My daughter’s psychiatrist said mtn dew. It worked but we prefer coffee.
I have friends that do. They focus on diet and brain balance.
No sugary food no red dyes n no pop
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. Anyone have a child with ADHD that is not medicated?
If you have a Herbalife Nutrition club in your area, the Loaded Tea works great. It’s got about 200mg of caffeine. Calms my guy right down.
My son is 4 and his earlier years were very hard even getting him diagnosed was heartbreaking. And as of right now he is not medicated but we make sure he is very active like always doing something like playing outside we are getting him his own dog this year to help as well and also will teach him responsibility plus I’m pregnant with my 2nd child so I’m not very active with him right now which is hard on both of us but we do our best and my son is happy and doing better every day
Medicating is necessary for my 7 year old during school, but we don’t medicate at home unless absolutely necessary…for example going somewhere he has to behave and can’t be all over the place. Otherwise we just keep him busy. He has an ADHD/ODD diagnosis so it’s super stressful most of the time, but our doctor actually recommended not medicating him all the time due to his very fast tolerance to meds. He builds a tolerance very quickly and is a bigger kid (100lbs and just turned 7) so we were having to increase dosages constantly. Not taking them every day has helped keep him from building a tolerance so fast. Bit as far as dealing with him off the meds, it’s mainly keeping his triggers to a minimum and keeping him busy. He loves to be outdoors, fishing, and swimming, so we spend a lot of time at the beach and the lake.
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So as someone who went through this as a kid, and still deals with it in adulthood, I hope it’s okay to offer my experience. My parents went to great lengths when I was a kid to have me tested, evaluated, tutored and worked with ADHD-specialized tutors and educators before pursuing medication. I took specific vitamins, and ate specific foods too that were supposed to help. The tutoring and counseling gave me even more homework and even more activities and it was exhausting. As soon as my parents recognized this we stopped. It was a lot. I was in fifth grade I believe when I stopped and when I started medication. Obviously my brain was still growing. They found a fantastic pediatrician and practice that were well versed in childhood ADHD. Of course medication is not the option for everyone but ADHD as a cognitive disorder is a chemical imbalance and a comorbidity and the medication for it did truly change my life: my experience as a student, and in general my quality of life. The skills I learned in tutoring and counseling were helpful, but they really, truly, could not compare to when I was finally balanced and functioning similarly to people without impaired cognition. It is so hard to put into words how different I felt but it was like night and day. No more frustration, no more tears in school. Some people grow out of ADHD, I never did. Even as a college student I experienced the same struggles I did as in elementary, middle, high school, college, but I grew up with it so was fully aware of what I needed to be successful. I even had a therapist in college who specifically worked with adults with ADHD. The awareness and education is growing and that’s a fantastic thing for a lot of people who in the past may not have gotten the help they needed!
Routine routine routine , adequate sleep, healthy sleep habits , some solo time in the tub weeping 
They were medicated until grade 8 however, side note with meds if you’re going to unmedicated on the weekends theres no point in medicating at all !!! These meds take 14 to 21 days to have full efficacy taken daily, much like anti depressants and mood stabilizers!! Not weekends off!! Your doctors only tell you you can take them off to help the adults feel better about it not because it’s the best interest of the kid.
My husband has it and as a child his mom refused to give medication which I understand. Before school she’ll give him coffee Because that will chill him out for a little bit. He has teacher who’s sibling had it really bad so she understood why my husband would not stay still, so when she needed him to read she’ll have him put one hand on a book and use his other hand to follow the words hes reading. When she’ll see his hand start to move she’ll simply put it back down. My husband constantly has to be on the move and his mind is just going and going so he’ll play a video game to chill his mind.
Definitely watch what they eat and drink. Some dyes and additives can make it worse. Keep them active. And watch the amount of time they spend watching tv. If they spend a lot of time watching tv seeing all that constant movement on things like action movies or cartoons then when they are not watching tv their brains have to find another way to channel that energy. I noticed with my son when he was younger if he drank regular apple or grape juice I might as well stretch and get ready. I also gave him a stress ball to use in class and had him chew gum to help with his concentration. Also see if they can sit closer to the front of a class or activity if they are of age…less distractions. He played every sport there was until he graduated. Once I learned how to navigate it using these things he was good. Haven’t had any issues since and he is grown now.
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I have it and I raised 2 children with it. My son was severe and was medicated which is the only way he was able to learn to read in first grade. My daughter was not as severe. I have never been medicated because when I was growing up there was no ADHD diagnoses. I along with most everybody else, just knew I was different from most people and was very hyper. In my old age my hyper has calmed down considerably. My son is 30 and had so much trouble concentrating at his job that he sought out a doctor on his own and got back on medicine. It is a life long struggle.i still have trouble concentrating. In college I did alot of extra work to get my degree. I had to rewrite all my class notes.u just have to be very patient and strongly advocate for them in schools. It can be a rough road but it has benefits as well. I am very proud of how my 2 have done in adulthood!!!
Yes me!!! Removing things that are over stimulating. Routine. Removing red and yellow dyes. Fast food only when your ready for them to wind up! I don’t have to discipline mine. We talk. Figure out what works for them and that’s all. We have relay races or water balloon/ squirt gun fights, tag, trampoline, we go on lots of outdoor adventures! animals calm mine right down (dog, cat, chickens) feed them coffee!!!
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My son is currently un medicated and we need to be really careful with what words we are using and making sure we plan our day and give warnings for if we are going out with a goal to work towards for good behaviour out of the prize box (little 2$ shops things)
Mine has autism and what we believe is ADHD due to his hyperactivity but hasnt been diagnosed with that…yet. Not medicated for anything. We just deal with it 
. He has alot of toys and admittedly we use the ipad as entertainment for our sanity 
. We take walks. One evening he ran the school track 3 times (without stopping) and wanted to do a 4th lap (and its not a small track)…ive thought of a future in track/cross country but right now he is only 7. School is a nice break. Other than that its just part of who he is…and yes we are exhausted . The playground helps alot cuz I can sit down while he goes on the slides and stuff.
I managed 16 years with no medication, as already mentioned a tight routine, firm boundaries, easy targets and lots of praise and rewards, and most if all keep ya chill! Work out what’s really important, does it really matter is they’re silly while eating out or making silly noises??? Also, don’t let others make you feel bad about any behaviours while out an about, just focus on what you need to do and screw everyone else! Good luck
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Behavior modification. It’s hard, but it works. Have to give and stand by rules and boundaries. Reward appropriately. Make sure they have an appropriate amount of physical exception during the day in order to release. Healthy diet, avoid foods with dye- especially red 40. Bad and processed foods can add to it. Even the most severe cases can be controlled without medication.
There are many therapists out there that work with families and specifically parents on how to work with ADHD kids without the dangerous medications. And if you work together with their teacher at school, it will help.
Avoid medication at all costs. Especially while young.
Cut out red food dye. I’ve seen it help my students who have ADHD.
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Depends on the age of the child… I had my son who had severe ADHD where he is so fidgety he could not sit still or gain any weight he was so hyper. Time outs consisted of a small exercise trampoline in a corner for to work out his wiggles in one spot homework consisted of an exercise bike so he could peddle his legs and move and get work done its just about adapting… My son was a voracious eater too. I went through a loaf of bread and sandwich meat every day premaid his sandwiches so he could grab and go to keep calories on him. He would go entire summers off his meds and school years on his meds. I have to say I prefered him unmedicated but my son wanted to be medicated for school. You just gotta keep your child active biking skate boarding anything that involves moving basically.
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My husband swears by a little Mountain Dew! He & my step daughter are both severely ADHD.
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My son is 16 now, he has been on meds since the 3rd grade. It took a while to get the dosage correct but we did finally figure it out.
He only takes it for school or if there’s an assignment he needs to complete from home. He’s gotten very self aware about how much he needs to take and will let me know when we need to go see doctor for an increase or decrease in dosage.
I hate that it curbs his appetite but he absolutely needs the meds, I have never medicated him at home, only for school but the few times I’ve seen him on his meds, much different person and the one he is off the meds is not one I can in good conscience send to school for his teachers to deal with. They have enough on their plate and don’t need my son acting up and riling up his classmates which is a thing that happens, not fair to the kid,
the classmates and school staff.
If they need meds give them the meds. Diet changes didn’t work for us. My son literally won’t eat all day on his meds but is a ravenous teenager who wants to eat junk food at least once in a while.
You can’t control their diet as they get older so for me and mine, meds it is!
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My 13 year old. I took him of medication. We did therapy. Lots of therapy. So far we are good!
I have 13 year old twins. One with ADHD, one on the autism spectrum. Neither is medicated, though the one with ADHD was for years. Nothing worked right or worked too well to where he was sleeping ALL the time.
I use a lot of reminders for them, especially inside. Inside voices, inside behaviors. If they are upset, I make them sit down and remind them to calmly talk to me to tell me what happened and why they’re upset. Reminders then too. I advocate for them in schools, reminding their teachers to remember they need patience, explanation, and reminders a lot more than other kids. And… coffee helps my son with ADHD. Before church and school, I let him have half a cup. It helps him focus.
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One my Twins has ADHD Odd with defiant and he been off his medicine for almost two years and is doing good improving in school and some at home but does has angry issues but not bad as they was and my 14 had it but I half to keep him medicated cause his behavior at home and for school to keep his focus
Routine is the biggest thing for them. Occupational therapy helps. Diet can help. (Avoiding sugars, dyes, etc.)
But also don’t be ashamed of medicating them. For some it’s a life saver. My son wouldn’t be able to function without being medicated.
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I wasn’t medicated as a child I’m not going to lie I struggled but as Iv grown i have definitely learned to Control it more quickly then my friends who was medicated
My ADHD grandson swears a small cup off coffee helps him, also have a simple routine, lots of reminding, calmly. We also have a trampoline that is used a lot.
Both of mine have it. My 8yr old just needs to stay busy or he’ll get upset being bored. My 19month old is just going to be everywhere all day as well bc i refuse to turn my kids into robots .
I’ve heard of cutting back on preservatives helps. I don’t have a child with ADHD so I don’t know from personal experience.
Plenty of breaks during studying. He will get up and walk around and fidget while doing homework.
I’d like to know the diets of all these ADHD Kids….
Yes we don’t really give him his medication during summer break. Lots of activity and outside time. Keep a routine at bedtime.
As odd as it sounds…coffee. Google it. 
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When not in school. It really helps.
Following!! Because this daughter of mine 