Cindy,

Although there are lots of companies promising improvement of ADD symptoms, the only scientifically proven method is medication, along with education and structure. Personally, I am leery of wasting valuable time and money on methods that are not scientifcally researched and proven.

Why are you against the use of medication? If your child needed medication for asthma or diabetes, would you be against that medication? Ritalin is one of the most researched medications given to children and it has been around and in use for more than 50 years. It even has other benefits as well. Studies have shown that long term use of Ritalin has resulted in a decrease in drug abuse, auto accidents and cancer, particularly breast cancer.

My husband and both of my children have been diagnosed with ADD and are on medication. My husband was only recently diagnosed three years ago at the age of 45. He had grown up with the disorder and because it was never diagnosed or treated, he was told by parents, teachers and others that he was stupid, lazy and bad. He wonders how his life might have been different if he had been diagnosed and treated as a child.

The risks associated with not treating ADD are far greater than the side effects of the medication. 80% of those who grow up with untreated ADD will develop another psychological disorder, such as depression or anxiety. Many self medicate with alcohol, marijuana, cocaine or tobacco, as these substances can help to reduce some of the symptoms associated with ADD, but at a very steep price. Those with untreated ADD are also 9 times as likely to have an unintended pregnancy, have sex at an earlier age and use less protection than those who do not have ADD. Auto accidents and traffic tickets are more common among those with untreated ADD.

Educate yourself regarding ADD and learn about the medications. Ask your doctor questions. Speak to adults who are on medication for their ADD and ask them what difference medication makes for them.

Elaine

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Hi. ADDitude has got some great information about the benefits and risks of ADHD medications for children, plus various alternative therapies often used in conjunction with drugs...

Top 10 Questions About ADHD Medications... Answered: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1592.html

ADD Drugs or No Medication? http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/811.html

Critical Questions About ADHD Medications: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1656.html

Brain-Building Games for ADHD Children: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/3430.html

Fish Oil to the Rescue for ADHD Symptoms: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1684.html

ADHD Nutrition: Balanced Meals, Better Behavior: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/3295.html

Neurofeedback: Train Your ADHD Child's Brain: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/3330.html

Exercise: An Alternative ADHD Treatment: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/3280.html

Hope that helps!

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My son used Attend for about 3 months. It didn't do much to help him. He is 8 and was first diagnosed 3 years ago. He had a very bad experience with an medication in the first grade, losing 10 lbs, not sleeping, and being incredibly emotional. The new doctor he has now helped me see that medication is a process and you have to find the right one. He said that the previous side effects my son had had were unacceptable and the previous doctor should have listened to my concerns. Right now we are trying behavioral therapy and a 504 plan for school. I too am leery about medication even though his school is pushing for it. The statement about asthma or other illness is true. Would you have your daughter go without an inhaler if she had asthma. I think we need to let go of the negative stigma that comes along with adhd and adhd medications. We need to do whatever is best for our kids. Good luck with your daughter. My sons doctor recommended "Teaching the Tiger" and I have found it incredibly helpful.

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My daughter was just recently diagnosed. She tried Concerta and had a bad allergic reaction. It is making us leary about trying any other medicine. I've been trying to figure out what else to do to help her. We are scared for her to take another drug for her ADD. I understand where your coming from, Elaine, about the part of if she had diabetes or another disease. I would probably try her on medication, but if she had an allergic reaction, I'd also try something else. She had her reaction less than a month ago and wound up in the ER. The doctor didn't want to give her anything else until we saw him. We have an appointment coming up this next week. We've changed her diet, but haven't really tried anything else. If she goes back on another medicine, has anyone tried Strattera? Thanks.

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Like many of you I was hesitant on starting Kevin on medication but to your point if he had asthma, diabetes or any other disease state he would definitely be put on medication. We started off on Adderall XR but Kevin lost weight and we are now on Focalin XR and Kevin has gained 8 pounds since last October. Kevin is 13 years old and is small for his age and it has bothered him that everyone seems to be getting bigger and so this 8 pound weight gain has been very important not only physically but mentally as ell. We have not suffered any side effects and are very pleased with it. The two doctors that have seen Kevin both agree that Strattera is a waste of time and does not produce the results that are needed. I hope this helps.

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Cindy; My son is now 9 and has been taking Concerta for 2 years now. He's had the common side effects, not sleeping and barely eating. We're now finding he's a bit emmotional when the meds are wearing off in the evening. The sleep problem was much worse in the first week or so after he started on the medication, but has improved since, and he's now more times than not getting to sleep at a reasonable time for him. As far as eating goes, its hit and miss for lunch, most days he eats everything, some days not. We've pushed out family dinner time out a while 6:30 to 7, so he's feeling hungry and will sit still long enough to eat. The emmotional issues are farely new, so we haven't got a handle on them just yet. We still have a host of other ADD related issues we are dealing with that medication can't 'FIX', like self esteem and social skills. While the meds won't deal with those problems directly, they certainly help overcome some of the things that contribute to them. We lucked out having the first medication we tried work well for our son. We've had to increase his dosage a couple times, since we did the opposite of what some other people seem to do, starting with a high dosage and work down. Our son started with the lowest dosage, which eventually did little to help him. But, as many others will tell you, you may have to try something, then something else, and so on until you find what works best for your own kid. It will probably involve more than just medication. You might need to establish routines and modify family schedules, add in some counciling and of course education. Educate yourself and others that will need to invest in your daughter's future. We've never gone for any of the holistic treatments, but I'm always looking for things we can do that might lower our/his dependance on medication. I'm not so much affraid of him taking medication as I am of him one day waking up and saying "I'm 18 and I choose not to take the medication anymore." We'd like to be a little bit prepared for that possability by learning how to better cope with a life without the help of medication. So, I read up on some things with an open mind, but always with caution. One rule I've set for myself, stop reading something (unless I have time to waste and might need a good laugh) if the author of an article goes out of their way to bash 'medications' or the companies that make them, or says anything like 'its safe because its natural'. When I hear that phrase I always laugh and think, water is natural and drowning is a natural reaction to filling your lungs with it, obviously an extreme example but it disproves their point non-the-less. Good luck with finding the best way to help your daughter.

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Well I guess I am the ONLY one on here that believes you can get help without the use of meds. I do believe that it works well for many but for some people do not feel comfortable with it. My son was diagnosed with ADHD about 1 year ago. We did put him on some medication but as soon as he said he was dizzy we took him off of it. I am very happy and pleased to say that we have found great nutritional shakes that have been amazing for him. He brought all of his grades up just recently. We ran out of some of the products and I never reordered thinking everything was fine and now we are having problems in school with his behavior and I have started him back on the shakes but it has only been a week and a half. I know MANY people who have gotten tremendous results with this amazing nutriton. You have to find what works best for you.

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