Pat Gima asks about alternatives to Ritalin for a nursing mom, and
someone found a website:

> Pat ... Just looked up this site which gives herbal alternatives for ADD and
> ADHD.  Hope it helps!
> http://www.allsands.com/Health/Alternative/addandadhdalt_was_gn.htm

I have to say that a lot of the information there was really
questionable.  They seem to think that people with ADHD need to
be calmed down, when the reverse is true.

Unfortunately, herbal alternatives also run to the stimulant side,
things like ginseng and ma huang.

Some medications that work to increase the net seratonin level
help ADHD in many people; Wellbutrin is being used frequently.
That may be an avenue for her to explore with her psych prescriber.
 And some people really need a mood-stabilizer more than
anything.

If she's also working on behavior modification she'll have to make
sure she's putting that into practice.  There are lots of great books
out there and resources such as e-mail lists for support and
information about organizational and other skills.

When the baby's older she may want to try re-introducing the
medication, watching for any signs of jitteriness in the child.  Our
youngest was still nursing about 3-4x day when I started Ritalin,
then Dexedrine Spansules (long acting).  He was 3yo and about
35lbs.  He never seemed more irritable than, well, his baseline. ;-)
Of course I wasn't diagnosed until that time so I got to go through
the infancies of three kids thinking I was a loser.  :-(

Ah, for the excuse of nursing again to be able to not take the meds
and be expected to get all sorts of stuff done...

Hope this helps some, Pat.
regards,
Beth
--
Beth Johnson
Perinatal Educator, PP Doula
Springfield, MA
"Just what are Fred and Daphne doing in the Mystery Van,
and why are Scooby and Shaggy always so *hungry?*"

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