natural supplements for ADD

freidasima

Sat, May 15 2010, 2:41 pm

I have a friend whose 18 year old son has been diagnosed with ADD. He refuses to take Ritalin but as I only know pharmaceutical and chemical solutions I promised her I would look into natural ones as her son refuses to take Ritalin for his attention deficiency issues.

Any suggestions? They eat healthy, she is a vegetarian, and is very into health. The young man in questions is extremely intelligent, has been diagnosed with a form of dyslexia and attention deficiency issues.

Any natural supplements or suggestions instead of Ritalin and its derivatives would be appreciated and I will pass them on to her.

TIA

bluebird

Sun, May 16 2010, 1:00 am

I have looked and never found anything. I'm fairly crunchy, but I still want some evidence behind natural cures. Haven't found anything like that for ADD.

The two things that might help are coffee (a stimulant, provided it's kept to a minimum and he's not already hyperactive) and behavioral modification therapy to help build skills to cope with ADD, such as time management, keeping todo lists, etc. The best coping skill I have I actually learned from Marina in a non-ADD-related parenting thread: using a timer to help me concentrate for a period of time (I believe she recommended it for kids doing homework or chores).

freidasima

Mon, May 17 2010, 6:07 am

Thanks, I'll pass it on. He won't touch coffee, he's a "naturalist" kid like his mother my friend who is a vegetarian, but the timer idea sounds good!

ora_43

Mon, May 17 2010, 9:05 am

Regular exercise and meditation might help.

In addition, he should look for courses or jobs that work for him. For example, it might help to take an intense 6-week course over a regular semester-long class. Or to take self-study courses. Or get a tutor and work one on one.

And tell him to make full use of modern technology - cell phone alarms, online calenders, etc. There's no need for ADD memory issues to be a problem these days. If he goes to university, his professors may also let him record the class so he can review it later and get the parts he spaced the first time around.

MrsDash

Mon, May 17 2010, 9:34 am

Ritalin isn't the best medication for adult ADD/ADHD. If he were to take any medication, Adderall XR is usually recommended.

I too have suffered from ADD for quite some time, and I don't like the idea of prescribed medications as well. A few things have worked for me.

1. Seeing a therapist
2. Staying away from too much sugar (and bad foods)
3. Staying away from high amounts of caffeine - especially energy drinks and coffee
4. Cardiovascular activity most days of the week
5. Strength training a few days a week
6. Giving myself small goals to work with every day
7. Making myself a schedule
8. Giving myself incentives for when I accomplish various things
9. Taking a Multi Vitamin

If you need any other info on this topic, let me know. Hope everything works out!

tikva18

Wed, Mar 09 2011, 10:45 pm

First thing is looking into how he feels after he eats certain foods. He should then try removing the offending ones from his diet and see how he feels without them. It can take up to 6wks to see a difference. Then I'd look into brain support: getting vitamin D3 levels checked (around 80-100 is more optimal), a good B complex, good quality fish oil (omega 3s), maybe extra choline and inositol for extra brain support. I'm sure there are more, but it's late.

amother

Sun, May 08 2011, 8:44 pm

My son has suffered from ADD since he was six years old. We tried everything - diets, ritalin, behavior therapy, counseling, etc. He was also receiving occupational therapy and has been since he was 3. When he was nine, we started seeing an occupational therapist named Amy Guttmann out in Manhattan Beach. She was amazing and very disciplined in treating him; she provided him with a home program for himself with movements and guided me with nutritional choices/timing that have really helped him. He is now eleven and his Ritalin dosage has gone down; she did wonders. You might consider an occupational therapist whom specializes in ADD.

Good luck to you.