ADHD Medicine & Diet

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, also referred to as ADHD, is a neurological and behavioral disorder. It is characterized by three classes of symptoms: deficits in attention, poor impulse control and hyperactive behavior. There are three types of ADHD: a type that predominantly involves inattention, a type that predominantly involves hyperactivity and a type that involves inattention and hyperactivity.

Diagnosing ADHD

• Before embarking on treatment, confirm the diagnosis of ADHD. The symptoms of ADHD emerge during childhood. According to the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual," between 3 percent to 5 percent of school age children have ADHD. Between 30 percent and 70 percent of people diagnosed with ADHD as children continue to have ADHD symptoms in adulthood.

  People with ADHD have trouble concentrating and sustaining attention. They are easily bored and highly distractible. They hurry through tasks, making careless errors. They take chances and are accident prone. They hate to wait. They have difficulty delaying gratification. About 70 percent of children have the type of ADHD that includes hyperactivity. These children are restless and fidgety, trouble staying in their seats and constantly on the move.

  If you suspect ADHD, get a formal diagnosis from a psychologist, psychiatrist or physician. Other problems, such as anxiety, depression, metabolic disorders, endocrine disorders, hypoglycemia, allergies, and learning disorders, can create ADHD-like symptoms, according to the WrongDiagnosis.com website. These problems should be excluded before you treat for ADHD.

Diet

• Experts disagree on the effects of sugar and food additives on ADHD. Children who are young or who have food allergies may be more sensitive to food additives. To be safe, avoid carbonated beverages, fatty foods, processed sugar, glucose, fructose and junk foods.

  Do "experiments" to evaluate different risk-foods. Try avoiding processed foods and junk foods to see if this has a calming effect. Likewise, try a low sugar diet to see if there is an improvement in symptoms. Break the low-sugar diet and observe the results. If you see hyperactivity after a candy binge, then it is best to avoid sugar.

  Hypoglycemia may play a role in ADHD symptoms. A high protein diet can minimize the effects of hypoglycemia on ADHD. Cold water fish such as tuna and salmon includes a fatty-acid (DHA) that is often low in people with ADHD.

  Include foods in the diet that aid metabolic regulation, such as fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grain foods and beans.

Medicine

• If ADHD creates significant problems, then medications should be considered. Generally, people with ADHD are given some form of stimulant, but some antidepressants have also been found to reduce ADHD symptoms.
  Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association's Developmental Trajectories of Brain Volume Abnormalities in Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivitiy Disorder, suggests that medications for ADHD can substantially improve the physical connections in the area of the brain (the prefrontal cortex) that is involved in impulse control and attention.

  There is no one best medicine. Different medicines work better or worse for different people. This unfortunately means there may be an "experimental" process where you try a medication, slowly increase the dosage, and observe the positive effects and side effects. If there is little improvement, or if the impact of the side effects outweighs the improvement in symptoms, then a different medication should be tried.