No drugs in the future: Hello everyone... - CHADD's ADHD Pare...

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No drugs in the future

Embroidery77 profile image
18 Replies

Hello everyone! I just wonder is there a possibility to stop taking any drugs for adhd in the future? Is there a possibility to get rid of major symptoms? Sometimes it’s hard to think that my boy might have to take drugs all his life. Thank you in advance

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Embroidery77 profile image
Embroidery77
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18 Replies
Onthemove1971 profile image
Onthemove1971

We are all concerned about our children and their future. Children with ADHD as they mature they learn to better cope with the symptoms of having ADHD.

Our son Pediatrician told us this is a life long condition.

I support our son with a healthy life and if medications helps him, then he will take them. We want him to function the best he can.

Same with a child that needs glasses, they will always need them to see the best they can.

Good luck.

eaw49 profile image
eaw49

Hi, I have mostly had the experience of my daughter not willing to take meds and still struggling to successfully function at almost 30. I am hopeful with things like cognitive behavioral therapy that a future without meds is on the horizon. Unfortunately, not being able to function means she hasn’t been able to keep a steady job to get good medical benefits that might help pay for those therapies. It’s a frustrating cycle. Hopefully, those therapies become available for children before kids age out of their parents insurance.

Maryca1974 profile image
Maryca1974

I too feel uncomfortable about having my son take meds his whole life. But there’s plenty of studies on how teens and young adults who self-medicate with alcohol and drugs in an attempt to feel something different. I’d rather the drugs be monitored on the street so he doesn’t have to seek relief elsewhere. I don’t have any answers about the future, I just know what’s getting us through today.

anirush profile image
anirush

My 36 year old daughter has not taken medicine for years and has a successful career. It would really help if she was on something for anxiety, she gets herself so worked up at times. I have another daughter who has to stay on antidepressants. She is not happy about it but had major problems when she tries to go off them. Successfully raising 2 girls ,though, and has a good job.

Embroidery77 profile image
Embroidery77 in reply to anirush

It gives a hope. Thank you

JupitersMuse profile image
JupitersMuse

There is a theory that ADD is a low level depression. Our MD has had success with some cases treating ADD with Wellbutrin.

Onthemove1971 profile image
Onthemove1971 in reply to JupitersMuse

Do you have any medical resources for this? I would love to see proof of this. Thanks for sharing.

JupitersMuse profile image
JupitersMuse

Just heard from her directly

JupitersMuse profile image
JupitersMuse

But I just did a quick search of "wellbutrin" & ADHD in google scholar and there seems to be a lot there

Lovelanguage profile image
Lovelanguage

Absolutely.

My 12 year old son has been taking vyvanse for 5 years. He quit taking his prescription 3 weeks ago.

Does he still have adhd and dyslexia? Yes.

Will he need to take medication again in the future? Maybe,

As a side note, If there is anything I have learned from this journey it’s to stop having negative thoughts about my sons future. Jail? Car accident? Pregnant girlfriend? Drug addict? No friendships? Failing school? Living at home with mom and dad forever?

The way I’ve coped and controlled my thoughts is to actually accept these things could happen. If they do, he and I will still be okay. This simple exercise puts me back in the ‘present’ where I then have energy to study and apply those things that are helping my son progress and moving in the right direction instead of being emotionally drained due to my fearful thoughts.

I love the parents on this site. We all have different experiences which creates so much useful information we can share.

Maryca1974 profile image
Maryca1974 in reply to Lovelanguage

Your “side note” meant a lot to me - we go a lot of worrying about our son instead of enjoying the moments of calm and connectedness. thank you!

Lovelanguage profile image
Lovelanguage

To answer the second part of your question, “Is there a possibility of getting rid of major symptoms?”.

Absolutely😄

Many times I’ve tried a day or two without his meds and it was not a good outcome. I only took my son off medication because the other methods I am using are working to control his symptoms now in a big way. I have cleaned up his gut and diet. I am Flooding his body with micronutrients, vitamins, raw food, bee pollen, cauliflower pizza, coconut oil, coconut milk, fresh berries, fish oil, lots of water. I do not believe I would have had the energy to go this route until it got so bad it was my only option left😂. To go back even further, I was not even planning on taking him off his meds when I got serious about doing this. I was simply looking for a way to cope with his behavior issues before and after he took his meds.

Keep seeking information it’s all around us which is the gift of the internet. When you turn over a stone and find nothing…turn over another stone. Celebrate the tiny successes. 😀

Ukulelemama profile image
Ukulelemama in reply to Lovelanguage

Hi Lovelanguage, I find your posts very interesting. Thanks for sharing with us newbies. I have started changing my adhd child's diet too, mainly trying to eliminate processed foods and sugar and have seen a bit of an improvement.

Lovelanguage profile image
Lovelanguage in reply to Ukulelemama

Good job mom👏 That is a lot of work and I hope you start seeing some results.

Truthfully what I have read across the site is mostly education support, parenting strategies, therapy, and meds. All great things but I’ve yet to see any real proof that fixing the gut also fixes the brain. It’s not as widely talked about.

After leaving my doctors office and rejecting the 2 additional meds for self-regulation and sleep. knew I had to turn elsewhere. My son was thin due to his meds, he lives on crap food and his nervous system was fryed.

I went with a functional medicine doctor who tested his hair and told me his gut was leaking a cytocynes (bad protein) to his brain and he had imimflamation in his brain. I was so desperate I followed what she told me to do and now she’s like an angel to me because my son sleeps, has manners, does nompreferred tasks, his eyes don’t clitch around anymore, he doesn’t have emotional meltdown. My older son said “mom, we need to check for aliens, someone kidnapped Cruz and brought a copycat back to live with us. 😄. I honestly don’t know if this would work for everyone but it’s been 5 months since I’ve been doing this and the vyvanse was not working for his new brain so we keep filling his vyvanse in case we need it again. But I don’t think we will. Hes doing better without it👏

Sorry for the long reply but I’m going to share what happened for us because it’s my duty. Much love to you, all the little things you do will surely add up😀

Lovelanguage profile image
Lovelanguage in reply to Lovelanguage

I don’t want to mislead people and thinking adhd can be cured.

I would start by asking the question, does my son have adhd or brain inflammation?

I believe he has both. I believe the adhd brain in general is very susceptible to having some brain deficiencies.

In the book ‘Finally Focuses, by James Greenblatt’, which I would highly recommend, he covers how adhd brain waves are different, how neurotransmitters communicate, what nutrients seem to be missing, and how medications work. Really helped me realize how important nutrition is.

I do what works. What works today might not work tomorrow. Then I’ll look for more answer😂

BStron profile image
BStron in reply to Lovelanguage

Hello,

how is the diet based approach going? Can you please elaborate on how you introduced micronutrients and cleaned your son's gut? i have never heard about the hair test and what did you have to do to reduce brain inflammation.

thank you !!

HoldingonLou profile image
HoldingonLou

My son has add and adderall helped him. He is now an adult and does not want to take the adderall anymore. It did bother his stomach. I can tell he needs the adderall because his focus is not as on point without it. I worry about his work life. His dad has adhd and just self treats with caffeine. My cousin with adhd is an adult as well and he grew up when meds for adhd were not available. My grandmother raised him to get up in the morning and go for a run and have a big breakfast before school. We believe this is how he was so successful. He still attempts to do this but on cold mornings it's coffee with breakfast. He always played sports and stayed active. A healthy diet and good vitamins is also what he recommends.

Betty416 profile image
Betty416

Thank you for posting, as this was one of my biggest worries when my daughter was recently put on what I consider a high dose of adderal. As her physiatrist explained, their brains are not fully developed yet and the medication will actually allow her to learn coping skills. Although she will always have ADHD, she may get to a point as an adult where she doesn’t need as much or at all. But, he said not to focus on that because you don’t know how it will affect her and my worry over it might roll onto her and make her not want to take them. Sorry. I know this is late reply but I just joined and going through old posts :)

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