Suggestions on Dealing with ADHD

I don't have a child that's ADHD but have taken classes on it through early childhood education. In her diagonisis, was she also sensory disorder? If so, she can't be both. Find out if there is an expert on sensory disorder and go that route. This could be the problem. Especially, vision sensory, it's not just eye sight - there's so much more to it than that.
M. J. - KC

My daughter has ADHD, she was diagnosed in 3rd grade!! She took a low dose of concerta for a while but she got headaches and stomach cramps, we took her off of it in the summer. I talked to her doctor, and refused to try anymore, this is what she suggested.... (This may sound crazy) but I started giving her coffee in the morning before school, (she may need cream and sugar mine did) and she did good, didnt get into too much trouble. She still had a hard time focusing when it came to reading a book, she is now in 7th grade, still doing good!! You might give it a try!! It worked for us!!

I work at a health food store and we are getting more and more parents coming in and taking there kid off of different foods ranging from any kind of sweetners to wheat, gluten & dairy free diets. They are going to Dr.s that test beyond the noraml allergy testing, they are finding that most Dr.s test for allergies to these foods and are coming up negative, but with more in depth allergy testing they are highly allergic to them. I have seen much improvement with the kids that have come in on these diets. But I will say the moms say its very difficult but worth the effort!!!

My 17 year old son was diagnosed 10 years ago and we have never medicated him. We used behavior modification. Everything was kept on a strict routine (his teachers gladly participated in this) and we also used a reward system ~ so many good days in a row = picking a place to go to dinner or something like that. He still had issues but I found that he tried harder to do things and by using the set routine it really helped him attempt to do his best anyway. I wish you the best of luck with your decision. It's a tough one to make.

Is there any chance at all of homeschooling? This helped us with our daughter greatly. She was more than a handful for years. We never medicated her. When she did go to school it was tough, very tough for a long time. But she didn't start until the 5th grade when she was old enough to understand herself and consequences better. It was still hard. But I believe the early years at home where I could discipline her hard and make sure she was learning got her off to a great start. Today she is a senior in high school, has been working full-time and going to school for 2 years. Her hyperactivity and take charge personality has helped in that she has been a manager for 2 years already.

It's really best to keep her off the meds. They don't serve much purpose except to give lazy, angry adults an easier time of it. This is her personality. It's wrong to call it a disorder. She needs to learn differently with more time to get up and move around and she needs to learn self discipline too.

I would agree to try grape seed extract, I use an Isotonix form called OPC-3 which contains more than just grape seed extract..bilberry, red wine extract (no alcohol of course) and pine bark extract or pycnegonel. These are all powerful antioxidants that work together to help the body function properly. My kids have taken opc-3 for over 4 years, my youngest is 2 1/2 and has used it since 1 yr. OPC-3 also helps us with our allergies. Also, I would recommend B-vitamins w/folic acid and Calcium for your daughter. B-vitamins calm the nervous system and do give energy, but only a steady energy, not a burst of energy. the folic acid is food for the brain and helps with concentration. Calcium should be taken at night, and also helps calm the body which gives a more restful sleep. All the products we use are Isotonix which means they are in a powder form, then mix with water and drink! They really taste good and my kids have never given me any problems taking them. Also, we use a children's multi-vitamin also in Isotonix form and every night we make our "drink" which can be all mixed together, it's become our important routine.
With the right nutrition, the body has the ability to heal itself and function the way it should. Drugs simply mask the problem and like you mentioned give bad side effects. If you want more information on the products we use, I can send it to your regular e-mail address.
V.

Hi G.,

As a former teacher I understand your concerns and have heard other parents with your same concerns. I didn't read through all of your respponses, but as many people mentioned, diet is a BIG ONE! Other things that sometimes work are letting your child have a 'tick' of some sort. Examples would be like letting her keep a paper clip in her pocket so she can fiddle with it all day, or sitting her in a chair that is unbalanced so that she can work while wobbling the chair between the legs (this isn't too noisy if you put felt pads on the bottom), or even have her do homework while sitting on an exercise ball. I know some of these sound goofy and potentially even more troublesome, but most ADHD kids need something to occupy them physcially so they can concentrate mentally.

I also suggest looking into two programs. One is called BIST and was begun here in town at the Ozanam Boy's Home. It is designed to work with children that are "difficult". The other is Love and Logic. You can find books on L & L in any library or bookstore. (incidentally, BIST is taken from L&L principles)

Lastly, I want to leave you with this...I know it's hard to put kids on meds and even harder to deal with those negative side effects, but it has been proven that children who really do meds (for various things) and don't get them are more likely to self medicate by using illegal drugs in their teen years. Please understand that I'm not saying your daughter is going to turn into a druggie, and I agree that you should try other options that you're more comfortable with, but please keep that in mind! Good luck!

I myself have ADHD, and when I'm in school I have problems as well. I wasn't diagnosed until I was an adult, but it explains a lot of why I was always in trouble at school! The only medication I tried was Straterra, which is a stimulant, which is better for you and not addictive like some of the other medications are that treat ADHD which are actually used on the street in place of meth. It has the same effects of that drug, lack of sleep, appetite etc... Straterra doesn't cause all of those effects. Personally for me, it didn't work when I was in school (as an adult), but I've heard it has worked wonders for others. You could ask to try that, or just try her on a smaller doses of the other meds. With medications there are always risks, and it's hard to find the right medicine, doses etc.. I'm STILL trying to find the right medicine and doses for me to deal with my depression and ADHD. It takes time, just be patient, and try to let her feel more involved. Such as at home. Let her help make decisions and be more involved why making dinner, chores etc.. Give her two choices to choose from etc... At school maybe you can request she goes to a "special" teacher (not a learning disorder teacher, but just a paraprofessional or somebody who has some spare time and classroom) during the day who can help her do some of her work without all the distractions of all the other kids. I know my problems in school were not paying attention to the teacher, fidigiting A LOT, and talking to the other kids etc... When I was doing homework, I always had to have a TV or Radio or something else going on around me to help. As I don't know what she's getting in trouble for, maybe going to that other classroom during the day with less kids could help... It's just hard some days when you have so many thoughts and ideas running through your head, and so much is going on around you! I wish you and her both the best of luck! With patience and lots of hard work, she can get through it! ; )

G.,

Good for you, for postponing medication. Our world is definately over medicated. I don't have any kids w/ ADD or ADHD, but I would start with making her accountable for her actions and behavior. Discipline her when she acts up and reward her when she is good. Let her know what is unacceptable and acceptable behavior. She needs to have consequenses when she acts up, and don't give in and be a softy feeling bad that she has ADHD and can't help it. To be honest, I don't believe in all this ADD & ADHD stuff. You put any kid w/ one of these diagnosis in front of a video game and then tell me he can't concentrate! I hated school when I was a kid and would daydream because to me school was boring. I didn't have ADD, I just didn't like school. I can concentrate just fine if I'm interested in something. My personal opinion is, teachers would love to have a classroom full of medicated children because they are easier to deal w/ rather than thinking of interesting and fun lesson plans, to get kids interested. The same goes for parents also, it's much easier to deal w/ a zombie on medication than it is w/ a child who happens to be a bit hyper. Hang in there and w/ hold the medication as long as possible and just try different ways of discipline before you medicate. Good luck!!:)

Have her tested for giftedness. she may be bored or not stimulated enough in class.. so she creates stimulation for herself.
or homeschool her, where it will be ok for her to move around more.
Or find teachers that understand ADHD and provide alternatives.. one of my sons teachers was perfect.. she provided 'excersize' balls for kids to sit on.. they could wriggle more, and balance more.. if they got out of hand with bouncing on the ball, then they lost the priviledge. they sat in pods of 4 and each child had a 'turn' on the ball if they wanted. (some didn't). traditional teaching personalities don't work as well as more creative teachers.
otherwise.. try a different med. or lower dose. or for the sake of your daughters 'reputation' in school.. learn to handle the side effects.. so to the other kids she isn't permenatly labeled "the girl whe gets into trouble" or annoying kid..
next year, start the school routine a few weeks ahead, so she is already adjusted when school starts.
good luck!

Good for you! I'm so glad that people are trying to get away from medications to solve this problem. I also recently read an article that studies are showing that ADD and ADHD are being linked to diet and specifically the lack of fatty acids in a child's diet. Our society has become so anti fat that many people have forgotten that it is an important part of the diet to make our bodies function. Try changing her diet first. Cut down on sugars and soda's and add more of the good fats in. Also talk to her teachers and make sure that they are aware of the problem. They will know how to handle her better if they understand that she needs a little help.

Dear G.; Hi! I raised a son with ADD/ADHD, and he is now 21. What I can share with you is our experience with medication. I decided to allow Joe to be put on meds when he was 6 years old because he was a great escape artist at school and he kept going AWOL from class; once they "lost" him for 45 minutes! We medicated for school only; no weekend meds, no meds on vacations or summer break. While it was not what the doctors would have preferred, and it didn't make my life easier, this is what worked for him. At age 15 he elected to take himself off of medications so he could pursue the career he desired. While school was a bit more difficult, by then he had the maturity to be able to deal with the behavioral requirements of school and with his disability at the same time. Suffice it to say, this seemed to work, as he is now a member of the US Armed Forces. My guess would be that at age 8, it might still be a bit early to expect her to be able to comply with the desired behavior at school. One thing is for sure, you are right about routine! Kids with ADD/ADHD do best when their routines are unchanged. So, being able to prepare her for any different routine than the usual one needs days of advanced preparation, so make sure the school lets you know in advance what the typical routine is, and when there are going to be changes in that routine.
BTW, I work for the Missouri Developmental Disabilities Resource Center, and we have many resources on ADD/ADHD. Please let me know if you would like to have a packet of informaton mailed to you. Also, we have trained mentor parents available who can talk with you and share ideas, and provide emotional support. There are also other resources available. Please feel free to give me a call at 800-444-0821 ###-###-#### in Greater KC) or send me an e-mail at ____@____.com All of our materials and services are provided free of charge. Hope to hear from you! Sincerely, J. A. Hatfield-Callen

I have two children with adhd, 18 and 10. The 10 year old is definitely the hyper one, the 18 year old has more trouble with concentration. We have not tried no medication or maybe we have over the summer and the 10 year old definitely cannot control it most times. If you remind her, she says okay, but it lasts for about 5 minutes. I would say the 18 year old for the most part can control it but he also knows when he needs to focus the medication will help him. They have both been on Strattera and it has worked very well. We have not noticed any of the side effects which you mention and are possibilities. My daughter definitely sometimes has trouble going to sleep but I don't think it is a result of the medication. She is one of those people that once you can get her to lay still for two minutes, she is gone, but she sometimes knows if she keeps moving around she will stay awake. You might do better with a different medication. We left her on the medication over the summer since it helps her function within the family although we did miss a few doses. I read once years ago that medication is beneficial during school and after hours since they still need to learn to function without a family and society and it also helped my son with homework. A month is a long time to try it but good luck if you decide to stick with it. A lot will depend on her teacher also if she is willing to work with her and maybe give her direction or signs when she strays. My daughter has had teachers the last two years which have definitely helped her. We started school today so hopefully it will be the same this year. If you have more questions, feel free to contact me.

I think it is great that you are wanting to look at alternatives. Here is what I learned from a nutritionist is that omega-3 fatty acids are excellent supplement to give kids labeled ADD and ADHD - some research has shown there is reference to brain activity. Fatty acids are extremely important for the brain. Research studies in 1983, 1987, 1995 and 1996 all discovered that levels of omega-3 fatty acids are low.. ADHD, allergies, ear infections, dry skin and ecemza can be related to fatty acids deficiencies.
Fatty acids are not in a diet and has to be supplied in a supplement. Omega-3 fatty acid supplements have so many more advantages to all individuals such as lower chlosteral, regulate heart rate, thin blood and may aid in treating depression.
Also astragulus (sp) which are adaptagens also boost the immune system and increase attention span.
These are all things I have learned and not meant to treat, cure or diagnois. I am just a mom involved with a Health and Wellness company and want to pass along any information that I have learned and may be helpful. We do have an omega 3 fatty acid within our product line or check with an herbal store, I also think I saw them at walmart as a gummy. Hope this can help you. You are welcome to email me at ____@____.com or call ###-###-####.
K.

Hello G.,

I too am a mother of an eight year old with ADD, (which is the same but without the hyperactivity). We too spent a whole school year trying to figure out whether we wanted to do meds for our son. With his grades declining and lack of attention span in school, we had to do something! So we went to the Dr and after some testing with the school and Dr, was placed on Straterra. It seems to work well and my son does none of the zoning and no sleep issues. It is a non-stimulant, which is better than say.. ridilin which is a stimulant. Also I try to keep my son's diet in check. Anything with red 40 in the ingredients(especially in juices)is a no-no because it seems to set him off. Dairy which has a lot of sugar(milk especially)is limited and so on. When medicating for ADD or ADHD, Remember that every kid is different, so what works for one kid may not work for the next. Unfortunatly, treating ADD and ADHD is a trial and error process. I hope this helps at all.

Good Luck!

D.

I have an ADHD child and keep in touch with your doctor. It is safe to take them off the meds over weekends and summers and I felt it is important to do so. Typically they do fine at home and its structured situations with lots of people they really struggle in. We took my son off over the summer because I feel its important he learn coping skills on his own, but he couldn't manage at all at school without it. I put him back on it last week at school and won't give it to him over weekends. My doctor said that was fine, a lot of people do it that way, its like someone with vision impairment having their glasses on or not having them on, he doesn't have to take it every day. ALso, he said its important that I understand that he shouldn't be in trouble for not being able to control his behavior at school and in situations like that when he doesn't have his med. He can't help it and it makes negative relationships and they get in trouble a lot by being corrected by parents and teachers and it damages self-esteem. They really can't control it without the medication. Put her back on it for the school year, except weekends.

Good morning G. -

I personally think that you need to follow your heart. My son is now 12 and in 7th grade; however in 1st grade he was coming home daily crying for what seemed like hours. It made me crazy. I would ask what was wrong but he never knew. At the first parent/teacher conference I asked the teacher is she saw any problems. I asked if she saw any signs of ADD or ADHD, all she said was no, not at all, he seems fine. I didn't understand becuase he was not accomplishing anything in school, he was not focusing, he was not completing class assignments, etc. I knew that I needed to do something for my son. No, I did not want my son medicated but knew that I needed to speak to someone outside of the situation about this. I took my son to a psychologist at St. Louis Children's Hospital. We first all sat down and talked about what was happening. Then she took him into another room where he performed a test on a computer. He was off the chart ADHD. I told her that I did not want to medicate him, so we began with behavior modification. Well, that seemed to be a great thing to do, however, being that at the time he attended a private Catholic school, the teachers did not have to go along with these modifications in the class room if they did not want to. We met with the teacher and principal. They seemed all for it. They did everything that we had asked for a month of so and then all of a sudden I asked my son a few months later if he was still sitting in a quiet area for test or if other things were still being used and he said 'no mom, I haven't been doing that for awhile.' I was not happy becasue I knew that without the help of the school he was not going to succeed. Being that my children were the 3rd generation in the school and we had what I thought was a great relationship with the staff, I thought they would help. That was not the case. Well, it wasn't too long later that I looked into and decided to try the medication. I was amazed at the difference. It seemed like a miracle. He was able to focus, however he still struggled in school. Very sad for a parent to watch. After switching medications a few times until we got to one that seemed to work best, he is doing much better in school and at home. No, I do not think that medication is right for everyone and to be perfectly honest with you, after reading all of your responses, I am going to look into other options (ex. grape seed extract).

FYI: My son no longer attends the private Catholic school. I pulled him out in February during 6th grade. He now attends a Charter school where they are more than willing to help him in the areas that he needs. It was the best and the hardest decision of my life.

I wish you the best of luck with dealing with your situation. It can often be a very trying thing to deal with. I am a single mother and have been through a lot with my son over the years. I feel that we finally have the upperhand on this and are ahead of it all.

Please remember to stick with your gut and do what you feel is best for your child. You are the parent and you have the final say.

TAKE CARE AND GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!

my nephew was not diagnosed with it but definatley has it. His parents wanted to find a different way to handle it than putting him on drugs, so they did some research and found that grape seed extract was recommended. He went from getting 4 calls home a week to zero. He's a very hyperactive intense kiddo, and everyone's noticed a difference. Also, look up online more info about diet and ADHD. I know red dye has a bad effect on kids with ADHD and some other foods.

If she doesn't take pills well, you can break them open and mix it in with apple sauce or yogurt.

Good luck!

G.,
My son doesn't have the Hyperactivity, only ADD,and he takes Strattera. I'm not sure that the Strattera would work for your daughter as it isn't an amphetimine based medicine like Adderal, and Ritalin and others used for ADHD. But I would ask your physician about it because it doesn't have the black box warnings associated with the amphetimine based drugs (stunted growth,heart malfunctions,and death as side effects)
What really works for my son is total structured routine. This summer he was not on a routine so to speak, and now that he's back in school, and playing football, I can tell the difference in his attitude.(7th grade this year)
Consistancy in your discipline, and reward systems also work great for these kids. one thing we have found that works great with my son is to give him two choices about what he can do for instance, He is supposed to mow the yard, and complains and protests EVERY blessed time. So we told him, ok, since you don't want to mow, maybe there is another chore you would rather do instead, like dishes every meal.(we don't have a dishwasher)So here is your choice, mow once a week or do dishes everyday.
Guess which he picked and was happy to do? LOL Mowing.
if he feels he's getting a choice, even in a bad bargan, it gives him the feeling he's got some control. And that seems to make him willing to cooperate and take care of his responsibilities.
Also, we bought an old fashioned push mower at Sutherlands, so when he complained about using the gas mower, we told him he now had a choice, you can use the push mower or you can use the gas mower. NOw weirdly enough he uses the push mower sometimes....go figure. But he has a choice.
As a side note, Michael Phelps the Olympic swimmer has ADD and in an interview, his mother highly recommended sports for kids with this condition, as it kept him in routine and provided structure.

We are going through exactly the same thing with my 10 year old son. He is on Vyvanse 30 mg. He hates it, because he wants to eat and get bigger, and he cant eat when on medicine. He only weighs 54 pounds! We have recently taken all artificial colors and flavors and preservatives out of his diet and I think it has made a big improvement. We are going to have him allergy tested, because sometimes it is not ADHD, it is an allergy! The diet is not that hard, everything at our house is mostly homeade now, you can find all the other foods at target, hyvee and most other places now. We have not taken him off medication at school, he is very ADHD and it would not be good to do that to him at this age right now. We tried over the summer and the diet made it a lot better. We also give him coffee in the morning, 100mg of coffee equals 5 mg of Ritalin! He loves coffee! Good luck and I would be happy to talk back and forth with you. Thanks! A.

Flax Seed or Omega 3 oils are the best1 We have had our son on plain Flax seed for over a year now and the behavior is 100% better and his attention span has definately improved. He doesnt have the ADHD but does have the behavoir issues (or at least did. It definately is amazing stuff. The best kind to get is at Wild Oats in the cooler section. It is in a liquid so you just have to add it to their food. Don't cook with it though it ruins its affects that way. Hope it helps!

My daugher is on Straterra, she was diagnosed in the 1st grade and it took us a couple of years and a few medications to find the one that worked for her. So if you decide that you have to go back to the medication, maybe the dose is to high or maybe that is just not the right medication for her!

If you find any info please let me know as my son has ADHD also.It seems she is on a high dose.Good Luck

My daughter was diagnosed with ADD and has been on medication for around 3 years. She also does not take it in the summer. I would suggest a different type of medication. She was on concerta and it didn't help, then we ended up switching her dosage of straterra 3 times to get it right. I am a Kindergarten teacher and have 3 daughters. As a parent I can understand how frustrating that it can be trying to get the medication correct, but you can't give up. As a teacher I get to see the other side also. When a child has difficulty focusing and staying on task, it affects how successful they can be in the classroom and also socially. It is hard as a teacher to watch a child struggle and know that they can't control what they are doing on their own, especially at such a young age. To help with communication with the teachers I suggest email. This is the way that I prefer to communicate with my kiddos parents, I can do it at home and it is much quicker and easier then writing a note. Good Luck!

The link regarding the Feingold diet is not a .com. I think the website is www.feingold.org.

I have an 8yr daughter also with ADHD. She also went the whole 1st grade before the teacher decided that she should be tested. She takes 5mg of Rytalin 2-3 times a day and does great. We where lucky in that the small dose is all she needs. You should go back to your doctor and voice your concerns on the side effects of the medicine that she is taking. There is a lot of other choices that they can try. I wouldn't put her back on a med that you are not happy with how it effects her. Good luck

I understand. I have a son who is 8 years old and was diagnosed with ADHD last year. He is on medication, Adderall. I have also noticed the lost of appetite. I have discussed it with out doctor. He says that our son is still gaining weight so there was no reason to be concerned at this point.
We take our son off medication on weekends and during the summer. If we are going to be somewhere where his behavior can be an issue then he will take his medication.
I hope you can find something that might work for your daughter that does not include medication but if you cannot. I would advise that you talk to your doctor about trying different medication and dosage.
I hope that helps.

My son was about the same age when the problems began. We used diet to regulate his behavior. I'm not against meds and can sympathize about the side effects. My son was completely controlled through diet. We use feingold mostly but also eleminated sugar and limited dairy due to family sensitivities. As long as I was in control of what he ate (teacher was mostly helpful)his behavior was in check. We did go to meds later because his other parents house refused to watch what he ate, then in Middle school he refused to comply. Now he is fully responsible for his own behavior, off meds and watching what he eats. There are tons of resources on the net, but be cautious some will claim that artificial sweeteners are a replacement for sugar when in reality they can be a huge problem, and there are options that are natural. Good luck, there is good living possible. R.

G.:

I work with a lot of children with ADHD. My suggestions to you would be 1)Be very consistent at home and find a parent support group in your area, 2)Work closely with your school, does she have an IEP?, 3)Find a good play therapist in your area, and 4)Look into changing her diet. There is a lot of research about diet and ADHD.

Good luck.

A.
www.kids-incorporated.com

Have you tried diet? My cousin had ADHD and my aunt put him on a diet the doctor recommended because she refused to put him on drugs and it worked fine. Just a thought. Good luck and God Bless.

Diet is a great place to start I think some others have mentioned that. Taking out additives and dyes in foods can greatly help if you need somewhere to start I sell an all natural food line called Wildtree please let me know if I can give you futhur assistance. www.stacyflynn.mywildtree.com. good luck

I read a great blog by a lady with 6 (yes six) kids. One of them has been put on a special diet for ADHD because of side effects from medications. Maybe you could find info on her blog. Hope it helps, good luck!

mom2my6pack.blogspot.com

Hi G.,

I know just what you are going through!
I have my 8 almost 9 yr.old grandaughter that lives with us full time.

She has been DX: with ADHD,ODD(oppositional Defiant Disorder)

We have tried a few meds for the ADHD the one that works great for us is Aderall she is on 25mg once a day in the morning. (She DOES NOT space out.) As far as the loss of appetite I don't know of any of the ADHD meds that don't cause that problem. We just give her healthy snacks between meals and something before bed.

She also takes Cloidine .1mg (2pills) at bedtime to help her sleep. When she gets the right amount of sleep it helps.

The other thing that helps is "VERY" strict routine, limts and boundries. Mixed with lot's of love.

When all of these things are done at the same time she does really Well at most every thing.

She is a very loving smart girl.

If you live anywhere close to Florissant and want to get together to have someone to talk with let me know and/or if the girls want to get together to play talk or what ever just let me know.

This goes for any other mother and daughter out there. :)

Let me know how it turns out.
D.

G.,

Please go to www.feingold.com and read. Medication side-effects now are sometimes mild compared to long-term side-effects.

On the top of the website there are 8 pictures. Click on each one and read what has helped these children's behavior problems, some are worse than just ADHD. The picture of a mouse is about a child's science project. Pretty cool.

Our 2 granddaughters both have been diagnosed with ADHD, the older worse than the younger. The older has drug-baby syndrome, but she could be a lot worse. We've tried many things, and now we'll try the Feingold way. Hope this helps.

My God bless your family with love,
Jan in MO

G.,

I have a 5 year old with high functioning autism & I would strongly recommend getting your daughter metabolically tested. It is kind of a lengthy process but well worth it. This testing is very detailed (stool, urine, blood). There could be an underlying problem (such as malabsorbtion or difficultly breaking down certain foods or an allergy)that is causing her trouble. It is very common & unless she has been metabolically tested, she has not had an allergy test like these. These tests are unreal on how much info they provide. I am not anti drugs but when my son was diagnosed with autism, we were told before we left the clinic (AR Children's Hospital) that we should put him on medication. We even had the prescription in hand. We just felt it was important to make sure his little body was performing properly & it wasn't. He was highly allergic to milk (not in an obvious way but it was causing him to not absorb so many great things in his food), now he had no problem growing or gaining weight. Since we took him off, we have seen great improvements & also finding problems with him now absorbing things he never could. Anyway, to make a short story long, I would STRONGLY, STRONGLY recommend it. Good luck to you & your family. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.

A balanced diet has been key for our daughter! Once I got the hang of watching out for additives and dyes I could see a difference. BUT it still wasn't enough for my own sanity. I did ALOT of research and found a nutritional supplement that has over 77 vitamins/minerals & nutrients and TASTES GREAT! There are over 730 independent studies on this drink and ALL have shown benefits.

My daughter is now doing great! check it out for yourself www.easylimu.com

G.,

Don't completely give up on the Vyvanse. My son is 8 as well, and has been taking the Vyvanse for over a year now. I did notice the side effects at first. His psychiatrist increased his dosage of Vyvanse to 50mg and he added Zyprexa to increase his appetite and it helped a lot with the impulsive behavior. My son has not had any appetite problems since. He has succeeded greater than my expectations with th help from the medication. He is a different chid and his confidence is growing every day. Your daughter may need a combination of two medications. Good luck, and best wishes.

My mother in law dealt with her son's ADHD with diet, very low sugar and fat. It helped him alot. It wasnt a miracle, but it kept him from having to take medication.