Focus Formula

[5kidzmama]

Doing some research on natural ADHD treatment. Anyone ever try Focus Formula? 100% money back guarantee.

[Geno]

No, "natural" treatments are scams and don't work. If you look up all of their ingredients, you'll see they've never been proven to do anything and the only effect you'll get is placebo.

Do you think if ADHD could be treated with herbal remedies, they'd give out ritalin and amphetamines to treat it?

[SquarePeg]

Tried this a few months back, no difference whatsoever on my son but I thought it was worth a try.

[Dizfriz]

Originally Posted by 5kidzmama

Doing some research on natural ADHD treatment. Anyone ever try Focus Formula? 100% money back guarantee.

You can try it but keep in mind that, at least for now, there are no additives or supplements that have been shown to be an effective treatment for ADHD. The only possible exception is fish oil which seems to work for some but not for all but does at least have some studies behind it.

A few perhaps, with some sort of deficiency, have been helped by these types of things but overall, they have little impact.

I wish it was otherwise but alas.....

Dizfriz

[Amtram]

Unlike homeopathic remedies, Focus Formula actually contains ingredients. Looking at what's in it, and the fact that the adult RDA on several vitamins is met or exceeded, I'd be certain to check with the child's physician prior to use to make sure it isn't too much and that nothing in it is counterindicated for anything else the child is taking.

[ccom5100]

Some of the ingredients in that supplement have been known to help with focus in general, but I don't think it helps much with adhd.

We've seen improvement with Omega 3 fish oil and with DMAE, as well as following a diet free of petro-chemicals (artificial colors, artificial flavors, and certain preservatives). My ds also takes a small dosage of of a non-stimulant med - guanfacine, which is sold either as Tenex (short acting) or Intuniv (long acting).

There are so many layers and variables with adhd, that no two cases can be treated identically. That's why there are so many different types of stimulant and non-stimulant meds on the market. You have to find what works for you through trial and error.

[ConcertaParent]

Originally Posted by Dizfriz

The only possible exception is fish oil which seems to work for some but not for all but does at least have some studies behind it.

Do you know why Russell Barkley dismisses Omega-3 fish oil and all other foods/diet as disproved therapies? In his presentations, he mentions but dismisses a Swedish study that found Omega-3 was beneficial for ~25%, but I thought it would be reasonable to try it as part of a multi-modal treatment instead of just drugs.

[silivrentoliel]

Nope, I actually tried it, and apart from nearly choking on the pills (I can't swallow big pills), I didn't feel any different. It was something my mother wanted me to try since apparently everything can be cured naturally (or so she says)

[Dizfriz]

Originally Posted by ConcertaParent

Do you know why Russell Barkley dismisses Omega-3 fish oil and all other foods/diet as disproved therapies? In his presentations, he mentions but dismisses a Swedish study that found Omega-3 was beneficial for ~25%, but I thought it would be reasonable to try it as part of a multi-modal treatment instead of just drugs.

I understand this as the evidence establishing omega 3 as a validated treatment for ADHD just isn't there right now so he is correct in this as I understand his point.

There are some supportive studies and that plus anecdotal reports are enough for me to leave it open for people to try. It is the only supplement that has any scientific evidence as far as I know. It is just that the studies are not definitive just suggestive.

There are some reports on the forum discussing positive results with Omega-3 but others report little or no benefit.

I take it for cardiovascular purposes but since I am not ADHD, I cannot make any statement as to any benefits in this area for me.

I guess my general feeling is it probably won't hurt and may possibly help. The main thing is, as with any substance, to be on the lookout for side effects.

Dizfriz

[TygerSan]

Do you know why Russell Barkley dismisses Omega-3 fish oil and all other foods/diet as disproved therapies? In his presentations, he mentions but dismisses a Swedish study that found Omega-3 was beneficial for ~25%, but I thought it would be reasonable to try it as part of a multi-modal treatment instead of just drugs.

Sadly, I think that physicians, especially those that are extremely well-known like Barkley is, get innundated with questions about possible cure-alls. That leads to a --mostly healthy-- dose of scepticism and cynicism when it comes to evaluating the claims of such products, many of which claim to cure everything from epilepsy to heart disease (not that the marketing from the pharmaceutical companies are much better these days, but that's another story). . .

In short, I think that they get so used to saying "nope, doesn't work" so often that it becomes a knee-jerk response, even when a re-evaluation of the evidence might indicate possible benefit.

The question really becomes "what's the harm?". In the case of fish-oil, not much. . . in the case of other supplements, the answer is a bit murkier, especially with regards to cost vs. ingredients.

[ccom5100]

I think also that since most medical professionals have been taught to treat conditions only with pharmaceuticals, they don't really take an interest in learning about alternative methods and therefore, just dismiss most without doing any research on them. It's hard enough keeping up with the new drugs that come out, let alone with supplements and other alternatives. That's why I feel it's so important for individuals to do the research and come up with what works best for them.

[Geno]

Another thing, natural doesn't always mean healthy.

Want to know what else is natural? Opium, yet I don't think opium is totally harmless. There's also lots of natural poisonous plants out there that'll kill you quicker than any pharmaceutical drug.

[Amtram]

The other problem with supplements is that you have no way of knowing how much of the active ingredient is in it. In most cases, the active ingredient hasn't even been isolated, much less tested. You could eat enough willow bark to make yourself seriously ill before you got the same amount of salicylic acid you'd find in an aspirin.

A ground up herb or root or whatever is not as effective as a medication that has isolated the active ingredient and presents it in a consistently measured amount, with the potentially dangerous other ingredients not included. Many people, for example, have had anaphylactic reactions to 5-HTP supplements because they are whole herb pills from a highly allergenic plant. Gingko, St. John's wort, Valerian, and some others whose names escape me now show little efficacy, but cause some potentially serious interactions with pharmaceuticals. Self-diagnosis and treatment can do more harm than good.

[Geno]

Originally Posted by Amtram

The other problem with supplements is that you have no way of knowing how much of the active ingredient is in it. In most cases, the active ingredient hasn't even been isolated, much less tested. You could eat enough willow bark to make yourself seriously ill before you got the same amount of salicylic acid you'd find in an aspirin.

A ground up herb or root or whatever is not as effective as a medication that has isolated the active ingredient and presents it in a consistently measured amount, with the potentially dangerous other ingredients not included. Many people, for example, have had anaphylactic reactions to 5-HTP supplements because they are whole herb pills from a highly allergenic plant. Gingko, St. John's wort, Valerian, and some others whose names escape me now show little efficacy, but cause some potentially serious interactions with pharmaceuticals. Self-diagnosis and treatment can do more harm than good.

You're right about all of them except possibly St. John's Wort. The active chemicals in them have been shown to do pretty much exactly what SSRI antidepressants do only at a lower level, and their efficacy in depression has been shown (in clinical trials)to be equal to SSRIs. (something like 60%)

Other than that, your post is totally spot on.

[ccom5100]

Originally Posted by Geno

Another thing, natural doesn't always mean healthy.

Want to know what else is natural? Opium, yet I don't think opium is totally harmless. There's also lots of natural poisonous plants out there that'll kill you quicker than any pharmaceutical drug.

Opium is not poisonous. It is natural, but also used as a drug to kill pain. Of course there are poisonous plants out there, but no one uses them, or entices others to use them, for medicinal purposes.