Vitamins question

[klmno]

Hi, All! I am a first time poster over here but this looked like the best place for my question.

My difficult child has taken an interest in starting on vitamins. I don't know why- he eats well-balanced meals, healthy snacks, and junk food (all of the above), but has a friend that takes them. He's a little toward the heavy side but not too extreme and has no vitamin deficiency that I am aware of. You can see his diagnosis and age in my signature below. He is currently on 900 mg of lithobid and 500 mg of depakote er per day.

I was thinking a low multi-vitamin would be ok, but wondered if anyone here had a suggestion that might even help some of the typical symptons a cycling difficult child exhibits- varying periods of stability, depression, and hyperness extending to mania at times. Lately, he seems to be on the hyper end or mixed state and he's having difficulty getting to sleep at nights. He craves sodas and sweets when hyper to manic.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Nomad]

The book The Bipolar Child talks a little about using supplements with reference to mood disorder. Primarily the Omega 3 Fatty Acids are suggested as well as melatonin for sleep.

Some people feel that the B vitamins might help with depression, but I don't know how that plays out in children or if there is mania combined with the depression, etc.

 

[klmno]

Thanks, Nomad! Is melatonin otc? I have the book- I didn't read it cover to cover because a lot of it seemed to apply more to younger kids- but I will check that section out.

 

[SaraT]

Yes, Melatonin is OTC. I had difficult child on it for a while and (when she actually took it) it seemed to help her calm and get to sleep. We stopped it when we found she was hiding them in her dresser.(yep, she's a sneaky one. lol) I have heard of the Omega3 fatty acids, and they are supposed to be good for quite a few things, but as difficult child hides vitamins, I never tried it.

As for mulitvitamins, I believe most are perfectly safe with other medications, but since I am not familiar with the ones your difficult child is on, I would just call the doctor and ask what they recommend, just to be safe.

 

[Loving Abbey 2]

My difficult child was on fish oil supplements for some time, but they got to be too expensive, so I try to include it in her diet-fish every week. I know someone who has had a lot of luck with it. difficult child is on a multi-vitamin, as am I. Most kids don't get all the vitamins they need from food, even with the best diets. We both get sick much less since being on them. While that isn't a benefit for mood, it sure makes me less tired and more able to deal with her.

Good luck!

 

[Lothlorien]

Why a low dose vitamin? Most basic multivitamins are very low in their doses. If you can find one, perhaps dealing with a homeopath or even a nutritionist to figure out what vitamins he's deficient in so you can give higher doses of those, would be good. Definitely, I would recommend the fish oil supplements. I give Missy the Omega 3/6/9.

Be careful that you look at certain vitamins like Vitamin A. For example, Vitamin E, should be taken with vitamin A to work properly, but an adult should not take more than 10,000 iu of vitamin A per day, because of complications of overdose. So if you are giving a multivitamin with vitamin A in it, be careful to subtract that from a vitamin a supplement.

 

[klmno]

Thanks, everyone! I have been trying to learn what vitamins and minerals need others in order to be absorbed and be useful in the body. I still have a long way to go.

When you mentioned eating fish more instead of fish oil as a suplement, exactly what kind of fish do you recommend? We have salmon or talapia about once a month- tuna about once every 2-3 months and fried fish (fresh-water) about evry 2-3 months.

I'm ok with a multi-vitamin of any sort that doesn't cause a problem with the BiPolar (BP) medications, but it sure would be nice to add a vitamin or other supplement that at least, gives a chance of helping with the chemical imbalance.

 

[Loving Abbey 2]

We usually have salmon and tuna-both pretty common here and often on sale. Ideally, you would need to have it twice per week or more if possible. An 8 year old difficult child is not so fond of fish to have it everyday but I try!

Other options are mackerel and sardines, and flax seeds have the omega 3's too.

As for the multi vitamin, my difficult child is on one that is pretty all natural-gluten free, vegan, no colors, preservatives, additives, etc. They do have sugar, as they are gummy animals, but she like to eat them. And anything that makes life easier is good with me!