Natural Supplements for ADHD / Anxiety Child

[BabbleMom]

Hello!
I have a son who has been diagnosed with ADHD and some anxiety issues. The doctor mentioned about putting him on more medication regarding his anxiety. At this time, I don't want to load him up on medicines, seeing we are having to switch his ADHD medication here soon and if he is diagnosed with PDD, then he will have to change medicines again.
I was wondering if there might be a natural supplement regarding anxiety for children. He takes 1.5mg dose of melatonin a night to help him sleep - I just want to try something natural first before trying the SSRI's.

Thank You!

[BabbleMom]

Hi Birdie,

I understand what you are saying and yes, we did make sure to talk to the primary physican along with the doctor evaluating my son about his dietary changes.
They seemed fine with it, removing the majority of the sugar and the red dye #40.
Trust me, I do temper what advice I'm given online along with the information supplied with the doctors :)

[Paxiled]

Sugar can be a double-edged sword -- because it metabolizes immediately into, well, sugar, it can obviously provide immediate energy, but because it's so hard on the body's metabolism it can just as easily cause the body to overwork and become tired and lazy if not burnt immediately by exercise.  But no matter how it makes your energy work or not work, it has so many problems that we do need to be careful with our intake.

[birdie0907]

That post above about sugar increasing children's activity levels is a myth that was debunked years ago. The last study was in the 1990s and was so definitive that no one has done one since. The myth continues because it SEEMS so logical because parents feed their kids sugar then the kid runs in circles and mom says see it is the sugar. In fact the kid would run in circles no matter what he ate because he is a kid.
You should be able to google and locate that 1990s study.I would take any nutrition advice you get on a chat line as something that needs to be followed up with an expert.

[BabbleMom]

Hi Remar!

Thank you for the advice and yes, we have already worked on his diet. My son does not get Red Dye 40 foods and we make sure we rule out most processed foods. (unless at a b-day party, we let him have cake :))

He usually is good on fruits and veggies, no soda or lots of fruit juices and rarely gets candy.

Thank You!

[BabbleMom]

Thank you for the information!
In no way would I want to hurt my son so I will make sure we are EXTREMELY CAREFUL. :)

[remar]

I recommend completely changing your sons diet. Having him on a more plant based diet without sugar and processed foods can really make a difference. I know most children your sons age don't really care for fruits and veggies but you can make great tasting things for him to eat if you do some research for recipes. Children will eventually eat what you serve them when they get hungry.
There are many young children in my family and it seems the ones that eat very healthy are calm and happy while the others that eat lots of sugar and processed foods are being placed on meds for ADD.

[Paxiled]

That's quite young for many herbal and natural remedies.  It's also young for the vitamins mentioned above, except under strict supervision.  Too much zinc is toxic, children by being out in the sun regularly usually have plenty of Vitamin D.  Now, magnesium is a problem, particularly given how much milk we drink.  Milk is very high in calcium and very low in magnesium, and children and most American adults don't eat the foods well balanced in the two -- green leafy vegetables, broccoli, and the like.  Because magnesium and calcium are in electrical balance in the body, too much calcium will leach out magnesium.  Many recent researchers have noted that the so-called calcium osteoporosis problem is really a magnesium problem in the US.  So I'd only do this with an experienced physician or naturopath who knows the limits of what an 8 year old can handle.  On the other hand, homeopathy is completely safe for children, though I don't know how well it works for this problem.  Just be as careful with children at this age with natural medicine as you would with toxic medications, which means consulting experts and doing your homework.  Good luck.

[BabbleMom]

Hello!

My son is currently 8 years old and will turn 9 in October.

[BabbleMom]

Thank you Sebastian, I will ask to see if they will agree to that testing!

[Blade_Brown]

Hi there,

Magnesium, Vitamin D and Zinc in studies showed to have a very positive impact on Children with ADHD. 95 % of ADHD Children have a low leel of magnesium. Your doctor should make a blood, a urin and hair sample to determine the level and set the dosage.

Regards,

Sebastian

[Paxiled]

How old is your child?