Treatment Question

[jaimene]

Hi. I am new to the group. My third grader was recently diagnosed and my husband and I are trying to decide about medication. I am at a loss as to whether or not I should start with diet change first. A friend also suggested trying essential oils? Has anyone had any success with either of these approaches?

[anirush]

Nothing but medication has worked for us.

[kand2010]

I agree. Medication is the most effective treatment. You could try Strattera which is a non-stimulant. I’m a 44 year old woman who was diagnosed with ADD in my mid-twenties . I am convinced exercise and participation in sports is what helped me get through school and college. It was definitely a struggle and I had to work twice as hard as my peers, but I graduated from college. With that said, medication turned the lights on for me and cleared the fog from my brain. I often wonder how different school would have been for me if I was diagnosed as a child or teen. Unfortunately, during my school years, there was not much known about Adhd. Boys were diagnosed more than girls. Remember, if you take the medication route, there could be a period of trial and error until the proper dose or type of medication is reached. Let me know how things are going and what you decide.

[BlueAndGoldWarrior]

Absolutely try with exercise and diet first!!! They are Super important! Also keep a journal of exercise and diet.

If that doesn't work ENOUGH (because it will help a lot) only when the worse part of not being medicated (very low grades, very bad social behavior, zero friends) becomes worse than the side effects of ANY medication (each is different but, for stimulants are loss of appetite, imsomnia, (then sleepy at school), slowing of growth and anxiety), THEN start with drugs.

We, as parents, have to choose the lesser evil. In my case, I decided to sail the early years without drugs and started when he was 10/11.

[kand2010 in reply to BlueAndGoldWarrior]

Great thoughts! Very true. The reason I started medication at age 27 was because I had used up my coping mechanisms. I guess 20 some odd years of natural coping mechanisms became difficult when I entered the adult world of working full time and marriage.

[seller]

Please do some research on ADHD. Although a good diet and exercise are important factors, neither of them will treat the underlying neurological disorder. Medication will definitely help and you should find one that works for your son. If he is struggling in school now, he will struggle more as he gets older and school becomes more difficult. Finding the right medication and the right dose can take some time, but the end result will be well worth it. if your son had hypertension or diabetes, you would not deny him medication, would you?

[sherri622]

There are positives and negatives on both sides of the fence . I am an ER nurse and have been in medicine 23 years. My view comes from my medical background and being a mom of a 14 yr old with ADHD. Medications are a band aid . Learning coping skills, exercise, proper diet and emotional support are vitally important. If you needed to lose weight you would not just take a diet pill to be successful. A multi-faceted approach is a must. ADHD is not diabetes or hypertension ,while left untreated you would die. In the past , my son had terrible reactions from several ADHD meds (wanting to commit suicide at 6, sleeplessness and severe irritability once meds wore off) and at this time is not medicated. The road has not been easy but, will be worth it eventually. I have discussed medications with him and I am willing to revisit at any given time per his request as I am not opposed . I am grateful he has learned to manage without meds . Good Luck!

[siebgal]

Hi! My son takes medication, but before we did this we made sure to make diet changes, educate him about making good choices and why (though he and I still but heads on candy and sports drinks) and we make sure he gets exercise as much as possible. Without these, the meds are less effective. I've given him essential oils and while I don't think it made a major difference I think it helps to ground him while he's at school. It's a blend of vetiver, lavendar, cedarwood and frankincense. We didn't see improvement until he started the non-stimulant medication but we aren't suffering through the side effects we were nervous about either.

[stw298s in reply to siebgal]

Which no stimulant is he taking? My son has tried both straterra and intuniv but unfortunately had negative side effects.