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Let’s face it. There are ADHD medication side effects so let us have a look at them and see whether it is really worth all the time and effort and see how your ADHD child can fit into this treatment picture.

Fidgeting and constant motion are well known symptoms of ADHD. Will ADHD medications improve this problem? It seems that research from the University of Central Florida found that when we ask ADHD kids to concentrate on a task, they fidgeted a lot more than boys who did not have ADHD. Squirming of course can be a relatively irritating problem especially in the classroom. Actually the ADHD medications can help to calm children down and they can become quieter and stay focused. The downside of all this is that maybe up to 20% of children on ADHD drugs just cannot take them and are overwhelmed by the unwanted effects of ADHD medications. It is true that some side effects are very minor while others are more serious.

If the doctor or paediatrician are doing their job properly, they will assess your family medical history and that of the child before prescribing these drugs. Side effects of ADHD medications can range from insomnia and sleep disorders, weight loss, loss of appetite and irritability. In certain subjects already susceptible to depression, there could even be an increase in suicide thoughts and also heart problems have to be carefully monitored.

Side effects or not, there are other important things to consider when deciding about ADHD medication for your child. How will your child grow up ? If he is aggressive now, violent, lying, impulsive and hyperactive, do you really think that ADHD meds are going to solve these problems like a magic wand and your child is suddenly a grown, responsible, caring well balanced adult. Dream on!

While AHD medications can help solve the immediate symptoms of fidgeting, attention and concentration , there are problems relating to self control, coping mechanisms and social relationships with peers and figures in authority. How is all this going to pan out ? Will the ADHD medications side effects distract the anxious parent who cannot see the wood for the trees? Experts now assure us that without ADHD behaviour therapy, there is little point in pursuing with ADHD medications as they are just a temporary fix.

Back to side effects. Many parents are now turning to natural homeopathic remedies because there are no side effects while ADHD medications side effects can be damaging and long term. That really is the best approach to take and together with ADHD behavioral therapy, your child can sail through ADHD.

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children’s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what Natural ADHD treatment is available.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/adhd-medication-side-effects-answers-you-must-have-946580.html

Delivery of violence to our homes in the form of video games and other media where violence is glorified is worrying many parents. This is certainly NOT what causes ADHD but it does have an effect on a child’s behavior whether he has ADHD or not! ADHD children sometimes display gratuitous violence towards classmates, siblings, teachers and parents. That can take the form of shouting, bouncing off the walls, meltdowns and hitting their peers or figures in authority such as long suffering parents and teachers.

Lead toxicity has been linked as a possible cause of problems in the brain’s development and in fact experiments have shown that it may indeed be what causes ADHD in children or at least one of the causes. Pregnant mothers who were exposed to some sort of lead poisoning seem to be a t more risk of giving birth to an ADHD child. More work needs to be done in this area.

Israeli scientists have discovered that two genes may be what causes ADHD and this would certainly strengthen the genetic cause and or hereditary link. There is a strong correlation between the two although more studies need to be done. As there are so many different symptoms of ADHD which range from inattention to depression, impulsive behaviour and hyperactivity, it would seem that there are many genes involved. We are just at the beginning here in trying to understand what causes ADHD.

One of the principal areas of study into what causes ADHD in children is the chemical one in which the chemical neurotransmitters in the brain have been compromised and as such, there is impaired communication getting through which affects vital areas such as taking action, staying focused, deciding the consequences of actions and so on. As this impairment worsens, the child is unable to concentrate, is distracted and is sometimes hyperactive.

The drug companies have focused on the use of amphetamine drugs to help the brain chemicals to function and therefore children who are treated with these drugs can focus better and be more attentive. There are a wide range of side effects in children on these drugs (maybe up to 20%)!

These range from stroke, loss of appetite, weight loss and stunted growth. Add to that insomnia, depression, paranoia and other mental illness further down the line. Is there a better way? The answer is in the box below may not give you a definitive answer on what causes ADHD but it will give you all the information on an alternative safer, less drastic ADHD treatment.

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children’s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what Natural ADHD treatment is available

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/what-causes-adhd-parents-must-know-guide-917708.html

If there were natural vitamins to help ADHD, the drug companies would be out of business or they would be manufacturing them under some fancy sounding name. The fact is that ADHD vitamins are not going to cure ADHD but they are going to play a helpful role in helping kids’ brains function better. But many parents do not know about that and fall into the following trap.

You know the scenario. Your child’s teacher telephones you about your child’s behavior and the next thing you know, after a visit to the pediatrician, he is on Adderall XR for ADHD. You were under pressure and the child was threatened with suspension. What else could you have done? The only problem is that while the child may be able to focus better (teacher happy!), the problem is that he has lost his appetite. Now if you had opted for an ADHD homeopathic remedy, that would not have happened as these remedies have no side effects and the child’s appetite is not affected.

Apart from medication, what are the ADHD vitamins? The Vitamin B group is great for helping the brain to focus and if you find a good Vitamin B complex, it can really help your child. Vitamin B1 has an important role to play in converting glucose into fuel for the brain and if there is a deficiency here, then irritability and mood swings may occur. These are some of the symptoms of ADHD so this vitamin can help to enhance brain function. What about B3 which is also known as Niacin? In a double-blind study with 33 children, they found that when the B3 supplement was withdrawn, the behaviour problems reappeared.

We now know that diet, exercise and a stable home environment are all going to affect a child’s development. If there is any way we can improve that, then we should take a long hard look at what natural vitamins are needed to help ADHD. As I said the Vitamin B groups is essential and also also Lecithin, L-Lysine and L-Carnitine have been shown to alleviate some of the ADHD symptoms such as distractability, inattention and lack of concentration. Some children with ADHD have been shown to have a vitamin deficiency so it might be a good idea to have a simple blood test done. That will help you determine which natural vitamins are need to help ADHD in your child.

Prescribing the classic ADHD drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall, Cylert and Strattera may help in the short term but in the long term, it is ADHD behavior modification which is really going to make the difference. Also choosing a homeopathic remedy is going to simplify your life enormously. By knowing what natural vitamins are needed to help ADHD and knowing that a homeopathic cure for ADHD will have no side effects or health risks, this is the way to go.

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children’s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what Natural ADHD treatment is available

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/what-natural-vitamins-are-needed-to-help-adhd-facts-for-parents-909402.html

Many parents are convinced that inattentive ADHD is a curse rather than a blessing. Certainly it presents its problems but we should always remember that quite a few ADHD kids are extremely intelligent. In this article I want to outline some facts on the ADHD predominantly inattentive type which often gets left out because there is a lot of attention given to the hyperactive type or the combined type.

The first fact is that with the ADHD predominantly inattentive type, there is a greater possibility of having a co-morbid disorder such as anxiety, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) or ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder). Looking on the bright side, these kids can do very well in the performing arts when they grow up. They have a great talent for pursuing subjects that interest them in great detail. They can become experts in certain things which they are passionate about and are loyal and caring.

The second fact is that they can really pay attention to things which stimulate them and which absorb their attention and they are not distracted at all. This type of activity might be a sport which they are good at or a video game. The challenge for parents and teachers is to make school subjects and homework interesting and challenging for them. Dr Amen, the ADHD expert is convinced that one of the best ways of dealing with the ADHD predominantly inattentive type is to provide the right stimulation to perform even complex tasks. More often than not, the inattentive ADHD type child is going to hop from one task to another, often lose things, get sidetracked and in this way, the task or homework never gets done.

The third fact to bear in mind when dealing with the ADHD predominantly inattentive type is that the most effective treatment is a combination of ADHD behavior therapy combined with medication. But which medication ? Some of the psychostimulants (which we must always remember are mainly amphetamines) may offer some relief for symptoms like helping the child to stay focused but they will never cure the condition and are full of unknowns as regards side effects and health risks. The natural cures such as ADHD homeopathic remedies are not well publicized because there are no drug company consortiums backing them and in a way, homeopathic medicine has remained the Cinderella of medical treatment. You can find out why thousands and thousands of parents are now turning to this much safer cheaper option for inattentive ADHD from the link below.

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children’s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what Natural ADHD treatment is available

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/facts-on-adhd-predominantly-inattentive-type–909406.html

Inattentive ADHD which is a subtype of ADHD is often under diagnosed for one very simple reason. The fact that hyperactivity is not the prominent symptom means that it often goes unnoticed. The inattentive ADHD child is quiet and daydreaming and this does not disturb the teacher or the class. Very often inattentive ADHD children sit at the back of the class which is another reason why it tends to get ignored.

The first action point is to determine whether you should seek a medical diagnosis. It is important that this should be done not before the age of four or five. Very often a child forgets things, is distractive and impulsive too, on occasions. It is when these symptoms start impinging on the child’s home and school life that you should start to think of getting a diagnosis.

The second action point is to talk to the child’s teacher and ask just what is the problem and what things the teacher has observed. Obviously, for this type of ADHD, if indeed it is eventually diagnosed, daydreaming will be most often mentioned. But there are other things to ask about too. For example, are there problems with instructions? Very often with this ADHD predominantly inattentive type, the frontal and parietal parts of the brain are affected although neurologists do not know exactly how or why. This is the part of the brain which is sort of an action or planning unit which helps us to organise and execute actions when we have to do them and how we should carry them out. This is often called executive functioning..

The third action point for parents, if inattentive ADHD type is diagnosed, is to consider carefully what type of medication will be the most suitable for their child. The problem with ADHD drugs and psychostimulants is that they often help with some of the symptoms of inattentive ADHD and may help the child to focus but the side effects and the long term risks need to be evaluated. The most important thing is that the parents and the school are concentrating on teaching the child skills whereby he or she can cope with tasks. Breaking the task down into smaller chunks is an obvious way to help.

Thousands of parents are no longer falling for hype about ADHD drugs and will have nothing to do with them. Why not find out what alternative treatments are available for the ADHD predominantly inattentive type?

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children’s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what Natural ADHD treatment is available

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/inattentive-adhd-three-action-points-for-parents-909408.html

Do you know what a ’smart’ drug is ? It is one of the ADHD drugs, like Ritalin or Adderall, now used more and more by university students to get through exams and to aid them in study sessions. Their days can last up to 36 hours ! In a survey organised by the magazine ‘Nature’, they found that up to 20% of the 1,400 people surveyed had taken one of these ’smart ‘ drugs. In the USA, researchers at the University of Michigan found that up to 8% had used these drugs to get through their exams but that figure could actually be about 15%, I reckon.

Apart from being one of the three interesting facts that I want to outline in this article, the scary thing about all this is that no one has bothered much about the long term effects or the risks associated with these drugs. It could happen that there might be a reaction with a pre-existing medical condition which could be fatal. The most alarming fact in my view is that these so called amphetamine mixed salts drugs are being given to ADHD children whose brains are developing and nobody seems to care about long term effects and risks! But parents who seek ADHD advice are turning now more and more to homeopathic remedies because they want their children to grow up to be healthy well balanced adults rather than drugged zombies !

Apart from the scary ethical prospect that all the so-called bright young things in our society will be drugged on amphetamine salts, there is another aspect to consider and that is the side effects that these drugs produce. This is just not another one of the interesting facts about ADHD but should be a high alert to reduce the use of these drugs by children. Consider the effects these have on university students. Students complained of some alarming side effects. Apart from interfering drastically with their body clocks to such an extent that they stopped eating, drinking or sleeping, they also complained of an increase in obsessive actions. One student felt she had to complete 10 photo albums on Facebook in one evening! Side effects among children who are on these psychostimulants are no less alarming. These range from weight loss, insomnia, heart problems to stunted growth,irritability and loss of appetite.

Another one of the interesting facts about ADHD is that there is now some credence given to the cause of ADHD as being possibly caused by lead toxicity during pregnancy. There is an interesting book called ‘Lead Babies’ which has just been published. This outlines that exposure to lead during pregnancy can cause autism, ADHD, and other neurological disorders such as learning disabilities. That lead damaged their central nervous system at a vital stage in its development.

Whatever the cause of ADHD may be, the fact remains that parents have to find an alternative to mind altering drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall. There are ADHD homeopathic cures which have no side effects and there are no known risks. This is one of the most interesting facts about ADHD but you rarely hear about it. Why not give your child a better chance in life? This could be the best ADHD advice you have ever been given.

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children’s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what Natural ADHD treatment is available

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/three-interesting-facts-about-adhd-insights-for-parents-909411.html

The figures are out and they are startling to say the least ! It is now reckoned that about 10% of American children are kids with ADHD and that could be as many as 2.4 million children. Even more alarming is the fact that only about 50% of these have actually got diagnosed and are getting treatment. ADHD in small kids may seem a relatively minor problem but with figures like these, it does mean that there is an enormous pool of people who are going to carry ADHD into adulthood.

That means a high price in human and economic terms as the number of accidents due to impulsivity in driving, substance abuse, imprisonment and ruined relationships will inevitably rocket. Unfortunately a large number of kids with ADHD do not outgrow the disorder and hyperactivity, impulsivity and distractability will have an negative impact on their lives. They may call it by other names such as inability to stay on task or multitasking but the disorder remains.

Now that ADHD medication with drugs is a hot controversial issue, it is worth pointing out that in dealing with ADHD in small kids, there is a wide choice of alternative therapies and treatments available. At school, you can offer to be a parent volunteer and can also get informed on IEP and /or the 504 plan to make sure that your child is getting the best attention.

Why not consider learning a few strategies about

ADHD behavior therapy as your relationship with your child is key to him or her understanding the rewards and consequences of good and bad behavior. No ADHD drug can do that ! This strategy will help you to help your ADHD child to cope with tasks, organise his life, improve social relationships and learn what is acceptable behavior. Experts now say that this is the one most effective technique to deal with ADHD in small kids. The sooner we start, the better the results.

Exercise, diet and parental support can all have a positive impact on an ADHD child. Meditation using visualisation, music and nature has had some very good results. Children in Australia went through a series of lessons on meditation and there was a 35% improvement in symptoms such as hyperactivity, lack of focus and inattention. A lot of the children were able to go without medication or at least halve the dosages they were on.

ADHD in small kids has been hyped up so much that parents often get a diagnosis for ADHD before the age of five which is unwise to say the least. As regards treatment, ADHD homeopathic remedies are ideal for treating ADHD in small kids as there are no side effects and the health risks are non-existent.

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children’s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what Natural ADHD treatment is available

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/adhd-in-small-kids-what-every-parent-should-know-909941.html

There’s a lovely (true ) story about a kid with ADHD. His mother had great difficulty in controlling his hyperactivity and impulsiveness as he tore the place apart. One day, a friend asked him (as a challenge) to balance a number of cushions from various rooms in the house on one hand and to keep them balanced while reciting the alphabet backwards. He did it ! And not only that but remembered where all the cushions had come from and was able to put them back in the right place. Dr. Amen, an expert on ADHD, maintains that this story is a perfect example about what he believes and practises when treating kids with ADHD.

Most people seem to think that because kids with ADHD suffer from distractability and cannot cope with distractions coming from all angles , this is the reason why they cannot stay focused on one task. The answer, they think is to remove distractions and get them to concentrate. But Dr. Amen’s story demonstrates that inattentive children when given several tasks to do in a stimulating environment, they can actually do it with surprising effectiveness. We may have to rethink our attitude towards distraction in ADHD kids.

The second story comes from the UK near Brighton where two teenagers aged 13 and 15 somehow got hold of the ADHD drug Ritalin at school and accidentally swallowed some of these tablets and ended up in hospital. While the police are investigating, the spotlight has naturally turned to this amphetamine drug which is so widely prescribed now for kids with ADHD. As we know the main ingredient of Ritalin and many ADHD drugs like it, is methylphenidate which acts on the child’s brain chemicals by helping them concentrate and be less impulsive and more attentive. The side effects and risks of this type of amphetamine drug has once again come to the forefront. This drug is also known as ‘kiddy coke’ and that refers to cocaine, not Coca Cola! Surely this is not the best way of treating ADHD in small kids.

Lots of studies have linked these psychostimulants to problems such as insomnia,weight loss and weight gain in children when they are prescribed these drugs. Heart problems and stunted growth complete the list of the most worrying side effects and risks. There are now serious question marks about using such a treatment for ADHD in small kids.

Parents are fed up with the hype and attention given to these mind altering drugs and the efforts by the drug companies to cover up certain risks which are alarming. What kids with ADHD need most of all is love and affection and to be taught behavior modification which none of these drugs can do. They now know that an ADHD natural cure such as a homeopathic one is much safer and more effective in helping the child come to terms with his ADHD symptoms. Why not find out more from the link below?

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children’s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what Natural ADHD treatment is available

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/kids-with-adhd-two-stories-to-think-about-909413.html

You are probably besieged by articles on ADHD from a myriad of sources and you may have a few problems in sifting through the dross. Given that the United States manufactures and consumes 90% of the world’s supply of methyphenidate (Ritalin and Concerta) which is basically an amphetamine, you can see the need to tread with caution in reading articles on ADHD. Those articles may be written by doctors and pediatricians who are in cahoots with the pharmaceutical companies.

The second problem is that the World Health Organization is alarmed at the epidemic of psychostimulant medication which is sweeping America and warns that overdiagnosis of ADHD is a problem. The second warning is that as ADHD is a complex mental disorder and varies so much from child to child, that many doctors and parents are looking for a quick easy solution by prescribing pills. The condition is about behavior and no medication can treat that. Neither can it change a child’s behavior.

In assessing articles on ADHD critically, we can start at the top. Here we find scholarly and medical articles written in famous journals like Clinical Pediatrics, The American Journal of Psychiatry and the Journal of Child Neurology. These articles are available on subscription but are usually directed at doctors or clinicians. These ADHD articles are usually very dense scientific reading and are not really directed at the general public.

The next layer of articles on ADHD are written by medics and experts and invade multiple sites which are sponsored by the drug companies. They are therefore quite biased and should be viewed as such. If you see the name of the company or one of their mind altering drugs, then you know that you are getting one side of the story. Nothing wrong with that but you need to get a broader more enlightened picture. Other government and public health sites tend to be less biased but not always.

Another group of ADHD articles or blog posts will be on the blogs and forums. You can see here which way the wind is blowing and you will get the full range from wacky treatments including yoga and meditation to endless posts on trying to find the right dosage for a poor child who simply cannot tolerate the side effects of amphetamines. Then there are articles sponsored by the alternative medicine brigade and they can be viewed with some suspicion if they are not upfront about where and how the alternative solutions are manufactured. Questions about FDA registered facilities and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) need to be asked and answered.

Not many articles will mention the fact that behavior modification with or without medication is now the preferred method of treatment for ADHD. This is recommended by the major medical authorities such as the AAP. These then are some of the ways to assess articles on ADHD with a more objective eye.

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children’s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what Natural ADHD treatment is available.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/articles-on-adhd-how-to-assess-them-critically-873310.html

Millions of children with ADHD grow up to be well balanced responsible adults. That is probably due to a number of factors, the home environment, school and above all parents who know and apply a few basic parenting techniques. The ADHD child will always respond to positive parenting. For those who do not have the love and affectionate support at home are at risk of running into trouble with the law and carrying ADHD into adulthood. That can lead to career and relationship ruin.

How can you make your home a place where positive parenting is the norm and not the exception Here are a few tips which can help the ADHD child.

Make sure your child knows the limits. Explain what is required and give examples of stepping over the limits. You have a system of rewards in place and these are dispensed for good behaviour and the child is rewarded promptly. These can range from new toys, treats, outings, computer time. By the way, paediatricians are now telling us that media time should be no more than two hours a day. Having a points or star system is also a good idea and you can develop that into a response cost program where the child loses what he earns through bad behaviour.

Consequences should also be explained and you can even make a list and what happens when these are not followed. Using time-out is favoured by many parents although it is probably better to stay with the child rather than send him to another room.

Explaining things like routine and schedules are another way to positive parenting. Routine and times for various activities are well established . When a change in routine is in the offing, it needs to be explained to the child as sudden changes can be a bit disorientating.

But what happens when your pre teen ADHD child starts arguing and turns into an impossible child? Defiant kids can be a real handful and when they start to pick fights with parents and attack their siblings, then you may need to look at ADHD behavioral therapy which is basically a set of techniques to follow when all else has failed. This is positive parenting at its best because you are regaining control over your children.

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children’s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover how ADHD behavioral therapy can change your life.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/positive-parenting-for-the-adhd-child-862269.html