|
|
Post by crillmom on Jan 13, 2004 14:50:32 GMT -5
who do you guys go to for advice on natural alternatives? Is it a nutritionist a dietician or your Md? I am looking to work with someone in my area to develop some plan for my son. I don't even know where to begin. I want a person who can tell me what is safe not safe, dosages and all that good stuff. Please let me know who you use. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kimmers on Jan 13, 2004 15:18:48 GMT -5
I don't know about anyone else but I have used the abundant knowledge, the extensive research, and the trials and errors of those who post here. People like Catatonic and Ohmama who have studied Natural Alternatives topic so rememarkably well give me a straightforward answer to any question I have ever had. Sometimes it is only an opinion, but it is almost always backed with some type of research if not from personal experience. I can't say my own MD could do this for us! I am not saying you should place your trust in those here as your only resource like we have, but I myself haven't felt prompted to search for help elsewhere thus far!
Kimmers
|
|
|
|
Post by babytay on Jan 13, 2004 15:46:54 GMT -5
I have to agree with Kimmers about Catatonic and Ohmama. They have given me all of the information I needed for natural alternatives. My MD couldnt help me at all with this. I havent had much luck with finding a doctor to help me with natural alternatives either. In the past I just post my questions about supplements and I get a response right away.
Good Luck
|
|
|
|
Post by crillmom on Jan 13, 2004 15:57:38 GMT -5
that is kind of what i thought. I am trying to find something to help my son not get "stuck" on things. He is taking ritilan for his adhd and a very small amount of lexepro, i would like to add omega 3 back into his diet, he was taking it at one point. Is it safe to mix with these meds. Also in an earlier post I discussed adding glutimine in which I never did. I would like to start. Does anyone know if this is safe with the meds. Thanks so much for all your help.
|
|
|
|
Post by DenverSarah on Jan 13, 2004 16:08:45 GMT -5
I got very lucky in that the first natural alternative that I stumbled upon after searching for days on the internet was the Feingold program. I'm not telling you that this is the be all end all...while it worked wonders for my then 5yo son, it doesn't produce the same results for everyone. However it is completely safe to try and much cheaper than anything else out there I've seen, most of which require traveling to a specialist who may or may not help and you won't know until you are 1000s of dollars poorer. To learn about the program go to www.feingold.org. It centers around nutrition, which both Cat and Oh Mama will tell you is the first place to start. One year later my son is in mainstream Kindergarten and doing great. He still is more challenging than most kids, but is within the "normal" range when it comes to social skills, learning abilities, sleep patterns etc. Also, you are at a great place right here in this forum...don't hesitate to post where you are now, what you are doing or are interested in and you will quickly receive good feedback. This forum is a great learning and teaching tool for all of us! |
|
|
|
Post by DenverSarah on Jan 13, 2004 16:39:52 GMT -5
Omegas are safe to try while using meds. If you have a doc who is open minded about natural dietetic means for treating symptoms, you should keep him/her posted about it, because it can affect the dosage needed of the meds. Sometimes people who add Omegas to their mix and notice a deterioration will mistakenly believe that the Omegas are causing a negative effect, while in fact what is happening is they are repairing the part of the brain that the meds are treating, so less meds are needed and the dose should be lowered. If your doc is on board it will certainly help when the time comes to dink with the dose. Omegas are a great place to start and have been shown to be EXTREMELY effective for ADHD kids. Us Americans should all be taking them really, I know I think more clearly when I stick to a regimen. They can take up to three months to start showing improvement, but also can show a difference in less than a week. My son, who had never been on meds, showed improvement within days. Just make sure you get a good product. There is another thread in this forum that goes into great detail about how to check for quality and good brands. We use Natural Factors Learing Factors, and while these are on the expesive side, they have worked so well for us that I am hesitant to change brands. Good luck!
|
|
|
|
Post by ohmama on Jan 13, 2004 20:05:57 GMT -5
that is kind of what i thought. I am trying to find something to help my son not get "stuck" on things. He is taking ritilan for his adhd and a very small amount of lexepro, i would like to add omega 3 back into his diet, he was taking it at one point. Is it safe to mix with these meds. Also in an earlier post I discussed adding glutimine in which I never did. I would like to start. Does anyone know if this is safe with the meds. Thanks so much for all your help. Crillmom, Yes it is safe to take the omega 3 with medication. Denver Sarah gives some excellent points about this. I would not advise taking the glutimine without checking with your pharmacist first to be on the safe side. Even if he says it's ok, don't give it at the same time as you give the meds. Wait at least an hour or more but be sure to check with one who is familiar with amino acids. Or at least one who will look it up for you before responding. Have him tell you why or why not. |
|
|
|
Post by catatonic on Jan 14, 2004 9:26:54 GMT -5
Crillmom, Nutritionally oriented doctors seem to be few and far between, which is why so many of us turn our children into living lab experiments! If you can find one, that is probably your best option. Since you also use medications, you'd probably want someone who is knowledgeable in both medical and alternative treatments. The following article offers advice on how to locate a nutritionally-trained physician, including contact phone numbers for a locator service. www.thenutritionreporter.com/nutrition_checkup.html The other option is self-education. I have found that one of the best general explanations of nutritional treatments, as well as other alternatives, can be found in "12 Effective Ways to Help Your ADD/ADHD Child" by Laura Stevens. I know you can order it through her website at users.nlci.com/nutrition/The Feingold diet is one of our cornerstones. While it worked miracles on my son, it didn't impact certain issues well enough, especially attentiveness, but without the diet, we'd be completely lost. There's lots of good information at the Feingold website www.feingold.orgOmega-3 supplements make a real difference to attentiveness and are safe with medication. The two best sources of information I've found on Omega-3 are OhMama and "The LCP Solution" by Jacqueline Stordy. Magnesium is also critical, also safe with meds, and you can take a look at www.mgwater.com for tons of research links on magnesium, or read "The Magnesium Factor" by Seelig and Rosanoff. For basic information on supplements or herbals, as well as possible interactions with medications, you can check at www.healthwell.com/healthnotes/healthnotes.cfm?ContentID=2462000 |
|
|
|
Post by swmom on Jan 14, 2004 9:34:22 GMT -5
Hope I'm not changing the direction of the thread but this does seem to be related. I am reading Dr. Stordy's book the The LCP Solution. Interesting stuff. She talks about how ADHD kids have trouble metabolizing fat
and thus, the essential fatty acids. What kind of doctor could test your child for a metabolic disorder?
|
|
lisle
Full Member
Posts: 142
|
Post by lisle on Jan 14, 2004 10:23:37 GMT -5
We eventually went to the Pfeiffer Treatment Center in Chicago. A warning: first visit is $1000. They are M.D's who also know about supplements. They've dealt over the 30 some yr with many kids who didn't respond to traditional treatments. Everything is natural but they do not object to meds with that if you get those from your own psychiatrist or other dr. I am impressed with the sincerity of these people. They have helped my son some, not enough, I have to say and we still are working to understand why. Haven't given up on them. They are a great resource at the very least. Read hriptc.org to get an idea what they do if you are interested.
lisle
|
|
|
|
Post by RiahBubbaPooh on Jan 14, 2004 14:08:46 GMT -5
Well, we stumbled onto Feingold first, which was a God-send.
From there I picked up Perscription for Nutritional Healing and Perscription for Herbal Healing. Incredibly informative books for life in general.
We found an MD who is not really up on natural treatments, but is willing to work with us rather than against us, which is a huge help.
We've been to Natropaths, and now are with a Homeopathic Dr., where we are getting good results.
It all depends on your philosophy and knowledge base. Personally, I like to gather knowledge, make my decision, and then find someone I agree with who can teach me what I don't know. You might be looking for someone you can just put all of your trust into.
I think most important is that you find someone you really mesh with. Talk to people (the Feingold board is a great place to ask questions and feel people out for which direction to go.)
It's a long road, but worth traveling.
|
|
