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[RiahBubbaPooh]

Hi all! I was kind of looking for a place to introduce myself.

I'm a homeschool mom to three kids (two ADHD, one ADD) and my dh also has ADHD.

We use the Feingold Diet (for 6 years now) and are now embarking on adding in homeopathic treatment. My 9 yo ds is the one who we first noticed a problem with. By the time he was three, we couldn't control him any longer. Now he is 9, and distractibility and inattentiveness is more of a problem. Getting school done is like pulling teeth.

Meanwhile, my 6yo dd is becoming more hyper by the moment, driving the whole family loony. You just never know what to expect from her, and most likely something will be broken/destroyed. She's also the one who keeps landing in the hospital due to her impulsiveness.

Glad you have found you all, looking forward to getting to know you.

RiahBubbaPooh<><

[specialone]

Hi All, my daughter is 11 years old, I have just been told she has ADHD, my doctor wants her to start on ritalin, I really dont know what to do for the best, her dad will does not believe there is anything wrong with her(we have been split up for 8yrs) he thinks its the way i have fetched her up. Does everyone feel like this when they have to decide to go on med's or not.

[Bigmomma2jhs]

Thanks Veronika! Maybe I can give a bit of info, just to help ease my mind. He just turned 3 on Halloween. He's never slept through the night, constantly moving, (even if we are lucky to get him to sleep). He only began to speak a little at 21/2, does not take rules without a fight. He does actually hit and TEMPER tantrums are heard miles down the street!! He's aggressive and demanding. Disipline is a major battle. The doctor's office knows when he's to come in, there's going to be screaming and total caos! He hates doctors. Never had a bad experience with one either. He wants someone to be in site at all times. He disrupts this family daily and it's the same day after day! Maybe I will have him evaluated!!! Thanks Again!!

[catatonic]

While 3 years old is not too young to evaluate, it is certainly too young to medicate. There are no ADHD medications that have been approved for use in children under the age of 6. Safety in young children has not been evaluated.

There are, however, a number of treatments that do not involve medication that could be very successful.

A good psychologist can help your child with impulse control issues and you with new parenting styles to help with the behavioral problems. (This does NOT mean that ADHD is due to poor parenting, merely that a change in method can benefit everyone.)

A nutritionist can recommend dietary modifications that will help behavior. Top among these recommendations are low sugar-high protein diets, more frequent meals (to reduce blood-sugar fluctuations), use of an elimination diet such as the Feingold Diet (which we use with wonderful results), and testing for food allergy.

Dietary supplements (i.e. Omega-3 and vitamins) are also effective. (In fact, according to a recent Harvard Med School study, they are as effective as Ritalin.)

Before doing anything else, however, INSIST that your pediatrician perform a thorough physical and neurological evaluation. Behavioral checklists are not enough.

You need a comprehensive blood work-up which includes screening for lead and other heavy metal toxicity, a thyroid panel that asseses both TSH level and free T3 level, CBC to determine if there is anemia, blood glucose levels and tests for mineral deficiency (particularly magnesium). You will probably have to request these tests, you may even have to insist. DO IT! If there are symptoms present such as severe headaches or anything else that might suggest neurological involvement, an MRI or CT scan should be performed.

This is basic to the practice of good medicine, but many pediatricians simply ignore such precautions in their haste to apply the ADHD diagnosis. And while all these tests may come up negative, there is still no excuse for failing to perform them.

[bearnation12]

ty all iam going to call dr tomm. i hope they can try something different because he is on the lowest dose of concerta that they make.

[Bigmomma2jhs]

We have an appointment now for a complete physical exam. We do know ds has anemia along with certain allergies, no lead toxins and the ped still insists on ADHD! Until further testing and evaluations done by specailist, (neurological for one) we will wait. We have begun the Feingold Diet and some dietary supplements. Of course we all know it doesn't work over-night..wishful thinking.
Will let you all know of the results!! I'm thankful for this forum!!!