My 5-year old has been recently diagnosed and we're beginning to investigate different medications for him as he's been getting worse over the last few months. Someone has suggested an alternative treatment that is supposed to be 100% natural called Focus ADHD Formula from Native Remedies LLC. On their website it sounds great, but I'm skeptical of how well a natural medication would work. It's made up of things like Ginkgo Biloba, and a bunch of other herbs and things I can't pronounce.

Does anyone have any experience with using these types of medications versus Ritalin or Adderall? Also, I've read a lot of information about prescribed medication and their side effects, which seem pretty bad. How safe could it be for a 5-year old to be taking these medications long-term? Aren't they addictive? Then again, there seem to be great arguments both for and against medications on both ends of the spectrum....how do you know which one to use! I'm very confused. Our doctor is wanting to start Adderall, but I'm hesitant to use it if there is something more natural and with less side effects.

I would be more concerned with giving a child something that doesn't require FDA approval with several times the recommended allowances of substances that haven't been tested or proven to be effective for what they claim. Just my opinion.

As for side effects of prescription meds - check the literature to see just how common they are.

Just a thought..
Dpershing

To the best of my knowledge, I know of no "natural" product that has been proven over time to successfully treat ADHD. There have been some very promising studies done with Omega3 long chain fatty acids and I hope that they can be successfully replicated by other researchers over time. That's the standard for all scientific research.

I also read of another promising study of behavior modification alone by George Du Paul, whom I respect a great deal. It too needs to be replicated.The thing to remember tho with any behavior mod program is that as soon as you remove the program, the target behaviors return to baseline (100% of the time).

I'm not sure what you've read but the research on stimulants for behavior problems goes back to 1937 and had been universally positive; not negative. The US Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health (Chapter 3) is the definitive work on the subject. Please check it out when you get a chance.There are also some excellent references out there such as: 1) Driven To Distraction ...by Lee Hallowell; 2) Taking Charge of ADHD...by Russell Barkley; and 3) You Mean I'm Not Lazy , Stupid Or Crazy?... by KateKelly & Peg Ramundo.

Ultimately , the treatment you decide on for your child comes down to personal
choice. This forum is a great place to find many experienced points of view. Please continue to read up on the subject and ask questions. You'll find the people here very friendly, knowledgable and helpful. Good luck.

Unfortunately, many makers of "natural" remedies do use scare tactics to make people afraid of the standard ADHD meds. When you're doing your research, note who is giving you the information, what their credentials are, and whether they're trying to sell you something. This applies everywhere, but especially on the Internet!

great responses!

i have just one thing to add. when i started taking dexedrine, i thought of it as a "trial only." this helped me move past my initial fears. i set 1 month as the length of the trial, noted side effects and benefits during the trial month, and at the end of the month, tallied the positives and negatives. i also kept in mind that the first med you try isn't always a perfect fit. if dexedrine didn't work, i'd try something else.

anyway, at the end of the month the benefits far outweighed the negatives and i am still taking dexedrine.

it is great that you are researching and learning as much as you can before making a decision. i *know* that i'd be very cautious if i was making this decision for my kids.

kudos, wheezie

Thanks to everyone for your helpful viewpoints. I'm checking out the resources you've all suggested and hopefully once armed with sound information I'll be able to make the best choice for my son. Talking to people who have experienced different medications first hand (good and bad) helps a lot. All of the doctors we've talked to are either completely for prescription medications or completely against them. It definately doesn't make for any easy decisions!

I would trust your doctor and take his advise. Personally I've never been a proponent of holistic medicines, and such - any time I hear a claim of "100% natural" it makes me laugh - dirt is 100% natural, but I wouldn't take dirt capsules for ADHD.
Companies that sell such products often use scare tactics in what is blatant conflict of interest and in spite of the fact that the development, testing and manufacture of pharmaceuticals are strickly regulated Vs. so called "natural" herbal products for which there is almost no standardization or testing.
The use of stimulants in children has been studied for years and the evidence shows that when used as directed they are extreamly safe and not at all addictive - in fact in teens with ADHD, evidence shows that those who are being treated with stimulants are less likely to have drug abuse problems than those that are not - I think the improved impulse control that stimulants give lead to better choices when a teen is presented with an opportunity to try drugs.