[NYer]

I find that my son gets hyperactive after eating anything with red dye in it, candy, and sugared cereal.

A coworker's son, assessed as ADHD, was put on ritalin in Kindergarten. The parents noticed a dramatic change in his temperament. During school breaks, they would stop the ritalin and his behavior would return to norml, albeit a bit hyperactive ... hey, he's a boy doing what boys do naturally.

By the end of Kindergarten, they decided to look into alternative treatments. They took him to a nutritionist. After running a battery of tests, she put him on a special diet ... all of those "kiddie" cereals, pumped up with artificial colors and sugar were banned, as were the same type of snacks and beverages. He calmed down and they sent him off to first grade, drug free. Their son, in coming off the ritalin, described the experience as "coming out of a cloud" where other voices were directing him.

You are on the right track! Visit Dr. Breggin's web site and you'll understand the long term, permanent damage from ritalin and the other psychotic drugs.

[alisasny]

I really hope that the choice to put my son on Ritalin and other similar drugs for that short period of time did no permanent damage. ( i did make the choice after huge research)

When you wrote earlier that is normal, I kept saying that to myself....my son is pretty great. He is, just spent a few moments together and he asked why I was smiling at him, I said cause I like you, he said no you dont, I said, oh your mad cause you had to come in now, he said yeah.....it was a great scene and I just pray that year of drugs didnt change a thing