Want off Ritalin but need energy

[mommyto3angels]

I have 3 very active kids 2 boys who are football players with practice 4 times a week plus all the normal stuff boys do and a lil girl who trys her best to out do her older brothers. On top of that I have 3 dogs who are my best friends though they need alot of attention, 2 pits & 1 black lab. I have no help anymore. My husband is gone 12 hours a day ,6 days a week (including the drive time)We moved 2 hours away from all our family because of the heat. Summers temps were 105-115 degrees (it got hotter occasionally & on rare occasions down to 100) and it lasted from april through late oct. Winters my kids still wore shorts and never owned a real jacket, a zip up sweater was the most they ever needed. Now we live in a national forrest and enjoy all 4 seasons (I even get snow!!) so far I have been feeling much better. I believe this move was the best thing we ever did, I am still on tons of meds tho and would like to start going off some of them. I would like to start with the Ritalin.My Nuorologist gives it to me for energy but I want to try something more natural. I do drink the 5 hour energy shots when I'm extremly tired but wouldnt like to drink them daily. I was thinking more along the lines of vitamins. I am anemic but don't take my iron because it constipates me lol. I was wondering what kind of vitamins you would recomend for me to increase my energy levels. Thanks

[BigA]

I can understand that. There are certainly better drugs than ritalin or energy drinks. Just because you don't get it from the doctor, doesn't mean you're not taking drugs.

Are your VitaminD levels adequate? I'm talking 60+? If not, you may want to read up on vitaminD and get your levels up (milk has a tiny amount). Many people report higher energy at high levels of VitaminD.

As for Iron, are you eating well? You should be able to get enough iron, even from plants.

[JerryD]

You know, ritalin is a choice that seems to have been working for some people. We all have the fatigue problem and it would be nice if our doctors knew of some things that worked aside from those drugs. I have noticed that as I get nearer my desired weight, I see a decrease in my fatigue levels. I believe that as I make positive changes to my lifestyle, I see some positive enhancements to my physicality. I am desperately looking for ways to improve my abilities through any means available. I hope you find something that works. Good luck

[rainykatie]

being anemic can certainly be contributing to fatigue.

make sure you eat lots of leafy greens!

also look into taking a lower dose or different form of iron supplement. talk to your pharmacist, they should be able to help you.

[mommyto3angels]

I went to a health food store yesterday and bought a new multi vitamin with higher amounts of iron and also got the vitamin b-12 that dissolves under your tounge... Hopefully all this will help some.

[Shashi]

Have you tried the two anti-oxidant supplements, acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) and alpha lipoic acid (ALA)? A lot of folks here, including me, have had good success at treating fatigue with them. The daily dosage is 1,000 to 2,000 mg of ALC and 200 to 400 mg of ALA every morning.

Since they are natural substances your body needs anyway, there are fewer side effects than some of the prescription meds can cause.

Do some research on these two supplements, both here and online. You'll find a lot of great info on them.