green tea for adhd

[dad111]

I have heard green tea is good for adhd.

I have a 9 year old with adhd and would love to hear stories of others who have used green tea for adhd.  How much a day and when is best.  I heard later in the day is the best time but I am concerned about it might affect his sleep.

He is going for an appointment with a Dr. tomorrow who wants to put him on meds but we are a bit uncomfortable with this.

[anna1997]

I just bought LT03 today to give to my 12 year old daughter.  Is your son still taking it and how is it working?  Are there any side efffects?  Please give me any information you can.  You can email me ***@****

Thanks, Anne

[estrelinha]

I have some friends that gave MorEPA junior (it has omega 3), they say it works very well and it is a success in Sweden:
http://www.minami-nutrition.co.uk/omega-3/morepa-mini.php
Anyone have experience with this?

[dollyn]

Oh my do not try concerta the side affects to that are Seizures .and I know first hand.my son took that for a short time and after trying addarall and ,I took him of the concerta after I found out he was having seizures .but once they start it is hard to get rid of them.it has been since 2006 since we found out my son was having seizures and he still is to this day and med's are not working.so now we are haing to try the VNS and hoping that will help.

I would have an egg done to make sure something eles is not going on before I try any meds.

I only wish I didn't lisen to the teacher at school and she could have just done her job.

caring mother of a ten year old.who cant even go to school now.

[nimi74]

My son has been taking LT03 which is a combination of L-Theanine and Omega 3.  We had tried the meds, but the undesired effects overpowered the '' good'' ones.  But with the LT03 he is so calm, and can finally concentrate.  He can eat a meal and actually sit down for the whole duration of the meal..something he could not do before!!  We now are '' hooked'' on it!  The benefits are tremendous!  I would recommend it to anyone!!

[lizzylou422]

also, you may want to try concerta for meds

[lizzylou422]

try in the morning because it is the caffine that helps with ADD/ADHD. I have had it since I was in 1st grade and my moms simple solution is give me a soda or something with caffine in it

[April2]

My friend swears that when her kids were younger (they're adults now), she gave them flax seed oil in a smoothie every morning for them and swears she saw a difference in their behavior when they were getting the flax seed oil. When she didn't use it for awhile, she noticed the difference. Might be something to consider, especially if he doesn't like the green tea.

[Loving_Parent]

I have tried green tea capsules on my son and they seem to be quite helpful. They make it easier for him to concentrate and stay on task. I am using them in conjunction with a behavioral program called Total Focus which uses biofeedback to teach kids how to progressively relax, curb impulses and focus. The coping skills he's learning from this have made a big difference in his behavior and self-confidence. Of course, I am also feeding him a healthy diet: lots of green vegies, lean meat, fruits, raw nuts, beans, etc.

Hope this helps.

[fluid]

You can get extract of green tea in a capsule. The theraputic effect of green tea comes from the amino acid theanine, and is used in Japan to treat ADHD. Tests show it is as effective as prozac, ritalin, etc. It regulates the production of our neurotransmitters.Theanine is available in the U.S. through many companies, but the brand used in all of the controlled studies both in the U. S. and in japan is Suntheanine. There is a patent on it, as it is the only pure form of l-theanine. Others contain l and d theanine, and are not as effective. See my earlier posts from June 3.

[dad111]

I finally had to give in, dealing with his issues got to heavy for my wife and I.   He took the tea once and did not like it and would not do it any more.  He is  so temperamental with many things which might be good for him.  Ugh!  The doctor put him on kids Prozac, fluoxetine to deal withthe depression side of it.  He says that has the best track record with least lasting side effects etc..  Just started yesterday, so we will see how it goes.

Maybe we can coax him towards the tea once he is stabilized.  I am hoping i a stable place I can get him to do some things which he did  not want to do normally.  We will see.  We are not giving up on natural approaches, just adding meds to the mix.  

Thanks for everyones comments, much appreciated.

[nyychic]

Just be careful and check with your doctor as green tea is an anti-oxident and I don't know how safe they are for children, how much is too much?  I don't know that but I have heard that too much is dangerous.  Look into this before you try it would be my advise.  Ask the doctors if it can hurt, I agree with trying other methods tho!!

[sweeterin]

Dear Dad,

I'm 23 years old right now and was diagnosed with ADD in high school.  I found meds to be helpful, but I doubt that they were the last answer.  Not much is known about the sorts of stimulants used to treat ADD/ADHD - they may have very detrimental long term effects.  Personally I found that I developed both a tolerance and a dependence on the medication - and then when I decided to stop (was incredibly tired and unable to concentrate when I didn't take the adderall - but had very bad headaches when I did take it) I had pretty bad withdrawals that lasted over a week.  

I am glad that you are looking into other options.  Personally, I've found that the best thing I can do is to be patient with myself.  It simply takes me longer to finish tasks than other people, and if finishing things sooner is important to me, well, I figure I can work on it.  Something that has helped a lot for me has been working with a timer - if I have homework to do, I work in time blocks rather than assignment blocks.  That is, I set my kitchen timer to forty-five minutes and then get started on my homework.  Having the clock right there, ticking in front of me, helps me to remember that I'm supposed to be doing my homework - and when it dings off, I get to take a break.  I'm not sure if something like this might work for your son... but maybe it's worth a try.  

Meds should be a last resort.

Best,
Erin

[dad111]

Thanks for the concern.  We have been doing all kinds of alternative approaches with him which have helped immesensly.    At a recent doctor visit we expected a prescription for a med and the doctor recomended we wait a few more months but told us he could have strattera if we wanted.    I was shocked as I thought doctors were always pushing the meds. this is a 20 year veteran in this field so I respect his opinion with relief and regret and excitement.  I am very mixed about meds in general.

[JoJo437]

I have heard that green tea is good as well, although I have never tried it myself, I'm sure that it cannot hurt.

Do not, however, allow your son to fall behind in school at the risk of sparing him the medication that he may need. Drugs should always be a last resort to cognitive therapy, etc.. etc..

I was not diagnosed until the age of 39 and ADHD almost destroyed me as left untreated.

It could destroy your son's self-esteem, which may in turn lead to problems with illegal drugs and/or alcohol abuse later on as it does with many children who turn into adults without receiving treatment.

Good Luck!