Hi there,
I stumbled across this site by chance and have been really impressed by the community and support offered. Good stuff. That said, I'm a first time forum poster. Here goes.
My husband was diagnosed with ADD about a year ago. It wasn't a surprise and in fact, in retrospect we were shocked he went so long before a formal diagnosis. It's a long story, but he went on medication (Adderall and then Vyvanse) and it seemed to help provide mental clarity and motivation for a bit, but eventually had some adverse side effects that were destructive to him and our marriage. He's since gone off the medication. We're now exploring some more natural remedies. I've done some research online and found several resources that site Ginkgo Biloba, Omega-3 (fish oil), L-Tyrosine, Skullcap, Pine Bark extract and Vitamin D as helpful natural remedies. Yes, I know these likely won't provide as "fast a fix" as rx medication offers, but it's important we at least try a more natural route. I'm convinced he has some deficiencies that when treated could help relieve his ADD a bit. He's also getting blood work done soon to see if anything pops up there.
Any suggestions you have for natural supplements that have worked would be very helpful. Even if you only saw slight improvement. That's better than nothing!
Additionally, we've also read that a diet rich in protein and low in carbs and sugar helps provide more energy and increase brain function. It's worth a shot, eh? So if you've had luck with a diet plan, I'm all ears too.
Thanks in advance!
can't recommend "natural" supplements
Submitted by arwen on
There are some "natural supplements" that can produce some modest changes in ADHD behavior, but I really don't recommend using this approach, for several reasons. First of all, there is no good guidance on dosages for these supplements, and self-medicating is always a risky business. Secondly, "natural supplements" have side-effects too, and can be just as severe as with prescription medications. Third, most "natural supplements" are not quality controlled the way prescription medications are. Fourth, you need to have done a huge amount of research and very thoroughly understand how the supplements and how ADHD brain activities and metabolic and transport processes work before you can have any hope of applying the supplements appropriately. Finally, a doctor's supervision for treating anything that affects the brain seems pretty important, to me anyway.
Rather than quit medication entirely, have you explored the possibility that other medications may work better for your partner than the ones he has tried? My husband and his neuropsychiatrist had to spend a couple of years trying different medication combinations and tweaking the dosages before we determined what worked best for him, and what avoided side effects. Sometimes, an ADHDer needs to start on a very low dose to avoid side effects, but can very gradually increase to a higher point. I know this may seem very tedious, but from my experience it really is the best approach.
I really do urge you to further discuss the possibilities with your doctor. And if your doctor isn't a neuropsychiatrist, I recommend you find such a doctor -- they are much more knowledgeable than the family physician about brain disorders, treatments and medications.
Good luck!
Ginko
Submitted by Clarity on
My ADD husband has been taking concerta and wellbutrin (I believe) and he has had trouble maintaining erections. We found some information online that suggested that gingko might help so he thought he would give it a try. Somewhere in the info we found a dosage that recommended 60mg in the am and pm so, that's where he started for a few weeks to see if he might have any negative reactions etc. (I've heard that some companies provide a quality product by self regulating their ingredients) He said that his energy level and memory as well as erection quality were enchanced and decided he would increase the dose and added 60mg midday. He ran out of concerta for four days until he saw the doctor for a refill just last night. I told him to be sure to mention the ginko to the doc but I haven't talked to him yet. So far, it's been beneficial. I have no idea what the long term effects might be but I'll take any help we can find.
I can appreciate a more wholistic approach but, I've found that there is a vast disconnect betwen physicians, pharmacies and more natural remedies. I've often had to look for alternatives for myself as I seem to be the kind of person that has negative side effects to medications and finding good information can be very frustrating.
If I can get my ADD husband to talk about it, I'll try to fill you in on the latest. Maybe I'll check on that erection too...
:)
here's the latest
Submitted by Clarity on
well, about all I could get out of him was that the doc said he's heard good things about gingko and he actually halved his concerta to see how that would work out. He sees this psych once every 6 weeks to a month so, I guess we'll have to see how it goes... by then he'd be taking gingko for more than two months. According to the information we found it would take about one month to notice any changes but, my ADD spouse noticed sooner than that. He also takes meds for elevated cholesterol levels. So daily, he's taking three prescriptions, the gingko, fish oil and C's. It's a handful! I wonder if it's true that doctors get spiffed for the prescriptions they write? Any way, I've been open to try a few well researched natural products and have found some to be quite helpful without any side effects. I've always mentioned all that I've taken to my primary care doctor who usually only seemed to think it was cute... I'm wondering what Dr. Oz would have to say...