ADHD Drug Stunts GrowthDo the ADHD drugs
commonly used for children of attention or hyperactivity disorder
face the likelihood of being smaller than they would have been
without Ritalin? The question has likely crossed the mind of every
parent faced with the decision of whether to use the most common
treatment for ADHD, Ritalin. As any parent knows, giving the child a
life as near normal as possible is the first order of business. And
to many, Ritalin seems a lifesaver. But then the Ritalin growth
issue comes into focus and parents are faced with making the
decision all over again.
The child with ADHD may seem larger than life simply
because of the manifestations of his disease, but studies show that
children with this disorder are likely to be smaller than their
peers. It’s seems unlikely that the stunted growth is a result to
the Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. The ADHD drugs -
mainly Ritalin - is more likely the cause. There are
bound to be many questions. What are the long-term ADHD growth
rates? What alternatives are there to Ritalin? And what should the
parent do - wait for the experts to complete their studies and hope
that it will turn out alright or look for an alternative now? The
most important advice to parents with ADHD children is that you know
your child better than anyone. Unless you have a very recent
diagnosis, you’ve probably already read all the literature you can
find and have also begun to sift through the information to
determine what’s fact and what’s purely fiction. Unfortunately, for
the parent of an ADHD child, time is the enemy. Everyday you delay
making a decision, your child is either taking a drug that you may
or may not eventually come to trust or is struggling to make it
through each day, usually dragging an entire family support system
with him. While experimenting with alternatives is something that
should never be taken on without a qualified health care
professional, there is an alternative.
Before you dismiss the idea that a simple vitamin
treatment regimen could be the answer consider your own health. As
an adult, what do you do when you know cold season is coming on? Do
you believe in the power of Vitamin C as an immune booster? Do you
remember learning about the children who suffered from rickets
simply because of a shortage of Vitamin D in their diet? Do you get
enough vitamins from your own diet to meet all your body’s needs? Do
you feel better when you eat right, exercise right and take better
care of yourself? While “nutritional
supplements” may rank right up there with washing in stump water
to cure a wart in your opinion, most people dealing with an ADHD
child will still be ready to try a less intrusive
ADHD treatment option before (or maybe even after) Ritalin. The
answer is here. Addasil is an easy-to-take supplement that does
nothing more than build on the body’s natural ability to become
healthy. There’s no prescription side-effects, including the growth
issue that has recently come to light with Ritalin use. The experts
say that there’s no way to know whether these kids with stunted
growth will recover the lost ground by adulthood. With Addasil
children's vitamins, time is on your side and you can wonder
about the results without having to worry about your child.
Reference:
http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/news/20070720/adhd-drug-does-stunt-growth |