ADD Medication Alternatives

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Hi Parents of CC,
(skip to the last sentences if you just want to get straight to the question)</p>

<p>Recently I’ve become convinced that I have impulsive ADD. I’m seventeen. It’s really messing with my life and affecting my relationship with my parents, my performance at school, and social interactions. My mind runs at a million miles per minute and gets nowhere as a result. There’s so much running through it I freeze up and can’t prioritize or rationalize very well. I make a lot of impulsive decisions without thinking things through. I. Can. Not. Focus. On. Schoolwork. I try really, really hard, I really do, and just can’t make myself sit down for several hours to work on school. I can study really hard for a about three days, and after that I just can’t force myself to sit and study one more minute. </p>

<p>These are just a few of my problems. I’ve read a lot of books on the subject and with each reading, I grow more convinced that I have ADD. I went to get tested by a specialist in the area when I was 15, but at the time I was mad/embarrassed and purposefully answered test questions to indicate the exact opposite of ADD. I have no problem focusing on something new and passed the computer test he administered with flying colors. At the end of multiple diagnostic tests, he gave me a 3% chance of having ADD. I regret trying to trick up the test, but now that I’m sure I have it, my mom absolutely refuses to let me take Adderall or Ritalin, or any of the other common ADD medications. While they sound like nice quick fixes, I’ve also researched these and several other drugs extensively and am pretty sure they’ll mess me up in the long run so I guess I don’t really want them either. </p>

<p>I’m an extremely effective crammer and can get an A on a test after 30 minutes of studying, but as I take harder and harder classes (I’m taking classes at a local university) this works less and less often and I’m really worried about what will happen once I transfer to a more rigorous university. I want to go to med school and maintaining a 4.0 GPA is one of my college goals (halfway through so far). I don’t have a problem with focusing during 3 hour lecture, I just can’t make myself self study. I’m also driving my parents nuts because they are sick of having to remind me a million times to get simple tasks done or help out around the house…I have all the good intentions in the world, I just forget so quickly because my mind is quickly moving on to ten other things. I’ve annoyed some people because I forget to get back to them or get overwhelmed by the million of other things I have to do and procrastinate/avoid. It’s really becoming a handicap, and I need to do something about it. </p>

<p>Does anyone have any experience with medication alternatives? Even if you’ve just heard of some alternative, please let me know. I’d really like to investigate different options.</p>

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<p>You could not get a prescription for these drugs anyway without an ADD diagnosis to start with (trust me, just got off the phone with our pediatrician on it, and even multiple ADD diagnosis over the years aren’t enough if the most recent one isn’t in the last couple of years). Can you fess up to your parents that you ‘gamed’ the test last time for dumb reasons, and ask if you can get tested again? Just because you have a diagnosis doesn’t mean you HAVE to medicate, but it does give you the option if you decide you want to/need to downstream.</p>

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<p>I do not know any alternatives, but I just wanted to tell you that you are not alone in your situation. I have a parent that doesn’t believe in diagnosing mental disorders in fear of medication being required. </p>

<p>I show signs of chronic depression and ADD. My doctors are trying to fix my problems naturally, but it’s hard when no testing is able to be done. </p>

<p>It might help to regulate your life. Exercise regularly, eat healthy, limit junk food, get adequate amounts of sleep. Try this for a good three to six months and document how you feel as time passes. This may help you. </p>

<p>As my life has gotten busier and more stressful my attentiveness and memory has gone down. A nice inverse relationship there. It’s gotten so bas that sometimes I literally forget what I’m talking about mid-sentence or have a random thought prevents me from concentrating on what I am talking about. My mind simply focuses on so many different things that the best thing for me sometimes is to not talk at all and just observe. </p>

<p>You’re not alone. ;)</p>

4

<p>Outdoor exercise has been shown to have a positive effect. You need to be in nature…not a big city setting (a park is fine). I will try to find a link to this info.</p>

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<p>Mindful meditation can help. You certainly don’t have to be a Buddhist, or even “spiritual.” (I am neither.)
[How</a> to Meditate Daily : zenhabits](<a href=“http://zenhabits.net/meditate/]How”>How to Meditate Daily - zen habits zen habits)
[Breathing:</a> Three Exercises - Dr. Weil](<a href=“http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART00521/three-breathing-exercises.html]Breathing:”>Breathing Exercises: Three To Try | 4-7-8 Breath | Andrew Weil, M.D.)</p>

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<p>Protein snacks and caffeine take the edge off for me but they are no substitute for medication in a legitimate case of ADD. </p>

<p>If you do get retested, I would avoid trying to game it again to yield the opposite result. I’m curious which tests were administered as I could not have gamed my most recent testing if I tried.</p>

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<p>If you have no trouble focusing and can pass the computer test “with flying colors,” I think you may not have ADD. You cannot game the computer test. You should go back to see a specialist in Psychology and not just focus on ADD.</p>

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<p>At 17, you can’t do much without your parents consent. </p>

<p>At 18, you can do anything. </p>

<p>If it were my child I would
a) begin therapy with a psychologist to get cognitive behavioral therapy
b) schedule a visit with a reputable Naturopathic Doctor (ND). This is one stop shopping includes nutritional recommendations, supplements, and testing for food sensitivities and eliminating certain environmental factors. Then I would have my child follow the resulting recommendations. </p>

<p>For mild psychiatric issues, I would definitely try the naturopathic remedies before considering big gun pharmaceutical solutions as they often have fewer side effects and have been well studied in Europe where socialized medicine has funded much research, especially in Germany. Many natural supplements sold in the US are first line prescription medicine in Europe. I definitely wouldn’t allow them to self-medicate though, so don’t do that. </p>

<p>We have had good success with Naturopathy. In some states they are licensed to be primary care physicians and covered by insurance (not in my state though). There is nothing that my ND has recommended that my MD couldn’t recommend, but my ND has tested for and found food sensitivities and solved chronic digestive issues that I’ve had my whole life, but no MD ever tested for and solved. The resulting recommendations have made a huge difference.</p>

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<p>I agree that meditation can help you control your thoughts and slow down your mind so you can function better.</p>

<p>Stress can make it more difficult, exercise & meditation can help.</p>

<p>I agree that is unlikely the test results were inaccurate, but it may help you to talk with a behavioral psychologist. Organizational therapy that will help you with practical details, ( like an appt book. :wink: ) sounds like it would also be useful.</p>

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<p>Another vote here for meditation. And if you’re inclined adding a yoga practice.</p>

<p>Also, there may be dietary triggers. Start by removing all milk products. Then wheat. then anything other foods you eat a ton of - if you eat one food constantly and crave it there might be a trigger underway so avoiding that food for a while could be interesting.</p>

<p>Removing all sources of food coloration (red dye, blue dye, etc.) was a thing back in the 80’s when parents started to pay attention to behavioral triggers in food.</p>

<p>Also now that you are aware of your patterns (congratulations btw on being self aware!) you can begin to transform them. Try spending just a few minutes a day for a month focused steadily on one task. Practice! </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>Agree with some others here that you can’t “game” the ADD test in that way. You could purposely do badly so that you look like you have ADD, but you can’t perform better than you actually can. It sounds you did your best, which is exactly how you’re supposed to take the test. It also doesn’t sound like you have trouble focusing (effective crammer, no trouble paying attention in long lectures, etc.)</p>

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<p>Hi parents of CC,
All my life I’ve struggled with ADD. While I have no problems focusing on a three hour lecture or reading a textbook if the subject interests me, no amount of effort can make me study or focus on something I have no interest in. I lose everything, constantly forget about appointments and important deadlines, have severe procrastination, anxiety, overschedule, etc. My mind runs at a million miles per hour, and I have tons of ideas, but not ability to act on them. I try my hardest to get good grades, and I do, at seventeen I have 66 college credits majoring in BioChemistry with a 4.0 GPA, a 4.0 Highschool GPA, and have a 31 on the ACT. However, that takes everything I’ve got, and I have nothing left over for being organized and successful outside of school. I drive my parents nuts because they have to constantly remind me to do simple tasks every day. I volunteer a lot, am active in several ECs that I pursue very seriously, and am a research assistant at a local university’s lab. ADD is starting to creep into those areas as well, and before I become seen as completely unreliable and unfocused, I’ve decided I need to do something about it. </p>

<p>That being said, I really, really don’t want to take medication. It’s a nice thought, one little pill possibly fixing the majority of my struggles, but I’ve researched it extensively, and I’m just not comfortable taking it until they know for sure that no long term side effects will occur. ADD medication hasn’t been around long enough, and I don’t want to take the risk of seriously messing myself up later in life. I’ve also seen to many ADD kids and teens become like Zombies; I love the creative, spontaneous side of me, and I’d like to keep that. So, does anyone have any experience with ADD medication alternatives? I’m open to all suggestions and thoughts, I need some kind of help, just not medicine.</p>

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<p>Have you considered just lightening up your schedule? Like maybe dropping some after school stuff? Perhaps you are just overworked. I think you will find in college that you have an easier schedule than high school.</p>

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<p>LBowie beat me to it. I was thinking the same thing. The OP’s schedule is overwhelming and is suffering from mental fatigue and not a direct problem with ADD.</p>

<p>I have one child with ADD and another with narcolepsy/ADD. They are zombies without their expensive drugs and are almost normal kids with the drugs. They are incredibly creative and spontaneous on their meds. It took years to find the right regimen and we never thought of the drugs as magic pills. As they have grown, they’ve implemented a certain level of routine to combat the forgetfulness. One of these routines is to NOT overwhelm their schedules and allow plenty of break time.</p>

<p>Btw, ADD drugs have been around a very long time and are safe in kids without heart conditions. We’ve tried diet, herbal, and vitamin alternatives. They’ve failed miserably. I also wonder if you truly have ADD. Seriously, get tested. You’ve described symptoms that none of my kids or people with ADHD ever describe. These patients think they are normal and would deny racing thoughts despite everyone around them seeing the symptoms. Back off on your load and regroup.</p>

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<p>ADD meds are not magic bullets. Talk to a knowledgable doctor and learn how each works, what they will and won’t do. It may change your mind. Many target the pre-frontal cortex which for someone with ADD or ADHD can give them the ability to focus at a necessary level to be productive. There is still the need to learn other ‘coping’ skills. This can be the very strict use of planners, electronic calendars, etc. Also keeping your workspace clean, organized, things color coded, a list of long term projects and daily goals can be key. I have a son that realized coursework outside of class was much more productive if he listed daily what he needed to do with approximate time. This helped keep him on track. There are so many things that you can, and should, adapt to your needs, to make your life less stressful and successful. Medication can be part of that equation. I also agree that dialing down your commitments while you get a handle on this is a good strategy. This isn’t a race or competition. Finishing in one piece, healthy…that’s important. Without a full neuropsych evaul it’s impossible to label anyone no matter how much you’ve read or something seems to ‘fit’. That’s the only way to get a definitive diagnosis.</p>

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<p>Have you been diagnosed by a psychiatrist or neuropsychologist? There are other possible explanations for some of the problems you describe, including problems with executive function, or a developing bipolar disorder (racing thoughts). At 17, you are at an age when your brain is going through some changes and sometimes various problems can crop up during this transitional time. Clearly you are intelligent, and can put that to use in addressing your problems.</p>

<p>Are you doing dual enrollment with a community college? I mean, are you taking the usual number of classes at a time, or doing both high school courses and additional college courses? Sixty-six credits is a lot of college credits for a 17 year-old. Were you finding high school classes boring so that you took college classes instead? Just want to know exactly what you have been doing before expressing an opinion on whether you are overdoing or not.</p>

<p>One of my kids cannot take ADHD/ADD meds due to another disorder. She tried, for a couple of years, taking adderall only when she had, say, a 10 page paper due, but now she is not even doing that. Frankly, she has to fit her life to her ADD in ways that you clearly are not doing. For instance, in her job choices, or in how many classes she takes at a time (one or two). I wish she would sleep regularly but she doesn’t. She also exercises in a performing art that has helped her for years and years, does yoga and meditation etc.</p>

<p>I have no idea why you think people on ADHD/ADD meds are zombies. The meds sharpen people, rather than dull them, or, should I say, sharpen focus and organize thoughts that might otherwise not coalesce. However, it is true there is, for some, a price to pay in terms of depression or fatigue the day after (thinking mainly of adderall). Some get in a cycle where they need the med to recover from the med, so to speak, and do get into a cycle of abuse. Perhaps it is better to use a low level routinely rather than have peaks and troughs of use- I don’t really know and others on here can comment.</p>

<p>I respect your desire to stay off meds. But first, get informed by meeting with an MD or therapist skilled in this area who can explain the options. There are many different kinds of meds, with different kinds of action in the brain.</p>

<p>Otherwise, exercise and methods of relaxation (yoga, tai chi, medication) are good approaches, and try tools for compensating such as calendars and alarms.</p>

<p>Perhaps most of all, find some kind of coaching on time management and other skills that can help with organization and focus. You may not be able to do this alone.</p>

<p>You have your college years ahead of you so it is great you are looking at this hard. You might like schools with few distribution requirements where you can follow your interests naturally!</p>

<p>You need to start replacing the function your parents serve, soon, because once in college they won’t be there as much. Again, start working with a coach. Once you go to college, register with the disabilities office, get some reasonable accommodations, and avail yourself of coaching, advising and counseling there.</p>

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<p>It’s waaay premature for you to even be thinking about ADHD medications, much less researching them. You need a diagnosis first–I have no clue whether you have ADHD, and neither do you. Please follow the advice you’ve been given about 1) cutting back on what appears to be an overwhelming schedule and 2) getting a full neuropsych workup to see if there are actually any issues to be addressed. And by the way, stimulant ADHD meds, which don’t turn anyone into a “zombie”, have been prescribed for generations of kids and adults with no long-term ill effects. You are correct that some of the non-stimulant meds added more recently to the ADHD arsenal don’t have a long track record.</p>

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<p>We do not yet know whether the original poster has been diagnosed or not.</p>

<p>We also don’t know whether the original poster is overscheduled or not. We need to hear whether the 66 college credits are simultaneous with/part of high school dual enrollment) or in addition to.</p>

<p>Just want to add that there is no definitive test for ADHD/ADD to my knowledge. Many docs, including psychiatrists, use questionnaires and the neuro-psychologists we used did also: one parent and one child questionnaire. The purpose of the neuro-psych. would be to pick up on other problems that might be contributing, and if there are none, that would increase the likelihood of ADHD.</p>

<p>Every brain is different so we are not talking about one particular very specific thing either.</p>

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<p>ADD is diagnosed via historical data, questionnaires from teachers and parents, and some (not all reputable) testing modalities. ADD meds have been around for LONG time, and they’re not all the same type of meds. Sweeping generalizations about meds are not helpful. The OP needs a real diagnosis, and then to hear about his options from someone who knows the field. It’s a brain chemistry issue as well as an optimize-your-environment issue. This is a strange post imo. Yes, there are non-med things to try. But time and again, studies show that meds (with and without behavior modification/educational modifications) are the most effective treatment for true ADD/ADHD.</p>

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<p>I am guessing based on the test the OP described in the Cafe post on this (which said you were tested and NOT diagnosed with ADD) that OP took the TOVA or Test of Variables of Attention, which I have taken and I think is impossible to “trick” into saying there is no ADD where ADD is present. I took it years ago so I don’t remember the finer details but it is a computer test that lasts a certain amount of time, where you stare at the screen and are supposed to react in a certain way when something changes. If I remember correctly it is measuring how many of these changes you caught and how quickly you reacted to them, but I don’t remember clearly and it wasn’t really explained to me when I took it. Regardless, if that’s the test, you can’t fake it. You can either do well on it or you can’t, you can bomb it on purpose but you can’t fake passing it.</p>

<p>This test isn’t a definitive test for ADHD, as compmom says no such thing exists, but if it gave him that strong of a negative result (he said doc says he has 3% chance of having ADHD) I am inclined to think he does not have ADHD. It seems he passed with flying colors and that is difficult to do. My ADHD is not all that bad and I still did very poorly on that test. My guess is that the doctor OP saw used this test and the appropriate questionnaires to determine no ADHD, and I think they were probably correct in their findings based on the info OP has given us.</p>

<p>For the record, I don’t know anyone with ADHD who takes medication, and who has taken the time to experiment with different drugs and different doses to find the right one for them, who is like a “zombie” or whose creativity is stunted. That is certainly not my experience. My ADHD medication made me LESS of a zombie, I was no longer too bogged down by brain fog to participate in the world around me. It was a good feeling. But, I have ADHD, I didn’t game a test to get drugs I don’t need.</p>