Just got back from a visit with my son's pediatrician (we have Kaiser Permanente Insurance) and realized that we aren't ever going to see eye to eye... She's based in old-school Western Medicine and I'm coming from an all-natural point of view, wanting to avoid antiboitics and other potentially dangerous pharmaceuticals.
Does anyone have recommendations or advice? If you are currently with Kaiser, can you recommend someone that will actually look at natural alternatives rather than falling back on the standard Western approach (medicate symptoms, don't be proactive and don't look for solutions). I'm so tired of feeling like I'm fighting the system, but I don't want to pay for naturpathic services outside of what my insurance will cover, if I don't have to...
Here's my situation: I have a 4.5 yr old son diagnosed with ADHD and PDD... he's in a SDC preschool and is nearing his transition to Kindergarten. We have found all-natural Omega-3 and Antioxidant supplements which have seriously helped with symptoms associated with his developmental disabilities, but there are many other factors which still need to be addressed and I don't feel comfortable asking his pediatrician for further advice at this point.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks, Mammas!!
-P.
Hi P.,
I'm in the Atlanta area so I have no suggestions for a doc however my little one was diagnosed with ADHD and the doctor was able to remove her diagnosis after I started her on a absorbable multivitamin (before I knew anything about Omegas) and detoxed my home. The chemicals in my house were contraindicating in her system. Let me know if you want any info, I'll be glad to help.
M.
You may have to do some phone interviewing in order to find the best fit with "western"medical doctors. Paying out of pocket for an experienced source may be your quickest option.
I am on the internet quite often and have found good solutions with issues I have had.There are many helpful websites that provide great information about food substitutes and elimination of food additives and dyes that can be triggers to behavior patterns. Try cspinet.org/new/adhd_bklt.pdf and/or ADHDTreatmentforKids.com, www.feingold.org
Hope this helps.
~Y.
P., I hear you loud and clear. I encounter this daily in my practice. I am a Family Success Coach and I work primarily with families with children much like yours. I could go into what you could or should do but without more info from you it is difficult to say. Omega's PERFECT, antioxidants WOW! You already are on the right track. I recommend taking another look at nutrition. That's what I do.
Here are what some of my moms have said recently:
Kim, Mom of Amber, 6, Garret, 10, & Shelby, 15
“After struggling in school for two years with not being able to focus and regulate his behaviour, my son, Garret, after 8 weeks on the Isagenix nutritional shakes, is a new boy. Normally, he would have at least one incident a day and sometimes multiple! His school said I should put him on a popular “doctor recommended medicinal program” to help maintain his focus. I chose food instead. He is able to focus and moderate his own energy so he can get the most out of his studies and relationships at school. We have noticed the change at home also. Our WHOLE FAMILY now uses B.'s program every day as our step toward our optimal health!”
Angela, Mom of Jared age 6 and Nyah, age 2.
My son was heading down a very BAD road in school. He was RARELY focused, always "fidgety," becoming increasingly defiant and a behavior problem, and he HATED THE ALPHABET!!! By the bizillionth time his teacher reported a bad day with him, I decided ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! That was a Friday. I decided to to follow B.'s program every day for a week and see what happened. Monday morning, off to school he went. THAT DAY, his teacher reported an EXCELLENT day with him! Tuesday = AWESOME DAY. Wednesday = amazed look on her face = GREAT DAY!!! By the end of the week, he had had the best week in school he'd ever had! I have known for months that I needed to take a serious look at his food but i didn't know what. Until I met B.. Anyway, we are finishing up our second week of the program and school has become an awesome experience for him rather than a drudgery.
My little girl was born with special needs and has always been pretty much "in her own world." She rarely paid attention to anyone around her. She would never interact with others. She would tire easily and constantly take "cat naps." On B.'s advice I started her on a very simple food program (starting end of September), the difference was night and day. Her aide reports that she pays attention to the other kids at school and even LAUGHS at them!! She's focused on the activities (NEVER BEFORE!!), and she's engaging in activities that I never thought she'd be able to do. AND she can go all afternoon WITHOUT A NAP!! In other words, she's wonderful!
If you want to connect, please just ask: ____@____.com.
B. H, B.A.:.B.Ed.
Family Success Coach
Education not Medication.
Hi P.,
I'm in the Minnesota area so I also have no suggestions for a doc. Here are some of my suggestions. My son is 8 and they (social workers, and school people want to label him with ADHD. Our story is complicated. We lost our baby girl to Leukemia 4 years ago. She was 19 months and very close to her brother. There is some emotional connection that is causing his behaviors at school. Anyway long story short, after changing diet and adding supplements we are able to curb some and almost all of his behaviors. We have done a lot of research on nutrition, chemicals in the home and now lead a very homeopathic lifestyle. Our son is on 100% certified organic omega-3s, organic supplements, and we watch what he eats very closely. We choose healthy snacks, no artificial anything, (watch for red and blue dyes in drinks, like Gatorades, Jello, etc. We also found a natural remedy called focus formula. The company is called Natural Remedies. I believe that it is native American based? You can also google search the focus formula. It is a non-addicting herb drop that can be put in juice, water, milk, etc. It has no taste. My son has been on this for about a month. We have seen a huge difference in him as well. Here is the web-site that I get his supplements from www.figglesfit.com search on childrens nutrition. If you have any questions or more info on these items. I would be happy to help. I understand the frustrations and know that too many kids are being put on drugs. They are just band-aids to cover up the problems, not solve them.
If you like, you can call me or email
H.
You can try to find a functional medicine doctor:
http://www.functionalmedicine.org/findfmphysician/index.asp
However, in my experience, you will have to go out of network to find a good doctor of this nature. Another option is to look for DOs that are in-network. They sometimes are more open minded. It's very unfortunate, but NDs are not recognized in the state of Texas, so I personally went out of state and found a really good ND and then do phone consultations for follow-up.
Also, I really hope that you are no longer getting your child vaccinated. Some of us have genes such that these vaccinations can trigger many of the problems your son has. You can find doctors that support alternative/extended vaccination schedules on Dr. Sear's website:
http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/Vaccine_Friendly...
These doctors would likely be more open to a holistic approach to healthcare.
You might also consider whether he doesn't have underlying food sensitivies, in particular gluten intolerance. There's medical research coupling that to ADHD and other developmental disorders.
In my experience, you're not going to find a single doctor that can really help with this. You'll need to educate yourself and find a doctor that at least supports the use of alternative medicine approaches to healthcare.
There is no perfect answer for this. Money is always the issue, but I can tell you that I have a doctor of oriental medicine that I trust with my whole family.I saw her through my pregnancy, and she came to my house while I was in labor to give me an accupuncture treatment.(I had an amazing birth experience) I grew up using Homeopathy, I beleive it works, but have come to beleive that Oriental medicine works better. Alot of those issues (ADHD and the like) are directly related to food and a D.O.M can help you learn how to help w/o taking drugs. They are known to be able to treat problems western medicine can't touch.
Best of luck to you and your family, hope I helped a little.
P.,
You may want to contact Gale Leigeber, Clinical Nutritionist, and Classical Homeopath. Her website is http://www.a-healthy-balance.com/ and phone number is 866-833-1933.
Good luck and God bless.
Victoria
