Should children take ADHD medications or are alternative remedies safer?
I have to write a paper on whether or not children should take ADHD med. Im still on the fence about it and I would really like to have a firm opinion on the subject before I write it. Please Help! Thanks.
Tags: ADHD, alternative, children, medications, Remedies, safer, Should, take
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Ultimately each family must make their choice, preferably in conjunction with professional input and supervision, based on what they believe is best for their child.
What’s more of a determining factor for safety is NOT whether it’s “medication” or “alternative medicine” but whether it’s evidenced-based medicine. While some scientific evidence exists regarding some Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies, there are key questions of safety and efficacy that are yet to be answered through well-designed scientific studies. A solid scientific evaluation process is necessary to assess conventional treatments, as well as CAM therapies. The list of what is considered to be CAM changes continually, as those therapies proven to be safe and effective are adopted as conventional health care.
There is a common misconception that herbal medicines are safe because they are from a natural source. Similarly, vitamin and mineral supplements are often viewed as safe because they are available without prescription and are found in many fortified foods. But, ingestion of dietary and herbal supplements can be associated with adverse events that include all levels of severity, organ systems, and age groups. Supplements do not always have clear dosage guidelines, or are packaged at dosage levels far in excess of recommended FDA allowances. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration is not involved in the regulatory or approval process for over the counter complementary or alternative medicines. As with drugs, herbal or botanical preparations have chemical and biological properties that have the potential for drug interactions. Associations between adverse events and ingredients are especially hard to verify if a product contains more than one ingredient. Adverse events associated with dietary supplements are also hard to monitor because such products are not registered before sale, and there is small information about their content and safety. As with all medications, safety and effectiveness must be taken into account when considering the use of any over the counter medication, herbal or dietary supplements.
Dr Mary Ann Block has written a book with alternatives to the usual ADHD medications. Also look at diet, sleep habits and possible other allergens. Here is a link to a site where you can buy the book. Just go the book section.
i reckon children should be able to make the choice for themselves, i know that they may not have the best judgement but only they will be able to know fully how the medication makes them feel.
ive been medicated for three years and i plot to continue as long as i can.
downsides to taking the meds: i am silent, shy, dull, sad, unpassionate, shaky hands, cant sleep, extreme mood swings, becoming addicted to things quicker.
upsides to taking the meds: lost weight, i dont annoy people, i can complete school work, i am less forgetfull, i can sit still, i dont yell, very insightful.
upsides to not taking the meds: energetic, amusing, loud, always pleased, bubbly,
downsides to not taking the meds: i get stout.
sorry i really didnt answer your question and i probably told you alot of stuff you already knew. you can question me anythnig elese if you like. i dont really know how this thing works i just got the account today.
There are 2 schools of thought and the more we learn diet triggers the more it makes since to control with modification over medication. The medications used in treating ADHD are very addictive and have some wild side effects – altering a child’s diet and exercise regimen has no ill effect and accomplishes the same goal. Schools push for drugs because it makes kids quite and compliant but diet therapy can accomplish the same goal without killing a child’s creativity and curiosity.
Depends on age and severity. When young, the parents should accomodate their lives instead of having the kid accomodate his/her chemistry, IMO. If not that terrible, the schools should just chill. Severe ADD, but, can cause real learning problems. I reckon it’s a larger issue than the hyperactivity.
If you are really on the fence. Make up a scenario, or make up two opposing ones and argue both sides.
They should take whatever is effective, but only if properly diagnosed. ADHD is under diagnosed among children who really have it and many more without it get diagnosed with it. I can tell you this much though, that if your child is diagnosed with ADHD and you see the effect of medication on them, you won’t want to experiment with an alternative at the risk of seeing them ill again.
This question has no yes/no answer. Since each person is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment for ANY ailment or disorder.
Kudos for those who have used alternative remedies with absolute success.
I have tried that route with my daughter and it just doesn’t work with her, but medication has not been the only help. Medicine is not “Behave excellent” pills. The excellent behavior is there. She is a excellent and respectful child who was horribly embarrassed by her inability to listen or sit still. The pills simply helped her find the control of her behavior so she could sit and not embarrass herself by spontaneously springing out of her seat in the middle of class.
The medicine alone does not help. She has to WANT it to help. She has to WANT her behavior to be better. We also keep her on a strict daily schedule and make sure she gets enough sleep, which children with ADHD tend to require more than other children. Cutting her sugar intake in the evenings also helps eliminate ants in her pants during the day.
One should not mark medication as “excellent” or “terrible.” Yes, I know of the future complications that my daughter may experience because of the medicine. I have weighed the pros and cons.
Look at the medicines taken for other ailments. All of them have side effects, some more prominent than others but there are side effects just the same. Imagine refusing heart medicine out of dread of side effects. Imagine avoiding OTC pain medicine. Not everyone can take heart meds or OTC meds, but that does not mean they are either excellent or terrible.
In small, I believe if someone with ADHD can function without meds, that’s fantastic. It is best that people don’t take medicine that is unnecessary. But, if that route just doesn’t work and the aid of mecication does, in this case, meds are excellent.
You will need to do some reading to determine your opinion on this. To tell you the truth, the professionals cannot even make up their minds, so if you read both sides of this, you will probably have as much information as many people do.
You will need to look up:
ADHD medications
Safety of ADHD medications
Effectiveness of ADHD medications
ADHD behavior modification
ADHD and food sensitivities
ADHD and allergies
ADHD and vitamins
Go to the library and find as many books on the subject as you can, and start reading. You might even find people with children who have ADHD and question them for their experiences. Question how many differnent medications they have used, the effects, side effects, etc. The problem with the alternative remedies is that the doctors do not support this too much because doctors more readily prescribe medications. Alternative remedies are usually up to the individual to investigate and read up on. This can be very time consuming and hard.
Another thing you can do is to find out the names of the medications used for ADHD, and then go to the pharmacist and question for the medical insert that lists the side effects, or go online and look them up.
You could also write another Yahoo Question:
Do you take ADHD medication? Does it help you or do you get side effects? Then place more about your question in the body of the question – what type of things have happened while you were on the medications? Did they help? How terrible were the side effects? Etc.
I can point you in the direction of the alternatives information. Just email.