omega 3

[ready2run]

has anyone here had any success using EPA and DHA(omega 3's) to help treat symptoms? my psychiatrist suggested i try it on difficult child and on my 5yo to see if it helps. difficult child can't take stimulants so i can only hope to see some progress. my other son is not yet diagnosed and it will take a good year to 18 months to get to the point in the diagnosis process where we actually get to SEE a doctor so my options with him are very limited. both have really bad adhd type symptoms.

 

[soapbox]

While you're at it... start reseaching APDs.
It turns out that the "symptoms" for APDs is awfully similar to ADHD.
The two conditions can co-exist (very high co-morbidity - something like 70% of ADHD kids with a Learning Disability (LD), also have Auditory Processing Disorders (APD)).

APDs drive kids literally crazy. And unless they have serious and obvious language problems, it tends to get missed.

In particular, there is a form of Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) that has to do with auditory figure ground - the ability to distinguish the "important" sounds in the presence of background noise. These kids tend to do well one-on-one in a quiet, separate room... and absolutely horridly in a classroom!

APDs are a non-medicated disorder - there are hearing systems that sometimes help, mostly its accomodations.

 

[Malika]

Hi ready2run. I have given my son Omega 3 every day since he was about 2 but I honestly can't tell you whether it has any effect on him or what that effect is if it does... Because I can't compare it to what he would be like if he didn't take it, obviously. What I would recommend to you, though - and do do your own research about this - is magnesium, preferably with vitamin B6, which has been shown in studies to replace stimulants effectively for ADHD.

 

[HaoZi]

It helps my Kiddo. Not by themselves, but there is a definite difference. We use the krill oil supplements, flax seed bread, and Omega 3 JIF. Cold deep water wild caught fish would be better, but she won't eat it.

 

[Methuselah]

I haven't used Omega 3s, but Slugger was diagnosed with ADD and placed on medications (Straterra). It wasn't until he had a massive puberty driven growth spurt that we realized he had problems absorbing iron. When the doctor placed him on an iron supplement, all the symptoms of the deficiency went away...and so did his ADD. I read up on it, and a significant number of kids who have attention problems also have iron deficiency problems. Next time they do blood work on your child, ask them to test his iron saturation levels.

 

[ready2run]

Malika, I looked into the magnesium but my psychiatrist told me that there was no evidence that it would be helpful and suggested i try the omega 3's instead. she said it had to be at a ratio where the EPA was at least twice the DHA and the total dose around 1500mg. she also said she would do some research on magnesium and get back to me. that may be where i'm heading next if this isn't helpful. as for iron, that could also be it. my oldest has an iron problem and takes a liquid supplement that is pretty nasty. i haven't noticed any effects on her behaviourwise with the supplement other than not being so tired.

 

[ready2run]

It helps my Kiddo. Not by themselves, but there is a definite difference. We use the krill oil supplements, flax seed bread, and Omega 3 JIF. Cold deep water wild caught fish would be better, but she won't eat it.

if it doesn't help on it's own, what do you use it with? just in combination with their medication? i have difficult child's anger and aggression under control now. he is still a bit irritable, more so than a 'normal' child but not unbearable. the school is complaining too much about him being 'busy' and 'disruptive' as he talks alot and makes weird noises. he does not get that some times people don't want to hear him, he thinks he is doing the world a favour with his talking/noise and refuses to see how anyone could think it would be irritating. he is also a wiggler. he is always fiddling, arranging, moving, clicking, ect. in my opinion i think the school should just get used to it but they aren't and they won't allow him to attend full time even if he is in a segregated classroom.

 

[HaoZi]

Yes, in addition to her Rx medications. If she misses a couple days or doesn't eat right, it's certainly apparent. by the way, has yours been checked for allergies? Wheat allergy is one that can show up looking like ADHD.

 

[ready2run]

no, no allergy testing. that is a whole different problem...lol. the closest place to get allergy testing done is 8 hours away and with no car and 4 kids who could all be described as difficult child's i dread the thought of even trying it.

how long did it take for you to notice any results? was it apparent right away, or did it happen slowly over time?

 

[HaoZi]

It takes some time, yes, I couldn't tell you how much. The effects were subtle as they occurred, just very obvious when she's been without. Trying to think how to describe it... gradual cheering up/leveling out kind of thing. Maybe a week or two of steady diet for full effects?
You could try eliminating gluten products from his diet and if there's no improvement you could rule out gluten/wheat sensitivities. You might also check for problems with additives, dyes, fake sugars, preservatives, etc. Just try them one at a time.

 

[TerryJ2]

Has anyone found an omega 3 that is small and easy to swallow?

 

[TerryJ2]

Yes, we have supplemented for a short time, but our son hates to swallow pills. It has helped him immensely to get him off of gluten. Once we did that, we no longer had to supplement with-iron and his blood tests came back normal.
Some day, I plan to get him back on omega 3s ...

 

[HaoZi]

The krill oil ones aren't horse pills. There's also liquid omega supplements and that omega 3 JIF peanut butter.

ETA: There's also omega gummies now. Also, always make sure the label specifies "Mercury free"

 

[HaoZi]

products : Coromega

 

[confuzzled]

Has anyone found an omega 3 that is small and easy to swallow?

nordic natural 3-6-9 junior (i think thats the full title) are chewable. that brand i think also sells a liquid. but otherwise, no, we find they are gigantic and hard to swallow.

 

[ready2run]

so far difficult child has taken his and so has my 5yo. they are in giant gel tabs. they taste nasty, i tried one. but the kids did what they were told and bit them open so the juicy stuff sprayed out into their mouths, then i gave them a vitamin c to get rid of the flavour because they think those are treats. psychiatrist said i could cut them open and put it in their food if i want to but they are picky eaters so i don't think that would work.

 

[ready2run]

Just thought i'd update the results of adding the omega 3. i tried it out on difficult child and on pc5 (probably should be a difficult child too..lol) difficult child would not stop talking. he always has a thing for talking and constant movement but he talked straight, for days. even woke up talking to his blanket for hours in the early, early morning. i stopped giving it to him... HOWEVER...... i have seen a significant difference with pc5. he has stopped making the high pitched squealing noise he was doing for a month or two. he is more co-operative. i doubled his dose yesterday. hopefully i see more improvement.