Celiac And Adhd Or Add

[Guest ajlauer]

My son is 10 and is definately ADHD. I've suspected it since he was about 2. Haven't checked him for celiac disease yet. Was wondering if anyone here has had very positive ADHD reactions when the child goes gluten-free?? Have you been able to take your child off medication? Reduce the dosage? I'm thinking I noticed a behavioral difference in my daughter during her food challenge. She was kinda good for a few days, then we brought the food groups back into her diet. She's not nearly as intolerable as my son, and I wouldn't go so far as to say she has ADHD. She's like 85% tolerable... my son is maybe 1% tolerable without his medications (the mornings are TORTURE!!!)

For anyone reading this that is trying to find a good medication for your child, "Focalin" works well for us. It's a newer cousin of Ritalin, with less side effects. His doctor says they're working on a daily patch for Focalin. That way, I can slap it on him before he wakes up. The mornings might be a little more peaceful.

PS: His allergy tests came back allergic to wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, eggs, yeast, soy, and rice. His "levels" for each of those items was was in the "very low" range. His overall allergy antibody levels (which should be around 90 for a child his age) were at 1156 (yes - one thousand, one hundred, and fifty six). Doc says there is *something* he is highly allergic to, but they don't know what it is at this point.

Insight/opinions/comments would be quite welcomed.

[cdford]

ADHD and celiac disease

YES, they are connected!!!!!

You will probably find that the longer you the family member is gluten-free, the better it gets. You may also want to try some of the following ideas. They have worked in our family. We had one ADHD kid who did not walk down a hallway, he bounced from wall to wall down the hall. He also literally ran circles around crying babysitters in our living room until they learned a few handy tricks. We were bound and determined not to medicate unless it became an absolute necessity, so we tried all kinds of things instead. These are the ones we found most useful.

Keep a pot of coffee handy. The caffeine helps to get the sluggish part of the brain going properly. Ours is kept filled and ready for him to hit the button when he begins to feel out of control. It may take a while to help yours learn the first signs and take control of his own environment, but it will reap many benefits as he/she grows older. We did this by noticing ourselves and taking the time to stop him in his tracks, have him look us in the eye and think out loud about how his body felt right then. Before long, he was recognizing it and heading for the kitchen and its ever-ready coffee pot on his own.

Eat high quality proteins regularly. You may want to find a good protein drink and keep it handy. It will help keep your blood sugar level and that really effects the ADHD. Avoid simple carbohydrates such as white rice and potatoes unless you offset them with a load of protein.

Steer clear of dairy and any other potential allergens until your system is clear. Gradually add them back one at a time. You will probably find that some tend to trigger the problem more readily than others.

Avoid artificial sweeteners, colors, and flavors as they tend to trigger the symptoms of ADHD.

Plan your life so that you do not get surprised and wind up with that overwhelmed and panicked feeling as though you and everything around you are out of control.

Control what you can. Let the rest slide off your back as best you can.

Check your job...does it fit your ADHD personality or fight it. In the case of a child, help by steering him toward jobs where his ADHD will be a useful tool. My oldest son changed jobs a couple of years back and found that he was going crazy. His prior job had him doing what he does best...handling 10 things at once and moving from one thing to another in rapid succession. The new one required him to be in one place performing relatively simple tasks for several hours. Needless to say, he went back to the first one and is much happier. He has since been promoted into management. The ADHD worked in his favor in that fast-paced environment.

[Guest ajlauer]

We had one ADHD kid who did not walk down a hallway, he bounced from wall to wall down the hall. He also literally ran circles ....

So.. you've met my son, then! I tried coffee. He got "Weird". LIke the first time you smoke cigarettes, or drink alcohol.... you just act stupid because you think you're supposed to. That's how he got. I guess if I just continued to let him have coffee, the "Weird' would wear off.

Interesting about the rice and potatoes. With everyone being allergic to all the other grains, I try to always have a rice or potato with dinner - it's the only starch we can eat, afterall. Nathan did test allergic to rice, but at low levels so I disregard it. Maybe I shouldn't shrug it off so quickly.

He probably would enjoy protein drinks. Anyone have any to recommend that kids (ages 10 and 3) would enjoy? Would "Ensure" or something like that work? Or are we talking like, a flavored powder that you mix into a shake?

I am mentally preparing myself to go gluten-free. Without any official celiac disease diagnosis... it's hard for me to justify paying $5 a box for special cookies... instead of the Walmart brand for 88 cents. And pizza... hubby works for Domino's. We eat pizza at least once a week, on average.

I'm mentally getting closer though.... cutting back on gluten for now. Thanks for all the tips! I think I will try the coffee tommorrow! He's on spring torture.. uh...I mean.... break right now. I need to try something!!!!

[Maso]

Thanx...!!!