When my son was diagnosed with ADHD, trying to decide the best action for treatment was physically and emotionally exhaustive because as a Mom, i wanted what was best for him. Was it going to be natural ADHD remedies or prescription medicine? After doing some research and finding out all the negative side effects of prescription drugs, such as Ritalin and Adderall, I steered toward natural ADHD alternatives.
Even though these prescription drugs have proven effective in many children, I owed it to my son to try some very safe and highly effective natural alternatives. No side effects versus negative side effects was an easy decision for me to make.
Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta (all stimulant drugs) increase brain activity which in turn increases a child’s alertness and heightens his attention span. Side effects that are common, but negative, include headaches, irritability, loss of appetite, insomnia, and others. Concerta is considered worse though as recent studies have shown much more serious side effects such as psychosis, hallucinations and suicidal thoughts.
Are you starting to see why I chose natural ADHD remedies?
The prescription drug, Strattera, is a non-stimulant. It can increase your child’s attention span as well as control impulsive behavior. It does this by “keeping an eye on” a chemical in the brain that controls these functions. But again there are side effects such as moodiness, fatigue and decreased appetite.
Wellbutrin, an anti-depressant, decreases anxiety and helps with mood by changing brain chemical composition. This drug is usually prescribed to kids diagnosed with both ADHD and depression. Side effects can include dizziness, weight loss and suicidal thoughts.
Many natural ADHD remedies have proven to be just as effective and can be much safer alternatives than giving your child Ritalin, Adderall, or other prescriptions. Homeopathic and herbal remedies do not have the negative side effects that are often accompanied with prescriptions.
When researching natural ADHD remedies, make sure it includes herbs or homeopathic ingredients which have been shown to be the most effective.
Herbs that will help include:
* Valerian: This is a medicinal herb that is sometimes used as a sedative, but also seems to have stimulant properties that make it an effective ADHD herbal remedy.
* Oatstraw: acts as a nerve tonic whose calming effects grow with time and consistent use.
* Ginkgo: Extracts of the ginkgo biloba tree, a rare Chinese tree, have long been used to treat a variety of ailments, and it has been found that the extracts are also a useful herbal remedy for ADHD.
Homeopathic ingredients that will help include Hyoscyamus, Tuberculinum, Arsen iod, and Verta alb.
There are many natural ADHD remedies that are formulated specifically for children with ADHD. Remember to give the remedy some time to take effect because even though they are much safer, they do take time for positive results. Every child is unique and will react uniquely to the remedy. Also make sure you tell your child’s doctor what you are doing because combining natural remedies with prescription drugs can be dangerous.
You will find that natural ADHD remedies can provide your child with a safe and natural path to an ADHD symptom-free life.
Diana Ketchen
http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/why-you-should-use-natural-adhd-remedies-718518.html
How long before natural ADHD remedies start to work?
My 7 year old son shows the classic ADHD symptoms and I started him on Sea Buddies Concentrate yesterday (minimum dosage). He is a big boy, so I am sure we will need to give him more that the recommended starting dosage (you may give up to 10). We have also started him on DHA. How long should it be before I start to notice a change? And is there something better than Concentrate? What about Focus Factor?
Depends how much the one taking it believes in it.
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I would first recommend sticking with the recommended dose unless a doctor says otherwise… too much of a good thing isn’t always a better thing and may actually hurt him in the long run to take too much.
In general, supplements may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to get into the system enough to notice a difference. Supplements literally give your body nutrition it’s otherwise lacking, so it takes time for your body to use that nutrition to repair any damage it can and to nourish those specific areas of the body.
For something as severe as ADHD, it may take a few weeks to notice a positive change, but I have read a lot of research that shows how much Fish Oil (like is in the Sea Buddies Concentrate) can help kids with ADHD. You should see good benefits soon enough, but they will be pretty gradual, so you may just realize "hey, he hasn’t done ___ for a while" one day… that’s how I noticed that Fish Oil was helping me (and Ginkgo, but that’s not generally safe for a child). Good luck to you both!
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Personal experience and personal research in my role as a Product Specialist for a vitamin company
Rather than treat the symptom have you tried the possible causes. Many people think food additives are a major contributor to adhd. Have you removed all sweets, fast foods, fizzy drinks, caffeine,processed foods from his diet? Supplemented his diet with fresh fruit, vegetables, green tea?
Just a thought.
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Around a week
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When i first took my son off the concerta he was taking, we started with a cleanse for 7 days. After that we started with an Omega 3 mood enhancer by Country life(At wholefoods), and also with Neu b calmd’. We noticed a changed after about two weeks then after about a month it was apparent he was doing much better. Along with the regimen, we also had to make some big changes in his diet.
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You should consider taking him to a good upper cervical Chiropractor experienced in treating ADHD kids. It works extremely well, and in combination with that supplement should work wonders.
Best luck.
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http://www.mentalforums.com
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It could be several months before you notice any real improvements. Fish oil (contains DHA) is certainly supposed to help but improvements rarely come instantly and you need a bit of patience.
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Perhaps forever. No "natural" remedies have been clinically proven to work for ADHD.
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Within a week or two you should notice at least minor changes. I would expect you to notice slight differences at first such as a more overall calm demeanor.
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Three weeks ago I began my son on an EFA drug for ADHD type symptoms.