Berkeley Parents Network: Alternative Treatments for ADHD

Berkeley Parents Network

Alternative Treatments for ADHD

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Health & Medical > Alternative Treatments for ADHD

March 2002

My seven year old son has been diagnosed with ADHD. It's pretty obvious, and I know he needs help. Although stimulants are recommended I am curious to know if there are parents who have had luck with any alternative treatments: homeopathy, behavioral mod. etc. I would also be interested in any success stories from anyone using the medications. I'm just concerned about long term medication on a still delveloping brain. Are my fears unfounded? Worried Mom

For both of the ADHD posts, I would consider doing two things. Checking out food sensitivies (particularly food coloring and additivies) and visiting an experienced homeopath. There is a great book written about homeopathy and ADD/ADHD called ''Ritalin Free Kids''. I've seen other alternative approaches such as herbs and nutritional supplements work with ADD kids, but diet and homeopathy almost always have an quick impact. There are lots of good practitioners in this area; many have been mentioned here before and are in the archives. Tara

Many alternative health care options do exist for helping a child who presents with ADHD. Sometimes the underlying cause is stress, not necessarily current but past. Hans Selye and others point out that a single life event can deplete the adrenal glands and interfere with a person's ability to ride the tide of daily ups and downs. This could even be too long being birthed. Osteopathy can help with such birth trauma and get the child's body on the road to healthy response to quotidian stress. Sometimes the child has a nutritional deficiency that, while not presenting as THE deficiency disease, has effects on the efficient interface of child to his environment. Dr. Abram Hoffer pioneered the use of therapeutic doses of selected nutrients as early as 1951, with remarkable results. Dr.Hoffer's ABCs of Natural Nutrition for Children (2001) is a possible resource. A doctor local to the Bay Area, Richard A. Kunin, does blood and urine tests to identify possible contributing nutritional deficiencies that may play a role in behavior. If you want more info about him, you can contact me. No More Ritalin by Dr. Mary Ann Block is complementary, although generic, view of nutritional factors. I hope this helps. Nori

I tried everything possible to avoid medication. We waited till he was almost 7 yrs. I tried the OPC-3, a health food drink with documented improvement with many kids with ADHD. I tried for about 4 months, with a teenie bit of relief. With school progressing, and his situation getting more demanding, we finally conceded to Ritalin. The result is remarkable. He is now on a time released all day medication.. It has made an amazing change in his life, and the rest of our family. Getting him to eat is the only , but large problem. That is my constant challenge to get him to eat, let alone foods that are high in calories, but healthy. I choose not to share this with the school. He still is a wonderful, but very tough child.

I can completely relate to your concerns regarding longterm affects of medicine on a growing body. And I think they are valid concerns. When my (then) 5 year old was diagnosed 2 weeks before the start of Kindergarten, I resisted medication for the same reason. I spent a year and a half trying alternatives including several different homeopathists, and a food allergy theory that basically eliminated wheat, sugar and milk products (this was really hard!). Although I believe we gave all approaches a fair amount of time, sadly, they did absolutely nothing for our daughter. As a result, she had a miserable Kindergarten experience, and only a somewhat better First Grade experience (mostly because of a great teacher who was willing to go way out her way to help her). Mid-way through First Grade, I caved and decided to try traditional medicine. As much as I hate to say it, I now believe this is the right road and only wish I had done it sooner. My daughter, now in second grade, can actually sit and listen and take turns and cultivate friendships, etc. The key, I think, is to have a doctor that is well-versed in the condition as well as the available meds and their possible side-effects - a doctor that has the sense to start small and is willing to closely moniter your child's health. For instance, the medicine my daughter is on has been known to cause heart problems in a very small number of cases. Some doctors' approach is to say just that and assume your child statistically will fall in the category of no harm done. Instead, my daughter's doctor requests regular EKG's at Children's where an expert can look for the slightest anomaly. These are powerful drugs and it is very scary to put your child on them. But I think if it's done with care and intelligence, it's worth it. You have to weigh that against the emotional damage and lowered self-esteem that occurs when they are constantly getting into trouble at school and when noone wants to be your child's friend. Best of luck to you as you make this difficult decision.

(Feb 2000)

If you wish an alternative to drugs after finding your child
has diagnosed ADD, many books out there (and hopefully the right doctor)
offer alternatives:
Dr. Mary Ann Block- No More Ritalin- Treating ADHD Without Drugs
Skye Weintraud, ND- Natural Treatments for ADD and Hyperactivity
Rachel Bell and Dr. Howard Peiper- The ADD and ADHD Diet
Dr. Lendom Smith- Feed Your Kids Right (out of print, alas)
Dr. Emily Toch at UCSF has been advertising in the Chronicle a study for kids
7-9 years old with and without diagnosed ADD/ADHD to try alternative therapies
(nutrition and supplements).
Hope this helps you.

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