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I have a four year old little boy.Since the age of one he has presented ADD/ADHD and ODD symptoms he has been tested and has been officialy dx with the conditions. I have tried everything all kinds of different programs and prescription medication. They either make him worse more aggressive or the very down and sad and cry all the time. I am at my wits end and do not know what to do. Are there any herbal remedies I can try.  He is very impulsive cant stand the word no!!!!! Very aggresive and mean. Yet he is very very very smart for his age... I also have ADD/ADHD but over the years have learned to cope with it. But when he acts the way he does my anxiety goes through the roof. So also is there any parenting classes or therapy to help me deal with his conditions... Please Please help. I have also got him into karate and socceer to help run some engery out of him. But to soon to tell if that is helping.....
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Avatar universal
Also feel free to contact me if you would like further discussion and support. I'm not sure if there is a way to message on this site since I am new here, but if there is, feel free to message me.
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Avatar universal
Look for help from an integrative physician. Different sorts of toxicities can cause all sorts of problems. Heavy metal poisoning can cause ADHD symptoms and so can fluoride. I was given fluoride tablets as a child and within a year was diagnosed with ADHD and given medication. My dentists have told me that I have something on my teeth that I believe is called fluridosis (sp?). Permanent discolored brown spots on my teeth from the fluoride tablets. I can't imagine what it has done to my brain. An integrative physician can also recommend supplements like DL-phenylalanine. When we consume phenylalanine in food, it gets converted in dopamine (neurotransmitter supposedly responsible for attention span, decision-making, etc.) and phenylethylamine (the body's natural, amphetamine). It also has a role in the production of norephinephrine (also linked to attention and motivation). It is considered an essential (can only be gotten through food) amino acid in children but not adults. Why? Because children's bodies cannot manufacture it from other amino acids. Adults can. ADD/ADHD in children could simply be the result of a nutritional deficiency corrected easily with a DL-phenylalanine supplement. Don't give up there are many avenues to explore and the right doctor who is willing to try natural approaches and tests and not just meds can help.

Here is why I am giving this advice: IT IS WHAT I WISH MY PARENTS HAD DONE FOR ME.

My parents put me on Ritalin when I was 6, and it ruined my life. I am now 27 and I cannot work because of the disabling treatment-resistant depression and fatigue that I have as a result of being on the drug for years. ADD drugs are not a solution, they are a quick fix. They do work which is why people use them, but when they stop working your child will be left with not only ADD but depression, too. That is what happened to me, and I am not alone. I am finding more and more people to whom this has happened. This is because Ritalin and other stimulant ADD drugs (Concerta, Adderall, Vyvanse, Dexadrine, etc) work on the dopamine system which is not only responsible for attention but pleasure, too. The drug has the same mechanism of action as cocaine and the result of long-term use is the same. The drug works for a while and then the person develops a tolerance to the drug and more is needed to achieve the same result. Then the person cannot even feel pleasure without the drug. And finally even the drug doesn't do much to alleviate the person's depression because the dopamine system has been too disrupted. And that is where I am now. I cannot feel pleasure. I resent the fact that I am even still alive, but I have chosen to keep living so that I can warn parents about these medications. I would rather be a school drop-out than live the way that I live now. At least as a school drop-out I would be able to enjoy being alive. Maybe I wouldn't have a great job, but I would at least be able to work and feel pleasure in life. Many ADD kids can become successful adults without medication. They just have to find their niche. I know many people who did not take meds who are thriving in the life paths that they have chosen. Please visit my website www.ritalinawareness.com  and read my story and the research that I have presented on how long-term prescription stimulant use can lead to depression. You can also read about alternatives to medication on my site.

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Avatar universal
Thank all of you for you responses I will be lookin into all of the different information that you have provided..  His symptoms started when he was one years old.. I took him when he was just barely three and the doctor who is suppose to be a behavoiral doctor dx him with all the add/adhd and odd. In all my reading the ODD seems to fit him the most...I have been reading on empowering kids and it does help some.. I have tried Stratera, Aderal XL ect.. The phsy. Doc said the next step was antiphscy meds and I was not having that for my four year old.... I have goon through many programs Project Challange,Home Behavorial therapy,Play Therapy,Script meds now Herbal meds "Pedi-active and DHA(they seem to help very little) I have him in whats called the Fiddler program right now. They are trying to prevent him from going into a special needs kindergarden.. The worse part is the lack of impluse control the immediate temper tantrum because he doesnt get his way.. The fact he will throw whatever is near him at me say I hate you.. Hit punch scream.. I have stoped using the word no.. I could go on and on... It makes me anxiety level go through the roof...
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757137 tn?1347196453
I cannot help but wonder what kind of doctor would diagnose a one-year old as ADD. The child is in an early formative stage for which there are no clear-cut norms. Given this ludicrous diagnose, any treatment that followed could not be appropriate and might cause harm.

When all is said and done, common sense is the foundation of good medicine.
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1983635 tn?1338861206
I would look into ABA therapy for his behaviors. Im a behavioral therapist and although the greater majority of my clients are diagnosed with Autism, ABA is very effective!
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1983635 tn?1338861206
I would look into ABA therapy for his behaviors. Im a behavioral therapist and although the greater majority of my clients are diagnosed with Autism, ABA is very effective!
Helpful - 0
189897 tn?1441126518
COMMUNITY LEADER
   Oh, I forgot to ask what kind of doctors have you seen and what was prescribed.  Thats a huge range of emotions he has gone through - and a bit unusual.  Of course, I feel that a good doctor would also be giving you the advice that I have tried to give - which makes me wonder about the expertise level of the docs you have seen.
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189897 tn?1441126518
COMMUNITY LEADER
     Probably one of the most difficult things out there is to deal with a young child with ADHD - and you add intelligence into the mix - oh boy.  
     I think the most important thing is to realize (when he messes up) what is caused by ADHD and what is caused by being just a 4 year old.  While kids at that age really don't have a lot of control (it will get better), you don't want to use punishment methods for something that he has instantly done due to his ADHD.
    Structure and consistency are the key words used in all of the posts/articles I have seen.  Unfortunately, I have not seen (or don't remember) things specifically aimed at that age group, but I am going to go back through my files and see what is there.
    The book I recommend the most is, "The ADD/ ADHD Answer book," by Susan Ashley.  Get it! It will help now and way into his future.   At this age, I do like the discipline methods used in the book, "SOS Help for Parents," by Lynn Clark.  She uses the time out method, but explains exactly how to make it work.  It also is well worth your time and it will work for your child.
     This site has lots of good articles - http://www.ncpamd.com/PracticalHintsADHD.htm.     And I will go through more to see what I can find.
     Your idea of getting him into soccer, etc. is a good one.  Run him as much as possible.  Child proof your house.  Structure everything.  Love him!
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