Any tips?

[Jalapenochips]

My 12 yr old daughter has adhd/dyslexia. She refuses to take meds and I was wondering if anyone has found natural supplements to help with the forgetfulness and focus needed for school/life?

[RCJH8610]

I am curious to know why she refuses? Has she said why she doesn’t want to take it?

[Jalapenochips in reply to RCJH8610]

She said they made her too serious to make friends and she wasn't her cheerful self. She also was sick and not hungry.

[RCJH8610 in reply to Jalapenochips]

😔 I can understand why at her age she doesn’t want to take them, especially if it was interfering with her social skills. One thing I would recommend is having her carry a daily planner to help her keep organized at school. Also creating lists and prioritizing what needs to get done first. Have you tried cognitive behavioral therapy? This can also be helpful for developing coping skills. Best wishes for you and your daughter ❤️

[foxygirl in reply to Jalapenochips]

have you tried cbd oil or gummies? my youngest has dmdd & cbd works great for him. we get it with no thc in it & we have kids in our school district that even have some in the nurses office

[Jalapenochips in reply to foxygirl]

Hi what is dmdd and No we ha tried any of that before. What are the gummy‘s called?

[Onthemove1971]

Often times when a child clearly understands the reason behind what a parent wants and they send them a clear message they want something, it also helps to give a reward after the medication is given. In our house not taking medication is not a choice and I think our son would fight to have his medication because he know how much it helps him.

When the medication is the correct type, dose and given at the correct time ( this takes a trial) it can really assist the child in being able to focus and complete work at school.

As far as the Dyslexia is concerns I would really recommend a 504 plan or IEP to assist her with many tools ( books in electronic format so they can be consumed with audio, extended time on tests, quiet testing area, computer for all written assignments, etc...) that can help her. These accommodation and modifications will follow her when she is done in school in a work or college environment if she needs them.

Hope this helps.

[Jalapenochips in reply to Onthemove1971]

Definitely sounds like the right things to do : ) we have Kaiser and they are not very helpful or in my opinion not staffed with the truely experienced adhd doctors. They didn't explain anything about the world of adhd, stimulant or non-stimulant. They gave her a psychologist that only worked on controlling her anger but nothing else. If you know a little about Kaiser they have general doctors that mostly practice preventitive care. We needed a CBT that knows what they're doing at least twice a week but Kaiser didn't offer that either. We tried 2 different medications. They made her sick, not hungry and more agitated/angry. She also said that they made her too serious and couldn't make friends at school. She couldn't be her cheerful self. I think we needed a different medical plan a long time ago but I didn't know which one would take care of most of her needs. she's on medi-cal and I don't think the type of doctor she needs for this is covered and I can't afford to pay for any extra. All the places and people our kids really need are too expensive for most of us. Longer story short, I didn't know what I was doing, no informed help from real experts and time and money very short. Things just never fell into place at the right time and now we're way behind everywhere. You did mention a few things that we should get added to her IEP asap and we are considering the medication again but she also doesn't want to swallow pills so that leaves us limited again. Ugh! Thanks for your help and Happy New Year to you!

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Jalapenochips]

We also have Kaiser..did you ask her psychologist for a psychiatrist? Ours was very skilled at determining the best medications ( and just to let you know we need 2 different types). In fact, our psychiatrist was such an advocate she wrote us a letter to advocate at school.

I would recommend even if you have to go to member services to get a psychiatrist to do so. They are the real magic. In my opinion you have not found the right combination of medication to help her.

I only listed a few tools to help with the 504 plan/IEP.

Do you know about bookshare, the membership if fee if your child has a 504 plan or IEP. It is a amazing library of electronic books. So she can order her books and listen while following the words on the electronic page.

It sounds like you have not found someone at school who is knowledgeable to help you. Sorry!

One last thing to think about, can you get her into something outside of school that she can really sucessed at? Art, dance, Tae Kwan Do.. anything to help boost her self-esteem. This is so important for her since it sounds like school is a struggle.

We are here for you when you need us.

Big hugs for your struggles.

Take care,

[willandgrace in reply to Jalapenochips]

My son (15) really pushes against taking meds for similar reasons. We have finally found one that works and has minimal side effects - Dyanavel. It is in liquid form so you can fool around with dosage until you get it right. He started at only 2 ml but recently admitted that he thinks he should try 2.5. His appetite is affected less by this medicine, and he is less grumpy too. I recommend you try this medicine for you daughter. It may not be so bad - I feel your pain because my son has always resisted the medicine, but he HAS to take it or else school is just a waste of time. He needs meds in order to focus at all! Good luck.

[Jalapenochips in reply to willandgrace]

Thank you I hope that medicine is covered on the formulary list at Kaiser 🙏🏼 We’re going to end up trying something thank you and prayers for your new year and your son!!!

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Jalapenochips]

I know all insurance plan is different at Kaiser, but all the many types have been covered for us. By the way depending on what you get you have to show your driver's license and you can not ( at least the controlled medication) mail order them. It is a process to get them every month, but once you get comfortable getting them it is not bad. We get ours every 3 months.

[Jalapenochips in reply to Onthemove1971]

By the way, what type of reward(s) did or do you use?

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Jalapenochips]

Anything sweet or video games. But our son already has to take other medications so he has no issue taking them without a reward.

In fact if he ever forgets his medication he usually calls me at work and ask me to bring it to school becuase he doesn't want to have a horriable day. I one day in years he forgot it one of his teachers called to complain about his behavior. Once I described he forgot his medication she said OHHH..

Our son is 13yrs. Old and on his way to high school next year.

Hope this helps.

Let me know if I can help in anyway.

[Cjkchamp]

Check into broad spectrum micronutrients. There are two companies, True Hope and Hardy Nutritionals. It's still a situation where she is taking pills, they just aren't "medications." I would recommend you look into them, but I think finding out the root of what is going on is what will help you in the end.

[Pennywink]

Everything Onthemove said is spot on! Finding a psychiatrist is probably the key here. If the medication was making her feel sick & not cheerful, sounds like it was possibly too high of a dose. Not hungry is a pretty common side effect, but there are ways to work around it.

Looking into school accommodations is also a great suggestion.

As far as supplements - there isn’t much data to support them, however some members have found success. Most studies (including a recent one on Omega 3s) seem to indicate that if there is a nutrient deficiency, then that type of supplement will help. Otherwise, not much improvement is seen - and some members have reported negative side effects from too much of that nutrient in their child’s body.

As far as learning about ADHD, I find “All About ADHD” by Thomas Phelan a great starting point. I’m also a fan of Russel Barkley.

But at our house too, taking medication isn’t an option - and my son has had times he definitely doesn’t want to take it. But I watch him swallow it everyday.

Best of luck!

[Hidden]

I second what a lot of others suggested... get a good psychiatrist on board. I would be lost without the expertise and advice of our psychiatrist! Our psychiatrist is all for natural supplements and then meds if needed. As for the natural supplements, our ADHD children are on a whole regimen of supplements, the main ones are a broad spectrum micronutrient, magnesium w/gaba, omega 3 fish oil, and L-Theanine. One of our children can get by with just the supplements, but the other two need a very small dose of meds besides the supplements.

[Janice_H]

Hello, my son is 12 with ADHD. There is no such thing as refusal to take medication. Not taking it is not one of his options. He sometimes will say he doesn't want it, but I will stand in front of him until I am sure he has swallowed the medication. Without his medication he does not do well in school at all. At home it is chaotic. We cannot live peacefully in the same house when he is not on his medication.

Let your daughter's doctor know about the negative side effects. You can always request a change to a different medication. They all have various side effects but you may have to experiment to find the right combination for her. Good luck!

[willandgrace]

It’s expensive so I hope it’s covered. You can also get a coupon on their site. My pediatrician gave me one but you can print one out if you go their website. Good luck to you. I know it’s hard