Are ADHD Medications With Less Side Effects a Mirage?

The short answer to the question whether ADHD medications with less side effects is a mirage has a very short answer with only three letters. Yes ! Let us face it - any medicine of the allopathic or chemical kind, the staple of Western medicine, is going to have side effects. I have just been given an antibiotic for a 'flu virus and reading all about them has done nothing to hasten my recovery!

The problem with ADHD medications with less side effects is that many parents try desperately to find the right medication for their child because each child is unique and reacts in a different way to the meds. There is a lot of talk on the ADHD forums about 'tweaking' the meds as regards dosages and when they should be taken. Parents and doctors are stuck inside the box and rarely bother to look outside where they could actually find herbal and homeopathic ADHD medications without side effects !

There are a whole range of alternative treatments for ADHD which range from homeopathy, behavior modification techniques, dietary supplements, family counselling, herbal medicine, and even equine therapy. ADHD meds can be effective in reducing some of the ADHD symptoms such as inattention and hyperactivity and seem to work with about 75% of children. What the drug companies forget to tell you is that after three years of being on drugs like Ritalin and Vyvanse and Adderall (all amphetamines), children are unlikely to show any permanent change in their behavior ! This study was done a few years ago and goes on to state that the best treatment seems to be behavior modification with or without medication.

Are stimulants better than non-stimulants, some parents ask. Maybe one of these types of ADHD medications with less side effects might suit their child. There is confusion about the long term implications and side effects can be alarming. Choose a stimulant like Concerta or Ritalin and your child might have to cope with racing heart, dizziness, insomnia and loss of appetite. Add to those the long term concerns about heart health, potential for abuse and paranoia, aggression and depression.

Choose a non-stimulant like Strattera and does the picture change ? Well, some of the reactions are similar to the stimulants but there may also be headaches, nausea and the most alarming one is that may be a risk of increasing suicidal thoughts, especially if the child is already depressed!

Now you can see why some parents have looked outside the box and moved away from ADHD meds without side effects which are inexistent and actually choose ADHD homeopathic remedies which really do NOT have any side effects and there are actually no long term health risks at all. The other great things about these remedies is that no one will seek to buy your kids' meds on the school parking lot and they come a lot cheaper !