More questions about ADD and medication

[happymagics]

Hi everyone, I've been doing a great deal of reading on this topic lately and especially loved the book "Women with attention deficit disorder" by Sari Solden. Although, it was very painful to read. Anyway, I have been speaking to many adult ADDers on only support groups and all of them seem to insist that medication is crucial to controlling this problem. I am very eager to avoid this route if possible. So I was wondering if any of you out there are successfully handling ADD without any medication? If so, I would really love to hear how you are managing to do it. I apoligize to the board for posting so much with so many questions but I can't seem to keep away. Just ignore me if I become too annoying! -happymagics

[2of5]

Happymagics, You and I share a common goal, treating ADD/ADHD without medication. As you have read on my other post, I have done extensive research on the internet. The results are that you can pick which side you want to be on - with or without meds - and you can find information to support which ever side you choose. I have choosen to take the without meds side first. I want to exhaust all possibilities before surrendering to meds. Perhaps you and I could team up together and conquer. My first step is to work with the diet. And second I am considering adding a vitamin, minerals... supplement. Would you check out this website and give me your feedback? www.absorbablevitamins.com Also, JazzMuse is trying out a product called Becalm'd. JazzMuse are you there? How is that working for you?

[happymagics]

Hi 2of5. I would be delighted to team up with you and share all my findings. It was a little discouraging to see how vehament all the adult support group members are that medication is necessary. The book "Women with Attention Deficit Disorder" insists on medication. But I'm not giving in. I also need to clean up m diet a lot. But I've decided to do it in baby steps so it doesn't seem too overwhelming. M first step is to give up diet coke and all nutrasweet products. I've been guzzling diet coke since collgege so it won't be easy. I read that it can cause insomnia and depression as well as other mental disturbances. It has no redeeming value so its out! I'm also adding regular exercise. I read that aerobic exercise is particularly helpful with ADD. I know I'm going to have to cut out a good deal of other "treats" as well but I'm taking it slowly. Fish oil and other essential fatty acids are probabl as well as B vitamins are probably a good addition but I'm nervous about herbs and other homeopathic remedies. Those things may not be regulated but they can be very powerful. So, vitamins first and oil and then we'll see. I'd love to here how the B'calmed works too! Be well, -happymagics

[2of5]

Happymagics, See ShauntaG's post under Wishes and Obstacles, I feel like I am drowning. She has some suggestions.

[JazzMuse]

Hi happymagics and 2of5 - Thanks for checking up on me. I'm glad the Women with ADD book was really helpful to you happymagics. At the beginning, when I took 2-3 Becalm'd almost every morning (so far have never remembered to take it at night) it didn't seem to have much of an effect positive or negative. After about 4 days I realized that I was really making progress on different projects and was feeling pretty good about myself (they say to take mornings & evenings for 7-10 days to really check the results). I even did yoga sun salutations (3-4 min - terrific for ADDers) about 4x last week. After a while I noticed that, I seem to get a little bit of a nervous energy for a few minutes right away, then a clearer calmness for a fairly long stretch starting a couple hours later or so. (Everyone's body is different and I happen to be fairly sensitive to medication so I tend to cut dosages and your body might react differently.) I also noticed that the previous month I'd been majorly craving chocolate with almonds and I stopped having the cravings. When I had one little Hershey's Nugget, it actually didn't taste as good and I noticed how awful it made me feel afterwards. When I checked out more Becalm'd info on the internet (after all this) I noticed that one of the things they say is that it will cut down your sugar cravings. So far it seems to be at least partially living up to the hype! However, some tough personal stuff came up this week (people mad at me because of something impulsive I did - ever have that happen to you?) plus I've been PMS-ing (moody, even more spacey + back hurts) and busy and I haven't been taking it almost at all this week. I was thinking that it's totally ironic that ADDers are supposed to take medication regularly?!?! If I could do anything regularly in the first place I wouldn't need to take anything!!! I'm going to try 7-day pill boxes (one for morning and one for evening - if I can find them) and put them in front of the alarm clock so I have to see it. I'm also going to keep a water purifier in my bedroom so I don't even have to get out of bed to take it. This way I can take it when the alarm goes off. Wish me luck! I need it! PS Genisoy, Luna, Harvest Powerbars & Ironman protein bars seem to help in a pinch. (Ironman bars don't taste as good as the other ones.)

[meurana]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JazzMuse: I'm going to try 7-day pill boxes (one for morning and one for evening - if I can find them) and put them in front of the alarm clock so I have to see it. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I find the 7 day boxes helpful--but only when I attached it to another routine I don't skip. So I associate taking my vitamins with brushing my teeth.

[JazzMuse]

meurana - Thanks so much for your tip! It's been helping me alot. I've taken the Becalm'd for 8 days in a row now and it's definitely making a difference! It's not quite as dramatic as I had hoped, but I can really tell because I'm a little more relaxed and it's showing up in how much I'm accomplishing (in a clearer, more centered way rather than a panicky, rushed way). You can check out on the Step-by-step January bulletin how much it's helped me: http://www.barbarasher.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000342-2.html Also, I found out that a friend of mine, her daughter and her mom all got fantastic results with liquid magnesium. I did a lot of research on the internet and found that deficiencies in calcium and magnesium are linked to ADD, hypoglycemia, PMS, back problems, and dry skin - all of which I have. It seems that a 2:1 ratio of calcium & magnesium in liquid form is the most highly recommended, with great testimonials, plus there are several knockoffs with the exact same incredients (which usually are a good sign that something works). There's CalMax, CalMag, AB Calm and I can't remember the other names (these are all powders that you put into water/juice). I'm going to try finding it in a local store so I don't have to pay shipping. Wish me luck! I'm going to try the calcium/magnesium when the Becalm'd runs out and see what the difference is. FYI general info - http://www.nutritionalsupplements.com is a good site to check out for medication side effects, etc. for certain things. Okay, time for me to go now. Wish you all the best. JazzMuse

[2of5]

I just recently read on the internet about biofeedback and ADD. The info is on www.healingartscenter.com (click on library and then click on articles and read 'Wired for Miracles' and 'EEG Biofeedback: Frequently Asked Questions') Has anyone got any advice along the lines of biofeedback and ADD? [This message has been edited by 2of5 (edited January 18, 2003).]

[DNBursky]

I have had ADHD, or have known that I have had it since being diagnosed in 1986. I'm almost 30 now, so it's been 17 years or so. I take medication for anxiety, Paxil, and depression, welbutrin, so I am concerned about taking any of these calm medications to help. What is in them? The main ingredients? Hope someone can help. I am still very much ADHD. David

[songbrd]

I am battling A.D.D. and was reading everyone's messages about this. I am also trying alternative methods of treating it. I was taking welbutrin for 5 years. My Dr. raised my dosage to 300 mg XL once/day. I started to break out pretty badly. It seems I can't take that high of a dose. So after tapering down to 150 mg for a while, decided to go natural. Have been experimenting for years off and on. This time I'm serious about treating this the natural way. So far, I take SAMe, DLPA, lots of other herbs plus changing my diet to organic vegies, no take-out foods, etc. Hard to stick to but when I do, I really noticed the difference. I don't always eat what I should, though. ANyway, I just want to be NORMAL! I battle depression with it, too. Doing better, like I said, only if I stick to it.

[dani]

songbrd:

I am battling A.D.D. and was reading everyone's messages about this. I am also trying alternative methods of treating it. I was taking welbutrin for 5 years. My Dr. raised my dosage to 300 mg XL once/day. I started to break out pretty badly. It seems I can't take that high of a dose. So after tapering down to 150 mg for a while, decided to go natural. Have been experimenting for years off and on. This time I'm serious about treating this the natural way. So far, I take SAMe, DLPA, lots of other herbs plus changing my diet to organic vegies, no take-out foods, etc. Hard to stick to but when I do, I really noticed the difference. I don't always eat what I should, though. ANyway, I just want to be NORMAL! I battle depression with it, too. Doing better, like I said, only if I stick to it.

Good for you for bumping an old thread instead of starting another new one! I don't have ADD, but contend with other thorny conditions, depression and anxiety being among them. I took Wellbutrin unsuccessfully for years. I finally had a knock-down-drag-out verbal with my doctor and was switched to Zoloft. It really has had a miraculous effect and I think you do think more clearly when the depression is under control. Unfortunately, I'm from the old school of pharms, but if holistic methods work, more power to you. Just thought I'd share that. FYI, do we really know what normal is? That's the opening question from a textbook I use in a course on disability. Best, dani

[gabriellavlad]

Medication is supposed to help a lot. I know how hard it can be because it can make you feel weird. I've known it was supposed to help for a long time but I'm still not continuing to take it, but that's my own problem with procrastination, mostly. What I mean to say is that Strattera is really good because it's a non-stimulant so you don't feel weird when you're having side affects, and you barely notice anything strange going on other than focusing when you're supposed to. (after taking for a while - 6 weeks) I felt it was like being a magnet that was pulled to what you were trying to do instead of repelled away from it. I usually didn't know that I didn't focus because i hadn't known what it was like to focus properly.. so that's what it felt like to me. I still have trouble taking it right now just because I'm bad at remembering and good at losing things, etc., so I can't say how big of a difference it made, but I do think it made a big difference because nothing else has helped. I went to a school (college) for people with ADD, where they teach you tricks to get by, but mostly what I learned is how it works and affects your brain chemically... and what it means on the brain scale of things, which is when I could understand how it affected me instead of just \"not focusing.\" It really is a problem that you are born with -I'm positive that I get it from my dad- and I would really try to take all of the medications first -that's my advice to you - so you could save time struggling in your life by trying to get over it in ways that you can't. I've been trying to get organized for so long and I just can't. It's just fair to give yourself the same advantage that everyone else has. It's all about synapses firing and stuff... and messages getting sent to parts of the brain and the other parts getting them on time... I actually forget now, but I knew once. (and it's late... ) Ok, good luck with whatever, now it's time to take my medication!

[lkindr]

http://www.drugawareness.org/home.html has lots of articles in searchable archives and current articles. The doctors who run the site point out that psychotropic drugs are highly addictive, dangerous drugs that have effects similar to cocaine, which used to be wrongly prescribed as medicine too. http://www.curezone.com & http://www.mercola.com etc have much better potent alternatives to such dangerous medications.

[webmaestro]

This is an interesting thread. Sometimes I think I might have ADDS. Someone asked me about it. once..only one person. It made me wonder. However, I am on a new eating plan, a cleansing plan. I don't eat bread..very little that is I haven't been able to get of it completely. I don't drink pop (sugar). no milk. I take magnesium at night and a slew of other natural herbs during the day and powdered protein (19 essential amino acids: no hormone injected cows for me). I am feeling the best I have ever felt since I was a teenager. Those were glorious days of never ending energy,etc. I have lost 15 lbs, after starting this new cleansing plan. who knows I may have had a small allergy to any of these things. If I see my rosacia disappear (starting to go) then I will be totally convinced, I am on the best life plan EVER !! no drugs!

[lkindr]

Glad to hear of your improvements. I heard some doctor say recently that very few people have true ADD etc, but doctors diagnose most people, especially kids, that way erroneously for the sake of profit and to make someone happy [parent, teacher, or other authority]. Curezone has a lot of forums and one is on Oil Pulling, which means rinsing the mouth with olive oil or other food-grade oil, for at least ten minutes a day. I started doing that a few months ago with coconut oil initially and I got good results within a few days. I switched to butter mixed with just a little coconut oil after that and am still getting good results. It seems to especially help oral, skin and immune system health. Most people spit out the oil when done, but I swallow it, because it's very nutritious [unless one uses unnatural transfat or hydrogenated oil].