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Kamhi has been using these techniques with ADHD children for 35 years, and she’s seen them have positive effects every time. Although her statistics are good, Kamhi and other herbalists warn parents to exercise patience when it comes to using alternative therapies.

“Don’t expect immediate results,” Kamhi said. As in the case of the 8-year-old ADHD boy, it took six months for some of the more significant changes to become evident. She also encourages patients to work with a knowledgeable herbal practitioner because herbs taken incorrectly can cause reactions.

Children may suffer from congestion, diarrhea or skin rashes if they are having a reaction to an herb. An experienced herbalist, for example, also would know that a child who has a ragweed allergy may react to chamomile because this herb is in the ragweed family.

Mark also encourages patients who want to give herbal remedies to their children to seek out trusted sources that can offer commentary on different herbal products. Some of the sources and organizations he trusts and uses include the Berkeley Wellness Letter, the American Botanical Council and the Longwood Herbal Task Force. (See “Herbal 411” for Web site listings.)

Gentle touch

Even though natural alternatives such as herbs may not provide instant gratification, Ruth Gingerich, MSN, PNP, believes the benefits outweigh these minor disadvantages. Gingerich, a nurse practitioner in Carmel, Calif., said herbal remedies have fewer side effects than many pharmaceutical drugs. Benadryl, for example, may stop the symptoms of a cold, but the drug dries out the mucus membranes, which can make someone more susceptible to further infection, she said. Instead, she would encourage a patient who is just starting to experience cold symptoms to take echinacea because this can boost the immune system.

Nurse herbalists also point out that herbs can be especially good for children because they are more gentle on the system than many pharmaceutical drugs. In addition, herbs do not foster the growth of resistant strains of bacteria in the same way antibiotics can.

Rather than prescribing antibiotics for ear infections, for example, Kamhi tells parents to immediately stop giving children dairy and wheat products. She suggests that they give children vitamin C, echinacea, garlic in the form of tea and soup and then mullein flower oil in the ear. Parents can use hot compresses over the ear and massage the ear area.

She also tells parents to buy their own otoscope to examine the child’s ear daily. This allows parents to immediately detect signs of infection and start the treatments. If the child shows signs of throbbing pain, Kamhi suggests using a form of belladonna or mercurius.