ADHD THERAPY
*Please note that the following is a result of several years of my own research and personal experience. I am NOT a doctor, I’m just a mom sharing what I have discovered.
I know there is a HUGE debate as to whether or not ADHD really does exist. While I will agree that there is little grace in both the medical (and sadly Christian as well) communities on this topic, here is my opinion:
1. ADHD does exist. In it’s truest form, it is known as a deficiency in the neurotransmitter Dopamine. Stimulant Drugs such as Ritalin, Strattera, etc.. can increase dopamine. So can Phenylalanine which is in many “energy” drinks. Our family’s favorite is “Spark” by a direct sales company called “Advocare”. It has phenylalanie, multiple vitamins, B vitamins and caffeine. If you are curious if your child has ADHD, this could be a route you might want to investigate, but not before you know about the following.
2. Other issues that LOOK like ADHD, complete with it’s agitation and anxiety could be a variety of factors such as allergies (IgE) or intolerances (IgG). Also, many, many people find they cannot tolerate something as simple as…artificial food dye! If anyone came to me and said their child or themselves were having serious trouble focusing or just getting along in a structured environment, I would ask what their diet is.
3. While I’m talking about non-food stuff that’s in our food, I’d like to talk about the following BHT, BHA, & TBHQ. My family does not have a problem with the last one, but the others are pure emotional train wreck for us! The only way to find out is to eliminate it for a minimum of a month, then to reintroduce it to see how everyone feels.
4. After all the junk (especially food dye) has been eliminated, if the results are still not ideal, I would try supplementation. Two major factors which can help are magnesium and zinc. Just a note about magnesium: you can’t OD on it. As soon as stools are extremely loose, back off of it, and that’s about it. The thing to know about Zinc is that it can give you a serious tummy ache. Metagenics makes a “Zinc Drink” which is pretty effective. If you don’t have enough Zinc, it tastes like nothing. If you have plenty, it tastes awful! We knew my son didn’t have enough because the rest of us couldn’t stand the stuff and he had NO problem with it (when he was very particular about anything else that went in his mouth).
5. Another MAJOR wonderful supplement is the Omegas! Omega 3 gets ME through the day without severe agitation. Many nutritionists who want you to pay for their program will tell you to seriously UP your Omega’s. For my daughter, we’ve added Evening Primrose Oil to help her with puberty, but that’s another story.
6. After you’ve done all this, if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on an ADHD specialist doctor (we used Dr. Mary Ann Block out of Dallas and were VERY pleased with her!) try going completely casein (that is the Dairy PROTEIN) and gluten free. I’ll have more on this later. Note: if casein and/or gluten are a problem, the casein takes about two weeks to “get out” of the system and there will be a withdrawl. It can take as much as six months for gluten to leave the body; sometimes longer.
So, my own personal summary about ADHD, first (to introduce a topic in the summary…oops) feel free to investigate ALL autism nutritional and therapeutic information. Much of it would be beneficial. Please remember the following: 1. Remove ALL artificial food dye, this will be in the ingredients at the end and will look like FD&C [color] #1 (or some other number). Please remember to do this with MEDICINE as well. We insist on only food dye free prescriptions and OTC medicines. They are available now. 2. Eliminate some of those nasty preservatives. BHT, BHA, TBHQ to see which might be triggers. 3. Try something to stimulate Dopamine if focus is an issue. 4. If the issue is agitation, try magnesium and/or zinc. 5. Add omega’s (for kids, Nordic Naturals makes a ‘strawberry burst’ fish oil my kids LOVE) Omegas are also great for heart health and brain function. 6. Try eliminating casein and gluten OR go to an allergist.
If you are wondering, our own son is on a gfcf diet http://www.gfcfdiet.com/, he is a diagnosed celiac as well (that took a long time). He also avoids oranges due to IgG testing. No one in my house except my dh has any artificial food dye. My son also cannot have chocolate because he is on the medicine Clonidine. (which lowers both blood pressure AND dopamine – he is autistic, not adhd). We are under the care of a dietitian. After very careful and thorough evaluation by our neurologist, he is also on a number of medicines which truly help him to have the tools to function as a happy child.
My daughter is casein free due to the same testing. She can have spark, but my son cannot. She and I both react terribly to artificial food dye with only a few exceptions.
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