Our daughter was just recently diagnosed with ADD and I dont know where to start. this Attentive DHA was reccomended, we are tying to make prescriptions our last resort, so was just wondering if anyone else has had a positive or negative outcome. Any help would be great Thank You

Carol

Hi Carol. The supplement Attentive DHA is sold over-the-counter. It contains only DHA. The studies that have been done on omegas and ADHD were done with very high EPA formulations of higher amounts than what are found in yours. I'd do some more research and ask around before wasting your money. Check out the threads here (do a search for omegas) in the nutrition section or the misc treatments section to see what the posters here have already said. Both my son and I are on a very high omega a gram in the morning and krill oil one gram at night. (The different formulations provide different benefits, i.e., cardiac, mood, etc.)

Ask away if you need more info! Welcome to the boards.

Why are meds your last resort? If your daughter had bad vision, would glasses be your last resort.

Seems to me that meds should be first resort and supplement could be used for extra help.

I am sorry this sounds harsh, but you sound like my mother 30 yrs ago. As an adult, I finally got medication for my ADHD and for the first time in my life I can think like everyone else now. This would have been a great feeling when I was struggling in school and having a difficult time keeeping friends. But my mother saw meds as a last resort and so I did every diet and supplement there was. All I needed was a little stimulant to stimulate the part of my brain that controlls stimulus coming into my brain and the thought process envolved in decision making, (important things).

Just my personal experience. Hind sight is 20/20.

Supplement have a lot lower efficacy than prescription medications for
treatment of ADD/ADHD.

The link below does not mention supplements but it does mention that drug treatments or combination of drug treatment and behavioral treatment is superior to behavioral treatment alone.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/adhd/complete-publication.shtml#pub6

The Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The MTA study included 579 (95-98 at each of 6 treatment sites) elementary school boys and girls with ADHD, who were randomly assigned to one of four treatment programs: (1) medication management alone; (2) behavioral treatment alone; (3) a combination of both; or (4) routine community care. In each of the study sites, three groups were treated for the first 14 months in a specified protocol and the fourth group was referred for community treatment of the parents’ choosing. All of the children were reassessed regularly throughout the study period. An essential part of the program was the cooperation of the schools, including principals and teachers. Both teachers and parents rated the children on hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention, and symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as social skills.

The children in two groups (medication management alone and the combination treatment) were seen monthly for one-half hour at each medication visit. During the treatment visits, the prescribing physician spoke with the parent, met with the child, and sought to determine any concerns that the family might have regarding the medication or the child’s ADHD-related difficulties. The physicians, in addition, sought input from the teachers on a monthly basis. The physicians in the medication-only group did not provide behavioral therapy but did advise the parents when necessary concerning any problems the child might have.

In the behavior treatment-only group, families met up to 35 times with a behavior therapist, mostly in group sessions. These therapists also made repeated visits to schools to consult with children’s teachers and to supervise a special aide assigned to each child in the group. In addition, children attended a special 8-week summer treatment program where they worked on academic, social, and sports skills, and where intensive behavioral therapy was delivered to assist children in improving their behavior.

Children in the combined therapy group received both treatments, that is, all the same assistance that the medication-only received, as well as all of the behavior therapy treatments.

In routine community care, the children saw the community-treatment doctor of their parents’ choice one to two times per year for short periods of time. Also, the community-treatment doctor did not have any interaction with the teachers.

The results of the study indicated that long-term combination treatments and the medication-management alone were superior to intensive behavioral treatment and routine community treatment. And in some areas—anxiety, academic performance, oppositionality, parent-child relations, and social skills—the combined treatment was usually superior. Another advantage of combined treatment was that children could be successfully treated with lower doses of medicine, compared with the medication-only group.

Who do you think funds those studies? The drug companies.
I, too, am looking to treat my ADD naturally with diet & supplements. I haven't yet found anything quite as effective as Adderall, however, I'm definitely developing a tolerance to Adderall. I find that I have to take more and more to get the same effect.

Why are meds your last resort? If your daughter had bad vision, would glasses be your last resort.

Seems to me that meds should be first resort and supplement could be used for extra help.

I am sorry this sounds harsh, but you sound like my mother 30 yrs ago. As an adult, I finally got medication for my ADHD and for the first time in my life I can think like everyone else now. This would have been a great feeling when I was struggling in school and having a difficult time keeeping friends. But my mother saw meds as a last resort and so I did every diet and supplement there was. All I needed was a little stimulant to stimulate the part of my brain that controlls stimulus coming into my brain and the thought process envolved in decision making, (important things).

Just my personal experience. Hind sight is 20/20.

The problem with "schedule two" drugs is that the government is "somehow" allowed to control distribution of it, and drug companies may charge hefty prices for their product. At the present time, this puts a reliance on yet another party, the prescriber, which the decision as to whether you get your medicine or not lies with them, every time you seek "permission" to obtain the drug(s). So, at say, 240$ a month, reliance on an insurance company (most likely only a choice if provided by the company you work for, perhaps a major/the reason why you work for that company) to supply a major percentage of the charges seems quite desirable/practical. It's an extremely unreliable system based on, at least, economic greed. So, obey and you may receive.

Why are meds your last resort? If your daughter had bad vision, would glasses be your last resort.

Seems to me that meds should be first resort and supplement could be used for extra help.

I am sorry this sounds harsh, but you sound like my mother 30 yrs ago. As an adult, I finally got medication for my ADHD and for the first time in my life I can think like everyone else now. This would have been a great feeling when I was struggling in school and having a difficult time keeeping friends. But my mother saw meds as a last resort and so I did every diet and supplement there was. All I needed was a little stimulant to stimulate the part of my brain that controlls stimulus coming into my brain and the thought process envolved in decision making, (important things).

Just my personal experience. Hind sight is 20/20.

Or maybe, like me, the OP doesn't have health insurance to cover the hundreds of dollars a month that prescription drugs to treat ADHD can cost.
Or maybe, like me, the OP has a family history of allergic reations to prescription drugs and would rather not take that chance unless nothing else proves beneficial.

There have been studies in the last few years that show simply giving a diuretic to people with high blood pressure is of as much benefit as giving them other drugs that may have a higher incidence of side effects. Sometimes simpler is better.

There are a number of really great drugs for adhd that are generic + drasticly less expensive. My dexedrine perscription is ~20.00 per month.

IR dexedrine, IR Adderall, IR ritilan or any generic drug is affordable.

I was not diagnosed with ADD until age 32. Not taking ADD drugs eariler set my life back ~15 years.

It took me to the age of 31 before multiple failures made me depressed. 2 years after seeking profesional help I am diagnoed with ADD. Back in college pulling a 4.0 GPA.

BobC

Hey - no offense all, but you have to admit that, for some people, at least, the stimulants have drawbacks. I've read over and over on the forum about them causing increased anxiety. My 6 y/o is already suffering from anxiety (just like I did as a child) so apparently there's a good chance that ADHD meds would make that worse. I have anxiety disorders myself and cannot take the stimulant meds.

Following the advice in this thread:

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31969

I have ordered some high ratio EPA/DHA omega III to try out myself. I need to find more information about dosages, etc, for my son but plan on giving it to him as well.

Also, according to #5 of the thread below, diet changes do help some kids:

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49512

I'm looking into that, too. Best of luck in whatever you decide, Carol.