COME ONE, COME ALL! READ OF THE PROGRESS OF A SEVERLY AFFLICTED ADHD CHILD! REVEL WITH US IN OUR NEW FOUND HOPE AND EVER INCREASING AMAZEMENT. GAZE UPON THE GENUINE SMILE ON THIS LITTLE BOY’S HANDSOME FACE! (OK! OK! I’m allowed! I’m his Gramma!)
Yes, friends, the ADHD soul CAN sing! It can fly, it can learn, it can dream, it can SOAR! A short six months ago, you could not have convinced me that someone with ADHD would ever experience anything but emotional pain, distress, depression, low self esteem and an altogether miserable existence. It’s time for a progress report.
Eight months ago, I reported on Payne’s painful past experiences caused by his condition, ADHD. At the time of that writing, we had only been using natural supplements to treat this condition for a few months. It has now been approximately 8 months. Read "When the Soul Cries" for background information.
We started giving Payne natural supplements that included essential fatty acids shortly after the school year started in 1999. We saw dramatic and almost immediate improvement in his behavior. This is unusual to see improvement so quickly (the norm is about 3 weeks).
I will list here some of the ingredients of the supplement we used (no longer manufactured, alas!).
D/L Phenylalanie, D/1 Phenylalanine, L-Glutamine,
Vitamin A(Beta Carotene)
These alone were the source of his initial improvement. After a few weeks, he seemed to level out and although his condition didn’t regress, his progress did not continue. We had joined an email group designed to inform and help individuals with this condition and I started asking for help. Was there something more we could give/not give him to facilitate more progress?
The first suggestion we implemented was to add flaxseed oil. This can be found in health food stores, is relatively inexpensive and works extremely well! It can be found in capsule form or as seeds which can be ground and added to food (the cheapest form). With this addition to his diet, he was once again on the road to recovery.
We have had many ups and downs during our time of learning and experimentation. As the health of his neurotransmitters in his brain improved, we had to reduce his prescription medications. The EFA and the flaxseed oil allowed his body to absorb EVERYTHING he put in his mouth much more quickly and efficiently. Therefore, the dosage of prescription drugs he had been taking now became too strong for him to handle. YAHOOOOOO!! But this meant that each time we reduced his medications, he would go through a period of one to three weeks of regression as his body adjusted to the new dosage and eliminated the excess. Ok, we could live with that as long as we knew we were DECREASING the medication. Two of the five prescriptions were discontinued completely within a very short period of time. The other three we started reducing a small amount at intervals of about one to three months until we reached a level that seemed to work best for him.
Now came a period of about four months of turmoil. The company that we bought the main supplement from was forced to stop producing it (long story). They came out with something "new and improved". It didn’t take us very long at all to realize that this was not going to work for him. Since the majority of the people on the email list had not experienced this rapid or intense reaction to this new product, I thought he must be allergic to it. I sent out a plea to anyone in the group to sell me any of the old product they might happen to have left. I managed to purchase a six-month supply before it was discovered that this formula was not going to work for ADD/ADHD sufferers.
The company quickly presented its customers with another new and improved. Being skeptical, this time I did not order the product and waited to see if this one worked any better than the last one. It didn’t. About a month later, we received a new product free of charge. We had been selected to test yet another new product. After scrutinizing the ingredients, we decided to try it.
After three weeks on this new formula, Payne once again was exhibiting dramatic improvements. We purchased B15 (DMG) to give to him along with this product. We were ecstatic! This formula plus the B15 had given us the best results of all. Then the bomb fell. Once again, we received a new formula and were assured this would be even better and were asked to test this one also. Well, ok! The last one was so great and the ingredients in this formula were very close to the last test product. It even contained the B15!
After just a week on this latest test product, Payne had regressed terribly! This product contained the B15 but lacked the GABA that the first test contained. Then the company made the decision to produce the second test product for public release and we learned the first test product would not be put into production. We were devastated. What were we to do?
I could not let that happen! I WOULD NOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN! The search was on again. Super Granny was on the prowl! I would find something that worked if I had to formulate it myself!
We hit the health food stores with the list of ingredients that were in the first test product. By buying the individual ingredients, we were able to keep him afloat. Then another miracle! The company contacted us and asked if we would like to purchase what was left of the first test product. We snapped it up. All of it! I wasn’t taking anymore chances. I dug out my credit card and bought every bottle they had! We have enough for about two years and then we will have to search again.
Payne has made what I can only describe as miraculous leaps and bounds in his progress. He has gone from not being able to read, write or do math to being the best speller in his class. He still has great difficulty reading but his math skills are almost equal to those of his peers. His ability to concentrate and focus is greatly improved. He still has his difficulties. We are trying very hard to retrain his old behavior patterns. Extremely intelligent, he learned to compensate for his condition by distraction and manipulation as a way of avoiding the tasks that were nearly impossible for him to accomplish.
To state that we are very proud of Payne is a gross understatement of a very intense emotion! We are literally busting at the seams!
WHEN THE SOUL CRIES and WHEN THE SOUL SINGS were not writen just to tell a story. It is my hope that by reading about someone esle's experience with this condition, at least one other parent/grandparent will find the courage to seek a better remedy for their loved one. DOCTORS ARE NOT GODS! They are fallible human beings just like the rest of us. And like the rest of us, their time and abilities are limited. They can only do so much and the rest is up to each individual to find what works best for them. Research the drugs that have been prescribed, go on a quest for more information about the desease/condition you are dealing with, ask questions, demand in depth information, insist on excellence from your health care provider. And then, try the natural products to see if they help. Each case of ADD/ADHD is different depending upon the individual. You may have to experiment a little to find the right product/combination of products for you but you CAN find them! Have heart, take courage and start your own search.
The following links contain pathways to hundreds of great sites for information and personal stories.
This is a great search box for ADD/ADHD and many other health issues! Try it.
This is the site where we purchase Payne's supplements. We now purchase other products from them that have helped him immensely besides the first "miracle" formulation. We have discovered that their MicroMinerals are wonderful and make a world of difference in his behavior! Who would have guessed?!!!
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