a week. Basically the idea is to stimulate the senses on the right side of the body to effect the left side of the brain to grow and change, (or stimulate the left side if the right brain is weak). Along with diet changes, eye therapy, suppliments, drastically cutting back on screen time, adding movement during the day. During his sessions they have him do physical therapy first immediately followed by academic work. We have high hopes. The testimonials for autistic children are really good. I wish I had known about this when my son was younger, I may not have chosen the other therapies.

Yes! I agree with this. Same happened with my boys and Syntonics light therapy and VT made a massive difference!!! It is often overloooked! Check out the "Vision Therapy Parents Unite" Group on FB. Lots of help and info there!

ahhhh my brother has adhd and he hates therapy. The therapy also does not help at all...