Herbal alternatives to Ritalin and other prescription drugs

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omega-3s and Magnesium/B12 helps me quite a lot with ADHD, but it would be nothing without all the coffees, red bulls and occasionally some ephedra.

I'd go for prescription drugs though if I could afford it.

Don't you get your precription drugs cost reduced? They are much less expensive than vitamins or herbal supplements which I find to be very expensive.

Another thing to be considered but never is - a person should get an echocardiogram before taking Ritalin or Adderall for ADD/ADHD or consuming large amounts of caffiene. A number of people are born with faulty mitral valves and taking those meds increases heartrate which in turn increases the valve regurgitating. After I found out about my condition several others I know also learned they had same problem.

I used to guzzle RedBull and Monster when I started working night shift. I ended up in a cardiologist's office over heart palps only to discover I had been born with a bad valve that the massive caffiene amounts was irritating. I was ordered to avoid caffiene and Sudafed forever because of it. Then the neuropsych tried to order my doctor to put me on Adderall for ADD acquired from brain injury but he said no freakin way it would make my heart worse. Moral of story you should know how your body is working before you go dumping strong chemicals in it.

With little kids if you go dumping meds in them that mess with their heart or other organs they may not be able to communicate with you that they are feeling physical distress especially if the child is on the spectrum.

Ive never drunk redbull or any of them drinks. I am a bit of a health freak when it comes to what food and drink I consume.

try biofeedback, fish/flax, b vitamins magnesium multmineral, l theanine, phosphotydl serine and citidine choline meditiation, and ionic foot detox bath, cut out sugar caffeine artificail dyes preservatives go total organic with a high protein diet



throw the crank in the trash

Why coffee helps ADHD:

Just like Ritalin and Concerta, caffeine is a stimulant. The current best theory for how Ritalin and other stimulant ADHD meds work is that the frontal lobe of the brain--or at least the parts that control attention, planning, problem-solving, and impulse control--are under-active. That means that it's hard to control where your attention goes, or how long; hard to think before doing something; hard to plan things in your head. Because stimulants increase the activity in the brain, it also increases that activity in the control center--which can now filter thoughts and actions to determine which is best, and direct attention where it is needed.

I have inattentive type ADHD. Prescribed stimulant medication doesn't work for me; but caffeine does. It's not surprising that the inattentive type doesn't respond to medication; some people think it is a different sort of ADHD altogether, rather than just a variation on the impulsive/hyperactive sort; and it's common for this type not to respond to prescribed medication--or, and this is the odd part, respond only to very low doses of it.

Have you considered trying a very low instead of just a "low dose"? Some kids are very sensitive and will feel drugged on a "normal" dose. There are teenagers out there who take the smallest pill available, the size they start toddlers out on, and do better on that than on what most teens are prescribed.

Be careful with herbal medicines. They are medicines, just like the kind you get from your doctor. Just like prescribed medications, they have side effects; they can create addictions; and they can even, if misused, hurt or kill you. Most of the things OK'd for our store shelves are ineffective and function as placebos; the ones that are effective are also the ones with the side effects, unsurprisingly.

Try a healthy diet. It will do a hundred times more than all the herbs you can buy.

Also be careful about inaction: ADHD, left untreated, means a child who does not succeed at school and is unable to succeed at work later because he is unable to learn the skills he needs for attention regulation, impulse control, and organization. Whatever you do, it has to WORK--because your kid needs to start learning those things now, before he falls further behind.

Whatever treatment you try for the ADHD, be aware that the treatment is only there to help him concentrate well enough to learn what he needs to know. It won't do a thing if nobody teaches him. That means: Hire a coach, somebody who can teach the things he's been missing out on because he couldn't concentrate well enough (or couldn't concentrate on the right things). If his classmates can remember to bring their homework to school, and he can't, being able to concentrate isn't going to suddenly enable him to know that he has to try to remember his homework. It won't magically teach him how to efficiently get himself ready in the morning; it won't teach him good study skills; it won't teach him how to listen to his teachers so that he gets something out of class. Those things, he has to learn, and he's already behind. ADHD treatment without ADHD-based education is totally worthless.

Hey, thanks everybody for your replies, very much appreciated

I neer thought f coffee etc being used in that way, athough as has ben pointed out, excessive amounts can be harmful.

I might make her a nice hot coffee when she's next here to see if it helps her feel calmer. She gets very frustrated sometimes!

Knew I could count on WP, and apologies for hijacking the thread somewhat

Shae, are there any parks, public greenspaces or other "green/natural" environments near where you live. There has been some compelling research by Francis Kuo and others that indicates that play in "green environments" improves attention functioning and reduces hyperactivity in children. One study (Kuo & Taylor, 2004) went as far as to recomend daily 'green-time' for children as a potential AD(H)D treatment.

That benefits any kid. Sunshine and physical activity are relaxing and generally help your mental well-being. I betcha they'll see similar benefits in kids with any sort of problem--juvenile depression, physical illnesses, even conduct disorder... Seriously, if there isn't any place to play, get your community together and make one, because a decent park can make a big difference in a child's life.

What I find helps my kids is well.. obviously reducing sugars, but I give them a sea vegetable drink with aloe in it. I mix it in with icecream (I know, sugar is in that but...) which gives it a berry flavor. I think overall their focus has improved and they are doing quite well. I give them omega 3's as well.. but that alone I didn't find to be effective.

I did some research on this topic the last days because I react very bad to medication and want to give it a try.
This is mainly what I found until now:

Tyrosine
Tyrosine is an amino acid.
"In dopaminergic cells in the brain, tyrosine is converted to levodopa by the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). [...] Dopamine can then be converted into the catecholamines norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and epinephrine (adrenaline).
The thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) in the colloid of the thyroid also are derived from tyrosine." [1]
Tyrosin helps to concentrate better and just a little by depression, but it helps by ADHD and stress, but some depressions can be linked to dopamine. Also addiction and social phobia are linked to low dopamine levels in the brain.

Tryprophan
Tryptophan is an amino acid.
The body methabolices Tryptophan to serotonine. It helps against depression and to sleep better.

Lysine
Lysine is an amino-acid.
"One study on rats showed that overstimulation of the 5-HT4 receptors in the gut are associated with anxiety-induced intestinal pathology. Lysine, acting as a serotonin antagonist and therefore reducing the overactivity of these receptors, reduced signs of anxiety and anxiety-induced diarrhea in the sample population. Another study showed that lysine deficiency leads to a pathological increase in serotonin in the amygdala, a brain structure that is involved in emotional regulation and the stress response.
Human studies have also shown correlations between reduced lysine intake and anxiety. A population-based study in Syria included 93 families whose diet is primarily grain-based and therefore likely to be deficient in lysine. Fortification of grains with lysine was shown to reduce markers of anxiety, including cortisol levels, and also led to potentiation of benzodiazepine receptors (common targets of anxiolytic drugs such as Xanax and Ativan)." [2]
It also lowers cortisol in the body. Too much cortisol in the body can lead to depression.

Omega-3
"Though there is some evidence that n-3 fatty acids are connected to a variety of mental disorders. There is limited evidence that may be useful as an add on for the treatment of depression associated with bipolar disorder." [3]

Glycine
Glycine is an amino acid.
It reduces norepinephrine in the body. It has a positive effect in anxiety disorders.

Rhodiola rosea
"While animal tests have suggested a variety of beneficial effects for Rhodiola rosea extracts there is scientific evidence only for depression as a benefit in humans. A clinical trial showed significant effect for a Rhodiola extract in doses of 340–680 mg per day in male and female patients from 18 to 70 years old with mild to moderate depression. Another study also found antidepressant properties, possibly via the plant's inhibition of MAO-A and MAO-B." [4]

St. John's wort
"St John's wort is widely known as an herbal treatment for depression. [...] Most studies of St John's wort for treating depression used doses of 300 mg of an extract (standardized to 0.3 percent hypericin content) three times daily to achieve a therapeutic effect. Studies suggest to take from 300mg to 1,800 mg daily. There have not been any reports of overdose." [5]