Finding Free Hair Analysis-Help

[hollysboys]

My son is 10 y/o. Has been on about 20 or so medications since Kindergarten. Nothing works for long, so I've decided to go to natural treatments. The only problem I have found is that there are so many different ones to try. I dont want him taking a vitamin cocktail, but cant find 1 liquid or pill format of them all. Anyway my son has been to a nuerologist who diagnosed him with ODD, ADHD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and mood disorders. We get up every morning with him screaming, blaming things on us and then saying he didnt do any of the above. Its hard because I have two younger sons (7 and 3) and Drake the oldest thinks he gets the bum end of everything since he doesnt get to participate in some outings or get a lot of rewards for his behavior. What gets me is that around other people he can control his anger and aggression (unless he gets embarrassed)or when he wants something. But I am also trying to teach him that there are consequences to his actions. because again he can control it at times. Right now he is taking 40mg of Adderall, 20mg of clonidine and 150 of wellbutrin. But still no progress. I am new to this group and could use some help. I am wanting to get him a hair analysis to see what vitamins he is lacking, but I cant afford it. He has medicaid but if I go to natural treatments I dont know how I can afford it. Please help anyone.
Thanks
Holly

 

[tiredmommy]

Welcome!
Please remove your last name from your screen name as this is a public forum viewed all over the world. Unfortunately, I'm not aware of a place to get free hair analysis for your son. My best advice would be to see if you could get him in for a consultation with an alternative health practitioner. Natural treatments can help a number of different ailments, but you still should receive professional guidance as these substances can have unintended effects. Other advice includes a very strict schedule of rest and meals, no convenience or junk foods, no dyes, plenty of outdoor exercise. How long has he been diagnosis'd with ODD, ADHD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and a mood disorder? My gut tells me that he may very well have the wrong diagnosis if 20 different types of medications haven't worked for him.

 

[smallworld]

Holly,

Welcome. I'm glad you found us.

I won't pretend to know anything about natural treatments because I don't. I do know about getting the right dxes and matching them with the right medications. If your son has a mood disorder, that is what you treat first -- with a mood stabilizer (Depakote, Lithium, Lamictal, Tegretol and Trileptal). Both Wellbutrin and Adderall can increase anxiety as well as destablize moods. Clonidine is a medication used for sleep and to reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity, but that is an awfully high dose (my son was taking 0.1 mg a few months ago). It sounds to me as if the medications your son is currently on could actually be making the situation worse.

What kind of doctor dxing your son? What kind of doctor is treating him? I would highly recommend a re-evaluation by a board-certified child psychiatrist.

Good luck.

 

[hollysboys]

Hi,
I forgot to put the dot in front of the 20. He takes .20 of clonidine. In the past he has been on Lithium,Depakote,Neurontin(made him have hallucinations),Trileptal. He's also been on Risperdal,Zoloft,Paxil,Prozac,Effexor,Zyprexa(gave him tremors. Not to mention the medications for ADHD alone. I am presently weaning him off of the Wellbutrin, and the the other 2 medications. I am going to try a hair analysis to see what nutrients he is lacking. I am starting him on Magnesium and Calcium along with B6 this weekend, to see if that helps. In a few weeks I have him set up to get an Iradology exam and talk to an H-pathic doctor about nutrition(which will be extremely hard). I read an article the other day that said if someone craves something they are addicted,sensitive,or allergic. You crave that food because of the minerals/vitamins it has. However, they cant be absorbed because you are sensitive to the food. The doctor in this article said thats why a lot of kids crave chocolate, because they are lacking magnesium and chocolate has the most magnesium than any other food. I will let you know how everything works out. My father in law is a health nut and lives in the health food store. He gives my kids flax seed, and super greens alot. The only problem I am running into is the cost.
Thanks
Holly

 

[Josie]

I don't know anything about the hair analysis but I wanted to tell you about what has worked for my daughter. She was diagnosed with ODD and depression. She is taking Lexapro but we kept needing to increase the dose. Last spring, we were told we were getting all we could from that and we needed to add either Seroquel or a mood stabilizer. We were not ready to do that so tried to manage her behaviour. Meanwhile, because of a family history of celiac disease, we discovered that she is gluten and casein intolerant. We started on the gluten free diet in May and things improved dramatically. In June, we got rid of the casein and she got even better. It seems to me the only time she has episodes approaching her former behaviour are when she has eaten the wrong food. And even then, it is not as bad as it was. We will be trying to taper her off the Lexapro soon. That is how much things have improved.

You could try this without much expense (but a big adjustment) by feeding your child simple, whole foods like chicken, rice, hamburger, fresh fruits and veggies. Avoid all wheat (all bread, pasta, cereal, cookies, cake, etc.), oats, rye, barley(malt flavoring) to be gluten free. Avoid all dairy products (butter, cheese, milk, ice cream, etc.) but you can use eggs to avoid casein. There are substitutes available for these items but they can be expensive. If you determined this worked, then you would need to look into supplements such as calcium and Vitamin D. I gave you the basics, but if you decide to do this, you probably should google gluten free diet for the specifics.

When we switched to gluten free, I let my daughter have all kinds of other treats to make up for the fact that every one else got a cookie at school. Ice cream and candy worked really well for this. Now that she is casein free as well, it is a little more difficult, but she is compliant.

 

[hollysboys]

Thank you sooo much. I have made an appointment to see his pediatrician. because I take lexapro for my anxiety and I se some of my tendencies in him. The only thing is I am old enought to control my anger and he isnt. I didnt know if lexapro was prescribed to children and I know it works great for me and wanted to talk to his doctor about switching him. I have started him on magnesium and calcium supplements as well, but how did you find out that your daughter was gluten and casein intolerant? Let me know and thanks again, I will start some research on that tonight.
Holly

 

[Josie]

I used a lab I found online that many celiac/gluten intolerant people use. I'm not sure if I can put the name on here, so pm me if you want it. It is $99 each for the gluten and casein tests + $20 S&H. Since money is a concern for you, you could just try it without testing. I could see results in me in 2 or 3 days. I had to get off my Lexapro because I felt "giddy". It's been 3 months and I feel better than I did on it. (And at the time, I thought it was helping.) I could see results in difficult child pretty quickly also. Be aware that most doctors will scoff at this, but it has worked for us. If you are interested, I can also send you a link to where many celiac/gluten intolerant people wrote in to the celiac board about how their psychological issues improved once they went gluten free.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have tried this diet before starting either of us on the Lexapro. But the Lexapro did work for us at first. I had no trouble getting off from it, but I think withdrawing from it can have its own problems. If you do try the Lexapro, you might need to get it from a child psychiatrist. Good luck.

 

[transformtriumph]

Welcome! It's really a good idea to find an alternative medical practitioner to guide you, just as you would with traditional medicine. Then you will have the best results. I am biased towards classical homeopathic practitioners. www.homeopathic.org
Of course, diet, exercise and behavioral therapy are important too. Putting all the pieces in place, helps the most.