Childhood is a time for play and exploration while at the same time learning about physical, emotional and social limits. For many children, the early school years can be frustrating because they have difficulty sitting still and focusing, in fact 3 to 5 percent of school-age children are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD and many go undiagnosed. If children with ADHD are left untreated they can develop self-destructive behaviors and can fall behind in school studies.
ADHD is among the most common neurotransmitter-related conditions. Both environmental and biological factors like stress, poor diet, neurotoxins, or genetics, can cause neurotransmitter imbalance, which in turn may trigger or make ADHD worse. In addition, imbalances can make medication that your child is taking less effective or even ineffective in some cases.
There are natural formulas (or dietary alternatives) to ADHD medicines that can have a powerful effect. Supplements like L-Theanine can help increase the neurotransmitter concentrations in the brain which promotes muscle relaxation and improves concentration and learning. There are many dietary formulas that are marketed for ADHD. To get the best results, it is very important that the formulation is made for children and contains the right combination of ingredients.
If your child is taking medication regularly, they may have undiagnosed allergies, sensitivity to additives, artificial dyes/preservatives or they may not respond well to standard medication dosages. Compounded medications provide a unique delivery system and customized dosage strengths without preservatives and/or dyes. Compounded medication can also be prepared in slow-release dosages so that children are not embarrassed by having to take a midday dosage at school.

Common questions about ADD/ADHD:

Q: My child is taking Strattera and it causes him/her gastric upset, is there some other way to take this medication?
A: Yes, we can compound this and other medications into a topical gel form to be applied on the skin. This will also by-pass the first pass effect of the liver.
 
Q: My child’s doctor has prescribed a medication that comes in a tablet, but my child can’t swallow pills very well, what can I do?
A: Allow us, with your doctor’s approval, to compound the medication into gummy squares or a liquid suspension flavored with one of over 100 different choices. (Hint – if you allow the child to chose the option and flavor it improves compliance.)
 
Q: My child’s doctor is recommending Ritalin for ADD/ADHD, but I’m not comfortable having him/her on a drug, is there a natural alternative?
A: South River takes a holistic approach to helping you help your child. We educate you about the role that nutrition and lifestyle play in ADD/ADHD and offer suggestions for supplements to optimize health and help with allergies, sleep, focus, anxiety and depression.
 
Q: What are some supplements that help with ADD/ADHD symptoms?
A: We would suggest a multi-vitamin/mineral complex that delivers therapeutic levels of essential vitamins and minerals, Omega 3 Fatty Acids from artic fish oil, and depending upon the individual’s needs and age, supplements like L-theanine (for anxiety), melatonin and valerian (for sleep), pro-biotics and glutamine to restore gut function and minimize allergy induced symptoms and possibly amino acids for all of the above. We also offer protein shakes
and medical foods designed for children with special needs.

Screening Tests

We have available take-home test kits that check for neurotransmitter imbalances. These urine sample tests are designed to provide information that can help determine what drugs and/or nutritional supplements would best improve a patient’s symptoms. While there is no single neurotransmitter responsible for ADD or ADHD, scientific literature has demonstrated definite links between the roles of neurotransmitters and ADHD.
Neurotransmitter testing allows the practitioner to determine whether the patient’s inability to focus may be due to over- or under- stimulation of the relevant neurotransmitters.
Mineral Hair Analysis is another test South River can provide. Your hair contains all the minerals present in your body, as well as toxic heavy metals. Hair mineral analysis is a laboratory test that measures this mineral content. In most cases, the test results reflect how much of these elements are in your tissues and provides a picture of your internal environment. With this information, metabolic events can be interpreted and your nutritional status viewed.