When ADHD Medications Cause Weight Gain

Appetite loss and poor weight gain are among the most common ADHD medication side effects, especially during the effective hours of the drug. However, not all children with ADHD take stimulants to manage their symptoms. Kids with co-morbid disorders like learning disabilities, anxiety, or depression sometimes take drugs like tricyclic antidepressants, which boost the levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. Although this class of drugs do not have the same addictive potential as stimulants, tricyclic antidepressants side effects often include weight gain, which can be a source of complex self-esteem issues. What can you do if your child's ADHD medications are causing weight gain?

Consider ADHD natural treatments

Thanks to advances in brain imaging technologists, researchers have discovered a startling fact - depression, learning disorders, and ADHD symptoms are all just signs of the same underlying problem. This underlying problem is called a "functional disconnection syndrome", a condition where the left and right hemisphere of the brain has difficulty working together. In order for the brain to accomplish basic tasks, the left and right hemisphere has to communicate with each other and stay on the same wavelength. If one hemisphere is out of sync or underdeveloped, a functional disconnection occurs, and the individual has difficulty doing basic mental tasks like paying attention. Since the brain also controls other bodily functions, children with functional disconnection syndrome also experience problems with motor skills or sensory integration. A comprehensive ADHD treatment using natural methods can address this underlying problem, effectively eliminating the signs of ADHD and its co-morbid disorders. Best of all, natural ADHD treatments do not cause major side effects like weight gain.

Stock up on nutritious foods

Sometimes, the weight gain is due to increased appetite, another common side effect of certain medications. Instead of satisfying food cravings with junk food and other empty calories, have a lot of nutritious snacks on hand. Peanuts, dried fruit, or toasted peas are just some of the things that can satisfy the munchies.

Encourage good eating habits

The key to eating healthy is balance, moderation, and variety - offer a wide variety of foods that do not have too many calories or too much of a single nutrient. You can do this by:

1) Providing moderate portions. Portion out your child's food and keep the sizes reasonable. This will make it easier for your child to eat the food he or she likes and keep a healthy weight.

2) Eating regular meals. Out-of-control hunger and overeating is sometimes caused by skipping meals. Make sure your child eats three well-portioned meals a day.

3) Eating at the dining table. When your child eats in front of the television or computer, he or she is unaware of how much food is being consumed. Encourage mindful eating by restricting meals and snacks to the dining table.

Encourage exercise

Physical activity not only burns calories and accelerates healthy weight loss; it also releases pent-up energy and balances mood. If your child is not fond of sports, choose physical activities that might interest him or her, such as riding bikes through the park or jumping on a trampoline.

Dr. Yannick Pauli is an expert on natural approaches to ADHD and the author of the popular self-help home-program The Unritalin Solution. He is Director of the Centre Neurofit in Lausanne, Switzerland and has a passion taking care of children with ADHD. Click on the link for more great information about what is ADHD.

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ADHD Alternative Treatments - A Side Effect Free Option to Prescription Medications

ADHD alternative treatments can be a helpful alternative when used with other primary treatments and are a side effect free way to rein in such problematic ADHD symptoms as inattention/distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity/restlessness. While many in the mainstream would choose to conveniently discredit alternative ADHD treatments in favor of stimulant prescription medications the research simply doesn't support their view. Study after study shows that one form of treatment alone rarely produces better results than a multi treatment approach. In fact one study actually put a form of psychotherapy on equal footing with prescription medications such as Ritalin.

In this article we will be mainly focusing on neurofeedback therapies and experimental therapies that most experts in the field of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder believe to be credible.

Neurofeedback is a therapy reserved primarily for adults and is often referred to as EEG-biofeedback or neurotherapy. The assumption of doctors in this area of medicine is that neurofeedback improves the overall level of activity in the brain thus improving ADHD symptoms. During the therapy session electrodes are hooked up to the scalp to give your doctor a birds-eye view of what is happening in that skull of yours. Your readings are then compared to a database of normal brain readings to isolates and measure discrepancies. Once isolated a series of learning exercises are chosen to stimulate those areas of the brain which are weak. Neurofeedback therapies are considered to be somewhere between conventional and experimental and definitely have strong support in certain areas of the medical community.

Experimental therapies on the other hand haven't been readily embraced outside the natural health community. Nevertheless, naturopaths and specialist in the field of natural medicine base their whole treatment approach on these unconventional forms of ADHD alternative treatments. These therapies are generally considered side effect free and safe for all ages.

What are referred to as balancing therapies are at the center of the ADHD alternative therapies falling under the umbrella of experimental therapies. These would include homeopathic medicines, yoga, chiropractic adjustments, osteopathy, and acupuncture. These treatments are applied on a broader full spectrum scale which could be aptly defined as total mind and body therapy. They work to moderate and manage ADHD symptoms by reducing stress, slowing racing thoughts, and producing a feeling of general relaxation and wellness. Where neurofeedback tends to reeve up the brain, many experimental solutions try to give an already stressed brain a rest, thus allowing time to recalibrate brain chemical balance.

Other examples that fall under the heading of experimental ADHD alternative treatments are sensory integration, auditory integration, and vision therapy. While results of these forms of treatments have not been scientifically documented there is a great deal of anecdotal evidence to support their efficacy. However, they seem to be at their best when combined with other forms of more conventional treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy.

If you would like to learn more about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD or the alternative treatments for ADHD worth considering Click Here. R.D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate of alternative natural health products and supplements with over 10 years experience. To learn more about natural remedies for better health visit Purchase Remedies.com.

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