There are many treatment options available to help families bring peace into the home and soothe ADHD children from the many troubling symptoms of the disorder.  Unfortunately, medicine works with children the same way it does with adults - everyone is different and different treatment strategies are required to bring optimum relief to each individual.  Many parents turn to herbal remedies to replace or enhance traditional methods for treatment of this sometimes-traumatic disorder that affects the entire family.

Used for thousands of years to soothe anxiety, restlessness, and agitation in adults, many parents turn to St. John’s wort to calm and soothe ADHD children, who often exhibit these same symptoms.  However, a recent study, the details of which are available in the June 11 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests the calming benefits of the herb may be neither more likely nor more effective than the use of a placebo.

At Bastyr University, Washington, Wendy Weber, ND, PhD, MPH, and a team of researchers worked with 54 children, aged 6 to 17 years old, to document the benefits of using St. John’s wort in lieu of other treatment options for ADHD in children.  Half of the children were given 300 milligrams of H perforatum (St. John’s wort) formulated to contain 0.3% hypericin, the compound in the herb thought to be responsible for its mood-elevating effect.  The remaining 27 children received a placebo.  Medication schedule for each child was three times per day for eight weeks.  No other ADHD medications were permitted during the study period.

Each child was assessed at the outset of the trial for typical ADHD symptoms, such as hyperactivity and inattentiveness, and each was re-evaluated at the end of the trial.  Researchers found no differences between the two groups large enough to be considered statistically significant.

In the final evaluation after treatment, both groups reported almost the same number of participants who could be described as much improved and very much improved with regard to overall symptoms of the disorder.  Adverse effects (including headache, nausea and vomiting, rash, and sunburn) were noted in almost equal numbers of participants in both study groups as well.

The Bastyr study is thought to be the first ever conducted using children, adolescents, placebos, and St. John’s wort in a controlled environment.  The research team concludes no benefit to giving St. John’s wort to children and adolescents with ADHD.

Source: American Medical Association