My 7 year old has been diagnosed with inattentive ADD and he takes 10mg of Adderall XR each morning. Just two nights ago, another mom recommended that I give him Mountain Dew to kick start his day. She said her doctor had approved and I thought that it couldn't hurt to try it (since it's only soda). I only gave him about 4 ounces, but for the first time in a week, he remembered to bring everything home from school that he was supposed to. May have just been coincidence though. I'm interested in seeing comments from others on this.

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My 6 year-old son's behaviour therapist also suggested Mountain Dew, and yes i certinly noticed a difference. He did suggest diet Mtn. Dew however. After speaking with our family dentist I realized this was a short term deal rather than long term and our therapist suggested No-doz. I give my son a half a tablet crushed up in his apple juice. He still gets the caffine and I can tell when it wears off but it gets him thru most of his school day.

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I think the No-doz is a slightly better choice, as sodas are nutritionally harmful. But caffeine in a tablet is no better than a prescription stimulant (though it does cost a lot less). We use prescription meds in a low dose to help with school. Caffeine was helpful to me in high school before diagnosis.

I have also tried exercise and hi-protein diet, and that definitely helps too.

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This is really interesting...

I will try giving this to my nephew and see how things go, this might help him.

This might be an affordable solution to ADHD, or an alternative perhaps...

Good luck to my nephew...

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Mountain Dew is just a self medication for ADHD because it has soooo much caffiene in it. I know a lot of people who self medicated themselves with coffee, enery drinks, etc. and have recently been diagnosed with ADHD. Its great if you are just using it to kick start your day before you or your childs meds kick in (I don't know how many 7-9 year olds want a cup of coffee in the am, ha ha ha). But I hate to see any parent try and self medicate their child with Mountain Dew. I am an sure their Dentist will not be too happy!!! Ha, ha, ha!!

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The food coloring in Mountain Dew might just exacerbate the ADHD symptoms. You might have better luck by feeding your child a healthy diet.

Balanced Meals, Better Behavior: Treating ADHD with Diet

Dena

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From what I've read, caffein (Mt Dew has the highest caffein content of all sodas) has the same affect on the brain as ritalin, but w/out all the side effects, or so research shows. ???

Just started 100mg with my 10 year old and it's been AMAZING. Going to talk to the pediatrician soon. But for now, it has turned out to be a God send.

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and as the mother of a son with ADHD...the reason Mountain Dew was probably recommended to you was due to the caffeine content because caffeine is a stimulant and many ADHD meds are stimulant based. However, soda is not a substitute for ADHD medications, and the sugars, additives, coloring in soda is harmful to your child's health and may exacerbate ADHD symptoms. Also, ADHD is bad enough, but don't saddle your child with obesity and diabetes too.

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