Diet Tips for ADHD child

[Mbuth16]

I'm just starting my journey with diet and ADHD for my almost 6yr old son. He's currently on Risperidone and Dexedrine but i'm not convinced they're doing much for him. I'd really like to explore holistic options at this point and ask about diet tips parents have used when trying to combat ADHD symptoms through food/supplements?

[rn_mom_mc]

The biggest thing that changed our lives was eliminating number dyes and we try to avoid BHT when we can. I eliminated them all when my ADHD son was 6 before we went to meds and we almost did not have to medicate! It made that much of a difference. There are lots of reasonable swaps and my son now realizes how bad they make him feel when he eats them and avoids it. In him, they cause emotional dysregulation, tantrums, aggression, emotional lability. It is the first easiest thing to cut out that really really helped us! Also, magnesium supplementation is a must. Filling nutritional gaps with a vitamin is important.

[Tiredmom23 in reply to rn_mom_mc]

what is BHT?

[MarchMommy in reply to rn_mom_mc]

I'm curious how you even cut out food dyes at all. Is it in everything?

[ECJH2022]

Hi! 👋🏼 We eliminated all dyes, all dairy (including eggs), processed oils and avoid gluten and sugar as much as possible. We also ramped up protein and hydration. Those things alone help tremendously. We also give him a multi with inositol and fish oil, a magnesium supplement, probiotic (because constipation prevents absorption of nutrients) and 1g melatonin when his sleeping is off. We make sure he “sweats” once a day - exercise is crucial - and no more than 30mins of screens during the week, 2hrs a day on weekends. Figuring this out took a long time and a lot of work but we prevented meds due to these changes. I am also sure there will come a point where meds are a must but for now this is manageable and seems to help significantly. Good luck to you momma! It’s a journey but with support you will figure it out and it will be okay, one step at a time. This community is a wonderful resource! Very supportive!! 🤗

[Ambitiousmom in reply to ECJH2022]

Hi, does the multivitamin contain inositol and fish oil or are those given separately, in addition to the multivitamin?

[Mbuth16 in reply to Ambitiousmom]

I found a multi that includes Omega 3's and fish oil, hopefully they taste good!!

[Tiredofarguing in reply to Mbuth16]

Interested in the product name of this vitamin and where you bought it. Thanks

[marinecyan]

You’ve got some great advice here! My son wasn’t diagnosed until age 9 and he tested negative for food allergies but we do limit dyes and dairy while also emphasizing protein and fresh fruits & veggies for antioxidants.

My son takes a number of supplements that have helped him including Omega-3s, zinc, magnesium (for sleep), a multivitamin with methylated folate. I used the book Finally Focused by James Greenblatt as our guide - I highly recommend it. Greenblatt also has a website with lots of information.

It’s definitely a journey figuring out what helps. Thankfully with a nutritional approach you are improve your son’s health if nothing else. Wishing you the best!

[Uptowngirl12121]

Hi - I cook from scratch whenever I can. We avoid trans fats, added sugars, fake sweeteners, artifical dyes, preservatives, and MSG. You may also want to try to avoid gluten or diary if your child might be sensitive to these. You can test it by taking it out of the diet for at least a month and see if there are any improvements. Good luck.

[Onthemove1971]

Our son was tried on some special diet ( under a doctors care) for 6 weeks where we removed all processed food and only fed him meat, real block cheese and no dairy and he got so sick we had to slowly reintroduce dairy and we started with whole fat yogurt. We also tried a number of supplements and these didn't help us. For us dyes have not made any different, his behavior has not changed. Maybe because he takes medication to help reduce behaviors that are unwanted.

The only thing that has helped and suggested by every specialist we saw was: therapy (we did this together when he was young), medication and an educational plan. In addition we have needed to modify parenting. In high school, we have needed tutors to help with reviewing the material covered in school and assist with projects/assignments. He just finished his junior year and this is the first year he has been successful in turning in all assignments without supervision. This does not mean he did not get F's on tests and assignments. We have many conversations about effort to convince him he can get A's., we know he can get A's.

Lastly, I need to say how much support all of the members of this group have helped me. When I had/have low days and needed a boost, I could post about my real struggles and there was always someone to give me a pat on the back and gave me the energy to continue this rocky road. I hope we can do this for other members because there are so many issues that come up that we struggle with.

[Knitting20projects]

Does he have an additional diagnosis? Asking not to be nosy but because risperidone is not an ADHD treatment. If you know his other diagnosis maybe others will have additional suggestions that have helped?

[Knitting20projects]

My only other advice: if you want to try diet changes, or other lifestyle changes, be kind to yourself if they become unsustainable. I have 2 kids with autism & chose not to try gluten or casein free diets even for a short trial because I knew that, for our family, we would be too stressed out adhering to that diet. Definitely if dietary changes you are interested in aren’t harmful and sound doable, go for it. Just be nice to yourself if you find that, in addition to the very hard job of parenting a child with ADHD & maybe additional challenges, sticking to a special diet is too much.