ritalin vs adderall(adderrall)........nat. alternatives?????????

is there any natural remedy for adhd????? my son had fairly good results with ritalin s.r. for 2 years, however, it lost it affectiveness, and was switched to adderall (adderrall). his behavior has gone downhill (previous straight A's are now declining and he is very moody and aggressive at times) with terrrible mood swings.
with all the media focusing on recent deaths of children on ritalin (heart problems), i am terrified about continuing ANY medication!  is there some sort of amino acid/5-htp, etc. herb that can help??  
any info would be of great help, as we are in a crisis phase here at home and at school.

thank you
adb

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Alaine,

Some people promote the herbal remedy Pycnogenol (from the bark of a particular type of pine tree) as appropriate for the treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. However, I have seen no documentation supporting its effectiveness in any clinical trials comapring it with the standard prescrition drugs.
Even if it produces some benefit, this would occur in a subtle fashion, over time. You would not expect any dramatic change.

Another option is to seek treatment from a hoeopathic practitioner. I have witnessed anecdotal/clinical reports of benefits from such treatment, but am not aware of any solid clinical trials establishing its effectiveness. There may be such evidence that I am simply ignorant of.

[alaine]

thank you for your reply. we will try to find a homeopathic practioner for advice.

if any other parent is on the prescription and emotional "roller coaster", i'd be very interested in any tips. i am a very strong person, but recently feel like i am going over the edge from all the stress......especially school related. if there's ANY help out there, i could REALLY use it!

thanx,
***@****

[paula]

does ritalin cause heart problems? I have a 6yr old who takes 20mg in the morning (sr) and 10mg (regular) in the afternoon is this to much? I tried less but it never worked.

[gm]

I have a son 6 and a daughter 10 both on adderall (adderrall). Both also tried Ritalin but it suppressed their appetite so much that I suggested a change, Ask your child care provider about the use of Depakote as a mood stabilizer. It tends to take the edge off of adderall (adderrall) and has been highly effective with children that have been diagnosed ADHD. It will also help them sleep and will help with the roller coaster you are on as well as the roller coaster your child is on. I also have an 8 year old that is diagnosed with BiPolar disorder and ADHD and a 2 year old that already shows signs of bi-polar. I really understand the roller coaster ride you are on. Also some of the anti depressants are helpful like SSRI's ie  Serzone. Please Email me with any questions you might have or if you need someone to talk to. I am there. I do KNOW what you are going through. ***@****

[TF]

Our chld has taken "Bio-Strath" which is a natural swiss remedy- ask your natural health provider for more information.  The liquied tastes terrible but I think is more effective than the tablets.  We had good luck.

[carol280]

A related discussion, natural alternitives to adderall (adderrall) was started.