Alternative Treatments - Part 2

NOTICE: The following posts are taken from the Christian ADHD Alternative Treatment List. The names, e-mail addresses and locations of all parties involved have been removed to protect their privacy. The posts have been used with permission, but are copyrighted by ADHD of the Christian Kind.

We tried the Feingold Diet two summers ago and it work very well for us. At the time our son was taking Ritalin and we were able to take him off of that completely. However, he is now on Adderall. We will be returning to the diet this summer and hopefully it will be a permanent change as it is good for all of us to eat healthier. We also tried the Super Blue Green Algae from CellTech. This did not work at all for our son.

"He was also a proponent of ........and of "blue-green algae". (Anybody had success with this?"

The counselor at our Christian high school has had very good success with blue-green algae. She claims that many ADHD students have been greatly helped.

We tried it, but my dd balked at taking so many tablets, so many times per day. My husband was very unsupportive of the idea, and because it was expensive (no insurance coverage), between both of them griping, I finally gave up.

The powdered mix that they sell turns any food you add it to green. Unless you are braver eaters than we are, I do not recommend it . Their version of a power bar -- a snack with the algae in it -- was so awful that I never found anyone who could eat even one. I tried all my friends. You need to know that I am the type of person who will try anything once, and who likes almost all foods. I couldn't make myself eat one.

So, if you try it, I recommend sticking to the tablets or capsules. Don't try opening capsule into food, either. One capsule into a container of strawberry yogurt= bright green.

I purchased Prescription for Nutritional Healing by James and Phyllis Balch from Sam's Club yesterday. It has a decent section on treating hyperactivity. I thought I would throw out a few of the suggestions and see if anyone has ever tried these:

• calcium and magnesium - says it has a calming effect
• Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) - says it calms like a tranquilizer. Says there is no danger of addiction.
• Bio-Strath from Bioforce - says the ingredients have a calming effect

I'm ready to head for the healthfood store. Any comments or experience with any of these?

I have given my son colloidal minerals for years ( which includes the calcium & magnesium) and it helps him.

GABA has been recommended to me, but I have yet to try that.

I have also started giving my son additional calcium & magnesium supplement. I'll let ya know how it works.

Also I told y'awl about giving my son Provalic Acid, on the advice of our Doc. I stopped giving it to him, after 3 weeks + of him taking it the only thing it managed to do for him was give him a tummy ache. oh well back to the drawing board.

I have used the calcium ,magnesium ,zinc with my boys and it worked okay. We did see a difference and I should have given it to then 2-3 times a day but I went to meds. The doc said to space out vitamin and meds so the body could absorb the meds first. I also know the B-complex 100 works great.

Welcome, and I can relate to your confusion about where to begin. Maybe you've always known your son was a little "different" from other children and now a label's been put on it, but he's still the same boy and just needs a little help in a couple areas. and if your toying w/ the idea of homeschooling - many of us heartily endorse it.

1st - the best possible thing you could have done was find this support group. It has truly been a lifesaver for me and others. This is a panel of "experts" unmatched anywhere else - w/ advice, sympathy, support, suggestions, recommendations and a marvelous bunch of PRAYER WARRIORS to boot! Can't beat it. Also - a variety of approaches are used here - so you can learn about different things everyone has done in their families - what has worked for them - what didn't work so well, what was a disaster. (We're into the natural, vits, herbs, whole foods route.) And just a thought, but the series of behaviors that are pervasive enough to warrent medical/psych intervention: ie. ADD, ADHD, Autism, Bi-Polar, OCD, ODD, etc. seem to be differing manifestations of the same problem: bio- chemical imbalance in the brain. As each body is unique, the imbalances manifest as differing "disorders" - so I'm not big on labels except as a tool to guide you in the right direction for help. When you do your own research - I guess all of us do - look at all of the "brain chemistry" family of disorders - you'll get a broader scope of studies, tests, results, what works, etc. to draw from to find help for your family.

Okay. Let me urge you to start with diet. Try identifying and eliminating offending foods: eliminate "junk" foods, all dyes, preservatives, chemicals, and sugary foods and drinks. Some people see remarkable improvement w/ just this step. Substiture molasses, honey and succanat for sweeteners. Limit fruits.

Next: look for food and environmental allergans. - Do certain places set him off? Is he extra wild after being in the basement? (mold) Does he go ballistic after Sunday School (where red punch was served) or have a tantrum every day at 3:30? (low blood sugar) IF you start looking for patterns you can identify them. (Our worst triggers: ORANGES, strawberries, watermelon, corn, mold, dyes (my kids lose bladder control when they get dyes) preservatives, all fruit juices - too much sugar)

Next: Try basic vitamin supplements - Multi Vitamin, B-100 Complex, B-6, Multi minerals -(esp Calcium. magnesium & zinc) then the possiblities are limitless: since he's a boy - an EFA - they seem to need it- maybe Evening Primrose, Also: B-12 w/ Folic Acid, GABA, Grapeseed Extract, St John/s Wort, someone knows about something called Mannatech that has been beneficial for some kids. Pycnogenol, Chamomile, Stramonium, Pulsatilla, Kali Phos., and Calc. Phos., Mag. Phos. - truly an endless list.

I tend to do nutrition research and a couple of great books I use all the time are Prescription for Nutritional Healing by James Balch, MD. and Is this your Child? by Doris Rapp - about food and environmental allergans. (I also love Between Heaven and Earth about Chinese medicine - where BALANCE is stressed.

ON ADD - The one I most remember as being practical, and uplifting was Driven to Distraction by Hallowell? - can't remember authors name.

My son has been taking two PediActive ADD in the morning, and 2 Effalax in the morning and evening. This is our first time to try anything at all to help him with ADD. He says he has not noticed a difference, but I have. For one thing, he did not have after school detention week before last or so far this week. Last week was the all-week field trips. I went with him on the field trips and he acted perfect the whole time (a major, collasal miracle). We only had a problem the day of bowling. He was getting low scores. He always gets a real attitude when he's losing and is getting embarassed. We were bowling with one of his friend's and the dad. The friend was doing as bad as _____. So the dad showed them both how to hold the ball, walk, etc. (stuff he wouldn't listen to mom about). He went from wanting mom to bowl his next game, to wanting to bowl and enjoying it (and doing better.) The highlight was when he was asking what strikes and spares meant to your score. After I explained he decided he needed to get a strike on the next frame: AND DID!!! He almost knocked me over he was so happy!!

Anyway, we have had success with the PediActive ADD and Effalax. He's only been on it 4 weeks and that is usually not enough time for herbals to work but I have noticed a major difference.

We continue to try beCALM'd, and it seems to be working for both Annette and myself. I'm really hoping the seratonin levels will improve enough so that we can get over the bedwetting as well:). We are also trying phytochemicals, and are looking into a product called Ambrotose.

It seems to me that our family is coming into this ADHD thing from two different angles. I struggled with alcoholism as a teenager, so I do think that genetically I am predisposed to ADHD. But as a result of the drinking problem, I also brought on more problems. I think that my daughter might be predisposed as well, but she also was on many rounds of antibiotics as a youngster. I definitely see where this is probably part of the picture.

We are taking acidopholus type products to try to restore the natural bacteria that has been taken away, we are taking the beCALM'd and the phytochemicals to try to restore the brain and the body cells to where they should be.

We are pursuing the Ambrotose for the same reason. I have just listened to a tape about the Ambrotose and am excited about the concept. I have also read a journal article about its success in treating ADD/ADHD patients. From what I have been learning, it seems that ADD/ADHD is not actually a disorder in itself, but the body's response to imbalances within the system. We are in the process of trying to get everything back in balance. And then we are working at fixing the behavior habits we have learned as the result of having these imbalances.

I looked up DMAE in the book I mentioned last week Natural Treatment for ADD and Hyperactivity, by Skye Weintraub, ISBN 1-885670-36-2

It is a naturally occurring substance which is used as a stimulant, and apparently doesn't have the stimulant side effects of caffeine and other stimulant drugs -- that "drugged" feeling or letdown afterwards. Precautions are related to getting the correct dosage, as overuse or dosages that are to high can produce " insomnia, dull headaches and muscles tenseness". (P273) These problems disappear with the correct dosage. It is not to be used by anyone with a bipolar disorder, as it can increase symptoms of depression.

Dosage: start low and build up gradually to 500 to 1000mg/day. Effects build up over time, and it may take as long as 3 weeks to take effect. With some people lower doses are effective. If using liquid form needs to be catp tightly sealed and in refrigerator.

The book lists 14 names that the product is marketed under. This type of product has been called a smart durg and "works by accelerating the brain's synthesis of the neurotransmitter anthropoid that plays a key role in maximizing mental ability". (P274)

Sometimes I have seen ADD/ADHD classified as to the impulse control difficult type---which seems to run with depression, and the space cadet type, which includes lots of distractibility. It sounds like DMAE, might work with the space cadet type. I have one son in each of these categories, and have found more success with diet and supplements with the one that has impulse control difficulties. I may consider the DMAE with my son that is highly distractible.