Tween with Possible Inattentive ADHD: Natural Solutions vs Medication

i'm alarmed that you have a son with these challenges and instead of cleaning up his admittedly poor diet, you're ordering supplements.

that's not a 'natural solution.' natural solutions involve baseline clean and healthy living.

if you're going to use supplements instead of trying a sensible elimination diet, then don't kid yourself that you're going a 'holistic non-medication' approach.

doctor-prescribed medications are vastly superior to continuing to let a struggling child tough it out with a diet that is likely contributing to his challenges.
khairete
S.

Hi - a diagnosis is key so pursue that ASAP so that you know what you're dealing with

That said, I did non-medication approaches with my oldest son, who was diagnosed with ADHD-inattentive at age 7. I was very wary of medication and while his ADHD was a struggle for him and annoying at home, he didn't have behavior problems at school and was fairly compliant. He was also receiving accommodations at school under an IEP due to learning disabilities.

For a while, when I had more control of his diet, he ate optimally. Under the guidance of a chiropractor who practiced applied kinestheology (muscle response testing), he was on a cocktail of supplements to support his adrenal function, calm his nervous system, etc. Lots of products from Standard Process, and with appointments and supplements, I was spending about $400 a month out of pocket, which was unsustainable in the long term. He was less agitated and more pleasant when we kept with this regimen. I also had him complete about half of a full course of a treatment called Brain Integration Technique (BIT) in middle school. We stopped because I couldn't afford it anymore and it took up a ton of time for session appointments. I hadn't said anything to the school about the BIT program but spontaneously, his SPED teacher and another teacher reached out to ask if anything had changed at home because he seemed much more focused and was doing noticeably better at school. I really wanted him to do some "alternative" therapies at a well-known center near us (The Hallowell Center in MA) but it was $5K and not covered by insurance just for an initial workup, so we were never able to have him seen there. He also took Juice Plus products in high school and felt that those helped him feel better. With all that time and money, none of this was terribly effective and it was a lot of effort, time and money for unremarkable results.

In high school, he tried various ADHD medications but the side effects were intolerable for him even at the lowest doses - chronic headaches, severe insomnia (sleeping 1-2 hours or not at all), not eating, rapid and uncontrollable chatter, severe irritability and rage as it wore off, etc. We tried several different medications and the longest he used one was for 6 months. It was not a magic cure for him, but he still considers going back on (he's 19 now). I hope he can find one that suits him.

All that said, medication has been a miracle for my 13 year old. He was diagnosed with ADHD combined type two years ago and his behavior was so problematic and such an issue for everyone around him that it would have been unconscionable to not try medication along with counseling and accommodations in school. He was just a different kid with a very different case. Initially, he didn't feel any effects of the medication at the lowest dose but he tolerated it well. After two dosage increases, it was night and day for him. He doesn't like himself when he's not on his meds - he worries that he'll zone out, start talking about things no one cares about, and annoy his friends. That dose started wearing off before the end of the school day so we just increased it in the hope that he'll be able to sustain focus long enough after school to do his work. His only side effects are that he can't fall asleep for 14 hours after he takes it and he's not hungry for about 12-13 hours, so he doesn't each much during the day, inhales food from 8-9 PM and then goes to bed.

Obviously if ADHD is an issue, you can't try medication until he's diagnosed. If you're interested in alternative approaches as you work through the diagnosis process and have the time and money to invest in seeing someone, I would find a naturopath in your area so that instead of just buying expensive supplements and throwing at the wall and seeing what sticks, you have someone who can make recommendations based on his diet and needs and can evaluate whether or not things are helping him. The DIY method can be a tremendous waste of time and money but with someone who knows what they're doing, optimizing nutrition through diet and supplements really can improve health and perhaps address some if his symptoms.

I think before you do anything you should have him evaluated and find out for sure if he has ADHD or ADD.
The question of whether to medicate or not can't even be raised unless a diagnosis has been made.

Everyone zones out from time to time.
School can be boring and so can work.
I think there's a big difference in not wanting to pay attention and not being able to pay attention.
If he's not able to pay attention - he can't focus on anything for very long - not even things that interest him.

People lie for a lot of reasons.
If he lies to avoid getting into trouble - then take away the trouble so he has no reason to avoid telling the truth.

There's no reason not to eat as healthy as you can and we always liked Flintstones chewables for when our diets weren't as balanced as we liked.

If he does have an ADHD/ADD diagnosis - and your child is suffering and miserable - then avoiding medication is like withholding insulin from a diabetic.

Not personal experience, but someone I am close to, used an approach that did not include medication and no quasi-medication supplements either. After she got a diagnosis for her child, she worked with the therapist on behavioral strategies that her child could implement. Like you, her child was older so it was things like making lists, using reminders, etc. There are a lot of behavioral resources out there, and once your child sees a specialists for a diagnosis, that specialist can help you find the resources that fit your child the best. Good luck.

I truly wish you the best of luck.

Please know that when the brain is firing off on all it's electrical paths and nothing is going where it's supposed to be going eating something healthy isn't going to fix that.

If he was having a seizure would you give him some healthy food and expect that to stop the seizure that moment? No, because food isn't the problem.

All you're doing is trying to find what you're doing wrong when he actually has a medical problem that needs medication to help his brain work right.

If making him eat his veggies was all that it took to fix ADHD don't you think everyone in the world would be fixed of it by now? Eating this or that isn't going to fix this.

Please get him in to see an actual diagnostician that tests for ADHD AND other cognitive issues. That way you will know for sure what it is and what it isn't.

I would first focus on working to get a diagnosis. Ask your doctor and the therapist who to contact to do this. I don't have a child with ADHD/ADD, but my friend who is ADHD said when he went on medication as an adult it was a lifesaver for him. He wished he had been able to take it as a kid bc he always thought he was bad at school/not smart. My young cousin is ADHD and they did the whole gluten free/diet change thing for a few years and unfortunately it didn't make too much of a difference for him. He has been kicked out of his private school and is now going to an alternative school where it sounds like he can choose what he wants to do...and he is not choosing to do any school work. It has been a year of this. I worry about him and wish they would at least give medication a try. My cousin's wife is anti-medication though.

I would not call our approach holistic but it's non medicated. We have tired to not give our son stuff with has a lot of red dies in it cause those make him bounce off the walls like crazy. But what we have found is caffeine helps a lot. He's gotten to where we don't have to use it as much with him as we did when he was younger but if he needs to calm down or focus he will get a caffeinated drink. I know some people use the advocare product spark it's got caffeine and I think sugar free even.

When you say that your son doesn't eat as healthy as he should, what specifically do you mean? Do you mean that he is really picky, or that he only eats junk food (processed foods like Spaghettios or frozen kids' meals, etc)? Or do you mean that he'll eat vegetables and real chicken, but he doesn't eat much? Does he eat sweets, cupcakes, cookies, etc?

If your son eats chicken nuggets, canned foods, frozen dinners, and fills up on cheese puffs and ice cream, then supplements won't be of much use.

When a child isn't eating well, and is struggling with his behavior and his school performance, unless the parent has medical training, simply ordering supplements might not be the best way to proceed.

My suggestion, along with getting an accurate diagnosis of any disorders from a qualified physician and/or mental health professional, is to consult a nutritionist. Not someone who sells vitamins. Not your local friend who has an independent consulting business who sells nutritional shakes and jewelry and makeup. But a real nutritionist. Ask at your children's hospital, or ask your pediatrician for a recommendation. A nutritionist or dietician can assess your son's eating habits, nutritional intake, etc, and can help both you and your son come up with great meal suggestions.

And in the meantime, keep a food journal. Make it specific. Write exactly what your son eats, and when. If it's a frozen dinner, note the brand and what's included. If it's a snack, write down exactly what food he eats, not just "snack". Note the time, and how your son acted afterwards. Bring that to the nutritionist.

I'm a teacher. Sometimes school is boring. Many boys, in particular, are bored in school, and that is why they are inattentive. Zoning out in school sounds like a reasonable response to being bored with the subject matter. I don't know about you, but I often zone out when I'm bored.

Too many teachers still give kids boring worksheets and talk at them. That's not engaging to students, especially boys, and especially kids who are used to fast-paced video games and the constant and easy stimulation of social media.

If your son does really well in some classes, then maybe he doesn't have ADHD. Most kids are better in some subjects than in others. If your son can focus in the classes that he does well in, then it sounds like he is able to focus, as long as he is interested in the subject. If he is able to focus on things he's interested in, then he probably doesn't have ADHD.

I don't know what the lying might be about -- usually they lie because they are afraid of the consequence for telling the truth, not because of ADHD.

Supplements won't help, and can hurt, because they aren't regulated and you don't know what's in half of them. Eating well will help -- and the best way to ensure that is not to have a lot of junk food in your house.

What subjects does your son find interesting? Why? Talk to him about that, ask him how he feels about the teachers and the classes he zones out in. You might be enlightened.