Omegas, Latest Research and Dosage | ADHD Information

Okay I have been following the threads for a few areas and looks like I finally got approval from my son's cardiologist for the omega 3's. He actually did a mini lit search for me and said it wouldn't hurt to try. My son is on aspirin so wasn't sure with the platelet effect if it was a good idea. Hopefully an added feature will be all the cardiovascular benefits. We did not get the okay on the PS, looks like we need that study in Israel to show some results first. Since it's better to try one thing at a time looks like the omega 3's it is. Of course not sure which one to order, looking for taste factors since my son takes alot of other meds for his heart he is not thrilled when I add to his collection. He is six and a whopping 37lbs. I think I've narrowed it down to Omega 3 joy, Nordic natural EPA, and Omega brite- any preferences. Also if you have a flexible medical spending account, can you use it for these purchases?

Interesting how they were okay to place my child with a severe congenital heart defect on stimulants, but not sure about trying supplements. Yes I had to sign paper work re: the black box warning. I do have to say the Ritalin is working well in school, but not eating, not sleeping, and the wearing off effect is really getting to me.

Thanks for listening to me ramble

tleon,

my son is also 6 and weighs about the same. He is able to swallow the NSI Mega EFA 2 capsules. They're a tad bit smaller than most others and he is able to swallow them. May be worth a shot.

Luvmykids0239331.8531597222

Hi all. Im a newbie. I have an 8 year old in 3rd grade. Have had LOTS of behavioral and attention so I asked my Dr and he seemed to be able to tell he has ADHD with just a "Conners" form filled out by his teacher and parents.

He has now put him on Aderall since 1 week today. I am sort of scared from the side effects Ive seen and REALLY would like some help figuring this all out.

He has been extremely argumentitive, crying alot but made a 360 in school. I am trying to get info about the Omega 3,6,9 and how this works.

Can I give it to him while he is on the Aderall? I looked into the Focus for kids packets and the suppliments that are out there and want to know if anyone has had experiance with giving them the suppliments while on the meds and if, after the 3 months of getting into their little bodys, can I take him off the meds??

Sorry thi si sso long, dont know how to put it simple.

Thanks

It's always best to consult a pharmacist before adding anything to a prescription med.

It definitely would be a good idea to check with a pharmacist for interactions, but from what I have read, the Omegas are pretty innocuous(sp?) as far as interactions. After all they are from food, Fish, so unless it says don't take with specific foods it shouldn't be a problem. You sound like you are in my shoes exactly from about 6 months ago. Only difference was the Dr prescribed the extended release Adderall to try for a month. I wouldn't let her take them. Now I will have to say, we weren't having any real behavioural problems, except meltdowns when she was pressured to finish her homework. Hers were mainly issues with concentration and focus. And she was 11 and in the 4th grade. Reading on a low 2nd grade level. I started out with a 4 punch approach because I was desperate. We started out with Omega3Mood, Attentive Child Wafers, ChildBright AM/PM, and melatonin at night. Also with Chocolate Almond Breeze thrown in to give extra magnesium. I went into this knowing it could take 3 months to see improvement, but was thrilled in my case to start seeing gains in 4 weeks. After 2 months I dropped the Childbright, and I am not so regular with the Almond Breeze anymore, but the other stuff we stick to religiously. Even her birth mother who has her every other weekend, is so impressed, and I Was sending little ziplock bags to her house, that she asked me what she needed to get to keep at her house to give her.

If you start the Omegas, be sure to get one of the suppliments recommended earlier in this thread with the high ratio of EPA:DHA.

Cindi

Just wanted to give an update. My neice was asking me to help her find some info online for homework on the Grand Canyon. Once I found it, she immediately began looking for her "facts" to report. The teacher had asked for a minimum of 5 and she did 9 in about 10 minutes. I was so thrilled, I wanted to cry. No one else but this group could understand me, but after the months and years of struggling to get one question at a time done, to see her practically zoom through homework on her own is just incredible. And her self confidence is so good, she's so proud of herself. I feel like I owe it all to this board and this group, because between the Omega3 and Attentive Child, we wouldn't be seeing these results otherwise.

Thanks again

Cindi

Cindi, That's fantastic!!

I am going to look into getting some new Omegas with the correct ratio today.

I have been using EyeQ for almost 1½ year now. We uses the capsules, but I know it can be bought as liquid as well.

Thank you!! Okay.. yes im new at all this. I had NO idea what Omega even was before just last week. Is the ratio the 7:1 one...? I keep seeing that. We will be switching to that almond breeze shortly, do you know if Rice milk is okay?

We are very new at this and he was DX for attention and impulsive. I am seeing some different behaviorals going on with this medication that I dont like at all, almost scareyt o me..things he would have known better before last week. As much info I can get regarding the omegas and what works the best for these kids without drugs, the better. I am also trying to change his diet as much as I can afford. The milk, more fuits and veggies for lunch instead of chips and fruit rolls.

I keep reading 1000 for the dosage. That is how much the fish oil pills are
that I just bought. However, the bottle says to take 3 a day. Is this right?
Thanks!

ltheon, you are so diligent. I haven't consulted my son's cardiologist regarding any supplements, and I've tried a lot of stuff. I guess going by the book isn't my bag. Omega-3 joy pills are huge pills. I think you should look at VegEPA, PuraEPA, and Eye-Q. They all have a high EPA ratio and I know the pills for the first and last ones are small. I doubt these qualify for you flexible spending account, unless prescribed by the doctor.

Gridley, if you are asking whether an omega-3 bottle will tell you to take 1000 mg a day, the answer is no. They will show the dosage for what a non-ADHD person needs. 1000 mg is the theraputic dosage. You won't find the theraputic dosage on the bottle. You are going to find it in studies regarding ADHD. If you are asking whether you can get 1000 mg from one pill, I doubt it. You usually need more.

I have my bottle here and it says one softgel contains 1000 mg (1 g) of fish
oil. Then it says it contains 340 mg of omega-3 for one softgel.

So do I need 1000 mg of fish oil? Or 1000 mg of omega-3?

I appreciate the help!Oh, so it has other types of omegas. Yes, you need to take three then. And probably find another brand when that one runs out.

Wanted to report our progress and bump this up so others might also post updates. My neice has been on the Omega3Mood and Attentive Child for about 5 months now. Her bio mom now keeps the suppliments at her house as well so that when she goes for a visit there, I don;t have to send the pills with her. By the end of the school year she was doing so much better they wanted to take her out of her IEP program (our schools have what is called Individual Education Program for special needs kids). Her reading has improved dramatically but still not on Grade Level. Her self confidence is soaring. She actually asks for books and reads without being forced to. I have big hopes for the upcoming school year as this is going to be 5th grade and she will go to middle school the following year. Really hope she can catch up to grade levels this year.

She announced last week that if she got an A in the first quarter she was going to quit taking the vitamins. (this from someone who was sure at the start of 3rd Grade that she would fail without a doubt). I told her if she got A-B honor roll in the first quarter, we would consider cutting the dose in half. She still thinks if she can get an A, it will prove she is all better. :-)

Hope everyone is having a great summer and that those of you who use this time to give a break on the meds or seeing progress with alternatives.

Cindi

Hi,
Sometime ago i wrote how a multi-vitamin help my daughter with ADD'S
I found her trouble with focusing becoming less and less.
But unfortunately after months of use,she again slipped back into her old ways

She been on celexa since the age about 5 years, and i have slowly been weaning her off (lucky she has been on a liquid form) She was taking 2 and half tablespoons and is now down to one tablespoon. So i have been here reading,learning on the best alternvative medications to try. But its trial and error to find what works for her, may not for others. I have learned if i stop her multi-vitamin and repeat it again in a few weeks her focusing again becomes better. Also i had her on omega 3-6-9 and found in a about 2 weeks her acne cleared even better then all the trips, i made taking her to the dermatologist. But at the time i thought it was the new medication her dermatologist just put her on. So i just didnt get the omega again. So i again i started her on omega,but omega3
ordering it from vitacost.com from post i read here. Also she takes 50mg of vitamin b-6 daily again within 2 weeks her acne has cleared that her friends give her comments how clear her skin is now. Yet i still have her use the products from her dermatologist. Yet she has missed a few days (face wash,retin-a) last week when we were out of town (weekend) and her face contiues to improve. Also i have seen a slight improvement with focusing. Her attiude has been slowly improving she was so distructive before using cutting to hurt herself,never happy within herself. Lucky next year she enters 9th grade in a new school with alterantive program with smaller classes. I thank all for the postings you have posted here. "Focus" i have also tried with my daughter,but the results were only negative. I will contiue to try and maybe with god's blessings i will beable to find the right alternative medications for her. I wish you all the best. Thank you all again

I had been thinking about my dear sons moods lately and the omegas came back to mind! I decided to see what was hoppin with you all and I think iam going to give them a whrill again! I do recall his moods were definetlly more even when he was on it! We switched to a short acing med to help with eating and weight gain! He is small. I think we will pick some up this weekend. I think I am going to give them to hubby too! He has mood and choles. issues too! And he never eats fish! Well Ill let you guys know how things turn out!

[QUOTE=Mom2BAL]Acmes. Glad I could be of help! I was surprised to see it so cheap online. Someone edited my post and took out the prices. Not sure why![/QUOTE]

If your not sure why please make sure to read message board rules before posting. ADHD Message Boards: RULES: ATTENTION! PLEASE READ

Thanks.

Ms.Mom

Moderator

Ok. Thanks

[QUOTE=ms.mom]

[QUOTE=Mom2BAL]Acmes. Glad I could be of help! I was surprised to see it so cheap online. Someone edited my post and took out the prices. Not sure why![/QUOTE]

If your not sure why please make sure to read message board rules before posting. ADHD Message Boards: RULES: ATTENTION! PLEASE READ

Thanks.

Ms.Mom

Moderator

[/QUOTE] Acmes. Glad I could be of help! I was surprised to see it so cheap online. Someone edited my post and took out the prices. Not sure why!

Another day...another newbie: That's me. My 7 year old daughter was dx with adhd this summer. She's had trouble learning to read, concentrate and focus on multistep directions. No meds. She's pretty high functioning with some restlessness, but not too bad. Very bright but with poor recall and attention regulation. I started doing research on omegas and ran out and bought a bunch and have started (this week) adding them to her diet. Perhaps some of you could weigh in on whether I'm starting off on the right foot:

Daily she takes

3 "yummi-bears" omega 3.6.9 (40mg. omega3-45mg.omega6 & 30mg.omega9) and likes the taste

2 tsp. barleans Omega twin flax & borage oil (6415mg.Omega3 + 2700mg. Omega6 +1470mg. omega9)

I keep seeing references to EPA and ratios. How can I tell if the flax provides that. I've been adding it to pudding but some posts have mentioned avoiding protein. Does anyone have a sense whether this is substantial enough? I know that I need to wait several weeks to see a change but I'm keeping my fingers crossed TIA!

I know this is a very long thread and its a lot to read, but you might want to go back to the beginning because there is a tremendous amount of great information here. Just to try to summarize for you, I don't think your flax/borage is going to meet the suggested requirements. You mentioned ratios and yes those are critically important. The things to remember are 1. Omega3 (usually fish oil but there are other forms) and 2. EPA:DHA ratio of a minimum of 3:1 and some studies suggest as much as 7:1. Most "standard" fish oils suppliments I have seen have a 1:1 or close ratio of EPA to DHA components. The one I and several others here use is Omega3Mood by Country Life, which I has 5:1. But there are several others that meet the requirement as well. I also think you want at least 1000 mg of Omega 3.

Also, I started out mixing it in applesauce since no protein to bind with there. Hope this helps to get you started.

Cindi

cndij39352.4794097222Could someone explain the protein binding issue with Omega 3's? I thought I had carefully read through the pages of this topic but I must of missed this point. I am currently giving my 6 yr old son 1000 mg of Omega 3s with his dinner in the evening. He can swallow the capsules. Since his dinner would include protein foods, is this a problem? He initially complained that his stomach was rumbling after taking the Omega 3s so I thought it might be better to take them with food.
Thanks

Hi,

I've just started my son who is 11 on liquid Efalex which contains:

640 mg fish oil (DHA 140 MG and EPA 32 MG)

Evening Primrose oil 213 mg

Thyme oil 400 mg

The thread for this topic is so long and seems to mainly talk about capsules - can anyone help me regarding how much I should give to my ADHD ds. The dose on the bottle says 2 teaspoons a day but I know from the general ideas I get from this thread that it should be a lot more than that. I would really appreciate some help.

thanks

tabby.

I'm not an expert but if what you've written is correct, I think you might want to look for a different forumlation. It doesn't really matter whether you give it via spoon or capsule, but for an 11 year old, I think you really want to have the ratio reversed on the DHA vs. EPA. Here's what I know (at least I think I know)

For a theraputic effect the Omegas should come primarily from fish oils. Avoid cod-liver oil (which needs to be properly processed to avoid toxins) For a school age child a dosage between 500 and 1,000 mg is appropriate (so your total of 640 is within the range).

Children over age 4 should have a higher ratio of EPA to DHA (ideally 7:1 or above) FOr example my child's formula has 485 mg EPA to 58 DHA, which gives us the correct ratio. If a child is under 5, the DHA should be higher (as in your formula)--this is because the brain is building certain kinds of cells that DHA really benefits. After that age the brain needs more EPA.

That seems like a lot of primrose oil (my formulation only has 2mg), but I think the studies on it are fewer than fish oil so it might be fine. I know nothing about thyme oil

In general the omegas from plant source like Flax are not considered as essential for brain health (they are known as ALA's which the body can access from excess EPA/DHA)

I am not familiar with the brand you're using, but it's important that it gets its omegas mostly from fish oil. As far as I know, the plant based omegas cannot provide the epa or dha (and I have a fridge full of flax oil now which I bought in haste a few weeks ago

Anyone else who can put this better than I can should weigh in ASAP

While there is nothing here that can hurt, it is the reverse of the recommended ratio of EPA:DHA for kids over 5. The younger kids need the higher DHA for brain development. Older kids need a higher EPA for calming and attention issues. The recommended ratio is 7:1 of EPA:DHA, the one you are showing is more like 1:5. I think the recommendation for adults is 1000 mg a day, but some are giving kids half of that. I give my niece 1000mg a day in a 5:1 of EPA:DHA in the Country Life Omega3Mood.

Cindi

Hi acmes, I've found a website that will post MorEPA Smart fats super gels to Australia - they have the right EPA to DHA and it says it has 1000 mg pure fish oil, it contains 75% Omega-3 fat with a minimum of 580 mg EPA, 70 mg DHA and 4.5 mg Vitamin E per softgel.

Their website recommends 1 gel per day - does that sound right to you?

Cindi, I found eyeQ in Australia but it is incredibly expensive so I'm goint to try and get MorEPA from the States.

They have different formulations: one is morEPA-regular (which is what I think you are refering to) and I'm using morEPA--junior size which is 2 gel caps. I don't think my 7 year old could swallow the regular size. If I recall, they recommend the larger version for kids 12 and up. It all depends on whether you think your child can get a big pill down. You could always double up on the dosage without any negative effects. All in all the ratio is correct on both versions I pay about . for a shipment within the US. THat's about a month's worth. Another poster here found it at a website called Vitamin Shoppe for a lot less. Since your shipping may get pricey I would search for the best overall price. Are there any sources in England for it that might be cheaper? England seems to be far in advance of the US on the use of fish oils for this issue.

[QUOTE=acmes] Another poster here found it at a website called Vitamin Shoppe for a lot less. .[/QUOTE]

I have yet to purchase or use the MorEPA, but I think it's even cheaper on iherb.com.

My daughter is fairly young--7 and has more of an attentive issue than activity problem. At this point it could have been easily missed if she hadn't had a lot of trouble reading. Meds would be overkill at this point though I wouldn't rule them out down the road (especially when school gets more demanding). Luckily we're in a mainstream school that is comfortable dealing with different learning styles. Worse case scenerio, the omegas make no difference but she gets the other nutritional benefits anyway--kind of win-win. Glad to know it's working for youOh wellmomonamission39360.3373842593I would also be curious how people are doing a little further out. i recently put my 8 yo dd on omega brite. It seems to really to making a difference. She is very hyper and this seems to calm her some. My older son is has add and he is on concerta. I would love to take him off and put him on the omegas but he has shown a vast improvement on the meds. Mainly in school. Although it is not w/o its drawbacks. Any positive stories out there?Hi Cmelton! You can add the omegas with your son while he is still on his medication. It can take up to three months for the full effect. My son is unmedicated, and I swear by the stuff. He does so much better on the omegas! He's been on them now full strength for maybe 4-5 months. We have been without meds using Omegas (Nordic Natural Ultra Omega liquid) for about 2 years now. I have definitely seen a difference though it is not as dramatic as the med, it is still working for us. We also have been seeing a psch. for behavior therapy which has helped also. I am a big fan of the Omegas!What is the current thinking on the board about time of day for dosing the Omega-3? . I usually give her the dose in the afternoon, because I don't want to force the issue at breakfast when she might be cranky. She'll take her Child-brite vitamins at least in the morning. BTW, I've started using MorEpa-juniors with my daughter and love that the capsules are small enough for her to swallow. Plus a good ratio of 8:1 and evening primrose oil. Is there anyone on the board who's kept up the omega-3 without using meds for more than a year

I don't think it matters as long as they take the amount they're supposed to. I only do it once a day because more than that is too hard for me to remember. I give it at dinner because that's when everyone is finally sitting down in the same place at the same time.

I'm having trouble finding the right EPA/DHA ratio, I can't even get close to that 7:1. I live in Australia, is there anyone on the forum who would know where I could get in here? I've looked on the internet as well but with no luck. Thanks everyone.

I thought one of the current clinical trials going on was in Australia, there and Israel. I would have thought the product would be available there. I will see if I can find anything for you and in the meantime, just use what you have, one of the group was using a low EPA or 1:1 ratio for about a year until she got this information and when she switched her daughter to the high EPA, she saw results in a couple of weeks. So there may be some benefit by taking what you have for right now.

Cindi

thanks Cindy, any help is appreciated.

There was a study done at the University of South Australia here is the link to the info about it.

It looks like they were using eyeQ which is I think a British brand. I don't know what the ratio is, but if they used it in the study it must be pretty good.

ms.mom39387.7691550926

thanks for that, now I just need to track down where I can buy it. I'm in Australia so that's probably why you haven't heard of Efalex. It's really pushed hard in in terms of advertising.

do you dose once a day or twice a day? My ds is very good at taking medication so he's quite happy to take it twice a day if thats more effective. The kitchen bench looks like a hypochondriac lives here, every morning I have lined up for him to take: 1 Concerta, 2 multi-vitamins, fishoil, 1 probiotic and one hayfever tablet!

Thanks, I am giving my dd 7:1. Should I give my son( 5'10" 135lbs the same)?

Also, calicorose, is your sone add or adhd. How long til you saw results?

I don't know, Acmes, what a dose would be for your daugher, but I do know that you'd have to take a lot to have problems, over several grams. Be sure to check with your child's doctor for sure, as too much can thin the blood, but again that is a lot to do that, so don't let that concern you. If you need smaller dosages, EyeQ and VegEPA have smaller capsules, and are also the highest in EPA.

CMelton, my son is mostly inattentive. The omegas are not a cure all, they mostly even out the mood, which in turn makes for a better day, behaviourally and he's more compliant willing to do what needs to be done. It's no where near the effects of meds though, but does take some of the edge off. Most of the benefits, as I said, are in mood, which in turn helps everything else, he cares more, and such. He was about 6 weeks before I knew it kicked in.

[QUOTE=calicorose]

My son (he's 14) takes a full gram, or 1000 mg a day.

[/QUOTE]

So I would imagine he's a fairly sizable guy. My dd is less than 50lb and I'm giving her 627mg at a ratio of 8:1

[QUOTE=calicorose]Hi Cmelton! You can add the omegas with your son while he is still on his medication. It can take up to three months for the full effect. My son is unmedicated, and I swear by the stuff. He does so much better on the omegas! He's been on them now full strength for maybe 4-5 months. [/QUOTE]

When you say "full Strength" about how many mg. of epa/dha are you giving him per day?

My son (he's 14) takes a full gram, or 1000 mg a day.

So is there a big difference between plant-sourced and fished source Omega-3? As I was googling Omega, it seemed like they were at least interchangeble. SOme of the lables don't break down the differences in the EPA/DHA. DOes the time of day that you dose make a difference? I actually did scroll through the board but with 2 years of posts, the info is very scattered and it's easy to lose your place (or maybe its MY ADD kicking in...) Maybe this Board needs a FAQ.

Excellent suggestion on the FAQ. Maybe one of our Senior Members would be willing to take that on, and then we would tack it on to one of the earlier posts.

As far as plant vs fish based, I am not the expert for sure, but it seems to me that the source doesn't matter as much as the ratio. But it looks like from my quick research, the plant based ones aren't as open about their epa/dha components and the clinical trials/studies that have been done so far and are ongoing, seem to indicate that the ratio of epa:dha is extremely critical in this therapy being effective.

As far as the protein binding, all I can reference is someone said don't mix with peanut butter as it binds with the protein and is less absorbable. I don't know if they had a reference to back that up or not. But I was just careful to use applesauce when I was mixing it with something. Any here remember the reference on protein binding?

Cindi

Hi again, I need to know which formula/brand of fish oil actually has a theraputic dose of DHA/EPA for ADHD. I've been using Coromega and it seems from the posts here theDHA/EPA ratio isn't enough. My daughter will chew things and possibly take a liquid if it tastes good but we have to have one with no fake sugars it. Any ideas? Thanks!

Kathy

Okay, so I think I answered my own question about flax vs. fish oil and their use in improving brain function. I googled flax vs. fish and came up with a lot of sites that were sponsored by manufacturers of one or the other. The following link seems to spell it out pretty clearly however and the author doesn't seem to have a particular bone to pick

The long and the short of it is: it's just too much work for the body to manufacture the needed EPA/DHA from the ALA in flax. Gotta go fish! I'll keep my daughter on flax until the fish-oil arrives and hopefully it won't make her gag

ms.mom39353.3841319444i am looking for some advice on which omega brand to go with. after reading the durham-oxford study i thought that the eye q brand from the uk was a good choice but when i look at the ratios i am a bit confused. there also seems to be some talk on this thread re the pure epa(also from uk?), but it contains no dha. has anyone used either of these and what did you like or dislike about them. any suggestions as to any other product that might also be good. Kristen in AZ39377.4630787037

Kristen,

It depends on who you plan to use it for. If it's a child under age 5 (some say 4) you'll want a formula with a higher ratio of DHA to EPA. Over 5 and you'll want that reversed. I use "MorEPA" Junior for my 7 year old, which has a ratio of 7-1, which I believe is what the Oxford study recommended. THe capsules are small enough for my daughter to swallow.The same company (Minami) also offers a wide array of EPA and DHA formulas for children and adults. I think the product comes from Europe but I got it through a website called Fattyacidtrip.com--which despite the name was actually quite professional and shipped quickly.

If you plan to use it theraputically for yourself I think the formulations are different

good luck

thanks acmes. it is for my daughter who is 6. i will check out the web site. thanks again.

BTW, Vitamin shoppe carries the MorEPA junior now - ours had it in stock. Price is 16.99 online. Anyone know why my post was edited?

Mom2BAL39379.1603240741

Yikes! Fattyacidtrip is even more.... One note: the vitaminshoppe says the formulation is for 10 and up, but actually it's for up to age 10. The regular MorEPA is for older kids. BTW the MorEPA (both versions) has evening primrose oil which has also been cited in studies.

Nice comparison shopping Mom2BAL! VS here I come

Hello!
Wow! It sure has been awhile since I have posted on the board. Life has been keeping me pretty busy.
The last time I posted, I was giving my son Omega 3's & Magnesium supplements.
Although I didn't see a dramatic change, there has been some change. The irritability my DS had been experiencing prior have really decreased. This took quite some time to see, however. He is definitely in a much better mood and attitude.
His ADHD symptoms however, have remained the pretty much the same. I would love to see some improvement in that area.
But the real reason that I am posting this for those of you who are looking for a good 7:1 ratio of Omega 3. I didn't see any real change in my DS until I switched to a better ratio, so I thought I would pass along information on what I use and where to get it.
I buy Barlean's Organic Oils EPA Super High Potency
It contains 1075 Mg of EPA and 100 Mg of DHA. This is more than the 7:1 ratio that is recommended for children 5 and older. (Actually it is a little more than a 10:1 ratio!) It also contains a little Vitamin E (2Mg.-20%)which is also recommended. It is a safe Pharmaceutical grade, molecularly distilled fish oil concentrate. This is is a very important process to ensure a safe and mercury free fish oil supplement.

Hope this helps!
Tracy

Luvmykids0239456.3311921296

After reading the success of the Oxford-Durham Trials in the UK I decided to put both my kids on Omega 3, 6 and 9 supplements. My 5 year old had been having problems with concentration, remembering, focas, mood swings, making eye contact etc. He has not been diagnosed with ADHD. The results are amazing, he now gets A's and A- at school, he can sit on his own and do his work at school and finish it! Has constant good behaviour at home and school, no meltdowns and he is reading. We recently moved house and in the caos that goes with that I did not re stock on his supplements and he went 2 weeks without them. Almost overnight after a week and a few days of not getting the supplemnts his behaviour at school and home change. His Teacher was at a loss as to why after scoring 10/10 or 9/10 in tests he dropped to 4 and 5 out of 10, could not sit still, could not remember things he had been taught. He started to be a disruption in class. I quickly put 2 and 2 together and realised that it was the lack of Omega 3 (EPA) that was the cause of this change so I ran out and bought Mega Smarts from our local drug store, and yummi Bears vegetarian 3-6-9 and within 2 weeks his behaviour was back on track and his scroes at school back up.

Two of the Teachers at my son's school now give their children Omega 3's, both of whom had been diagnosed with ADHD and they have seen a massive improvement and do not give their children any othe meds.

I can't recommend Omega 3's highly enough. We hear so little about them in the media here in the U.S. I wonder if our dialy diet which lacks these very vital oils is the cause of the rise in ADHD and Bipolar in children, I wish more studdies would be done here in the U.S. as they were in the U.k. How many kids could come off medication if they were aware of the benifits of these essential oils.

Google Oxford-Durham Trials to read about the findings, they are startling and would give hope to many parents.

Hi Starfia,

that's so great to read the results you're getting with your son. Can you tell me what the ingredients are in Mega Smarts and Yummi Bears? I looked at Yummi Bears website but coulnd't find the product you mentioned.

When you started your son on these supplements, how long was it before you noticed this change?

Hi tabby

Hmm I did post a reply to this last night but it doesnt appear to be here? I too could not find the Yummi Bears (Hero Nutritional) on their website but if you google it they can be found online. These are vegetarian supplements and dont contain any EPA.

The Megasmarts info can be found at a great website as it also has links to studys conducting including the Oxford Durham Trial and another study done on DHA during pregnancy and IQ test done on the children when they were 4 years old. Good Reading.

We noticed a definate improvement after about a month of taking these supplements, but now after 4 months we are seeing a huge improvement. My son can now sit independently and complete his seat work at school, he hasn't brought home unfinished work from school for about 4 weeks now. Although he is the youngest in his class, some kids are turining six already and he won't turn six until the end of September, he is ahead of most of the class on reading.

DO NOT POST LINKS. REFER TO RULES.

ms.mom39457.4302083333 [QUOTE=cndij]Yes, I think Acmes was mis-reading the ratios on the post above. There is 2000 total mg of fish oil, out of that there 1000 mg of EPA and 150 or 200 mg of DHA (I have seen both) in the Omega3Mood. So it is at least 5:1 ratio.
Cindi
[/QUOTE] You're right. I just got my new order of Omega 3 Mood and they have 1000 mg of EPA and 150 mg DHA, which is nearly 7:1.

Starfia, it's great that you've seen such wonderful results. I really believe in the benefits of Omega 3s too. Thanks for the info.

Hi Cynthia,

So how would one just get a supplement that is just EPA alone? Can you recommend a brand?

Thank you,

Louis

bumpHey, it sounds good to me...Where had you found this? On-line? How much are you paying for and the amount that you are getting?I haven't actually tried it yet. I did find it on-line, but our local Fred Meyer carries this brand. On-line it's about dollars for 60 capsules. I figure at that dosage my 8 year old should only need one a day. I think I will try it and see. Luvmykids0239622.5540046296I don't know if any one has asked this, so I'm sorry if I'm repeating. I found an EPA fish oil made by Barlean and the EPA is 1075mg and the DHA is 100mg. Is this a good option? I'm just know looking into alternatives to medication. So I haven't had a chance to try any thing yet. Any suggestions would be great thanks.

Hey Bubby,

Thanks for that, I appreciate the info. Now I believe the ratio is 7:1 (correct me if I'm wrong, someone) and the price seems to be good if an adult (such as myself) takes one a day. Does anyone out there know if one a day suffices?

Thank you all!

[QUOTE=Greyhoundmom03]

I bought MorEPA mini juniors. One serving (which is 2 pills) has 485mg EPA. To get 1000mg EPA I would have to give my DS 2 servings (4 pills). Is this correct? Also, if that is the case, I'm concerned about the Vit. E - one serving has 47% of the daily value so 2 servings would be almost 100% of what is recommended for the day.

Thanks!

[/QUOTE]

I think I should try to find these for my son, he currently takes the Coromega squeeze packets. Me and my husband take Puritan's Pride Omega-3 Supreme Highly Concentrated fish oil. Anyone else try this one? It seems to have a high EPA.

Actually the minis wouldn't be good, my son needs something he can either chew or like the coromega or a liquid. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

It sounds perfect. Supposedly a little extra Vit E is good if you are using Omega 3's. There are people who become Vit E deficient after using Omega 3's for a prolonged period of time. The Vit E also preserves freshness. I personally, wouldn't worry about the Vit E unless you are going over 100 total. Even up to 200 might be OK, we just don't know. There just isn't enough research to pinpoint the safe level so I lean toward the conservative side. mamark39614.5077199074

That's a great idea. Where do you get the tokens? Does she keep up with the tokens herself? My niece was doing great, and had asked to be able to manage her own "pill box" but when I let her do that, and take them up to her room, she was forgetting to take them a lot. Now I make her come downstairs and get them from me every night. They live upstairs with my inlaws. She goes to her biological parents house every other weekend and her mom had gotten a supply of the suppliments to keep over there, so I had stopped sending them on those weekends and I found out the mom had let her run out over there. I sent them with her last weekend. I am finding consistency is critical just as if they were taking a prescription med. Got to keep those blood levels consistent.

Cindi

Yes it works really well for us. We use plastic poker chips - the whites are one point, the red are 5 points and the blue are ten points. I made up a chart where she saves up for things she wants (e.g. lunch at McDonalds is 75 points, a trip to the craft store for one item is 50 points, etc.) She gets points when she does things properly - like get ready quickly before school, cleaning up breakfast dishes, doing all homework, etc. is each worth a set amount of points - the ones that are hardest for her are worth the most points. It works great for us - the only hard part is taking the time out every day to give the points!

I leave her omegas on the kitchen counter every morning and she takes them right after breakfast. You are right - the consistency is critical with the omega's - they just don't work right without it.

I started off that way too for the first month...but since she really doesn't mind the MorEpa (it has no taste) she hasn't brought it up in the intervening months. It's funny with the Omegas--you don't see big spikes in improvement but rather a slow steady growth (and one that may just be developmental). But the research is so strong on brain development and EFA's that I think it's a real easy course to try (especially if you aren't going to go with pharmacueticals)

Wanted to update and bump this back up. My niece had slipped a little in consistently taking the Omega's every day, and her school work was slipping as well. I made a deal with her, if we could document that she took them every day for 30 days, she would get a new baby doll. Now she hadn't stopped taking them, but just not being consistent. After just 10 days, I was seeing a difference in her willingness to pick up a book and read without nagging her. I guess I am going to have to keep coming up with a reward system to keep her on track.

Cindi

We do a 'reward system' with tokens (similar to the marble system) and taking the omegas each day is worth 5 points - my daughter says its an 'easy 5' and has been taking them consistantly since we started giving the points for it - she will even remind Me! I have to say I have some respect for the psychiatrist who prescribes the meds for my sons. I showed him amino results (we went with plasma) and he was very interested. Every time we go in he asks how it is going and wrote down the name the nutrition Dr. He says he wishes he had something else in his arsenal for those parents who just don't want to medicate.
My latest update is this. I retested my 10 year old over Christmas and the nutrition Dr said he could stop the amino powder (like a multiple amino mix) and some other things... she upped magnesium and zinc and added PS, N-Acetyl-Cysteine and 6-6 sublingual. And fish oil of course... After a couple of days he was ugly!!! Mouthy and belligerent. On my own I added back the amino powder. Much better!!!! It was amazing... another interesting note. In his first test he was not low in PS. But once everything was more balanced there was a PS deficiency..

Bubby, Thanks for sharing the info on Barlean's. I'm currently using OmegaBrite but the Barlean's seem like it's about 1/2 the price for a high ratio EPA/DHA that is pharmaceutical grade.

Unfortunately I was not able to find the one with 1075/100 of EPA/DHA ratio. What is the specific product under the Barlean's brand that has this ratio?

thanks,
Tjake
i thought the min recommended dose was 1000 mg, so with this beeing a high enough ratio, sounds like one capsule would be enough. Or maybe I am misremembering the dose.
Cindi

That's correct. There should be a little DHA also making a 7:1 ratio approximately. Many parents go for the 5:1. We use Arctic Pure EPA. It's a little bigger than an adult vitamin. My 12 yr old swallows them with no problem. They are slick, slide down easily. Some parents use Nordic Naturals or Omegabrites. I'm sure there are others. You have to think about purity also.

Is the objective to get 1000mg of EPA total for the day? That is what I think I was getting when I read the posts but am not totally sure. My DS is 12 1/2 years old.

Thanks!

Has anyone run across a chewable /gummy or otherwise with the correct EPA/DHA ratio? Friend with a small child having problems with the capsules, would like some that can be chewed up. Everything I have found either doesn't show the amounts of EPA:DHA or has way to low of EPA in the chewable version.

Tabby15

I'm not an expert, but I have questions about that ratio on the Omega3-mood. It depends on what you're trying to "treat" with the fish oil. Usually for treating AdHd in children older than 5, the ratio should be at least 7:1 (EPA:DHA). If I read that ratio correctly is sounds like 2:1--though it's unclear. THe Country Life product are pretty popular on this site so it may be that the ratios are different than you've reported.

SOme people end up emptying out the capsules and mixing it with juice etc. Even though my kids are good at swallowing pills, some of these fish-oil ones are too big even for me. We do have to be careful about giving "big" supplements to young children. A child in my neighborhood died last year after choking on a large herbal supplement.

Has anyone tried Country Life Omega 3 Mood softgels? It has Fish Oil Concentrate 2000Mg/EPA from fish oil concentrate 1000 Mg/DHA from fish oil concentrate 200 Mg? Does this one sound like a good option before I start buying it? Tabby, yes my family takes the Omega 3 Mood softgels by Country Life and we are happy with it. The softgels are pretty large, but if your child is old enough, and able to swallow pills OK, I would recommend it.

Luvmykids0239453.3770949074

Your right acmes, the ratio should be higher than that. I'll keep looking.

My son has no problem taking big fish oil tablets as he just pierces it with his tooth whilst it's inside his mouth and sucks the oil out and throws away the skin!

The information on the bottle of Omega 3 Mood I have says 1000 mg EPA and 200 mg DHA, which would be a 5:1 ratio. Not quite the 7:1 ratio, but fairly close.

[QUOTE=Tabby15]

My son has no problem taking big fish oil tablets as he just pierces it with his tooth whilst it's inside his mouth and sucks the oil out and throws away the skin!

[/QUOTE]

Yes, I think Acmes was mis-reading the ratios on the post above. There is 2000 total mg of fish oil, out of that there 1000 mg of EPA and 150 or 200 mg of DHA (I have seen both) in the Omega3Mood. So it is at least 5:1 ratio.
Cindi
[QUOTE=Tabby15]

Your right acmes, the ratio should be higher than that. I'll keep looking.

My son has no problem taking big fish oil tablets as he just pierces it with his tooth whilst it's inside his mouth and sucks the oil out and throws away the skin!

[/QUOTE]

blech.... my kids do that too, and I don't know how they do it without barfing! LOL....

Audrey

Louis

Don't know if Cynthia is still monitoring this board or not. I haven't seen any discussion on EPA only suppliments. It was my understanding that you needed "some" DHA with the EPA, but in a lesser amount. The Oxford-Durham trials all used a combo with a high ratio of EPA to DHA.

Cindi

[QUOTE=myjeffrey]I used the o3mega joy in liquid form. Its an orange flavor and my son likes it. He too can't swallow a capsule.[/QUOTE]

I know this was from a long time ago, but is o3mega joy still available somewhere in liquid form? I just got the capsules, which I cut and squeeze out into applesauce or whatever, but maybe the liquid form would be a little more convenient and less messy. Then I could just take the capsules myself--didn't realize all the benefits of omega-3s! But I didn't see the liquid form at genuine health's website. Who else carries this? Thanks!

I haven't gone back and read all the older postings, so I hope I'm not asking
the "same ol' questions". But, I'm wondering is it safe to give the Omega 3-
6-9's along with prescription medications...like Concerta? We did. I am now using them with Strattera, but have used them with stimulants also, no problems.Check out VegEPA... if you google I think it will come up. Howdy everyone! Long time.

Just had to pop in here and mention another option for the omegas, and that is omegas in the form of krill oil. The chemical makeup of krill oil is better utilized by the body than the regular fish oils; it is much more efficient. I have switched from the 03mega+joy to krill oil, and gram for gram, even after a couple of weeks, is a difference worth passing along.

On concentration, it's almost like what a 1/2 cup (I'm a lightweight) does for me in the morning, only it lasts 24/7, I can keep on track and pay attention to the details, make fewer mistakes, and work more efficiently. (Like a stimulant effect)

Mood, my fuse is waaaaaaay longer, and I am able to diffuse it much easier, rather than spouting off inappropriately. Still get angry hear me, but just can keep it to myself, make sense? It doesn't spill out, easier to control and be NICE though I don't feel like it.

Hope you find this helpful, and thank goodness someone shared this info with me!

Hi Cali!

So tell us all about it...where do you get this KRILL? Do I walk into a pharmacy and ask? Do I walk into a grocery store? Very interested to try!

Thanks in advance!

Interesting about the krill. I was looking at the omegas at Costco a few days ago and they had krill supplements. I looked at them, but now don't remember much of what I read. How does krill compare in terms of the amount of EPA and the EPA:DHA ratio? I'm interested too! If the EPA/DHA ratios are so crucial, the Krill products I've seen dont compare? Please share the details.You are right that the krill does not have the 7 to one ratio of Epa to Dha. My nutritionist said that the krill does not have the mercury problem of Fish oil. And her other thinking was that my two have been on fish oil supplements since forever and the change would maintain what we were trying to do and not exacerbate the detoxing we are trying to accomplish. That and it being more absorbable and more readily available to the cells.
This all started with the Durham testing, if I am remembering correctly. They had some success with high EPA fish oil and we all tried to duplicate that. Has anyone followed up on those trials? It would be interesting to look in on all that again.
I just googled "durham study omega 3" and easily found a summary of the results of the Oxford-Durham Study, which showed VERY positive results with children given an omega 3 supplement with 558 mg EPA and 174 mg DHA. This is high-EPA, but nowhere near the 7:1 ratio. Now I can't remember where the 7:1 ratio information came from. I think the same results are also summarized on the first page of this thread.
As far as mercury contamination of fish oil, I thought it was completely safe as long as it has been "molecularly distilled."
Life would be SO much easier (and cheaper) if we didnt have to be on a mission to search for the HUGE EPA/DHA ratios.....................

We have just switched brands to MorEPA, I found it on Amazon. It has 485mg of EPA and 58mg DHA. We bought the junior pack which is strawberry flavoured and my son had them last night for the first time and said they tasted ok. I think they said (I obviously need to take these as my memory is shot :-) and I didn't keep the paper) that they use Mackeral and herring, anyway its small deepwater fish that don't have the toxins of larger fish and they only fish form unspoiled waters. They say their brand is the purest form of fish oil.

I'll post on here in a couple of weeks with our results. My son has been taking omega 3's supplements for about 5 months now and his improvement is dramatic, however it was a low ratio on EPA to DHA. Lets see what happens now we have the 7-1 ratio that I have read is needed. He hasn't been diagnosed with ADHD but was showing all the simptoms before we started supplementing.

For some reason my post from yesterday was deleted. I was responding to inspiredbythemusic, and I will now duplicate my response.

User melgrey first introduced the 7:1 EPA/DHA ratio topic here. You may want to search on that username. It was actually introduced in this thread. I believe the source of this information was based on the book "Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Natural Way to Treat ADHD" by Basant Puri. The book presents a zero DHA theory backed by serveral UK doctors, and at the time, the lowest ratio omega-3 supplement was VegEPA, which is touted in the book. The book cites several studies to back the theory, and specifically names the Durham-Oxford study.

Thanks, NoTellin. I need to keep rereading this thread.

I also tried googling "7:1 ratio EPA:DHA" and came up with a chart summarizing, very briefly, a number of studies testing various ratios of EPA:DHA on a variety of childhood conditions. It's titled, "EPA vs DHA Omega 3 in Childhood Disorders of Mood and Behavior."
The first study listed was done using the 7:1 ratio and saw beneficial results for kids with bi-polar. There are several studies listed that show good results for a 3:1 ratio (EPA:DHA) or 2:1 ratio for kids with ADHD, if I'm reading this right. So I'm wondering if the 7:1 ratio is not as important for ADHD, as long as EPA is higher than DHA (??)

I wish there were a book called "ADHD Supplements for Dummies" that had all the most up-to-date research information presented in an easy-to-understand format!! I guess a website would be better because it could be continually updated.
Wouldn't that be something. Then can we keep the money grubbers out! There are so many so called cures out there from people who seem so sincere...Problem is that it keeps changing.... I for one will just keep looking and trying things that make sense. Bumping.
Lots of good info on the first few pages of this thread.
Lioux, the supplement you are taking has a 2:1 ratio of EPA to DHA, which is short of the 7:1 ratio that is supposed to work best. Still the 2:1 ratio is better then most. I might be wrong--because my math skills are so bad--but I think the ratio on that is 2:1. For some reason the studies show that a more lopsided ratio works better for adhd in children (over 5) and adults. I think you want something like 7:1 or better. I don't know why it works that way. Maybe someone out there knows more than I do (not unlikely)

Hey everyone!

Thanks to you guys I've improved the quality of the o-3's that I've been taking. I now laugh at what they sell at grocery stores. I've opted for online stores instead. Just wanted to run it by you all, though. I take 'MEGA EFA Omega-3 EPA & DHA by Nutraceutical. The EPA: 800 and the DHA: 400. How did I do?

Thank you!

Thanks a bunch to everyone on this site for the alternatives to meds. I really hated having my daughter on the meds plus she was not really improving on them. I just found Megasmarts at my local Rite-Aid and will report on her progress in the next 4-6 weeks. This site is truly a Godsend for a frustrated parent of children with ADHD.

Ktate,

My Son was taking Megasmarts for about 3 months and did great, I have since put him on MorEPA which is a higher ratio of EPA and DHA, its the 7:1 which is recommened. I found them on AMazon. After a month of taking the new ones we saw great improvment again , in reading and writing. They do taste fishy though, he now swallows them instead of chewing. My son is 5 and in KG, he is very happy and settled, Omega 3's are the way to go for us.

Good Luck

Hello Everybody!

So the fish oil that I had bought from Target says EPA 216, DHA 144. Now can anyone help me to do the math and figure out the ratio? Thank you!

That looks like less than 2:1 (really about 1.5:1) Unfortunately I did not take fish oil as a child and am really bad at math but I think the best way to do it is to divide the larger number by the smaller. (Smart people out there can feel free to correct me) At a glance though, the differential between the two numbers should be greater to get close to a 7:1 ratio. The MorEpa-junior that we use is the closest thing that I've found that my kids can still swallowJust an FYI, NSI makes their own Omega-3 Mood Formula, the ratio is 5:1
DHA is 200mg EPA is 1000mg

Haven't found a 7:1 ratio yet.

I think the Omega3Mood recently changed their formula, most current one I bought was dha 150 and epa 1000, which is almost 7:1

Cindi

I just ordered Source Naturals ArcticPure EPA for my son. It has 500mg EPA and 90mg DHA in each softgel. Directions say to take one twice a day. So he'll be getting 1,000 EPA and 180 DHA daily.

ms.mom39476.5673032407We used to buy the Costco Kirkland too. We now order Omega 3 Mood by Country Life, which has the 7:1 ratio or close to it. I'm not sure if it's the most economical, but it's not too bad when ordered online. I don't know what price you're paying but, we buy MorEpa online at places like iherb and vitaminshoppe. We like the product (7:1 ratio) and at their prices, it works out to be about 60 cents a day.Omega Joy also by Genuine Health,I think, has the right ratio. It comes in a liquid too. There is one called Vegepa that has no DHA. I can't say I saw a difference. There are studies that say more DHA is better and then some say more EPA. I am wondering if one at night and the other in the morning might now be the way to go. I read the book by Basant Puri and that one was all about the EPA. I apologize if this has already been covered. What is currently the most economical 7:1 ratio (EPA to DHA) fish oil supplement available? Currently I am using Costco Kirkland fish oil which is one of the least expensive brands of fish oil available but only has a 3:2 ratio. I want to try the 7:1 ratio fish oil and see if I get better results.

I just figured out how much Vit E to add to the omega-3 capsules and then today I came across this information about Vit E that could be important. Basically, the data from several studies was analysed for mortality and it was found that Vit E increased the rate of mortality at any dose. This information might not apply well to persons taking omega-3's since the omegas deplete Vit E. The data doesn't show the lowest dose of Vit E studied (and still found to be harmful.)

If anyone has formed an opinion about this, please let me know.

Here's the information from medscape:

March 1, 2007 — The largest analysis of data on antioxidant vitamins ever conducted has shown that beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E probably increase mortality. Two other antioxidant substances — vitamin C and selenium — had no effect on mortality.

The meta-analysis of 68 randomized trials with a total of 232,606 participants, published in the February 28 issue of JAMA, was conducted by a group led by Goran Bjelakovic, MD, of the Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.

Coauthor, Christian Gluud, MD, of the Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, commented to heartwire: "This is the most comprehensive collection of data on anti-oxidant vitamins ever conducted, and we have shown that on the whole that these agents have no benefit. Indeed, vitamin A, vitamin E and beta-carotene are associated with an increase in mortality at the doses studied. Vitamin A and beta-carotene seem to have a dose-related effect, with mortality increasing as doses increase, whereas vitamin E does not appear to have a dose-related effect, with all doses associated with increased mortality."

Jury Still Out on Vitamin C and Selenium
Dr. Gluud added that the jury is still out on vitamin C and selenium. "Vitamin C does not appear to be detrimental but it is not beneficial either, and all the trials of selenium together suggest a small benefit, but when only the well conducted trials are included, there appears to be neither benefit nor harm." "Our data show that anti-oxidant vitamins should not be taken in an effort to prevent illness. People should instead eat a balanced diet and take regular exercise," he said.

In the JAMA article, the authors note that many people are taking antioxidant supplements in the belief that they improve health and prevent diseases. Many primary or secondary prevention trials of antioxidant supplements have been conducted to prevent several diseases — mainly cardiovascular disease and cancer — but results have generally not been positive, with some trials showing increases in mortality.

To find out more, they conducted the current systematic review to analyze the effects of antioxidant supplements on all-cause mortality of adults included in primary and secondary prevention trials. They included all primary and secondary prevention published trials in adults randomized to receive beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, or selenium vs placebo or no intervention.

Results showed that when all trials of antioxidant supplements were pooled together, there was no significant effect on mortality, but when the 47 trials said to have a low risk of bias (in a total of 180,938 participants) were analyzed alone, the antioxidant supplements as a whole significantly increased mortality, and beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E were all associated with increased mortality when given alone or in combination. Vitamin C and selenium had no significant effect on mortality.

Table. Relative Risk for All-Cause Mortality With Antioxidant Vitamins
Trials/Agent Relative Risk of Mortality
With Antioxidant Vitamins 95% Confidence Interval
All trials — all agents 1.02 0.98 - 1.06
Low bias trials — all agents 1.05 1.02 - 1.08
Beta-carotene 1.07 1.02 - 1.11
Vitamin A 1.16 1.10 - 1.24
Vitamin E 1.04 1.01 - 1.07

Source: JAMA. 2007; 297:842-857.

The researchers note that more than two thirds of the included trials fell into the category of low-bias risk trials, which they say highlights the validity of their results. "Antioxidant supplements not only seem to be one of the most researched topics in the world, they also seem to be one of the most adequately researched clinical questions," they say.

They point out that a large number of unpublished trials on supplements may exist, but as unpublished trials are more likely to have been either neutral or negative than to have shown beneficial effects, this suggests their estimate of a 5% increase in mortality is likely to be conservative.

Substantial Public Health Consequences
Noting that 10% to 20% of the adult population (80 - 160 million people) in North America and Europe may consume these supplements, Bjelakovic and colleagues say the public health consequences may be substantial.

Speculating on possible mechanisms, they point out that although oxidative stress has a hypothesized role in the pathogenesis of many chronic diseases, it may be the consequence of pathologic conditions, and that by eliminating free radicals, some essential defensive mechanisms may be affected.

In an interview with heartwire, Dr. Gluud also suggested that the antioxidant vitamins could actually also have prooxidant effects. "We don't know exactly how they are doing harm but rather than preventing cardiovascular disease and cancer, they actually seem to be accelerating these conditions."

Lessons Learned
Dr. Gluud said these observations were "a huge disappointment," but added that at least it has been discovered. "We must see the positives in this. The question has been thoroughly addressed and we now know the answer — these agents are harmful. The companies selling these anti-oxidant vitamins have been able to dodge the issue for a long time, saying that any negative data has not been comprehensive. They cannot do this any longer. There are lessons to be learnt here. For example, the importance of conducting trials with these agents and publishing the results."

Dr. Gluud added that food supplements should be regulated in the same way as medical products. "The governments of the world now have the responsibility to inform people of these results. They have been too slow in the past in requesting that health supplements are properly evaluated, and allowing these products to be added to foods. People have been buying these supplements and foods advertised as having these supplements added under the impression that they are good for them, when in actual fact they are harmful. Any potential health supplements should not be allowed to be added to foods unless they have been shown to be beneficial, or at least proven not to be harmful."

JAMA. 2007;297:842-857.

The complete contents of Heartwire, a professional news service of WebMD, can be found at www.theheart.org, a Web site for cardiovascular healthcare professionals.

Clinical Context
Antioxidant supplements are widely used by the general population despite limited evidence of any significant health benefit. A previous review by the authors of the current study examined 14 randomized trials with a total of 170,525 participants for the effects of antioxidant supplements vs placebo on the incidence of gastrointestinal cancer. The study results, which were published in the October 2-8, 2004, issue of The Lancet, found no overall difference in the rates of gastrointestinal cancer among subjects receiving antioxidants or placebo. This main study finding was unchanged when examining the use of individual or combination supplements or when focusing on specific gastrointestinal cancers.

In this previous review, 7 high-quality trials suggested that antioxidants increased the risk for mortality. The current systematic review and meta-analysis addresses this issue.

Study Highlights
Trials included in the review were randomized studies involving beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin E, selenium, or vitamin C vs placebo. Studies examining healthy adults (primary prevention) and adults with specific diseases (secondary prevention) were included. However, trials examining the acute use of antioxidants for illness were excluded, as were those with no recorded deaths.
The authors reviewed studies of antioxidants used singly or in combination. Analysis for the review was by intent-to-treat.
The initial search yielded 16,111 references. 68 trials involving a total of 232,606 patients were included in the final data analysis. The mean age of subjects was 62 years, and 44.5% of participants were women. 21 primary prevention trials were examined along with 47 secondary trials.
Vitamins E and C were the most commonly studied antioxidants. Nearly half of the trials examined combination therapy with different antioxidants. The mean daily doses of beta-carotene and vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium were 17.8 mg, 20,219 IU, 488 mg, 569 IU, and 99 µg, respectively.
The mean duration of follow-up was 3.3 years. 62 trials were conducted in countries with a high mean income.
69.1% of the research reviewed was of sound methodologic quality, and there was little heterogeneity between trials.
Overall, the relative risk for mortality associated with antioxidants compared with placebo was 1.02, a nonsignificant difference. Examining only research of high methodologic quality, antioxidants significantly increased the risk for mortality, whereas the opposite effect was found among poor-quality trials.
Overall, beta-carotene used singly increased the risk for mortality. Only high-quality trials demonstrated a mortality risk for beta-carotene in combination therapy.
Examining only high-quality research, vitamins A and E increased the risk for mortality when used alone or in combination therapy.
Vitamin C had no significant effect on mortality in any statistical analysis.
Selenium was associated with a slight reduction in mortality overall, but this effect was obviated when examining high-quality trials alone.
Pearls for Practice
A previous review found that antioxidant supplements, using either singular agents or multiple antioxidants, failed to reduce the risk for gastrointestinal cancers.
The current review demonstrates that the use of antioxidants has no significant effect on mortality. Beta-carotene and vitamin A and vitamin E could increase mortality.

mamark39554.5712384259Thank you SO much for bumping these for me-you are so kind!!

I am so overwhelmed by all the info here!

My son is 5 yrs old (6 in 2 months) and weighs 45lbs. I had decided on getting the MorEPA Juniors but have since decided to look at some other brands and now I'm all confused!

I did order PS for him and got them yesterday. He tried to swallow the small softgels but couldn't. I tried to squeeze it into juice and it was nasty for him. I finally mixed with some nutella on toast and he got it in him that way! So I need something that I can squeeze out.

I've read a lot of people use the Omega3Mood by country life. I like the price but I'm confused about the dosage. If I get this, I should give my son one a day and not the adult dosage, correct?

Does anyone have any other suggestions?? This board is great and there is so much info!
I would give him 2 capsules a day of the Omega3Mood. I think that gives you the proper dose. When my niece got started on the Omegas, she couldn't swallow large pills (now she can swallow anything) and would cut them open and squeeze them into applesauce. Somewhere in this thread I had read not to mix it into peanut butter, something about binding with the protein. (I'm not try to discourage you from doing the nutella with the PS, I never saw anything about that issue with the PS) Bumping

Bumping and wondering if anyone has any new experiences to add?

We've been using it (4:1)for 4 years now at the theraputic dosage. I think it helps with mood and stress management only, esp with the ADHDer in the house prone to stress.I'm reading all these about the omega. What i would like to know will it work for impulsive. My son four going on five next month he has adhd and mild autism; i want him to be ready for school. I had to withdraw him from Pre-k cause all of the impulsiveness. will the omega help with this.it took a while (couple of months) but i definitly noticed a decrease in the impulsiveness as well as the hyperactivity. Don't expect an extreme change tho - it is much more gradual than with the meds but i think it has definintely made a difference for both my children (ages 7 and 11). I finally found the best omegas for my son and thought I would share. I tried many different brands and then a friend was selling this one online and gave me a sample and it worked the best but it is expensive. It is win omeg3 complex epa 1080 dha 320 per 2 caplsules (they are big) not sure if I am allowed to post the link to the website but here goes winltd.com they are under the mental performance tab on the left.

Bumping

My son has ADHD and one of the psychologists we saw for this recommended EPA and DHA at a 2:1 ratio. She did not know the dose that he would take and asked me to call my pediatrician. Well, the pediatrician did not know either. I was just wondering, is there a specific dose that he needs to take of the EPA and DHA for it to be effective? He is 7-years-old and weighs about 52 pounds. I am not sure if we need to follow the directions on the bottle or if there is a higher amount that he may need in order for this to work. We tried medication and it is not for him. I would like to try something like this to see if it works.

My understanding is 1000mg Omega3 with a 7:1 EPA/DHA ratio. I also understand that it takes about 3 months to start seeing results. My DS was on them for over 3 months and to be honest I didn't think they helped much with his focus but I ran out in February and he hasn't taken them in awhile - I have recently noticed that he seems even less focused than normal so now I am thinking they do help (just not as much as I had hoped). So, I have ordered them again. My DS takes OmegaBrites. I know there are some other brands that also have the correct ratio. Search this thread and you will find them. I have found that removing dyes. artificials, preservatives and salicylates have helped a lot with his hyperness (if that is an issue for your DS).

Good Luck!

Hi! I am new here and am trying to take in all the info. I have to say that I am having trouble finding the list of the brands that have the 7:1 ratio that keeps getting mentioned. Can anyone repost it?

Also, about the 7:1 ratio... the only place I have EVER seen that is on this forum mentioned again and again. Can someone point me to a study or an article or SOMETHING where this came from? We aren't just repeating something over and over incorrectly by any chance?

Thanks for all the great info!

Bubby, I saw your reply with the Berleans web site. You mentioned that it was the "High EPA" product under the Berelean's name. I can only guess that it was take off by the moderator because there was a web link attached in the message.

Unfortunately the serving size on the 1075/100 of EPA/DHA for this product is 2 capsules. But it's still a better value that most other brands.

The best deal I've seen on Omega 3's is Super EPA from Swanson Vitamins online. Each capsule has 300/200 EPA/DHA and it sell at under for 100 capsules. It's not pharmaceutical grade but I'm not sure it should be a big issue. It would be no worse than eating fish every day. I usually combine 2 Omega Brite and 2 Swanson capsules daily to get about 2000 mg of Omega 3's per day

Also, on the Barean's web site they have an Omega Swirl product that "looks and tastes like a fruit smoothie" and has a decent amount of Omega 3. It might be worth looking into for kids that have difficult with capsules.
Nature's Way Efa Gold Mood Aid was posted on another thread. It looks like the ratio is 20:1. Am I reading that right? If so, is that good? After reading through the Omega 3 thread, it looks like it is good to have a higher EPA. Can someone please help me with this? I had my ADHD son try the Omega3Joy for months which is a 7:1 ratio and I didn't see a whole lot of improvement. I have him on Omega 3 from Walmart right now while I try to find something different. BTW, he is also on Concerta. The price of the Nature's Way Efa Gold Mood Aid is really good compared to the pricey Omega3Joy. Help I can't help with you with the "more is even better" theory, I believe the study used 5:1 (EyeQ) and for some reason many of us here have been drawn to suppliments that are 7:1, don't know if 20:1 would be too much or not. I do believe that the Omega3mood, that I have been using (Country Life) and is 7:1, is a little cheaper than the EFA Gold mood. I have been paying - for 90 gel caps (various suppliers, Swanson, VitaCost, VitaminShoppe etc), and I saw the one you mentioned for around for 60. Both require 2 caps for full dose. I do applaud you keeping him on some type of fish oil in the interim as there does seem to be a benefit to being on it longer term, as the higher EPA ones seem to work faster for those who had been on fish oil et al. for a prior period of time. cndij39784.4280671296I know it's hard to be patient when you want to help your child NOW, but the high EPA fish oils can take up to 3 months before they show a benefit. It took 6-7 weeks before I could tell a difference with my niece, but she is more on the inattentive side instead of hyper. I think the ones who tried to get their child off meds, did it gradually after being on the suppliments for a while. My niece was never on meds though the Dr had prescribed AdderallXR, she had never taken it. You might want to check out the thread on Phosphatidyl Serine as well (some simply call it PS), as some of the parents with kids high on hyper scale have had good results with it. It works better if there is a deficiency in the amino acid serine, so some are having Amino Acid testing done first to see where any deficiencies are. If it's going to help, some have seen a difference with the PS in days. Especially when they have been on the fish oils prior to using the PS. Seems there is some synergistic action, and there are some new studies going on currently to document that particular synergy.

Cindi

Hi cndij! Thank you so much for the reply.

I was in the midst of trying to treat my son's ADHD with no prescription medication when I decided that the Omega3Joy was not working and too expensive (and replaced it with a bottle from WALMART) so I believe my decision was made in haste.

Right now my son is taking an Omega 3 that has a ratio of 2:1 and I see no difference but didn't really expect to. He is on Concerta which does seem to calm him down once it kicks in but boy oh boy, when that wears off in the evening, WATCH OUT! That is why I am trying to find an Omega that might be benefical to him and stablize his mood.

I think I will order a bottle of the Omega3mood from Country Life that you suggested. What an excellent price for a 7:1 ratio! Thank you for the information!! I truly do appreciate it as I am pulling my hair out!

Ginger

HI all

I started my son on omega 3's on Monday and have seen wonderful results very quickly. My question is he has tremendous gas. It is non stop. He says that his stomach does not hurt (I can't see how with this much gas). Will this go away or should I discontinue usage. I don't want to stop because his behavior has been perfect since Wednesday. Please help.

Try a different brand? thanks for the reply. any suggestions. i am using barleans high epa that looks to be a 10:1 ratio and I am amazed at my sons behavior. He is a totally different child until this huge gas issue

A percentage of the population that use omega 3 have been known to suffer from gastro intestinal problems. I suggest that you pose your questions and concerns to a either a certified doctor or perhaps your local pharmacist because a symptom of excessive gas could be a red flag. Good luck :)

Luvmykids0239795.9601388889thank you for your response.. what red flags do you think might be showing here. I will contact his dr and do understand that you are not a health care professional.. I need practical parent helpSherri, the fact that your child is having so much gas has all to do with the gastro intestinal tract. so such a symptom is a red flag. It may be something that can be remedied so thats why I suggested speaking with a professional. Your pharmacist should also be able to answer your questions. Its great that its working so well but you dont want the poor little guy getting unacceptable side effects either :(Someone said a while back that burping can come from the fish oil not being fresh enough. Could that work the other way and cause gas as well? Maybe pop one open and see if its rancid?

Just a thought. You might want to look for an enteric coated formula as the gel gap disolves in the intestine instead of the stomach. I am not familiar right off with a High Epa fish oil that is enteric coated. I use Fisol myself but it's a 1:1 ratio, but my neice is on the Omega3Mood from Country Life and it's not enteric coated. She is rather "gassy" but she has always been that way, and as a self proclaimed "tomboy", she gets some kind of kick out of passing gas, at least for now, so it hasn't bothered her, and I never thought of it as related to the fish oil as she has had some problems with flatulence for years anyway.

A quick google search on this topic turned up, possible poor quality product or rancid as one PP mentioned, or problems with Bile Acids in digesting the fats. In that case it was suggested the dosage be reduced and gradually increased. If you are seeing drastic changes quickly, you may be hesitant to cut way back on the dosage, and might want to look at a digestive enzyme product first to see if it helps. One I am familiar with that helps with Bile Acids, is a polish digestive remedy that has black radish root and peppermint. It is the top selling digestive remedy in Poland. The polish name is RaphacolinC, in this country it is marketed under the name DigestRC. My dad was buying the DigestRC from Life Extension, but we found the original polish labelled product was much less expensive from PolStore a Polish products mail order/internet catalog.
cndij39796.1295023148

Hello C!

Although I've not run into a "gassy" situation, I don't do dairy or cut most of it out. But I AM interested in doing the polish with the black raddish/pep. Sounds healthy.

Thank for being so informative.

And by the way, folks, any one of you cut-out the dairy and see any positive results? I am ofcourse taking the Country life in adjunction and I think I have seen/felt the difference. Feeling clearer of mind, calmer...

Thank you everybody!

Sherri, how long did it take you to see results on the GFCF diet? Hi Thank you all for your help. I am going to do the digestive enzyme and see if that works. I also ordered three different brands of omegas to see if that helps to. I switched him back for the time being to a drug store brand and his gas stopped. I did check to see if the Barleans were rancid and they looked and tasted fine to me.

Hi Lioux

We are completly on a GFCF diet and have seen great results. I highly recommend it. If you have already cut the dairy you may want to try to cut gluten to see if that helps

When we first started my niece had problems swallowing a tylenol, much less a large fish oil capsule. What we did was pierce the capsules and squeeze them into a a cup of flavored applesauce and mix it up. She never complained about the taste, so it must have masked it well. Then she became determined to be able to swallow them and after a little practice, can now take 2 Omega3Moods at one time (these are pretty large). I had heard of some people mixing it into peanut butter, but supposedly there is a potential issue of it bonding to the protein and not being asborbed as easily.

None of the chewables I found had the correct EPA:DHA ratio we are looking for, children over 5.

Cindi

bump

Hi, I'm very new here (just registered!). I have a 13yo son who hasn't formally been diagnosed with ADHD, but he was recently evaluated for learning issues, and the lady said he definitely has attention and impulsivity "issues." Impulsivity is a huge problem for him.

Another son is 8yo, and he is much worse than the 13yo when it comes to both.

The 13yo is roughly 140 lbs., and the 8yo is I think around 60 or so (not exaclty sure). Would their dosages of EPA be the same? What amount of vit. E do I need to look for - is there a particular amount that corresponds with the levels of omega 3s that we need?

So glad to have found this thread - I've been going in the wrong direction (high DHA amounts). I knew that high amounts of EPA were clinically proven to be as effective as anti-depressants, but I hadn't heard that it was high levels of EPA for ADHD as well.

Does anyone know if these same findings are true for dyslexia? I suspect I have an almost 10yo daughter with it (she's about to be evaluated).

This is a non-expert answer to your question.

I give my daughter, who just turned 14, the omega 3 mood (ordered from vitacost online). It contains 1000 mg EPA per 2 softgels. I've been giving her an "adult" dose for several years. So, if it were me, I would give the 8 year old the same amount, and I would also give it to the child with suspected dyslexia. I don't know for sure that there are benefits specifically for dyslexia (although I believe that the book, The ADD Nutrition Solution states that omegas benefit dyslexia). I do believe that omegas are beneficial in numerous ways for overall mental and physical health. Like I said though, I'm not a medical expert, just a mom.

My understanding is that omegas should NOT be taken by anyone on blood thinners or with a blood disorder.

As far as vitamin E, I don't know specifically what dose is recommended. The omegas my family takes contain some vitamin E, and we also take a multivitamin, so I figured that covered it.

I wish your family all the best in overcoming the challenges.
The theraputic dosage is 1000-3000 mg daily, with the lower end for kids. This is not the dosage you are going to see on the bottle. I would also guess that 1000 mg for both kids would be right. Vit E is usually included in the omega.

My son has been taking this for 4 years. I think that it helps with impulsiveness and stress-management. I do not think that it helps with attention/focus. I give him meds for that.

If your 13 has managed to get this far undiagnosed, it must not be that bad (?). I wonder if you could try the omega and caffeine.

The past couple of days I've noticed a decrease in the impulsivity in my 13yo. Since that is his main problem, I am THRILLED!!! I have not been able to order any 7:1 stuff yet, but this is encouraging that I may be on the right track.

I have not noticed a difference in the other 2 boys yet.

My 13yo is not in school, so that is probably why he has not been diagnosed. No one has been having to deal with it except me. We actually had him evaluated for other learning issues, and the evaluator came back with attention and impulse issues instead (but no formal diagnosis).

I am so hoping we're on the right track with this. Our family life can be pretty chaotic at times, and it's mostly because of him. It has been nice for things to be peaceful the past couple of days.

My understanding is that it can take up to three months for omegas to take effect. If you are already seeing results, that is fantastic!

And hang in there with the other two. The omegas normally do take time, and often the benefits are subtle, but the they are still benefits. I definitely believe the omegas are beneficial, especially if taken long-term.

Bumping to keep this thread visible to new users and hopefully get some updates from long time users.We have been using the omegas for years for my daughters.
My youngest (8) cannot take pills so we get the liquid
Ultimate Omega (Nordic Naturals)and she just takes it a
measuring cup and drinks grape juice immediately after. My
teen daughter takes the ultimate omega capsules along with
my adhd husband. They definitely make a difference for us.
Whole Foods has them but they are typically cheaper online.
We get them through vitacost but there are other sites that
have them as well. Good luck!

I have been reading allot about Krill oil, does anyone know anything about it? I have been giving my kids more epa for years - I have never noticed a differenc, but it doesn't hurt....

From some of the things I have been reading I am wondering if I haven't been giving enough, 1 capsule per day? Some people are saying 5-10 capsules per day (5,000 - 10,000mg in total) is what they need.

Hi...just soooo confused at what the heck I am supposed to be giving my daughter. Any suggestions will help!!!! I currently have her taking Nordic Naturals EPA. How much and what brands should I be giving her of EPA or DHA or both or none....going crazy here!!!! Abby,

Depends on the age of your child.
I'm no expert, but I believe the DHA is supposed to be the higher ratio until about 5. After that you go to the higher EPA. I give my 10 year old MorEpa which has the correct ratio (don't know about Nordic brand) She takes the capsules at bedtime and has no trouble swallowing them (tho they're not tiny). We've been doing it for years, so I can't say whether it's just maturity that has calmed her down. I do know that school is still difficult and only getting harder so I may have to go for the real drugs. Either way, I plan to keep up the Omegas

I'm trying to start my teenager on EPAplus (same company) because as you might imagine the impulsivity is off the charts
My daughter is 13...and my son is seriously hyperactive and is 4.....so as I said still trying to figure this dosage thing out....EPA DHA??????????? I would try something for your son with more DHA than EPA. Keep searching this board because I know there are many discussions about it and I'm not familiar with the brands. After he turns 5 look for something like MorEPA that has the different formulation. To figure your proper ratio, look for milligrams of each and divide the bigger number by the smaller.

For your daughter try the PlusEPA which is all EPA and no DHA. The manufacturer is Manami. Or others on this board recommend a variety of brands. If you go to a health food store or Whole Foods and start reading labels. Many brands do not get specific, so look for ones that give milligrams of each. Evening primrose and Vitamin E are often added and that's a bonus.

It does take a couple of months to see a change and it's not a cure-all, but certain fish omegas are really lacking in the modern diet and you may see some progress. And the medical establishment acknowledges that omegas are important for heart and joint health too

As the parent of a teenager, I've also been reading a book called Primal Teen by Barbara Stauch. It's all about the physical changes in the adolescent brain. Fascinating.
acmes40443.2198726852I have been giving my oldest daughter (now 12) Novo Nordisk
Ultimate Omega capsules for about 4 years with good
results. My youngest daughter (now 8) has been taking the
Novo Nordisk Ultimate Omega Lemon Liquid for about 3 years
(can't take capsules)also with good results. It tastes
pretty bad but she takes it with grapejuice

My daughter, 14, takes Omega 3 Mood which has 1000 mg EPA per two softgels. They are large softgels but are not hard to swallow since they are smooth. My D is good at swallowing pills though.
Like others have mentioned, for the younger child you probably want something with higher DHA and easier to take for a young child.
I've found it easier to research brands online; I like Vitacost. That way you can take your time looking at the info and don't feel pressured standing in a store.
Best of luck; it is very confusing at first. I do think getting pretty much any form of omega 3s is beneficial though. My understanding is they should not be taken by anyone with a blood disorder or on blood-thinners though. But other than that I don't think you can go too far wrong.
Just checking in to see how everyone is doing with the Omegas. My niece is in the 8th grade this year and has finally got all of her classes as mainstream ones. She still gets some modifications with the End of Grade testing (more time, gets to take in smaller groups etc.). I feel like we never would have made it here without the Omegas and PS. Hi
I have been off of this board for some time can cndij tell
what PS stands for?
Thanks
SherriMy daughter is in 7th grade - been taking Omegas since 3rd
grade and i too don't think we would have made it w/o the
Omegas. Have my ADHD 3rd grade also taking the Omega's and
it definitely makes a difference.

The PS stands for Phosphatidyl Serine. There is a whole separate thread on how the Phosphatidyl Serine works. It doesn't work for everyone, because some kids are deficient in the amino acid serine (some have testing done before they try it to see if it's needed), but for the ones who can use it, it seems to have very quick positive results (1 week or less, compared to 2-3 months for the Omegas).

Cindi

Cindi,
I'm so glad your niece is doing well!
My daughter is doing well, too. She is surviving her first year of high school and algebra 1!

There have been some issues with forgetting to turn in assignments (with teachers who have very strict policies), but overall she has been working more independently and getting work done in class, light-years ahead of where she was a few years ago.

I started working full-time this year, so I have not had as much time/energy to be involved as I have in the past, but mostly my D has risen to the challenges.

With my son in his first year of college, we are looking ahead and of course I do worry about D being prepared and if we are doing enough for her. And I wish my D was better at communicating how she is doing and what she is feeling. She tends to "bury her head in the sand" when there are problems.

I haven't been as consistent in ordering the PS online, so we have tried a few different brands and I'm not sure if it makes a difference.

I do believe that the omegas and PS have been a huge help.

woah. I am SO confused!!! This thread is making my head swim.

I keep seeing mention of "the list" - but didn't notice a list anywhere. What is on "the list"?

I understand that 7:1 is the proper ratio but of what?

my son is 6 and weighs about 45 lbs. We want to try natural methods before resorting to meds. ADHD

What do I need to do with all this omega business?

We are in Colorado and we do have Whole Foods here.

Thanks for helping me make sense of all this!

Robin

How much omega-3 can you absorb at once? My child takes 2 flax capsules per day. Can I give them at the same time, or do I need to do one in the morning and one in the evening?

Also, does anything promote or inhibit omega-3 absorption. I'm wondering if I should avoid giving it with certain food or drinks, or maybe combining it with certain food or drinks would help absorption?

Probably milk would inhibit absorption as I've heard that about drinking it with vitamins or iron supplements.ethan's mom,
It can be very confusing; give yourself some time to read through and absorb the info. But the bottom line, in my non-expert opinion, is that any omega 3 supplement can be beneficial. They shouldn't be taken by people with blood disorders or on blood thinners though.
As for your questions:;
- It's been a while since I read through this thread, I don't remember a "list," so I can't help with that one.
- The 7:1 ratio refers to EPA:DHA. These are two components of omega 3 fatty acids. It's believed that higher EPA is more beneficial for ADHD.
- It seems like a lot of people with kids around your son's age like to give Mor EPA minis or juniors. I don't know if they carry it at Whole Foods. A lot of us purchase omega 3s and other supplements online. Cheaper and better selection.
- Most people don't see an immediate, dramatic effect from omega supplements. It can take up to 3 months. I believe they are very beneficial when taken long term.

Mom2ADHDboy,
I don't remember hearing of anything that inhibits absorption. I also don't know how much can be absorbed at once, but I always give one in the morning and one at night. I think vitamin E promotes absorption, and many omega 3s supplements include vitamin E.

Thanks on the Vit E recommendation, inspiredbymusic!

Firenze, calcium can inhibit the body from absorbing iron. I've never heard of it inhibiting absorption of anything else, but I could be wrong.

I did find the MorEPA mini @ Whole Foods. It was in the kids section - not with the other Omega options.

Ethan is doing well swallowing the capsuls so I am glad I don't have to squirt the goop out! LOL

My 8-year-old daughter started taking MorEPA also in the chewable children's dosage. I buy them at Sprouts (in the west). I switched to that from the other Omega 3 supplements I was giving her and the increase in EPA seems to be making a difference :) I also give her AttentiveChild which has DMAE in it. I can't say I've noticed a big difference as she's been taking it for about two months. I haven't seen any side effects but I worry about the safety of a supplement like this, which is not as mainstream.whap!Bump

bump

[QUOTE=2girls]it took a while (couple of months) but i definitly noticed a decrease in the impulsiveness as well as the hyperactivity. Don't expect an extreme change tho - it is much more gradual than with the meds but i think it has definintely made a difference for both my children (ages 7 and 11). [/QUOTE]

I just started him on the omega, thanks for the head ups.

I am bumping this thread because of the abundance of valuable info
contained within.
Jessica N40669.841875

Questions... I just found this whole ADHD board and I am so glad.

Ok i started my 2 kids on Natrol (got it at Walmart awhile back) Omega 3's complex with Flax and Borage. it does not say what the ratio is or i am not looking in the right place.

I give the kids 1 in the am and 1 in the pm, the pill is huge DS can swallow it but dd has to have it in Juice.

Is Natrol not a good O3?

I am going to try Whole Foods hopefully beginning of next wk and see what they have

I think you'll have more success with a product from Whole Foods (we like Nordic Naturals). The problem with products (as in supplements) from Wal-Mart is that they are not of the best quality. You don't get as much "bang" for your "buck." To get the best results you need "pharmaceutical grade" products. Glad you found us, welcome!

Thanks Macs.four,

I also had emailed Genuine Health last night, but have not yet heard back. Glad you got a reply and we all have an answer on the liquid version!

[QUOTE=2XADHD]

The magnesium I've been giving the kids to help them sleep - I see other people are using melatonin (sp?). I've read elsewhere that this can suppress puberty???

Thoughts?

[/QUOTE]

I have not heard this. I've looked into melatonin some but never came across this. Please tell me more.

Does the omega-3 mood really help with "mood". Lord knows my 12 year old could definately use some "mood" adjustment!!!!

   how long does it normally take to see these changes? It took 3 weeks with my husband and 3 months with my son. There's another Omega string that goes into details on this type of info. You should probably go there.I just received the O3mega Joy and have given it to my granddaughter. They are horse pills to say the least but went down right away with oatmeal.

I punctured the end of one to taste and though it had a slight fishy taste it was a milder taste than the Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega Liquid we were taking. Good news for those who will take it as a liquid for sure.

I took that one myself, but will have to order some more for me as this first batch is for the girl that nothing has worked on yet, my granddaugher.

So, count this as DAY 1, with June 23 as the deadline, and the trial is on Kppy. I wonder if No Tellin has received hers yet.   That will be neat if we are all starting together. Cynthia

My head is swimming right now from all of the information. I have not read every post yet, but I plan to try tomorrow. I need to find help for my whole family (it seems). My son is the most important one right now though. It would be the greatest blessing to me to have him off of his Ritalin LA by 5th grade. Or at least on a very small dosage. He is 9 and 65 lbs. His diagnosis is ADHD (hyper) and anxiety. My daughter is 15, 140lbs and is the inattentive type with anxiety. She is not on any meds and does okay, but I know she could do better. I need help myself (inattentive), anxiety and depression. I worry that my baby (9 months) is going to end up like us, and I worry that I should be doing something to help her. I worry about everything. Right now, the 9 year old and especially the baby are keeping me up most of the night. So I would really love to find something to turn at least the 9 year old around. If anyone could tell me anything to help, I'd appreciate it. If not, I will keep reading and try to make sense of it all. Kace - Also check out the melatonin thread. That should help your nine year old get to sleep at night if that is the problem with him staying up late.

For both your nine and year old your 15 year old, I suggest you try one of the 3 brands of omegas from the list that have the ratio of 7:1.

For your baby, you should shop around for one that is higher in DHA than EPA. You will want a liquid, of course, that is pharmaceutical grade. It should say so on the label or advertisement. If you need any help, please feel free to ask questions. We will help with all that we can. Cynthia.

cynthiatweedle38799.9161921296As a lot of us now are following the suggestions of A. J. Richardson who has been involved in a lot of research on essential fatty acids (omegas), I have tried to find some of the reports she has made regarding ADHD. What makes researching for this difficult is that she has been cited in so many articles AND I am guessing not all it can be found via the computer. Some of it may only be publshed in journals and is just not available as yet.

All this makes it difficult to explain where we got the information we have. At this point the easiest thing to do would be to check out the website of fattyacidtrip where a lot of the recommendations have been compiled and published on-line. I do not copy from that website because I would really need to have permission from the owner to do so.   I do highly recommend that if you want to get an overall picture of the use of omegas for ADHD you take the time to read that website. This will help you to understand every thing wa are doing now with the high EPA dosage. Cynthia

Hi BacktoReality....

You might tell your husband that there is NO WAY we can eat enough Omegas to balance our diet. Our diets are so saturated these days in artificial dyes/preservatives/additives, etc. If we ate Omegas morning, noon and night that MIGHT be sufficient! Also, if you check out the magnesium thread, you will see that upwards of 95% of boys with ADHD have a magnesium deficiency. With a deficiency, it can be hard to get what you need with a balanced diet as well. Sounds like you are well on your way to doing some great research, I wish you luck!

BTR, you will probably see a difference with the meds, and right away. The supplements take a while. Up to three months for the Omegas. Be patient, be persistent.

I just had my son tested his blood for magnesium/zinc deficiency, and they both were in the normal range. I'm discouraged today........

Interesting though, had to pass along this bit about the Omegas. I am in the process of getting into Dore, and the counselor said for the kids on Omegas, to have them stop, because the oil coats the pathways, or something like that. The growth that the Dore exercises does, the Omegas make them difficult for them to penetrate. Did that make sense??
I have added this to our list.

The following have just been made available in the US

MorEPA

serving size: 2 capsules for older children & adults (can be chewed by children)
servings per container: 30
amount per capsule: 580 mg EPA, 88 mg DHA
ratio: approx 6.59:1 (75% EPA)
34.95 for 60 capsules

PlusEPA

serving size: 2 capsules
servings per container: 30
amount per capsule 500 mg EPA (no DHA)
90% EPA
39.95 for 60 capsules

VegEPA
serving size: 4 capsules
servings per container: 15
amount per capsule: 280 mg of EPA (no DHA)
contains Evening Primose Oil
70% EPA
19.95 for 60 capsules

For more information and how to buy on all three of the above, please see

~ogram~39079.6605671296cynthia, do you use the omega3 joy that is previously discussed in this post? They do seem to have a 7:1 ratio, correct me if I am wrong. Are they made somewhere other than the US? They are not any more expensive than the Nordic Naturals as some have said about the UK omegas.

Am in the UK and I have found that Asda own omega 3 capsules help my 10 yr old son I have tried others brand even more expensive ones but they don't do what the asda ones do

here's what they contain:

vit A 400.00 ug

vit D 2.5ug

vit E 5.00mg

Fish oils of which:

epa 54mg

dha 37mg

epo 65mg

gla 6mg

Please note these are only suitable for 3 yrs and over

but I swear they work for me !!!

Lynnmc- Yes the studies for adhd that have been successful always used fish oil. The thinking is that western diets do not include enough fish.

And now it is recommended to use the 7:1 ratio of EPA to DHA unless your child is four years old or younger. You will probably not find that ratio in stores.

A good fish oil means pharmaceutical grade as Meg has said. Nordic Naturals therefore is a good brand, but as yet they have not come out with a 7:1 ratio. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I would suggest to you to go ahead and use what you have then switch to one on the list which is a 7:1 ratio. If your child can't swallow pills then you would need to open the capsule and press the oil out into a teaspoon or else try getting them to swallow them with oatmeal.   This is more trouble, but I think would be worth it to get the best results.

As those of us who have just started following the latest advice cannot tell you with our own experience yet, hopefully soon we will be able to testify to the merits of it.

This is the best I can tell you at this time. Best of luck with this.

Edited to add: I hope you will not become discouraged with all the advice you get. Again what I have to say is based on the latest research on fish oil alone. While others have had success with other avenues, my advice is from the latest info on the use of omegas for ADHD.
cynthiatweedle38797.512962963Can someone help me with fish oil vs. flax seed with ligdon(lignon), I'm not sure how to spell it. I have found a flax oil that has a 6:1 ration of EPA and DHA. I have read somewhere on here that flax oil does not metabolize as fast. Is that true and should I stick to the fish oil mentioned above? How do I know if it is a good quality fish oil? I'm assuming cynthia and meg that the above mentioned is a good quality? I have nordic naturals from GNC that have 5:1, will I notice a difference with 7:1? Thanks!    I'd go with fish over flax -- you are right about what you read! We use both incidentally but more fish than flax. Nordic Naturals is a great brand -- most that are good will say "pharmaceutical grade." I hope cynthia can speak more to the product listed above -- I don't have personal experience with it. Good luck, and let us know if and when you see a difference! I use a needle or pin to poke capsules when I want the
liquid out. It does not come out till you squeeze it.   e.g.
Vitamin E to rub on skin wounds - it seems to make it heal faster.

Thanks cynthiatweedle. Just wanted to share...I had been sniping with scissors the tips of omega 3 capsules and squeezing into juice but I just figured out that it works better to poke a small hole with a knife (ie a steak knife worked well). Much less mess and more gets into the juice Tongue

busymama5,

I am using Country Life Omega 3 mood, 2 capsules to get 1000 EPA. Although I am taking it also and haven't had the same problem, so maybe it is something else. Guess I will just have to wait and see. Thanks for the responce

Thanks for that information Thoughtful. You are very welcome for any information. I, as you, did my own research at the beginning and I believe that is the best way to go. After you have read a bunch you will get a feel for what seems right to you. cynthiatweedle38817.8179861111someone please help, i jujst received my omega 3 mood 1000/150 but i'm also on Tricor which is a drug to lower triglycerides in the blood, in other words, i'm taking medication specifically to break down fat in my blood, does anyone know if this will render the omega 3 useless? i'm going to see the doctor on tuesday. i plan to ask him then but if someone can tell me ahead of time that would be awesome!!Fantastic!! How many does that make now. Quite a group. cyn My son has been taking the Country Life Omega3 Mood (The same 5:1 ratio you have) for a couple of weeks, until the 7:1 omegajoy came in. I have to say, these last two days have really been wonderful. He IS in a good mood, and has been able to concentrate and remember a little better with his schoolwork. But it could be the cute bubbly new tutor we started him with this week too!

Hey, I say, whatever it takes!

Anyhoo, now I will take the Omega3 Mood too, since he says I need some help as well.

If you like it, I found it at my local Sprouts Market, if you have one where you are.

Do keep us posted.
Wow! I'll have to get it from them, DEFINATLY, next time! Thanks for posting the better deal. YOu saved oodles over me.

Only, now I have a tummy ache.........

[QUOTE=calicorose]My son has been taking the Country Life Omega3 Mood (The same 5:1 ratio you have) for a couple of weeks, until the 7:1 omegajoy came in. I have to say, these last two days have really been wonderful. He IS in a good mood, and has been able to concentrate and remember a little better with his schoolwork. But it could be the cute bubbly new tutor we started him with this week too!

Hey, I say, whatever it takes!

Anyhoo, now I will take the Omega3 Mood too, since he says I need some help as well.

If you like it, I found it at my local Sprouts Market, if you have one where you are.

Do keep us posted.
[/QUOTE]

we are taking the same product calico, omega3 mood by countrylife. i bought it at the health food store in my area. so far, so good.

if this isn't consisitent or improvements don't continue, i'll try the omegajoy next.
oh, and according to reading, you can expect to see resluts, if you are, anywhere from 2 weeks to three months, so hang in there if you don't notice anything right away.

Quick comment!

My beautiful little add-er went from a D+ in french to a B!! I know for a fact it's the Omega3 and magnesium (with calcium, Vit D and zinc) that's helping him! The teacher is amazing - listened to my suggestions and has really made a huge difference in my son's life!! His self-esteem is at an all-time high and he's been able to control his "angries" much better.

Love this site - have learned so much!

cynthiatweedle, we started over the Christmas hols - saw results in about 2-3 weeks... love it! I know there are lots of naysayers out there, and while I'm not totally against meds, I wanted to try alternatives first. Although, BY GOD, it's an expensive route!! If I were to use Concerta, it'd cost me about 5 dollars a month (i have excellent coverage). The efalex and magnesium are running me about 0/month. For a person as broke as I am, that's a major expense, so I wouldn't do it unless I wasn't absolutely 100% convinced.

One more thing - at first, I thought the omega3s (efalex) were totally 100% safe. I called the company that manufactures them and they told me too much can thin the blood...just a thought

The magnesium I've been giving the kids to help them sleep - I see other people are using melatonin (sp?). I've read elsewhere that this can suppress puberty???

Thoughts?

Jerbear, you're welcome. Hope the omegas work for you.

Busymama - It is not supposed to work that fast if you are going by studies, however I have read individuals that say it did work that fast for them. Also read this:

Another study, this time in Britain, has been published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. It reached the same conclusion, and its results also suggest that omega-3 fatty acids improve the whole range of depressive symptoms: feelings of sadness and energy loss, anxiety and insomnia, loss of libido as well as suicidal tendencies (Peet and Horrobin 2002).

Finally, another study in a Harvard hospital has been published recently in the American Journal of Psychiatry. The subjects were women with difficult mood swings that complicated their emotional relationships and made them feel that their emotions were often "out of control". After eight weeks of treatment with an omega-3 supplement rich in EPA, they were in more positive spirits and they were overall less aggressive to their families and friends (Zanarini and Frankenburg 2003).

http://en.isodisnatura.com/depression_omega-3.htm

This are just some of the other other benefits that come with the high EPA. Sounds like it is already working in that aspect at least. Let us know if you notice other changes. This is exciting. Cynthia

Edited to add a portion of another article. Notice the comments about EPA.

The antidepressant effect of omega-3 fatty acids seems to be the result of EPA. When DHA was given alone or in equal amounts with EPA, researchers did not see these antidepressant effects.

In summary, omega-3 fatty acids have been tested in numerous psychiatric conditions and found helpful in:

Bipolar depression Unipolar depression Depression during pregnancy Insomnia Anxiety Anorexia nervosa Depression associated with borderline personality disorder Post-partum depression Reduction of suicidal thoughts

In general, treatment took three to four weeks to be effective, with the exception of anxiety and insomnia, which took six weeks. Although doses of up to 9.6 g were used, there were no significant side effects noted.

http://addadhdadvances.com/efa-depression.html

cynthiatweedle38807.5190277778The Omega 3 mood that i purchased today at the vitamin shop has 1000mg of EPA and 150mg of DHA. So this almost reaches the 7:1 ratio. [QUOTE=AmbersMom]The Omega 3 mood that i purchased today at the vitamin shop has 1000mg of EPA and 150mg of DHA. So this almost reaches the 7:1 ratio. [/QUOTE]

That's close!! This is exciting. We have a whole group of people starting about the same time. So it will be interesting to see the developments. Cyn
Us too, us too!!!!

We just got our 03megajoy, from Genuine Health, and are starting today! It's like 1000 EPA to 50 DHA. It cost 37.99 + 600 for shipping for 120 softgels (60 servings total) AND, there was a 10.00 coupon off the next order.

Will keep you all posted as well.

This afternoon, we got bloodwork done on my son, to test his levels of zinc and magnesium too. It will be interesting to see what that shows.

Okay, I'm on the bandwagon for highEPA stuff too! I just ordered the o3mega+joy from feelbest.com, the bottles of 120 were not much more than the bottles of 60 (due to the current sale), so that's what I ordered. The shipping cost is high (from Canada), hopefully someone in the U.S. will offer a 7:1 ratio product soon! I'll post again when my order arrives and I can start DS on it...

Thanks to all of you here for all your great information!
[QUOTE=amjones7]

Questions... I just found this whole ADHD board and I am so glad.

Ok i started my 2 kids on Natrol (got it at Walmart awhile back) Omega 3's complex with Flax and Borage. it does not say what the ratio is or i am not looking in the right place.

I give the kids 1 in the am and 1 in the pm, the pill is huge DS can swallow it but dd has to have it in Juice.

Is Natrol not a good O3?

I am going to try Whole Foods hopefully beginning of next wk and see what they have

[/QUOTE]

amjones7 -- Natrol may be pharmaceutical grade, I can't remember. If it is it should say so on the bottle. That is how you judge whether it is a good brand. It is not the 7:1 ratio of EPA to DHA that latest research says will give you the best results. If it is pharmaceutical grade, I suggest you finish out the bottle and go to one on the list that says it is the 7:1 ratio. Keep reading this thread and check your bottle for EPA and DHA content and pharmaceutical grade. Feel free to ask questions when you get confused.

Welcome to the board. Cynthia.
cynthiatweedle38800.3282060185

I can't tell you how excited I am to try the Omega 3 with my 11 year old son.

He has been on Concerta 36mg for the past 2 years and I can't tell you how much we hate having to give it to him.

We have contacted our family Docter, becuase his specialist is on sick leave, about the safty of taking the omega 3 s while he is still on his concerta but she is really stalling and not answered us yet.

We are going to use the 03Omega+joy.

Is it safe to give them both untill the epa builds up in his system .

He is doing so well at school (finally) that we don't want to take him off his concerta untill the summer.

Thanks

Luvmykids0239079.6609837963Macs.four - Welcome to the alternatives board! Yes, it is as safe as eating fish as long as you are using a pharmaceutical grade fish oil which you are. My granddaughter is on Concerta also but I am hoping that by late June we will see results from taking the same brand of omegas you are going to use. She will be off Concerta during the summer months too so any change should be obvious. Here's hoping for both of us there will no longer be any need for the meds by then. Cynthia

Cynthia

Thanks for getting back so quickly.

Are you giving your granddaughter 1 softgel a day = to 500 mg of epa ?

Macs.four -- I am trying to get 2 capsules down her though she is fighting me on it for no reason except being stubborn. One capsule though might be enough going by the latest studies. Some say give 1000 mgs but I have not seen a study done using that much. I am just desperate and want to make sure she's covered. So use you your own judgement on this. Cynthia

I started taking the o3mega joy 1 week ago (I've been taking other fish oil for months, but not with such high EPA) and I am wondering if it is responsible for my sleeping so well. I've always been quite an insomniac, but for the past 5 nights or so I"ve been out like a light just after 9:00 (very ususual for me!) and have been sleeping quite solid (also unusual). Not sure if it is related to the higher EPA or if it really hasn't had time to kick in yet.

I've also been giving it to one of my sons while the other is finishing a bottle of liquid oil we have. The other day my son on the omega joy was walking around the house getting ready for school SINGING "I feel chipper tooooo-daaaay!" Now that NEVER happens! I'm hoping it's the omega kicking in (he's been on fish oil for several months, but not high EPA til just a week ago.

Again, not sure if it could be related to the fish oil or maybe just the warmer, sunnier weather. I'll be interested to hear how the high EPA works for others, regardless of the brand.

Hi, I've been reading and following along with this thread and I'm happy to say that I was finally able to order the omega mood. I ordered it Sun. or Mon. and I was surprised that it came yesterday. So the boys have started taking it last night. They take them without any real problems and very little fighting. The BIG question is if I'll remember to have them take them everyday. That's the hard part for me.

Thanks ladies for all the wonderful info you've shared with us. It would be so wonderful if come next fall the boys no longer need the Adderall.

Well, ds isn't on the highest EPA dosage, but the one he takes seems to be working. Oddly enough, he has never fought me to take them- that was a big shock. When I recently switched to a different kind, I tried them first and warned him that they might not taste very good. We took some at the same time, and he laughed at me when I said it wasn't very good. He said it's the same as the other and he was used to it. One thing I know though- if your body is lacking it, it can taste good to you. If you don't need it- it can make you gag. It's like your body is telling you what to do- and it's good to listen.

I think the best part of all of this is that now ds initiates contact with me- like coming up, out of the blue, and hugging me, saying he loves me- it brings a tear to my eyes. He has never been one to initiate- he will readily return it, but finally he starts the contact. It really makes me realize how much better he is feeling.

Lilbitcrazy - Fantastic on getting started!

Sarahandbabies - That's great. So glad you are seeing results.

Good luck to all! Cynthia
cynthiatweedle38807.3100810185Thanks for the info Cynthia and the feedback from Calicorose :) I'm curious to see if the meds will make a difference for my daughter academically in the last quarter of the school year, but...if ds does well on Omegas/magnesium over the next few months then I may start my dd on them in the summer instead of meds and see what happens in the new school year for her. Dealing with dh has been frustrating but I know deep down he's just resisting the possibility that something might be "wrong" with his children. He doesn't think they need "fixing"...he loves them as they are and does not believe in medication (even aspirin) unless absolutely necessary. I guess natural remedies could fall into the same catergory as meds at times since some natural "cures" can be dangerous if used incorrectly. So, as long as I do my research and show him that omegas are safe I don't think he'll make things difficult. Thanks to you all for pointing me in the right direction. In all the years I've been dealing with my dd's troubles behaviorally it never occurred to me to try natural remedies. I guess I always just dismissed the possiblity that something so simple could be a help. The feedback from the people on this board is what convinced me it's worth a try

Thanks Macs.four. I see it in your post, but no matter what I just can't get it to come up directly on the website. Maybe I will try to call them.

I'm glad to know it is available as a liquid though even though I can't seem to access it just yet! Good to know.

Macs.four -I still can't find the liquid on the site. As I was reading though I saw that o3mega+joy was developed by naturopathic physician and essential fatty acid authority, Dr. Alan C. Logan.

Still checking for the liquid. This is weird that we can't find the same thing. Cynthia
Macs.four - I've tried and can't find anything for the three you found in a liquid. Maybe they don't have it set up for the US at this time. Thanks for trying to help. Cynthia Buzymama - I don't remember which liquid was the highest on EPA ratio. When you find out let us know and I'll add it to our list. Thanks, Cynthia

hey guys are you getting something different from my link than I am ?

Right under the geltabs is the liquid.A picture of the liquid bottle and what each 1/2 teaspoon contains.

same ratio as the gelatbs with some added flavoring.

Hi macs.four,

I double checked the link and I am still not seeing a liquid. Could you try to copy & paste it instead of just sending the link? I would be pretty happy if I could get that in liquid form!

[QUOTE=BackToReality]lol, I saw that also jerbear but I guess I should have been more specific. I'm asking about a supplement:

Eye Q Omega 3 Fish Oil by Equazen Equazen, Eyes and Brain

A unique formulation that may help maintain eye and brain function. Hi-EPA oil. The EPA ratio is higher in eye q - what sets eye q apart from other nutritional supplements is its high ratio of EPA to DHA. Equazen uses a unique marine fish oil that has four times more EPA than DHA. This allows the EPA to function better, and give it a more active role in helping to maintain the eye and brain in healthy functioning order.

Maybe it's only marketed in the UK?
[/QUOTE]

I beleive this is only marketed in the UK. I think that they have used it in studies so it is probably good, but very expensive.

[QUOTE=kppy][QUOTE=BackToReality]lol, I saw that also jerbear but I guess I should have been more specific. I'm asking about a supplement:

Eye Q Omega 3 Fish Oil by EquazenEquazen, Eyes and Brain

A unique formulation that may help maintain eye and brain function. Hi-EPA oil. The EPA ratio is higher in eye q - what sets eye q apart from other nutritional supplements is its high ratio of EPA to DHA. Equazen uses a unique marine fish oil that has four times more EPA than DHA. This allows the EPA to function better, and give it a more active role in helping to maintain the eye and brain in healthy functioning order.

Maybe it's only marketed in the UK?
[/QUOTE]

what's the ratio? four times
[/QUOTE] omega 3 mood is 5 to 1 at 1000 to 200!!Macs.four - I bought it from the source you listed but it was shipped from within the US. I forget where, I think maybe Pennsylvania. So, this may be available in some places in the US. Eventually we will be able to find more sources in the US as more fish oil companies become aware of the demand.

I thought the ratio was 7:1 but haven't figured it out for myself. Two capsules are 1000 mg EPA and 50 mg DHA.

Cynthia

Unless my highschool math fails me 1000 divided by 50 = 20 so wouldn't that make it a 20 to 1 ratio or do they do it differnently ?? I am not sure now.

If anybody in the U.S. is interested in this product and can't get it , I would be happy to contact the company here in Canada and found out how they can order this .

I didn't realize the o3mega Joy came in liquid form. If you find a link for it in liquid, could you please post it? I have one son on the capsules, but the other prefers liquids. He is way too sensitive to taste for me to try to squeeze a capsule into anything!

Thanks.

Thanks. I tried googling it and checked the above link also. Bummer. The liquid would be perfect.

Which liquid has the highest EPA ratio? Is it the Omega Brite Kidz?

busymama

Follow the link from my previous post .

I think the liquid is new, I didn't notice it on their website the last time I was there.

Macs.four - You are probably right. I thought I had seen the 7:1 ratio in some of the information. But I have to be wrong! My high school math has long since fled or I would have caught this before. We will call this 20 to 1 and I will change this on the list until someone finds out there was a reason for the 7:1.

BusyMama5 - I googled for the liquid and I don't find a liquid in this.

lol, I saw that also jerbear but I guess I should have been more specific. I'm asking about a supplement:

Eye Q Omega 3 Fish Oil by Equazen Equazen, Eyes and Brain

A unique formulation that may help maintain eye and brain function. Hi-EPA oil. The EPA ratio is higher in eye q - what sets eye q apart from other nutritional supplements is its high ratio of EPA to DHA. Equazen uses a unique marine fish oil that has four times more EPA than DHA. This allows the EPA to function better, and give it a more active role in helping to maintain the eye and brain in healthy functioning order.

Maybe it's only marketed in the UK?
[QUOTE=BackToReality]lol, I saw that also jerbear but I guess I should have been more specific. I'm asking about a supplement:

Eye Q Omega 3 Fish Oil by Equazen Equazen, Eyes and Brain

A unique formulation that may help maintain eye and brain function. Hi-EPA oil. The EPA ratio is higher in eye q - what sets eye q apart from other nutritional supplements is its high ratio of EPA to DHA. Equazen uses a unique marine fish oil that has four times more EPA than DHA. This allows the EPA to function better, and give it a more active role in helping to maintain the eye and brain in healthy functioning order.

Maybe it's only marketed in the UK?
[/QUOTE]

what's the ratio?
I looked it up but could not find a ratio on it..... looks ok... lots of good stuff in it, just could not find the specific ratio of EPA to DHA. I was also curious that it recommends a higher dosage at first and then backing off? Interesting!Hi, I'm new to this board and have been researching some natural alternatives for my children and also for a friend in the UK. I saw the list of Omega3's posted on the first page but was wondering if anyone has heard of or tried EyeQ? (sorry if this one was mentioned in the last 15 pages) This is the supplement that was recommended for my friend's child but he says it's expensive. I was wondering how it compared in price/ingredients to the others and if anyone has any experience with it I have been limiting sugar also. Like my hub said if we can get the kids to eat right 5 nights out of 7 we are doing great. Hub and i have also been eating better without the added stuff. thanks again everyone for your post. [QUOTE=AmbersMom]

2xADHD,

Hi, what brand omega 3 and magnesium are you useing?

I was also wondering for those that use the omegas are all of you on special diets besides useing the supplements i am also trying to watch stuff such as additives. added colors and flavoring in everything that we eat. so im just wanting to know because sometimes its so hard to get the kids to eat right esp if they are at freinds and family and you cant be there to watch their every move.

I just dont want this to slow things down as far as seeing results with the omegas.

thanks

[/QUOTE]

a couple months after we started with homeopathy, we began the feingold diet. it became obvious that my son reacted to food dyes (like the ones in brightly colored candies) and yes, it was tuff to follow in terms of going to a friend's house ect...

to his credit, my son understood that he reacted poorly to the dyes and would say, "i can't have that" when offered something he knew had alot of dyes in it! unfortunately, food colors and dyes are hidden in so much food that unless you read the label, you won't always know!

sometime during this, we added omegas.

fast forward to now.... he can pretty much eat all foods without too much negative reaction tho sugarary foods in excess will make him jittery. so somewhere along the way, his sensitivity diminished. i attribute this to homeopathy as we weren't consistent with omegas but were with homeopathy.
[QUOTE=2XADHD?]

saw results in about 2-3 weeks... love it! I know there are lots of naysayers out there, and while I'm not totally against meds, I wanted to try alternatives first. Although, BY GOD, it's an expensive route!! If I were to use Concerta, it'd cost me about 5 dollars a month (i have excellent coverage). The efalex and magnesium are running me about 0/month. For a person as broke as I am, that's a major expense, so I wouldn't do it unless I wasn't absolutely 100% convinced.

[/QUOTE]

I can totally relate to this! My pdoc has been giving us coupons and the meds are free, plus with insurance it would cost the same. But, I just can't do it! I would rather scrape the money together (and it is a scrape with 5 kids) to get him better- not just cover over the problems with meds forever. I know it's working- not only are his grades better, but he is a changed boy- more pleasant than I ever remember him... ever!

[QUOTE=cynthiatweedle]“Girls are reaching puberty much earlier than in the 1950s. One reason is due to their average increase in weight; but another may be due to reduced levels of melatonin,”
[/QUOTE]

Did they have any other explanations for this other than melatonin? I have always wondered if it was because of the high amounts of steroids and hormones and nasty stuff fed to animals that are eaten- cows, chicken, turkey, etc.

sarahandbabies38810.4286226852AmbersMom - We are not on any special diet, because I have never noticed a reaction to food. We do watch the sugar because a lot of sugar with any kid can make them hyper. Some children are sensitive or allergic. It is something to watch for and be your own judge as to whether your child needs a special diet. On the topic of omega-3's being a blood thinnner read below.

Side Effects
Blood Thinner

Fish oil, in high does, has a blood thinning effect. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (1986 April 10; 314(15): 937-42), it was published that 10 grams of EPA have the same bleeding time effect as a single 320 mg of aspirin. While some studies point to a faster surgical recovery time when fish oil is taken in the peri-surgical period to boost immunity and wound healing, it is recommended for safety purposes that consumption of fish oil be stopped one week before any surgical procedure.

If you are already on blood thinners such as warfarin or aspirin or herbs such as ginko biloba or a high does of vitamin E, consult your physician before taking fish oil as the blood thinning effect may be exacerbated.

www.drlam.com/A3R_brief_in_doc_format/print/Omega-3_Fatty_ Acids.htm

cynthiatweedle38809.6653356481coumadin is another name for warfarin- just an fyi

2xADHD,

Hi, what brand omega 3 and magnesium are you useing?

I just dont want this to slow things down as far as seeing results with the omegas.

thanks

i've been using magnesium oxide myself, i heard it doesn't absorb very well so i chew the tablets, one time i took 1000mgs at once and it really seemed to relax me! since i already bought 2 bottles worth (600 250mg tablets) i figure i might as well use them.NoTellin - I tried again and saw that the color is darker, kinda of a gold color. But the taste seemed to be about the same as Nordic Naturals as far as I could tell. Sorry maybe I am so used to the fish taste it just doesn't bother me. I have been taking the Nordic Naturals which everyone could smell across the room. I could smell it on the spoon also. But I think I've gotten used to it. Cynthia We started the O3mega+joy. The pills are very large. I cut the first one open and drained it into a teaspoon. The oil is thick and dark. My son said it was really gross. The next time I tried it in a bit of orange juice. My son gulps it down somehow, and calls it his rotten fish medicine. This stuff really really nasty. It smells horrid. I have to cut open the capsules over the garbage because if a drop gets in my sink, the area smells. I have to immediately wash the scissors and cup or it stinks up the kitchen. My son is right, it smells like rotten fish even with the OJ. I don't know he can stand to drink it quite frankly.NoTellin -- I can't help but think that the bottle you have gotten must be old. I tasted what we got and did not have that experience at all. I think you should make a complaint. The capsules I tasted was light colored and barely tasted like fish oil. So sorry this has happened. Cynthia Cynthiatweedle, did you cut them open?NoTellin --- Yes I cut it open, pressed it out and took it myself. I also compared it to Nordic Naturals and the taste and smell was milder than Nordic Naturals. I was surprised because I know Nordic Naturals is a good brand. I'll try another one just to make sure and compare the color. If it is not consistent with the first try I will let you know. Cynthia

I just received my bottle of 03mega joy (120 capsules) from feelbest.com today. I took my first one for myself and gave one to my son who takes capsules with no problem. He didn't even notice it was different than what he's been taking even though these new ones have a rougher texture (the enteric coating). Yes, the shipping is expensive, but even with the shipping it was much cheaper than ordering 2 bottles of 60 from other sites. The delivery was quick (just 7 days) and I didn't even use the express shipping option. I will likely order more to stock up before they are no longer on sale.

My son is 7 but only weighs 40 lbs. I am wondering if just one capsule a day is enough for him. Any thoughts?

Well, I got my OmegaBrite (liquid) yesterday and I have to say, I am very dissappointed. Shame on me for not looking more closely, but the liquid EPA/DHA ratio is only 4:1, not 7:1. Also, the taste is very strong. I tried to hide it in some yogurt, but my son detected it immediately and declared it "disgusting". So there goes another !

I'm just going to have to get this kid to take pills. It's so frustrating to believe that these things will really help him, but not be able to get them in him!

lakersey, that stinks about the liquid! I would assume it would be the same as the caps.

I don't know what the Omegabrite caps are made of, but the CountryLife ones are made of gelatin and glycerine, and are clear and very light and thin. They are really easy to swallow, even though they are on the biggish side. Maybe you can use this info to compare with what the Omegabrite caps are made of.

They might go down better than other things your little one has tried.

I wrote this on the old thread, but will repeat it in case it will help. My granddaughter can swallow small pills but has difficulty with larger ones.

I found that if she took them with a little oatmeal they went right down. She even laughed because it was so easy. She too does not like the liquid even though the one we bought was really not that bad. So, I know how you feel. Hope this will help.

If I am reading correctly, it says on the magnesium thread that it is not good to give if there is not a deficiency? I have done the little cheek test that someone gave and if I am doing it right, there is no deficiency. I really don't see how this little "thumping" test can tell though! someone please correct me if I am wrong! However, my daughter is not really hyper, she just lacks the focus and motivation. Do I understand correctly that this supplement helps with hyperactivity? Also, do you all think it would be fine to start along with the straterra? I really don't know if I want to cold turkey it this close to the end of school!

Lynn- I tried the cheek thing with ds and it didn't work (though I probably didn't do it right), but he had many other symptoms of mag def.

Also, ds is on adderall and takes several supplements. I will wean him of adderall in the summer. Never cold turkey those kinds of meds- you will have a huge setback.

Some will see results in three weeks. I think in the Oxford-Durham study they saw improvement for some in that length of time. I think some say it took 3 months. Correct me if I am wrong about that. It does depend on the child.
cynthiatweedle38791.6856944444

cynthiatweedle --On the other post meljgrey said:

"1000 mg is a general guideline, but is really not necessary for small children. In fact, you can get away with about 1/2 that for children under the age of 12. You should consider starting small and going up if necessary."

If 3 capsules have 1050 EPA/150 DHA, then each capsule has 360 EPA/50 DHA. So with two capsules you'd get 700 mg of EPA. DHA counters the effectiveness of the EPA, but still, 2 capsules is probably a good place to start I would think. I don't recall the age of your granddaughter.

NoTellin38791.6756018519NoTellin - I am wondering what you think about knocking the serving size of the Omegabrite capsules down to 2 capsules per day. I don't know that it really needs as high as 3 capsules. The ratio would be the same and 2 capsules would last 30 days. What think you?

Looks good -- you'd have to add Vitamin E for absorption, but other than that it's great!Here is something I don't understand about the recommendations for kids given on the o3mega website (see below). Their recommendations here are higher than their dosage on the bottle for an adult. Guess you should use your own judgement.

AGE RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF OMEGA-3 TOTAL RECOMMENDED CALORIC INTAKE 1 to 3 780mg to 1560 mg 1300 calories 4 to 8 1200mg to 2400 mg 1800 - 2000 calories 9 to 13 1500mg to 3000 mg 2200 - 2500 calories 14 to 18 1800 mg to 3600 mg 2200 - 3000 calories

Sammy -- This is one we in the US can't buy on-line as far as I know and even if we could the cost of shipping would be very high. Yes do keep us posted on how it goes. Cynthia [QUOTE=kppy]ct,

i'm going to order the omega3 joy this weekend and give it a try. are you using the full recommended dosage (2 caps a day?)

thanks to all who have helped research the ratios and track down the best deals. way to go guys!

you made it so much easier

for the rest of us!
kppy
[/QUOTE]

Kpppy

Yes. I may drop back later but I plan to go with the recommended dosage until I see results. Even then I may continue with the same amount, as my little granddaughter is a hard nut to crack. Even meds doesn't calm this kid down. So I would think long and hard if something finally works. CT

Ditto to you guys who found the three 7:1 ratio products. I still don't know how you did it, but I'm grateful you did. Bless you.

cynthiatweedle38798.7945601852 After reading many post here I decided to go to my pharmacy and study the content of all the omegas on offer to my suprise Ihave found that many are higher in dha than epa. One that I did find was the one use in the durham trial here in the Uk . The brand name is eye q. The best thing is that they come in liquid , caps or sachets which are bubble gum flavoured. I have decided to buy the bubble gum flavoured sachets as I have try many different ones but my son hates the taste. To my suprise he like it so much he asked for another one

. The ratio isn't as high as some that have been talked about with 275mg epa to 100mg dha per sachet you can take upto 2 a day and are suitable for all ages. This is the first day of me using these but I will report back soon and let you know how I get on . Luvmykids0239079.6594560185So I take Udo's oil everyday, it helps me, I'm 55, it's not fish oil. Do I need to add fish oil in the mix. Le

I just noticed that the Durham study says:

it was reported that daily intake of EPA(558mg), DHA (174mg), gamma-linoleic (60) and vitamin E (9.6mg) resulted in improved....

The formulations used in the study contains primrose oil (gamma-linoleic/GLA), and also the VegEPA that meljgrey has had success with contains primrose oil. I just checked the ingredients of each of the USA-sold options that I posted earlier. None of them contain primrose oil.

I may try one of the US-sold brands, and add primrose oil if there is no improvement. I have to wonder if it contributes to the improvement. Any thoughts?

I am adding this new piece of information because it tells the exact dosage given in the Oxford-Durham trial.

http://www.drlopresti.com/newsletter/add_newsletter_v10n8-9. htm

OMEGA-3s and 6s IN THE NEWS: (Sept. 2005)

RESEARCH: In a research study by A.Richardson and P.Montgomery, The Oxford-"Durham Study: A randomized controlled trial of dietary supplementation with fatty acids in children with developmental coordination disorder, Pediatrics, 2005, 115:1360-1366, it was reported that daily intake of EPA(558mg), DHA (174mg), gamma-linoleic (60) and vitamin E (9.6mg) resulted in improved reading and spelling skills as well as ADHD scores when compared to the placebo group given olive oil capsules. The study ended after three months and the improvements remained.

COMMENTS: Although ADHD was not the target of the treatment with Omega-3s and 6s, the effects were still dramatic for the children with ADHD. There was an 85% compliance rate; so the kids tolerated the omega oils fairly well (80% omega-3s from fish; 20%omega-6s from primrose oil) fairly well.

This did not include information about the 7:1 ratio of EPA to DHA we are seeking, but shows the importance of a minimum of 558 mg of EPA.

cynthiatweedle38788.0946990741 Copied from the old Omegas Thread
Regarding EPA vs DHA

Posted by meljgrey:

There is nothing wrong with DHA itself, however recent studies have found that it is EPA content, not DHA which proves effective in treating children's behavioral and learning concerns. The higher the EPA to DHA ratio, the more effective the result.

I have copied the following passage, featured in my blog, http://www.fattyacidtrip.com:

"Writes Håvard Bentsen, MD, PhD of Diakonhjemmet University Hospital in Oslo, Norway in the December 2005 issue of PUFA Newsletter:

…There seems to be a neglect of the difference between the effects of EPA and DHA. In studies of affective disorders, children developmental disorders (like Richardson AJ et al, Pediatrics 2005) and schizophrenia there is a consistent finding that the ratio of EPA to DHA, not only the sum of PUFAs, is important. Put simply, the higher the ratio, the better evidence of effect. DHA alone has not been shown to be efficient, whereas EPA (or ethyl-EPA) has. Also studies of the effect of EPA vs DHA on protein kinases show a markedly stronger effect of EPA than DHA. DHA, on the other hand, seems to have a calming effect (reduces noradrenalin and aggression in human RCT, and anxiety/conditioned fear response in rats). Thus, they may both have beneficial effects, but on partly different phenomena, and this distinction should not be overlooked.”

Professor Basant K. Puri, Consultant at Hammersmith Hospital and Imperial College London, and author of over 100 scientific papers and more than 20 books explains:

In general it has been found that as the ratio of EPA to DHA rises in the supplement used in clinical trials of certain conditions, such as depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the ability of the supplement to improve the condition also rises.”

And Dr. Alexandra Richardson, Oxford university expert of the effects of fatty acid supplementation in children explains:

Fish oil contains two major omega-3 fatty acids: EPA and DHA. Both are necessary, but until recently, it wasn’t at all clear which of these was more important in producing the benefits reported for ADHD and related conditions. In early life, plenty of DHA is needed for the growing brain – and because this fatty acid is so important for actual brain structure, it was thought that this must be reason for the apparent benefits from fish oil.

However, the latest research makes clear that it is EPA, not DHA, which is more effective in reducing the problems with attention, perception and memory that are associated with ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia.

This is probably because EPA plays a more important role in the minute-by-minute functioning of the brain, and also helps to make many other substances (such as prostaglandins) that are crucial for proper signalling between cells.

Of the omega-3 fatty acids, the latest evidence indicates that it is EPA - not DHA - that is likely to be most beneficial for these purposes.”

So what happens if your body needs DHA, you ask? Fortunately, if the body has enough EPA then it can convert it into exactly enough DHA when and where it needs it as it is only two steps down the chain of ecosanoids (hormones which control things like the inflammatory response and blood clotting.)"

Hope this helps.

/m cynthiatweedle38788.0205555556Copied from the old Omegas thread

Posted by meljgrey

DHA is very important for children ages 4 and under. This is because it plays a role in the formation of brain structure, which is still in process in young children. However, studies of children ages 5 and up have made clear the benefits of EPA v. DHA on behavior and learning.

At the end of the day, everyone is different and you need to do what seems best for your son. I cannot speak to hyperactivity specifically, other than to say that my kids are far calmer with the EPA than they were with the DHA.

Check which reviews Basant K. Puri's book on this subject. He features a chapter on the latest research which you may find helpful.
Luvmykids0239079.5606828704Copied from the old Omegas Thread
Regarding Vitamin E

Posted by Meljgrey:

Vitamin E won't enhance the effects of Omega-3 supplementation, as much as it will prevent "in vivo oxidation" a process by which the fatty acids oxidize in your body. It's important to take E, as well as other antioxidants as a safeguard against this process.

Posted by NoTellin:

Interesting, then you don't really need a Vit E supplement to prevent oxidation unless you are taking 3+ mg daily. And the Vit E does not help with Omega-3 absorbtion?

Posted by Meljgrey:

No. Vitamin E is useful at any level, but serious oxidation risk begins with higher quantities.

Luvmykids0239342.7748032407Copied from the old Omegas Thread

Posted by NoTellin:

meljgrey.

You said 'VegEPA, because of its purity and lack of DHA, you actually only need 2 capsules to be effective.' Does this mean that the DHA counters the effectiveness of the EPA? I think I recall reading something to this effect.

Regarding the VegEPA, when you break open the capsule and mix it with juice, does it stick to the sides of the glass, or does it disolve in the liquid. I have this problem with melatonin.

Posted by Meljgrey:

Yes. Lipid researchers believe that DHA actually competes with EPA for absorbtion with some believing DHA to be more detrimental than just that.

With regard to mixing, we have not had a problem with oil sticking to the side, though if that were a concern, you might consider using peanut butter instead.

Thanks cynthia, a couple of additions:

* it is important to get a pharmaceutical brand of Omegas

* just one issue mentioned above about mixing supplements with peanut butter - we were doing that but according to our ND, it is less easily absorbed into the system (b/c of the protein in the peanut butter)

I have been giving my Bubby the evening primrose oil from the start of all this. I can't say exactly how much it helps, but somehow the combo of it all is working great.

I clip the capsules of that and the flax with the scissors and let him just suck it out, then take a swallow of juice or tea. He does great with it.... so far.

So if the EPA is to be higher, how low should the DHA be? The one I was going to order has 1500 EPA and 750 DHA... is that too high for the DHA? Like the other mama, I don't want to get the wrong one... can't afford that- financially and otherwise... sarahandbabies - Well I hate to tell you this but that ratio would be about 2:1, too high on the DHA unless you talking about a child who is four years old or younger. Check out NoTellin's list for the highest EPA ratio you can get in the US. No you don't want to waste that much time, take my word for it. Stick to one on that list for the best results. cynthiatweedle38788.9087615741

Ok so I just want to make sure I am understanding this all right. My son is just 4 and weighs less than 40lbs. I want a 2:1 EPA / DHA ratio? Such as 1500 / 750 .

Hope you don't mind but off the topic a little I just want to say how much I love this site. I have learned so much. Had our 1st and probably last visit with a psychologist Friday and the only thing I got from him was natual remedies don't last and I will eventually be placing my child on meds. Thanks for so much. Clap

Mitchann - there is no set amount that I know of for the DHA. All we know is that it is good for a developing brain. I think a 2:1 ratio would be fine though.

I can't for the life of me see why they would put a 4 year old on meds unless they are really bad off. Now's the time to try everything while you have still time.

I will also post this on the magnesium board. I love the scientific facts, rather than regular Google searches, because it seems many of the sites have some sort of an agenda. You can search for ADHD and mangesium, and ADHD and omega, and a wealth of studies come up.

PubMed has all the scientific studies, and all you have to do is type in the search bar what you are looking for, and wala!

http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi

Has anyone ordered the Country Life Mood? I ask because when I look at the bottle on their website it is actually for their regular Omega-3 formula (which we already have and it has only 180 EPA). I know the description next to the bottle describes the high EPA formula so I'm a bit confused. Also the very low price (compared to iherb) makes me wonder if it is not just the regular Omega 3 formula. On iherb the bottle looks different. Have I confused you yet?!? Sorry if this is not clear. I just don't want to place an order and get the wrong product. I sent an email to the company last night asking for clarification, but have not heard back. Luvmykids0239079.5629861111

Good observation busymama5. I hope they respond to your email. Vitacost has is for .59.

If you go to the Country Life website, they have a store locator. Whole Foods came up for me (who knows how much they charge....).

Luvmykids0239079.56375NoTellen, I cut the tip of the capsule with a scissors, which flew across the room to who knows were :-) and poured it easily out into 1/2 a small juice glass of orange juice and whisked it with a small fork. Seemed to mix well, with not much to speak of left on the sides after I poured the whole thing out. Just to be sure your little one gets it all though, you might rinse the glass again with a little juice to drink again. Sort of on the idea of an oil and vinegar dressing, you have to shake or whisk it to mix it before using. It did not smell terribly fishy either, which was nice. I did not have the courage to drink it though.

So, many kudos the little guys who do with no complaints.

calicorose, Country-Life Omega 3 Mood has 20 IU vitamin E in it. This is enough. No need to supplement add'l Vitamin E.

Would you mind opening a capsule, mix it with juice, and tell me if that seems to work out? I'm wondering if the oil comes out of the capsule ok, and if it sticks to the sides of the cup.

This is such wonderful information! Two issues I have to bounce around.

I have not seen addressed, though, is if we find the oils work, do our kids need to stay on them for how long, forever? Same for the vit E, are daily doses of 1000 - 2000 IU per day safe for children?

I could not wait for my Nauticals to come in, and I found the CountryLife Omega 3 Mood, which has the 5:1 ratio of EPA/DHA. I am excited to start the Booger on them! I actually started them myself.....

To address your question about Omegas..... they stay on them for the rest of their lives (if they so choose as adults). I am on them as well (w/o ADHD) but just a lower dosage. Vitamin E helps the oil absorb and some formulas add it in already (Nordic Naturals, for instance).Calicorose - One study showed that Vitamin E may be dangerous in high doses for both adults and children. An adult should not exceed 400 mgs and it has been recommended on another site that children should not exceed 200 mgs. Actually 100 mgs is more than enough for the purposes of using with fish oil. Google Vitamin E and safe for more information regarding safety.

Although the Oxford-Durham study said the improvements remained, we don't know for how long. Posts on this board indicate when they stopped the fish oil the improvements stopped after awhile. So keep taking them.

All I can say is that in the UK studies they seem to always use primrose oil and there they more apt to have it their fish oil that the US. However, so far I haven't seen anything as to why they use it in the studies.

I found some information about on the net that says our bodies can make GLA but some say it doesn't make enough or else that 20 percent of the population can't make it at all. So, for some using evening primrose or borage oil may be very important.

I think I'll try it without the additional GLA and see what happens. I would suggest that anyone research it first to check out possible side effects.

You can also take Borage Oil for GLA -- we take a combo of Cod Liver, Flax Seed and Borage Oils to get all of our Omegas.mitchann -- just wanted to add that our almost 4 year old has been on both Omegas and Magnesium (as well as some amino acids we added in around Thanksgiving time) for almost a year now and we have seen vast improvements! Good luck! Lynnmc - Yes I bought the omega3 joy as it does have the 7:1 ratio, pharmaceutical grade and at least some of us think looks like the best buy. I haven't received it yet because it is made in Canada, so it may be another week before I receive it. Something to consider when re-ordering. When I do receive it I will test it out, open it, taste it and post about here. So, keep an eye for that. I believe NoTellin as well as one other person has also purchased the same so ya'll will have three geunie (sp) pigs to try it and make our reviews of it. So, hoping for good results.

You are lucky that she has no problem swallowing them. So many do. Keep the faith! Cynthia

Edited to add: I have updated the list to try to keep current on new finds for the 7:1 ratio and other good stuff.
cynthiatweedle38797.5773032407

Omegabrite also has capsules. 3 capsules= 1050mg EPA, 150mg DHA, 3 IU of Vitamin E. The ratio is 7:1 EPA/DHA. They can only be bought online @

omegabrite.com

iamkimsmom~ How long did it take you to see results? Are you giving any other supplements or meds? How much are these?

I cut mine open and empty them into juice. I wound up using 2 tablets daily because I lost some when I cut open the tips, and more on the sides of the cup. My child is 50 lbs.

Hi Friends -

I just received my anxiously awaited package of O3Mega + Joy and I'm not sure how much to give my son. He's 6 yrs old and weighs approx 58 lbs. Do I give him the adult dosage of 2 capsules a day? If so, is one in the morning and one at night a good idea? Any advice from current users would be greatly approciated.

Thanks,

Debi K

Debik - I give my granddaughter two capsules and she weights 61 pounds. I think No Tellin is right. With the loss of some of the liquid, 2 capsules will probably be about right.

Thoughtful - Thanks for the research and information! Cynthia

Does anyone know....

I did some reading on the links that thoughtful had provided (thank you!!), and went from there. Of the two oils that were "recommended/used" for the studies, what was on their websites was to recommend they did a higher dose at first, then to the maintenance levels we are now assuming we should be at. But, there was no specific on what the UP levels should be at first. Anyone have a clue???

calicorose - I think the up level for older children and adults is 1000 mg of EPA and for younger children around 500 mg of EPA. Or that's my sense of it. The specifics differ according to the authority and study. Also, although it has been said one can lower the dosage after they reach their full potential, that is not true for every child. Some children will need to stay with the up level and there is not way to tell except to experiment if you choose to. I think you need to study the information and then and use your own judgement. All of this is in an experimental stage.

Meljgrey who used to post here has a website that gives dosages. I'll see if I can find the link. Cynthia

My 4yr old son has been drinking his omega fish oil every morning for about 3 weeks now. And for the last 2 weeks has had horrible gas, horrible for everyone around him that is. Dead Course being male, he thinks it is the funniest thing ever. Daddy, male also, doesn't help by laughing and joking about it too. Wondering if anyone else has ran into this?

I was going to try to have him take it in the evening and see if it makes a difference, but I work evenings and would leave the responcibility of giving it to him to my 13 yr daughter or daddy, no gaurentee either one would remember (or want to bother) with it every night, not that it is that difficult. &n bsp; &n bsp; &n bsp; Any chance this is just a phase and will "pass" (excuss the pun Embarrassed ) ?

Mitchann,

We have not had that problem with the fish oil, but I can totally relate to boys who find that particular activity highly amusing! Which brand are you using?

We all need to take in more good fats and less refined carbs. The older you are the more you need. Cook with them also is another way to get these in a family members diet also helps. Just a idea.

We all need to supplement today in all areas cause the plants today are lacking in proper amount of nutrition which why we are not getting enough. Organic ones are best!

oldtimer38815.8759143519We have not yet received our bottle of the liquid. Hopefully at some point this week, as I am very anxious to try it for my son who refuses the capsules. If I read the info. correctly, there will be 160 servings (1/4 tsp. for a child)! I will be sure to post results.Thanks Busymama! Also please let us know if it says it is the same ratio as the capsules. I am assuming it does, but I didn't see it in the information. This sounds like a really good deal! Cynthia

Each 1/2 teaspoon (2.5mL) of o3mega+ joy contains:

                          EPA-rich triple fish oil concentrate (from anchovy,
                          sardines and mackerel)2,157 mg
                          EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)1,050 mg
                          DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)50 mg
                          In a base of natural Vitamin E and rosemary extract.
                          Other ingredients:
                          Natural flavour blend129 mg
                          Ascorbyl palmitate, citric acid.

Adult Dosage: To improve your mood & well-being, take 1/2
teaspoon (2.5mL) of o3mega+ joy daily with a meal.

You're welcome and good luck on the omegas. LOL

cynthiatweedle38809.0148032407This is pretty much all I could find on the topic of puberty and melatonin.

“Girls are reaching puberty much earlier than in the 1950s. One reason is due to their average increase in weight; but another may be due to reduced levels of melatonin,” suggests Roberto Salti, who led the study. “Animal studies have shown that low melatonin levels have an important role in promoting an early onset of puberty.”

Thanks for looking that up, Cynthia. That's interesting. I had read about the extra weight signalling the body that it was time to start producing the hormones and starting puberty in girls at too early of an age. Makes sense doesn't it?

My boys will take melatonin some times and when I read that post I had some horrifying thoughts, and well lets just say I wouldn't want any problems in that area.

So far so good, we're remembering to take the omegas anyway. What 3 days now but hey that's good for me.

2XADHD -- Thanks! I hear you. It is expensive but if it works it's worth it, I think. I think I'll google for that information on puberty and melatonin. Yes I know omegas thin the blood but I wonder how much is too much. Probably up into the grams. But I'll see if I can find anything on that. Cynthia cynthiatweedle38808.7756481481So... if my son is not zinc deficient he does not need the evening primrose oil. I wonder about that. He was adopted from Russia (Siberia) at age 3, now age 8. When we got him his hair was like cotton candy and his finger nails were dented and like tissue paper. I started him on Usana vitamins and saw quick improvemets. His dull sallow complexion turned a sort of golden color and his hair is now like fine silk. I know there is no zinc in his suppliments today. He is currently on Attention by liquid health as we wait for our Omega Joy and Attend to arrive. I will research further on zinc deficiency.
Boni
Ok so some of us have started the oils. Anybody ready with an update? I am waiting for my Omega Joy. I also sent for the Attend 3 pack. Now I am looking for evening primrose. The ones I find seen to have way more than the 60 suggested in the Durham study. Has anybody found any that come in that dosage? I would not mind a little higher but I am finding like 500!! Hi,

A question regarding Omegas...does the child need to have a clean diet for the Omegas to be effective? I try really hard, but as soon as I leave the house, my husband starts giving him any junk he wants to eat.

Thanks!
Ceek - Food doesn't make any difference unless there are food senstivities or allergies. Some children have reactions to such things as red food dyes and sugar. If that is the case it may be hard to tell if the omegas are working. If you should notice a difference after the junk food then there may be food issues. Otherwise, you should be Ok with what you alone are doing. The diet should generally be good or a good as they will eat. But an occasional off time won't hurt. Cynthia I am SO glad to finally read that someone else is using Eyr Q as well!!! I am continuing to read about epa/dha ratios and am very much interested in exploring whether a higher ratio of epa (up to 1000mg) will help with inattention. I posted on this site back in July of '05 after having read the Durham study. My son has been taking Eye Q with excellent results. In December we thought that we would try NutraSea Omegas just to see if a higher epa oil would be better. We gave it two months time to see if there were any changes. For our son, the change could be seen very quickly. He developed an "edginess" once again and so it is with much relief and happiness that we are now back on Eye Q. We continue to use 3 caps. in both the morning and evening, along with magnesium, zinc, and vit C. The change in him is so great...very calm..."mellow" is the word!!! But... we still continue to have some issues with inattention. His teacher said that he is "distracted by himself"...picking at things, playing with pencils, and entertaining himself. He is headed for 6th grade in the fall and I hope that some of these issues start to clear. This website has been wonderful and such a great place for all of us to learn...God bless you all! MayaThe only thing I would add regarding diet is that if you take your Omegas (or give them) with protein, they are not as effective. The body will not absorb as well. Try giving a half hour before eating. And, of course, an optimal diet is great for all of us, but it's understandable that kids want a treat from time to time!

[QUOTE=BL Moretti] Ok so some of us have started the oils. Anybody ready with an
update? I am waiting for my Omega Joy. I also sent for the
Attend 3 pack. Now I am looking for evening primrose. The
ones I find seen to have way more than the 60 suggested in the Durham
study. Has anybody found any that come in that dosage? I
would not mind a little higher but I am finding like 500!!
[/QUOTE]

Since the addition of the Omega oils is really a cumulative effect, i.e the effect occur over some weeks,
one might consider giving the capsule ever 2nd or every 3rd day if you want to reduce the dosage.
This will let you fine tune the dosage.

[A Note: Stoll, a Harvard psychiatrist. who has done studies
of Salmon oil and depression - has suggested that you may have to give up to
8 gms/day to get good results in depression.
[If you think of societies which eat lots of fish
and have, in general good mental health, this would suggest that we have a high tolerance to lots of Omega
oils. ]

I know it has been only a short time (four days) that I have had my son on the Omega Joy but.. in the morning as I wait for his meds to kick in he is worse than ever. Sooo silly with lots of chatter and baby talk. Anybod esle experience this? BL, I just think it means he feels good and is happy! Just getting his jumpies out before the meds kick in, huh?

Well that would be a good thing then! I will keep you posted. I do think the zinc has taeken an edge off his quick frustration level! How old is your child? how much zinc do you give?I started with a liquid from Cal/mag/zinc from Biometics it has 15 mg zinc and 400 mag. He got so he did not like it and he is a good pill taker so I switched to a capsule by Solaray with 30 mg. And A mag capsule by Countrylife with 300 mg. I chose those because they had the smallest capsule size. He is only 8. After a week I noticed a difference in his frustration level. Then he refused the liquid for a couple days and the frustration came back! I bought the capsules and things got better again. He is Russian and has a temper anyway but he is much more level now. So now... If I could just slow him down and cut the silliness in half, life would be great!
I found a study that says many children from orphanages are lacking in zinc and it causes rashes and small stature and ADHD like symptoms.That is my boy!
I also started my other Russian son on Natures way zinc lozenges. He does not have the behavior but he is small and very rashy!
Goodluck I think eventually we can piece the puzzle together with help for these kids that makes sense!
You are welcome, my head is spinning with the amount of information. I just recieved info on a study in Australia that also tested the Omega 3 and primrose oil. I will post it here although the source is one I am not familiar with.
My son is taking concerta and I am hoping to back off of it once school gets out. The only time I can tell whether or not the suppliments are working is morning and to some extent evening.
Anyway... this morning, after 3 bad ones , was great! Way less silliness and a real effort to get a good breakfast in his calorie starved body. Took his suppliments and meds with out being told 20 times!!! Even rememberd to go over spellling in the car!

Here is the info I got on the Australian study. It came from the Hypinol people
and I do not know much about them but I have to wonder why Omega
is not in their ADHD cure!!!

"Fish oil 'helps calm ADHD children"
By Janelle Miles
16-08-2005
From: AAP

A DAILY dose of fish oil helps calm children with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), an Australian study suggests.

PhD psychology student, Natalie Sinn, of the University of South
Australia and CSIRO Nutrition, studied 145 children aged seven
to 12 with ADHD over 15 weeks. Half were given a commercially
available dietary supplement containing a combination of fish oil
and evening primrose oil, in a ratio of four to one. The other
group took a placebo – an inactive treatment. In what is known
as a double-blind study, parents, children and researchers did
not know whether children were taking the daily fish oil capsules
or the placebo. Ms. Sinn said when parents were later questioned,
children on the active fish oil capsules, rich in omega-3 fatty
acids, showed improvements in attention, behavior and
vocabulary. "They were able to concentrate better, they were
calmer, less impulsive, that sort of thing," Ms. Sinn said. "The
same improvements were not reported from children who took
the placebo." When the placebo group switched to the fish oil
capsules for a further 15 weeks, they showed similar benefits.
Children recruited into the study were not taking medication for
their ADHD. They were given just under a gram of fish oil a day
in the trial. Ms Sinn said 60 per cent of the brain was composed
of fats, the most important being omega-3 fatty acids, such as
those found in fish oil, and omega-6, like those in evening
primrose oil. She said many people in western societies were
deficient in the omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in dark
leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and oily fish. "There's a growing
body of research that's finding evidence of links between
omega-3 deficiency and mental health problems like depression
and schizophrenia," Ms. Sinn said. "Research is also suggesting
that some children with developmental problems, including ADHD
and dyslexia, can benefit from taking omega-3 supplements."
Ms. Sinn said no adverse effects had been reported to date. By
comparison, Ritalin – a drug commonly used to treat ADHD – has
been linked to suicidal thoughts, hallucinations, aggressive and
violent behaviour and heart problems. Ms. Sinn said the fish oil in
her study had higher concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid
(EPA) to docosahexaenoic acid (DPA). "Researchers are starting
to think that perhaps EPA is the important one," she explained.
The Adelaide-based researcher urged general practitioners,
psychologists and psychiatrists to take the research on board as
evidence about the benefits of fish oil accumulates. Ms. Sinn
presented her research in Melbourne today at the State Library
of Victoria.

Nordic Naturals has a liquid form of Omegas called Berry Keen--it contains no artificial colors or flavors. The Berry Keen contains only 205 mg. of EPA for 1/2 tsp. so you would have to give several tsp. for theraputic dose.

The Nordic Naturals EPA is what I bought yesterday. The kid flavors have too much DHA though - I'm only at 4.5:1 ratio right now as it is. My goal is to find a 7:1 or higher ratio that he'll swallow, but I wanted to start something right away and not wait for a company to ship.

Thanks
I read this entire thread 2 days ago and went out and bought OmegaEPA yesterday.

My 6 y/o tried to swallow the pill but was gagging too much, so I pierced it and mixed it with liquid. He had no problem with that. I did however. My fingers smelled like fish the rest of the day and so did his breath. Gross. I tried to mix it with pudding but that didn't work either.

It seems that all of the kid-friendly Omegas have artificial flavors which he can not have at all.

Any ideas what we can do?
i take the concentrated fish oil gel tabs from costco. i don't get any backfire taste at all.Does opening the capsule and putting it in juice cause it to repeat on you? I ordered some that are enteric coated, but someone said that it interferes with absorption. i took fish oils myself a couple of years ago and it repeated on me terribly. I don't want my son to have the same problem. do you mean fish burps? You can eliminate those by refridgerating your fish oil.Yes, I guess I mean fish burps. That's funny. Thanks for the info. I have noticed too, that the higher quality fish oils do not "repeat" or burp back nearly as much as the regular brands. They will come back at you if they are rancid too, I've read. We take ours at night, and it's not a problem at all. The Omega Joy has no smell and my son says they do not make him burp of taste fish. I wonder how much of it is absorbed before it just passes on through!! The effectiveness of the oils builds up over time, so I wouldn't think it would matter what time of day they were given. We all take ours in the evenings.I also ordered the high EPA ones from papnature.com but haven't received them yet. Does anybody have any feedback on them? I know I read that someone else ordered them also.

Does it matter if i give half omega 3 in morning and half at night? Do you think it would make a differnce if i gave it all in the mornings. Just a Question. thanks

Yes, I think the price is pretty amazing! I was getting ready to buy some more o3mega joy, but I think I will give this a try instead. Seems a hard deal to pass up!

Also, today we got our liquid o3mega joy and gave my anti-pill son his first dose. I will tell you this stuff has a much stronger smell than what he's been taking (Natural Factors liquid). Both are orange flavored but the new one also has a fish smell, which the other doesn't. He drank it down, then paused and looked in the medicine cup, but never said a word! I hadn't told him we were changing oils since he does not handle changes very well. I will post on any changes I notice in him.

BusyMama - If you buy the new stuff and you think it checks out Ok, I may follow you and laugh all the way to the bank.

What a neat kid you have not to say a word at the change. Wow. I wish my granddaughter was more like that. CT
Thanks Busymama! The information says • Pharmaceutical grade concentrate from cold water fish (anchovies and sardines). The price is amazing! cynthiatweedle38828.275625

Look what I just found on iherb (now called papanature, I guess). Another high EPA formula! It's by Nature's Way called EFA Gold Mood Aid. Two capsules contain 1,020 EPA and 50 DHA.

Luvmykids0239079.7601041667Boni - They used 60 mgs of primrose oil in the Oxford Durham study. Hi I have a son, age 8 with ADHD. More the HD part than anything.
I have been lurking and trying o absorb the oil info.
My son is taking concerta now and I am preparing to try Oils (I purchased the Omega -joy) and already have started Calcium/magnesium/zinc from Biometics.
My question is this... Has anyone added evening primrose oil to the mix?
If so what brand and dosage?
Any new updates on progress? Some of you have been using the oils for three weeks.
Thanks for all the info.
Boni
Thank you, cynthiatweedle...and speaking of food sensitivities, have you heard of this Immuno Bloodprint? These are tests for food allergies. I have a brochure, and i did a quick internet search and it looks liek a test you can do at home (purchase price: 0 or something like that). If you've heard of it, do you know...is this something you can do in a dcotr's office? Ceek - I am not familiar with the testing but have read that others on the board have had the test done in a doctor's office. Try starting a new thread with "tests for food sensitivities" or something like that. This way those with the experience can find you. Cynthia you have to read the labels , all the reports indicate that a high ratio of EPA works best

[QUOTE=sdinenno]What about cod liver oil? Is that a good way to get the Omega fatty acids?[/QUOTE]

Yes, but it won't get them all....... we take Cod Liver Oil by Nordic Naturals, Vita Nutrients Ultra Pure Fish Oil, Flax Seed Oil, and Borage Oil!

"The Belgian Health Council advises taking 0.4 mg a-tocopherol equivalents (aTE - vitamin E) per gram PUFA to minimise peroxidation. Good fish oil supplements already contain vitamin E."

Vit E does not help with absorption. It prevents peroxidation, and 40 IU in the multi-vitamin is fine.

NoTellin38848.6653356481Thanks that is the answer to that question. Now.. any body want to chime in on where the lost socks go?

~bump for newbie~Quick question about vitamin E and omega 3's. How much vitamin E should you give? My son is 11. His multi vitamin has 40iu vitamin E. Do I count that? Thanks for any help!!!!Thoughtful can probably tell us about vitamin E but, it was my understanding that vitamin e helps with the absorption of the omega oils. Specfically EPA. All the oil combinations seem to have vitamin E added or maybe it is just a bi product of the oils. Has anyone tried the O3mega-Joy Liquid? If so, do you(or your child) like it and are you impressed with results. We are almost out of the Omega 3 mood(with great results) but I would like to switch over to a liquid because it's easier.

I noticed that it's also for sale on Amazon.com

Thanks
Jenny

Good morning!! Ok, quick question, my son started to get off his meds during vacation and i started on supplements a couple of days before that. Anyway, the Omegas I was giving him were not the right ratio so I ordered the Omega 3 mood. The problem is not the size of the pill, my 7 yr old is a very good pill taker, but it says 2 a day, do you give your child 2 in the morning or 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening? I was also giving him Calcium magnesium which I found out from the posts is not right either. I didn't see a difference at all, actually he was worse. But now I know why cause the Calcium won over the Magnesium. I did read about the Floradix Magnesium Liquid, where could I purchase this? I am ready to pull out my hair again with him off of his meds completely and the supplements not making a difference. He is just out of control. I feel bad for his teacher cause I know she is just throwing up her hands, but knows that we are trying on our end. HELP!!!!

depends on the ageI know there were some questions awhile ago about the size of Omega pills. I just got the ones recommended by Puri. These are the ones with only EPA and evening primrose. They are called Vegepa. Anyway they are much smaller than the Omega Joy we have been using. The dosage is two a day for under 12. I do not know about breaking one open as my DS is a great pill taker. There is no fish smell, however I have not broken it open. They came all the way from the UK in less than a week!

I have learned so much from all your responses and experiences. My son is 16 now, dx with ADD 2 years ago. On Adderall during the school year, but not on weekends or summer (dr supports this). I decided to try Omegas and just received the Omega3 Joy yesterday so I'm excited to begin.

Does it sound reasonable to have him take 2 capsules each day? Is it better to take both at once or split them up? Morning or evening better?

Also - dh is adhd and on Concerta. I wondered if the Omegas would be beneficial for him too. Anyone have any experience with adults taking Omega3 Joy?

Thanks everyone - this is an awesome source of information!!

Welcome! Omegas are mood stabilizers so it makes sense for anyone (everyone) to take them!

I would up that dose! My son was on three Omega Joy a day, 1500 mg EPA and I switched to VEGEPA, 560 pure EPA with evening primrose. The dose for VEGEPA was much lower and did not work as well. When I doubled it we were back in business.

Also if you read the website for Eye-Q you will find they suggest a high theraputic dose for three months. Do not expect results for at least a month.

Oh anothet thing! I went to a naturopath yesterday and showed her the omega joy, vegepa and nordic natural epa. She said all were fine for our purpose and suggested a hight theraputic dose for the forst 3 months.

What is considered a theraputic dose ? My son has been on Omega joy for about a month, a 1/4 tsp with 500 mg epa and one evening primrose pill with 50 mg of GLA

He has so called pictures and video too. The only thing, in the ones he sent to CNN he was only doing 1000. In that video he was also using his hands a bit to help push, and he had spotters holding onto the machine. He didn't get a full range of motion and his form was crazy. All of that adds up to almost, but NOT. I am not knocking him and sure he is in great shape, but let us not go overboard! I hope no other senior decide to gulp some vitamins and think they are going to do "the Pat".

mom2Bal,

How long did it take for you to see results on the omega 3 mood?

Are you useing magnesium also.

thanks

[QUOTE=AmbersMom]

mom2Bal,

How long did it take for you to see results on the omega 3 mood?

Are you useing magnesium also.

thanks

[/QUOTE]

Within a week. He's been calm and attentive - even his teacher made a note of it in his report home - he's been in green mostly(a few yellow days) - not one red day! Pretty amazing! At home, he's also been more cooperative and happy! I *think* that he's been on it for almost 4 weeks now. He is also taking the Floradix Magnesium Liquid.

Around the same time, we started a responsibilty chart that he loves. For every row he fills up with stars(or something positive) - at the end of the week, he gets to pick out a treat out of the treasure bowl(filled with stickers, gum and other silly things). He loves this and really enjoys it!

Anyway, I'm thrilled with how things are going and hope it continues... We are set to have an ADHD eval. in a couple of weeks. I'm thinking that he's going to be looking pretty good for that eval

Thanks to all on this board!

Good luck!

Jenny
Calicorose I do remember you saying you used it. I think there was someone else too. I believe they were just using it for their son. I remember she was Canadian. That's how I found out it may be available here in my town. It was made by Jamieson vitamins.

lovemyboy

I think it was me Jamieson brand omega calm has the same ratio's of fatty acids as Omega joy but it's about 10 $ cheaper per bottle in Canada.

I have not switched my son because the omega joy has not run out yet.

I started him on Omega Joy in May along with one evening primrose gel tab. He is now off his meds for the summer. He is much calmer and less hyper for sure the last couple of weeks. I dont know if he is maturing ( he is 12) or if the Omegas really do work.

He has been so good that we plan on sending him back to school with out his concerta.

Lots of exercise is the key for my guy. Only small amounts of time allowed on the computer or playing gamecube.

A full day of playing and you wouldn't know he had ADHD !!

It may have been you. Even though O3mega joy is on sale at Zellers now, it is normally per bottle. Omega 3 calm by Jamieson is . Maybe I should add evening primrose oil.

Brandon seems still hyper at times. Sometimes he is calmer.

Lots of exercise helps Brandon too.

He does love to play on the computer though. I would like to find some other interests for him.

Soetimes we read or play board games.

My update.

My son Liam is 7 years old and going into the second grade. He had (has) severe meltdowns, anxiety and depression, in addition to ADHD. I put him on the Feingold Diet (www.feingold.org - removes preservatives, additives, etc) in Nov. 2005 and the meltdowns, anxiety, depression disappeared within 6 days. The hyperactivity got somewhat better, the focusing problems in school were unchanged.

I came here back in May and started him on O3mega+Joy which is a 20:1 ratio. It's been about 3 months now and I really haven't seen much of a change. There was one week that he did not take the fishoil back in July when we went on vacation and I forgot to pack it.

School starts next Monday (the 14th) and I guess that will be the big test. I was really hoping this would work.
Samae, have you looked at the Magnesium thread? We added Omegas first and gave that about 6 weeks then added in the magnesiume (which is where we saw the most difference). We now work with a Naturopathic Doctor and have also added in some amino acids..... No I hadn't because I thought magnesium was mostly for hyperactivity and the biggest problem we have now is focusing. I just read that entire thread and will go pick up some magnesium tomorrow.

Hopefully we'll see an effect relatively quickly. I've run out of things to try :( Samae38936.6782060185I give my son certain supplements at breakfast and some at dinner.
I give him Omega Brite right at dinner. The directions on the box
suggest taking it with a meal. Since I have to give him Calm PRT
right when he gets up and then want to give him his multivitamin
after breakfast, I figure thats enough for one morning since he has a
sensitive stomach.

I don't think it matters when they take the omegas as long as they
are absorbed with a meal. Also I am considering giving him
magnesium as soon as I have confirm with his dr. it is ok so then he
can take that with the omegas at night which won't conflict with his
multivitamin for absorption. I figure giving the supplements during
two meals in the same day is maybe better than all at once especially
for a sensitive stomach. Well I started my son on Omega Joy around the first of May. Switched to VEGEPA and then started both, on in the AM and the other in PM. As soon as school got out I started lowering his meds and three days ago I took him off completely! In addition I give him magnesium and zinc and I have cut out dairy, msg, asparatame and red dye. We have cut way back on sugar as well We are just a few days away from the 3 month mark.
Anyway... he has been at camp these three days and with no problems. I know that camp is not like school. But I asked if anyone had had to ask him to quiet down or slow down and he said no.
Someone asked if the oils help with hyperactivity. Well that is what I have with my son he does not have much of the attention problems. He can pay attention and do two other things!!! It is really hyperness that is his problem.
I finally got some cash, so I ordered the Country Life Omega Mood from the Vitamin Shoppe. I also got some magnesium, zinc and a multi vitamin. I wish that I could have afforded to give my kids this all summer so that they would be ready for school, but the funds just were not available. It is not cheap trying to help our babies, is it?? Hopefully, by Christmas, I will see some good things happening.

Not sure what you paid for the omega 3 mood at the vitamin shoppe, but online i just bought it for 13.29 plus a extra 5% off because that brands was onsale. I got it from Vitacoast.com

What multivitamin Did You purchase?

Hi! I don't know if I got the best deals or the best things, I just got tired of researching and figured I would start somewhere. I need help myself, lol. Anyway I paid .99 for a 90 softgels of Omega 3 Mood. I got a bottle of their (Vitamin Shoppe) liquid children multi vitamin, Zinc picolinate by Solgar, and their brand of magnesium citrate tablets. I hope that if I go to the Vitamin Shoppe (about 20 minutes or more) from me that I can find these same things. If not, I will just keep ordering. I hope I got some decent things. My mom, me and my 2 kids will be on it. I will be giving my youngest 2 the multi.

I do have a question. What type of omegas would anyone suggest that I buy for my 1 year old. I would love a name brand and place to get it. Thanks!!!!

Anyone use the Costco Kirland Omega 3???

Dha is even in puppy food also.

Daniel can't do fish oils he has a fish allergie. He can have seafoods though.

Wish we all new this when pregnant.

oldtimer38923.5829050926

OK...I just got into this, and it is great info! My son is almost 6 and was diagnosed last May with ADHD. His father and I refused to throw him on Rx meds. I began research into fish oil and after reading this forum, I ran out and bought Nordic Naturals EPA 1200mg (900mg EPA, 200mg DHA). One question I have is that the soft gels are so big! What is the best way to have him take these? We had him on the Children's DHA soft gels and he did ok by chewing them, but they were tiny compared to these! Any suggestions???

i've been on omega mood joy from country life and i notice that it's been keeping me in good mood as of late. i started taking them in april and i have to thank the people on this sight for getting me to start taking the omegas.omegas also, from what i read, can thin the blood. i notice that my blood pressure has gone down to 110 over 65 from 145 over 85 before i started taking adderall in january. i take adderall xr 40 mgs a day. i asked my doctor if i should worry about my blood pressure being too low since adderall should raise it, if anything. he assured me my blood pressure is just fine so i'll just keep taking my fish pills and enjoying life!!

i hear you can puncture the softgels and squeeze the oil in to water! try that!!

Some parents snip the tip and pour in into something like juice, pudding or applesauce. If the caps are very smooth, you might give it a go, with him. I have trouble with some, and these went down fine for me. The studies have been done with the 7:1 ratio, so if you are going to be snipping, you might think about upping the ratio for the next bottle. 03Mega+joy is a great brand. (7:1) We did not start to see results with anything less than the 5:1 ratio of the Omega3 Mood by Country Life which we found locally. There is also the VegEpa that is pure EPA with some evening primrose oil. This is the brand that was used in one of the studies. The higher the ratio the better. Don't even bother with a higher DHA ratio for any but the youngest set and for pregnancy, like OldTimer mentioned.

Remember, it can take up to 3 months before seeing the full effects.

[QUOTE=calicorose]

Remember, it can take up to 3 months before seeing the full effects.

[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the info...I just began looking up the 03Mea +joy...will probably switch after this bottle. He has been on some sort of fish oil since May and we have seen a slight change, but I had him on a different ratio of EPA and DHA... Hopefully I have it right this time ...school starts very soon!

I am also thankful i found this site. we have been useing the country life omega 3 mood also since april 1. so far this summer has been great. i cant wait to hear what the teachers say. It did take the 3 months for us though.

Now we need to work on my 8 year olds unreadable handwriting. Its a never ending battle. but in time i hope to see results with it also. i think she does have slit dyslexia. with her handwriting.

any suggestions. she will be in 3rd grade.

my handwriting hasn't improved since the third grade!! although it has improved slightly with the omegas or the adderall, i'm not sure which. one thing i noticed is that if i'm copying something down i can focus more on my writing and it's neater than usual. although when i'm doing math while i'm writing the mental processing i'm doing makes my handwriting look like crap again. watch your daughter write and see if it's worse when shes trying to figure and write at the same time.

jerbear, I stand corrected on the OMega3 Mood. It is higher than what I said earlier.

Both my son and I were on the higher DHA at the advice of the homeopath and the folks at the health food store. Guess the studies had not trickled down. Anywho, they did not do a thing till we went higher on the EPA, for mood that is. I'm sure the DHA products are still great for the other health benefits omegas offer.

FYI -

In regard to ratio of DHA/EPA EPA will turn into DHA when the body has had enough, while DHA will not turn into EPA. I believe that is the rational behind the higher ratio of EPA.

I have been readin all 32 pages, and I have noticed that Cynthia has not posted in awhile. I believe that the end of June was the 3 month mark for her granddaughter on omegas. I wonder how its going, or wher she has been? Her posts (as has everyones) have been very informing.

Southernbelle,

We do expect Cynthia back. Just not sure when. My understanding is she informed some members she would be gone for a while.

For sure, we miss her!!

Thanks for the info. I wish her well. Does anyone know about taking the omegas with a multivitiamin? I know that high doses of certin vitamins can be harmful. I just don't want to overdose on something. Also, what would be the correct dosage for a 6 year-old that weighs 47 pounds? Thanks for any help!Southernbelle, I haven't seen anything lately on a particular vitamin mentioned, they all seem to be different. There are many good children's multivitamins around, and docs say it's a good insurance for diet inconsistensies. YOu can take the omegas with the multi. You won't find them together. You might find some vit E in the omegas as a preservative, so keep that in mind when figuring the total. It's hard to overdose on the omegas. Heart patients take up to 6-10 grams a day. The standard dose is 1 gram per day. There is a multivitamin by Liquid Health called Attention You can get it online. I does not have Zinc but everything else and it is a liquid. I thought it was pretty nasty but my son took it just fine! Does anyone have experience with the omegas helping hyperactivity? I don't know if I have missed it, but it seem like the info states that it helps mood and focus. Just curious if anyone has had any luck. Thanks.

i've been on omega 3 mood for a few months now and i feel it has effected my mood especially during bowling, when i had a bad night i used to not talk the entire evening and dwell on it the next day. now i can enjoy myself no matter how i do.when i'm at work my co-workers ask me what i'm on because i seem to take stress better than i used to and my attitude is alot better(no one knows i'm on adderall either).i asked my psychiatrist if adderall has mood enhancing properties and he told me no so i guess it must be the omegas, magnesium and maybe the vitamin b complex i'm taking WOO HOO!!!

jerbear38915.766875Jerbear, that is great! I had the same with the omegas. Under stressfull moments, I felt like 'who cares!" Things were no big deal.has anyone notice a drop in blood pressure since using omega 3? mine was 130/80 before i started using omega 3 but after i started the adderall 15 xr, now it's at 110/65 and i'm on 40 mgs a day of adderall, which is supposed to raise blood pressure!!jerbear, the omegas are known for doing that! It thins the blood. One reason you should disclose to your physicians that you are taking ANY supplements, especially prior to any surgery, as it has a coumadin-like effect, as does vit E, and garlic supplements. Good question. [QUOTE=jerbear]has anyone notice a drop in blood pressure since using omega 3? mine was 130/80 before i started using omega 3 but after i started the adderall 15 xr, now it's at 110/65 and i'm on 40 mgs a day of adderall, which is supposed to raise blood pressure!![/QUOTE]

Hey, congratulations on the excellent drop in blood pressure from the Omega 3. My neighbour takes it for his blood pressure. Calicorose brought up a good point about medics needing to know about supplements; especially before surgery.
Can thinner blood pose any danger for kids?? Has anyone asked their pediatrician that one?I've read that taken in excess, it can be a problem. (some articles stated 3 grams and more) As always, it's a good idea to pass these things by your or your child's physician. I remember that someone said they were using Omega-3 calm for their son. Are you seeing good results?

Were you asking me? My son used it for about 4-6 weeks, and said that he was starting to see an increase in his ability to focus at school! I would like to have had him on the full three months, but we both stopped because of doing the other therapies. When I'm through with the Bender program, I want to go back on them. I really miss them.

Did Brandon have an eval this week with your naturopath? If so, how did it go, and what did she say about the cow's milk? Did you post his update somewhere and I missed it? Don't want to get this thread off topic. POst an update!

I think you may have jumped the gun in taking your son off his meds.

The Omegas take up to 3 months to "kick" in. The Oxford Durham test was, I think, 15 weeks. It included evening primrose oil and zinc as well.

The magnesium seems to be faster acting however that alone will probably not make the difference. In addition I have been told that medicated kids are much worse than ever until they adjust to being off the medication.

I started the omega just before the first of May and lowered my sons meds the following week and he is doing well but one day in all the morning chaos I totaly forgot his concerta. Wow!!! He was bouncing off the wall and got two cards pulled at school!! I knew it was too soon... I do see better mornings not quite as out of control, I am not just waiting for his meds to kick in like before. He also seems more organized than before.

As far as when you give the suppliments these are not like meds that work at a given time. These build up in your system so one at night and one in the morning or both in the morning will be fine. I am one in the morning and one in the evening just because I think they may absorb better that way. I give magnesium at night because it is calming.

My poor gut takes 5 pills in the morning and five at night. He is a trooper!
I just read the most ridiculous thing in Sports Illustrated: Pat Robertson,76, claims he leg-pressed a ton, twice as much as elite athletes can, thanks to a protein drink containing flax seed oil!! I'm the biggest proponant of flax seed oil I know, but even I think this is hokey. Come on, Pat!Oh dear now I am confused! I read the book by Basant Puri and bought the pure EPA suppliment I have been giving them to my son since the first of May. Now... on another line I hear about a book called the LCP Ssolution. I have not read the book only the opening page of the website, Anyway this book promotes DHA instead of EPA. I remember reading that the body turns EPA into DHA as needed. Has anyone read this book? Any comments? Will somone more scientific that I am pull up the book info and see what you think? Okay I am a little confused on what dosage may be helpful for my son. He is 11 and about 85 pounds. Does he need Omega 3's and Omega 's? How about Omega 9's? Also I assume due to his age I should get an Omega product with a EPA:DHA ratio of 7:1. I live in Canada so I need a really good product available here. He is off for the summer in about 2 weeks. He is off his med in the summer so I will really be able to see if the Omegas help him. I think I may add magnesium as well.Is there a specific brand anyone recommends? I now give my 12 year old Nordic Naturals which has more DHA and EPA.lovemyboy--I think the therapeutic dosage for 85 lbs would be 700 mg daily, pharmaceutical grade. You have more options in Canada for high-EPA products. Don't they sell VegEPA there?I got it from the UK in the mail and it came quite quickly. Well... I started my son on omega joy around the first of May. In weekly increments I started the Attend Strategy pack. Attend for a week and added Extress etc etc. About the third week of May I got VEGEPA, and replaced the omega joy with that. Somewhere in there, and this is why we should keep a log, I reduced his Concerta. Lately his mornings are more hyper and silly than ever.
I have been reading and the EyeQ website says to give a theraputic dose of Omega for the first three months. Another website, LCP Solution, says that it is DHA and not nessarily EPA. However Basant Puri says pure EPA is the key along with Evening primrose. We were all looking for a 7-1 ratio.
I think, however it is hard to tell for sure, that my son was doing better on the Omega Joy with the 7-1 ratiio.
Anyone have any thoughts?
I bought Omega-3 calm for him today. It has 510mg of EPA along with DHA. So I will give hin 2 capsules per day.Sounds too good to be true. I would check for sugar, red dye, asparatame and maybe MSG. If not then why not? Hi. I just had a question. has anyone tried coromega's???? They are supposed to be orange in flavor and more of a pudding texture in a small packet. Kids can eat it as is or add to pudding etc. I have not tried this, but want to find info on it. How is the EPA, etc. Also, we tried orange chewy omega (almost like starburst) are these ok??? Thanks.What about cod liver oil? Is that a good way to get the Omega fatty acids?I gave my 7 year old Omega Joy (20:1 ratio) fish oil pills starting on May 4th, so 3 weeks ago today. This morning I got this email from his 1st grade teacher:

"I wanted to tell you he surprised me with finishing a few assignments very quickly. One of them involved a lot of coloring, cutting and pasting. He finished it and then started cleaning the room!"

I'm almost scared to hope that this might be helping. BTW - he's on no medications (other then asthma meds) and has been on the Feingold Diet since November. Feingold Diet did wonders for his behavior & hyperactivity issues, but nothing at all for the ADD issues.

Wow that is so great! How hard was it to get him on the Feingold diet? I have decreased Meds and will stop this summer. I just don't know with travel and everything. I guess I'd better get the book!

Amazing! I'm so glad to hear things are going well for your son too!

My son had a full week in green(and last week was all green with one yellow day)

. He's doing so well. His teacher sent a note home today that he's doing great in school right now - she's thrilled too.

Jenny
DS 5.75 in Kindergarten

Is anyone adding evening primrose oil to their omega 3 supplements and if so how much.

The brand I am looking at is a 500 mg tab containing 50mg GLA.

We have been giving my 6 year old son the o3mega+joy for a somewhat unofficial diagnosis of ADHD from his counselor. But we are starting to think he has asperger's syndrome instead of or in addition to ADHD. I've read a little bit that fish oil also helps symptoms of asperger's, but I don't know if the dosing should be the same (7:1 ratio). He's been taking the fish oil for about 3 weeks, and we don't really want to quit or change the dose for at least 3 months to see if it helps. Has anyone done research on fish oil and asperger's. Also, does anyone know if there is a website similar to this for asperger's syndrome? We're trying to get him into a neurophycologist to know for sure what we're dealing with, but in the meantime, we want to keep using the fish oil to see if it helps any of his symptoms. How much evening primrose for a 8 year old. 61 pounds. i currently give omega 3 mood 1050 epa 150 dha. It will be 3 months the first of july takeing this i am wondering if adding the primrose would help see better results or if there is something else. Ive been wanting to add a better multi vit because the one i was giveing i thought had to much vit A for my child. i cant seem to find a adult 2 a day to try that doesnt have a high vit A and suggestions. thanksWell here is what has happened. Last May I started giving my son suppliments. Omega oils, magnesium, zinc. During this time I went to a naturopath and she added a few other suppliments and told me he was reacting to red dye, asparatame, MSG, sugar and dairy. Well that was a huge change. At the time he was taking 54 mg of concerta.

As school wound down I started weaning him off the concerta. We went from 54 to 36 to 18 and off in July. The summer passed and I worked on diet, and things were much better. He started school with no meds. After a couple of weeks I sent an e-mail to the teacher explaining our journey. It went very well and she was very supportive and impressed with what I was trying to do.

My son started coming home angry. He had problems with other kids blaming him for getting them in trouble. He was getting bad behavior grades and his papers were only half finished. He complained that there was not enough time. At home homework was a real chore. Last year this kid took great pride in no help with homework. This year he is falling off the stool and yelling at everyone.
I put him back on meds starting with 36 mg. Way too much!!! We took the weekend off and on monday I went to 27mg. Way too much! Now he is taking 18 mg and it is just right.

At first I felt I had somehow let him down in putting him back on. But... he is taking the tiniest dose possible and it does not have that huge effect on his appetite and he does not crash in the evening.

I will still keep looking I feel there is just a layer I am missing.
I will post this in a couple of threads I have been active in. Sorry if you see it more than once.
I am working with a new doctor who looks at the whole body and works on sensory issues, exercises sort of like crawling, diet and birth and childhood problems. He added minerals and amino acids. I will keep you posted.

Decisive

Dosages for children

Decisive characteristic Recommended daily dose

dyslexia and dyspraxia: 500 mg EPA/day

ADHD and autism: 1 g EPA/day

§ Current research uses supplements with an EPA/DHA ratio of at least 7/1.

§ The importance of a combined omega-3/omega-6 fatty acid supplementation cannot currently be precluded.

The addition of a daily dose of 50-100 mg GLA is a further option, especially if the patients are also suffering from eczema.

§ The Belgian Health Council advises taking 0.4 mg a-tocopherol equivalents (aTE - vitamin E) per gram PUFA to minimise peroxidation. Good fish oil supplements already contain vitamin E.

§ Fish liver supplements are not suitable because they are rich in vitamin A. To obtain high doses of EPA from fish liver supplements, you would be simultaneously consuming high doses of vitamin A.

Who benefits most from treatment with EPA?

There are a number of external characteristics that help determine the chance of success (table). Symptoms generally improve after 2 weeks to 3 months of supplementation. If there is no discernible improvement after three months, the patient is most likely not deficient in omega-3 fatty acids.

External characteristics of fatty acid deficiency:

§ excessive thirst

§ frequent urination

§ very dry skin and dry hair

§ anxiety and/or fits of anger

§ sleep problems (problems falling asleep and waking up)

§ eczema, asthma and other allergies

NoTellin38975.5235300926What would be a good omega product (or dha/epa ratio) for my 15 month old?this board is amazing i have gained much knowledge on the omegas right now i have my child on attentivedha for source naturals im not consistant but now i will be im going to look into the omega3mood or the joy one. my son has anger issures will this help calm him down and be less smartmouthed or anything. Hes on 18 mil of stattera but it doesnt seem to be helping with the anger problems or name calling problems, thanks again for this board wealth of info. i never beleived in homeopathic med but now im taking a big interest in it i just want the turmoil and pain to be out of this family for good gcrazywannacome Very interesting. Before my son was on EFA's, I had taken him to the doc to check him for diabeties.....he drank so much and urinated so much I was scared. I did not know that was a symptom of low EFA's. He still drinks alot, but I think tha tis because he is so active......LOLI have read through the Omega threads 5-6 times now and I am completely confused. I have a 4 year old who is extremely hyper, not sleeping at night, impulsive, but the doctors won't diagnose ADHD until he is 6 years old. The threads seem to contradict each other. Can anyone please take a second and recommend an appropriate dosage of EPA/DHA for a 4 year old? I would like to stay with the Nordic Naturals because of the flavoring and the kids think the DHA Jr.'s, which we have sampled, are candy. Is there anything else I should put him on that has helped 4 year old before? I also have a healthy 17 month old, is it recommended that I put him on DHA for healthy brain development? I am sorry for being so pitiful with this but I just don't understand the big picture behind it, I guess.

Bryson'sMom, I have not read the whole 34 pages, but I read enough to know a child under 4 needs more DHA than EPA, if any EPA at all. Untill they are over 5, then they need more EPA with low DHA. I could not tell you the amount for your child though. Are you sure you have read through all these pages? Because I picked up alot of info in just the 1st 4. It is still confusing with ratio's and mg's and all. Then you add the borage, flax, and all that......I would have to stay up and do some serious research....but I have learned for my son he is on the right stuff, thank goodness! I have seen major impovements too. I take all the stuff he takes also. Except the Learning factors oils. I take Fish, Flax and Borage every day.

I also heard lately that you have to give Zinc to help absorb the fish oils. I am going to have to look into that. I give Dillon extra Zinc if he is getting sick, but I am hoping that the amount in his multi vit is enough for absortion of the fish oil. Too much zinc is harmful, I know. And every EFA we take has at least 5 IU of vit E.

I also give Dillon Calcium/magnesium, it has been proven to help with ADHD. I take that too for stronger bones and healthy muscles.

And asidophilus is great for eveyone. It promotes good intestinal flora so you can absorb all the vitamins and minerals you eat or take. SOrry to get off the subject, but all this goes hand in hand really.

Thanks DllonsMom,

I gathered that too but if you read on, it states that equal amounts of DHA/EPA is better for a four year old. How old is your son? I wish I could find a mother of a four year old with the same symptoms that has had success with supplements and use what she his giving her child. Maybe it isn't that dry cut?

I just started giving Bryson asidophilus too. He has the white bumps on the back on his arms which indicates elevated levels of yeast. The probiotics are known to help with yeast which is known to cause hyperactivity.

Thank you for you reply . . . it puts me on the right track!

Hi does anybody know if EPA can be taken along with antidepressants and psycotropic drugs?Flax but you will need to research how much. In ways it could be better less chance of pollution. That's the ratio/combination that has shown positive results in clinical trials for children 6 and older. The price looks reasonable. I wonder if you can get it in the USA. I could not tell whether it's pharmeutical grade. Has anyone tried OmegaBrite KIDZ [QUOTE=BL Moretti] Last May I started giving my son suppliments. Omega oils, magnesium, zinc. During this time I went to a naturopath and she added a few other suppliments.... and told me he was reacting to red dye, asparatame, MSG, sugar and dairy. Well that was a huge change.
[/QUOTE]

I wonder if their is some thing that he now takes that has
MSG, aspartame or a dye?

Could you list everything he has eaten for a week.
Then check every ingrediant to see if he is getting one
of the 'trigger' susstances from somewhere.

MSG and aspartame are both neuro excitors - they make the brain more hyper. This describes the symptoms of ADHD.

However the chemicals change the brain ans make it more sensitive to the MSG. Asparame - so that even little amounts have an effect. You have to avoid them for years before you sensitivity to the MSG/Aspartame drops.

The is Aspartame in over 5000 products, including Flinstones children vitamins, some toothpaste, cough
medicine.

Any of the artifical sweetners may also have the same effect. They are being added to all sorts of products.
Avoid sucralos (excuse the typo), it an other artificial sweetners may also be the problem.

Why do manker add those to products?
I think that ther are two reasons.
1. They are cheap.
2. They cause people to crave them and so sell more product.

This is, I think, part of the explaination for the 'fatness' epidemic. Try to replace any soft drink with
water and juice. [Drink water when you are thirsty.
Have some juice but do not drink too much. ]

Hope this helps

PS I think that supplements are great, they work for me.

This sites may help:
References:-

For MSG:

Umami,Monosodium Glutamate, and MSG
Focuses on the issue of monosodium glutamate in food and drugs, which some people consider is causing their health symptoms.
www.truthinlabeling.org/ - 18k - Cached - Similar pages

MSG / monosodium glutamate -- hidden in

What Foods Should I Avoid?
Food manufacturers are hiding MSG so you don't know where it is. ... FYI - The following foods contain MSG or its business end - the free amino acid ...
www.msgtruth.org/avoid.htm -

For Aspartame:

Aspartame: What You Donâ€™t Know Can Hurt You
With the large and growing number of seizures caused by aspartame, it is sad to see that the Epilepsy Foundation is promoting the "safety" of aspartame. ...
www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/hidden_dangers.htm

Aspartame (Nutrasweet) Toxicity Information Center
Other Dangerous Sweeteners Section ... Sweet Poison (NutraSweet) by Alex Constantine Â· The Bitter Truth About Artificial Sweeteners (Nexus Magazine) ...
www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/

Moretti, I know exactly what you mean! I started my son on Concerta 18mg this last sunday. We tried the fish oil, magnesium, and diet changes the bulk of the summer. He has had such a hard time this year in 1st grade, that we had to get aggressive. He took his first does Sunday and I was amazed at well behaved he was in church. Then I got a phone call from his teacher Monday afternoon (which I of course dread!), but it was to tell me that he had such a great day at school and was able to focus enough to complete his classwork! What a change this has been. We are continuing the fish oil and magnesium for now.

Good luck!

DHA Junior contains 30 mg of DHA, 20 mg of EPA, 210 IU of Vitamin A, and 21 IU of Vitamin D (per 1 Gelcap).

My homeopath also recommended this product. However, if you read the studies where fish oil had a positive effect, I don't see how this product will work. The ratio is wrong, and the dosage is too low.

I decided to mimic a successful clinical trial instead. For a 7 yo with ADHD (does he have this dx??), it's 1000 mg daily, with a 7/1 EPA/DHA ratio.

I bought the Nordic Naturals DHA Junior today. It says to take between 4 and 8 capsules per day. My son is 7. Any idea how many I should give him? The person in GNC wasn't sure.

Kerbelm, do you have a whole foods where you are from?

When we go to family gatherings/bday partys i bring my child "sodas" from the health food stores. Whole foods makes a cola, rootbeer etc. without the artifical stuff and aspertame and it does taste good my 8 year old likes these for her special treat and it also makes her not feel left out at these events i really hate telling her no you cant have that. but i know it is for her own good.

AmbersMom39012.6919791667 [QUOTE=AmbersMom]Kerbelm, do you have a whole foods where you are from?[/QUOTE]

AmbersMom, by "whole" if you mean "Whole Foods Market", then yes, the main location in Toronto is 2 blocks from my office. I'll check it out this week. Thanks for the tip!

If you're referring to some other store or grocery chain, please provide the details.

(Sorry to the rest of the group for the off-topic post, but it might be good info for others to hear. If it grows beyond this, I'll start a separate forum or see if a suitable one already exists).

BL Moretti: Thanks for the crawling tip (I got the book last week and just started the exercises yesterday with my kid).

More importantly, your comment about the dietary changes, especially asparatame hit home. Some Kids' toothpaste is chock full of the stuff and I never thought to check it!

I'm almost tempted to permit our son to have regular soda instead of diet for his once a week special treat. As I type (at almost midnight), our kid's still playing around upstairs in bed and can't settle down to go to sleep. I knew we were going to pay for him having 2 glasses of diet Pepsi this evening, but it would have been too brutal to single him out from everyone else and give him water (The only other choice :-( ). Usually, we do have the discipline to unfortunately "deprive" him, but it would have been far too awkward this particular evening. Next time, I'll let him try regular Pepsi and see if it's any better/worse. Good thing we only let him have these things once a week!

To all, I have two corrections to note from earlier postings:

1. I accidentally cited "mb" when I meant "mg" when referring to dosages of EPA/DHA (I posted the note while also doing some software work and my brain must have been stuck half-way between the two worlds

).

2. L-Tyrosine: As a follow-up to others, we noticed a definitely noticable increase in our child's hyperactivity and irritability (at the slightest small things) when I gave him L-Tyrosine two days in a row (I tried 1000mg the first day, and then 500mg the second). I gave it to him at the end of the day so that it wouldn't conflict with protein digestion (i.e. at least 2 hours after dinner). Man, was that a bad experiment. It's definitely not on the list of things that might help our son.

For now, I'm going to stay with the Nordic Naturals EPA, 2x/day (which gives our kid 1700mg EPA : 400 mb DHA each day) that has a 4.5:1 EPA:DHA ratio. Perhaps a touch on the low side, but I'd rather give it a shot for another few weeks to see how it works. Mind you, we also give him Native Remedies "Focus" with each EPA capsule, but don't want to cut it abruptly without understand its effect (in combination with the EPA and Adderall).

It's tough for me to have the discipline to just keep things stable for at least 3 months to determine decent cause/effect, but I've got to avoid the temptation to keep tweaking things too often. The only time I'll stop something early is if it has noticable negative effects. If there's no change noticed, I'm willing to give it a few weeks at least to see if there's some cumulative effect (esp. important when dealing with fatty acids and the brain).

I'm assuming others are in the same boat.

Sigh. Too bad the medical profession in general discounts non-prescribed supplements in favour of trying to figure out less harmful ways to help our children. I'm sure if they applied the same discipline to non-prescribed methods, we'd have a set of medical treatment protocols to follow that would identify the correct combination of supplements that would work for our kids at different stages of their development.

To end of on a relevant note for this forum, I'm thinking boosting his EPA:DHA to a 7:1 or 20:1 will be the next thing I'll try. Nothing else yet.

Kerbelm, there are some thoothpastes out there, particularly in the health food stores, that you may find free of the artificial sweetners. Not so sure what they DO have in them though!

Over here, we also just GO FOR THE SUGAR.

Butter too. I'd rather have the real bad stuff over the chemicals.

You might try a switch over to the higher EPA formulas. Both DS and I noticed a BIG difference when we went from the lower to the 20/1 formula.

As far as the allopathic doctors following non-med philosophy, they actually do some, but they are not even trained that well in pharmacology. They are "trained" by the reps that come around with sticky pads, pens, free samples, and lunch for the staff. Fish oil ain't likely to do that. It's, unfortunatley, all down to the mighty dollar, IMHO.
Hmmmm... that is pretty much over my head. I will have to read that one a couple of times.
To answer your question...My son is 8, nearly 9 and weighes in a a whopping 52 lbs. He is Russian and very wirey, slim and strong. His brothers tease him cause he is so buff!
He takes:
VegEPA 1000 mg EPA and 400 mg Evening primrose.
Country Life Max-Amino Caps (Lots of amino acids)
Pro-biotic Nutrients Coenzyme B Food Complex (Lots of B vitamins)
Omnizyme For digestion absorbtion and detoxing.
L-lysine 500 mg. In his urine test my son was very low in Lysine.
Oh one other thing, I give him chlorella in a capsule cause the pills were soooo nasty! I read a study on growth and chlorella. My son was in an orphanage for his first three years and is still small for his age. But... He is on the charts!

One other note. Someone said they took their child off of singulair and saw an improvement. I ran out of singulair for my 5 year old last Saturday and replaced it with claritin till I could get the script filled. Actually he had nothing for two days but his allergies were winning so I gave him the claritin. Anyway he has been calmer these couple days. Could it be???? Has anyone read the side efects. Do you suppose those pink pills are chalk full of red dye????
So... if my son does well on concerta and concerta is a dopamine reuptake inhibitor then aminos that say they are dopamine reuptake inhibitors may be what he needs? Do I have that right? Hmmm... there is a little light reading!
That would be good cause I don't think I can say norepineprine reuptake inhibitor. So if I give my son a capsule that has many many amino acids are the ones he does not need causing problems or making is so the ones he needs do not work? I've been following this thread for a while, and thought it might be worth noting our experience with EFAs and our 8 year old (currently on Adderall), all of which seems to be supported by earlier posters and related materials I've dug up on my own.

We initially found slight improvements in his behaviour when adding 2 tsp of flax seed oil (i.e. ALA Omega-3) daily with breakfast. The effect was rather slight though, and not consistent.

Almost a year later, and after doing further research (and trying out numerous other combinations of supplements or vitamins, none of which seemed to help despite varying dosages), we replaced this with 2 fish oil capsules twice daily containing 180 mg EPA and 120 mg DHA (Readily available from GNC in Canada).
Again, we noticed further improvements in his behvaiour (both at home and scool). This time, a bit more pronounced of a positive effect than flax seed oil alone.

We tried combinations of Zinc, Magnesium, Vitamin C, B1, B6 without noticing any changes (in fact, some lead to him having more aggravated behaviour and lessened ability to concentrate).

A few weeks ago, we switched to a a much higher EPA dosage vitamin with an 850 mg EPA, 200 mb DHA (and 180 mb "other Omega3" and the appropriate Vitamin E supplement to boot). This was readily acquired at a Toronto health food grocery chain (Whole Foods Market in Yorkville). The effect with this 4.5:1 EPA:DHA supplement was even more positive than on the 1.5:1 EPA:DHA supplement we previously tried. Homework was even not a hassle this evening (which often turns into a rather "kvetchy" ordeal :-( ).

For reference, we've found that any medication or natural supplement that deals with norepineprine reuptake inhibition has no effect on our child, only those that deal with dopamine reuptake inhibition. We've previously tried (and continue to do so) boosting his protein intake, although that on its own didn't have any noticable effect.

BTW, I highly recommend reading the previous poster's web site, as it has a wealth of interest articles and links to good sources of further reading.

~ogram~39079.6511226852I too started my son on a hight EPA oil last May when many of us tried it. After the three months I did see consistent improvement. I took him totally of medication during the summer and it was doable! I was hopeful when school started in the fall but, after several weeks he was losing his "good kid status" The other kids were blaming him for getting them in trouble and he was not completing work that would have been easy for him last year.
I started him back on medication. I had several strengths of concerta as I had weaned him slowly during the summer. I started with 36. He had been taking 54 last year. The 36 was way too much! I lowered to 27, still too much! Finally we went with 18... perfect. So much better than last year! He does not crash in the evenings and weekends he can go without because it is such a small step from 18 to none!
In addition to the fish oil I give him minerals, a whole food B complex. Amino acid complex and chlorella.
Lately we have been doing a series of exercises to balance the left and right sides of his body and brain and re-learn some primative reflexes. Very interesting and fun! I will keep you posted.
I started my 7 year old son in May on the high EPA oil as well, and I believe I posted at the end of summer that I had seen no obvious change and someone said to try adding Magnesium. I did for a week or so but he hated the type I bought and fought me on it. I never got around to buying another one.

In addition to the fish oil, I took him off Singulair this fall. He is also on the Feingold Diet (that gave us startling results last year but didn't help with the adhd.)

Well I don't know if it was removing the Singulair, or the fish oil, or maybe even sudden maturity over the summer, but his adhd symptoms are now completely gone. He can sit down at the kitchen table and do his homework without the constant distraction that was such a problem last year. I'm no longer getting notes home that he's not finishing his work in school and while report cards don't come out until this Friday, I'm pretty sure it's going to be straight A's.

So that's my update!

[QUOTE=BL Moretti]I too started my son on a hight EPA oil last May when many of us tried it. After the three months I did see consistent improvement ...
In addition to the fish oil I give him minerals, a whole food B complex. Amino acid complex and chlorella.
[/QUOTE]

Do you mind my asking a) how old your child is, b) his current weight, and c) the dosage of EPA (perhaps noting the specific brand too to see what else is in it)?

[QUOTE=BL Moretti]
Lately we have been doing a series of exercises to balance the left and right sides of his body and brain and re-learn some primative reflexes. Very interesting and fun! I will keep you posted.
[/QUOTE]

See the thread "Crawlers unite" for other interesting (and medication-free) exercises you can do at home with your kid.

Samae, those are amazing results and congrats!

[QUOTE=Samae]I started my 7 year old son in May on the high EPA oil as well...
[/QUOTE]

(As I asked in a previous posting), could you let us know a) your child's weight, b) the dosage of EPA (perhaps even the specific brand)?

[QUOTE=Samae]
In addition to the fish oil, I took him off Singulair this fall. He is also on the Feingold Diet (that gave us startling results last year but didn't help with the adhd.)
[/QUOTE]

What "startling results" did you notice?

Kerbelm:

My son is about 55-60 pounds? He's a tall and skinny 7 year old. I bought the 03mega+joy from Genuine Health that I found on this site. The ratio is 20:1 EPA:DHA and he gets 1 softgel each night, so 1000mg EPA and 25mg DHA is his daily dose.

The startling results we got from the Feingold Diet last year were all behavioral. I wrote up details here:

http://samae.livejournal.com/130779.html

Basically he was having extreme behavioral reactions to minor things. The tiniest thing would set him off sobbing for 20 minutes. Within 6 days of removing preservatives & additives from his diet all those behavioral reactions disappeared - it was really amazing to see this kid who we constantly had to remove from certain environments was suddenly playing well and having fun with others. You'd never know now that less then a year ago a psychologist AND psychiatrist said to expect special schools for him in addition to a handful of daily medications.

Since I no longer have foods with those certain preservatives/additives in my house, my 12 year old went from a strong-B student to an effortless straight-A student.

I'm now a huge proponent of all this obviously!
Samae39008.4887962963

kerbelm,

You mentioned natural supplements that deal with norepineprine reuptake inhibition vs dopamine reuptake inhibition. Can you please explain? My son has had very negative reactions to amino acid combinations intended to increase neurotransmitter activity. However, I have not distinguished between norepineprine and dopamine. If you can provide details it would be very helpful.

[QUOTE=NoTellin]

kerbelm,

[/QUOTE]

There are lots of items that claim to either directly or indirectly help neurotransmitter activity in the brain, especially the 3 monoamines usually researched w.r.t. ADHD, namely the monoamines: dopamine, norepinprine, and serotonin.

It's important IMHO to distinguish those that either:
Boost production of certain types of neurotransmitters, orPrevent certain types of neurotransmitters from being "sucked back" into their originating passages in neurons so that they "hang around" slightly longer (in the name of preventing neurons from firing too quickly. This process is known as "reuptake inhibition".
For example, Ritallin and its variants are dopamine reuptake inhibitors. Wikipedia is a pretty good place to start reading up on the neurotransmitters and medications (For reference, Ritalin's background information can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritalin, not that I'm advocating use of it, just that it's a common medication most folks know about).

Wikipedia's medical information is pretty decent, so you can spend days reading up on different amino acids, metabolic processes, in addition to vitamins and prescription medications.

When you look at the claimed function of a neurotransmitter related medication/supplement, you should identify what the purpose of the product is to understand (based on past experience with other products) how it may or may not help the intended person.

In my child's case, I've seen that items that attempt to boost production of neurotransmitters don't seem to help.

More significantly, I've noticed that medications that act as norepinprine reuptake inhibitors have no effect on him whatsoever (Yes, even after at least a 6 week period, after which at least some effect should have been noticed -- and that included adding mild-medium dosages of dopamine reuptake inhibitors towards the end of the trial period, to no avail).

For example, some people may find that Straterra (A norepineprine reuptake inhibitor) works well to help regulate themselves, but if the person's neurochemical imbalances have nothing to do with norepineprine reuptake, then obviously the item will have no positive effect on the person's behaviour/ability to be calm & focussed.

I hope this helps explain what I was referring to in my earlier posting.

[QUOTE=BL Moretti]So... if my son does well on concerta and concerta is a dopamine reuptake inhibitor then aminos that say they are dopamine reuptake inhibitors may be what he needs? Do I have that right? Hmmm... there is a little light reading!
So if I give my son a capsule that has many many amino acids are the ones he does not need causing problems or making is so the ones he needs do not work? [/QUOTE]

Unfortunately, it's not that simple. There are 2 dozen odd amino acids, so figuring out which ones work best is part of the puzzle, including a) dosages and b) timing.

I've just figured out that perhaps the reason L-Tyrosine didn't work for our child was the timing of how I provided it to him. This amino acid is a precursor to, amongst other compounds, 3 of the important neurotransmitters (including dopamine), but it must be metabolized correctly by the body via presence of the appropriate enzymes.

If you ingest L-Tyrosine at the same time as protein (i.e. take it in conjunction with an egg, meat, tofu, etc.), then you'll lose most of the effect, as the enzymes that break down proteins will be hard at work dealing with the proteins.

The key is to take L-Tyrosine either on an empty stomach or at least 30-60 minutes prior to eating a meal (esp. one with protein). That's the next thing I'm going to try with our child to see if it helps.

Note I'm just a layman who's been doing a fair bit of research; I'm not a doc or nutritionalist, so as usual, consult your health professional to see if what I'm saying makes sense. :-)
[QUOTE=Samae]
My son is about 55-60 pounds? He's a tall and skinny 7 year old. I bought the 03mega+joy from Genuine Health that I found on this site. The ratio is 20:1 EPA:DHA and he gets 1 softgel each night, so 1000mg EPA and 25mg DHA is his daily dose.
[/QUOTE]

Wow, 20:1 EPA:DHA is much higher than I've seen in other products (and higher than the usual studies I've seen to date). More food for thought (Pardon the pun :-)

As for your results with a Feingold diet, also very interesting.

Nice to hear your child started as a B student; we're dealing with a much more serious situation though, so I'm still not sure we'll be able to find some combination of supplements/exercises that will permit him to go without any prescribed meds. :-( Still gotta keep researching and trying...

kerbelm39009.4522685185 [QUOTE=kerbelm]

Nice to hear your child started as a B student; we're dealing with a much more serious situation though, so I'm still not sure we'll be able to find some combination of supplements/exercises that will permit him to go without any prescribed meds. :-( Still gotta keep researching and trying...

[/QUOTE]

No you misunderstand. My targeted-student which is my 7 y/o son was NOT a B-student, he was seriously struggling. As in we wondered if he would need special schools, a special environment, hospital etc. Not just run of the mill ADHD, but serious emotional/behavioral problems on top of it.

The B-student I referred to was my non-target 12 year old daughter. The change we saw in her was completely by surprise and honestly I have no idea if food/supplements/whatever caused her grades to shoot up.

The DHA/EPA ratio I got off this board.
Kerbelm:
The good news for me, and I try to applaud every small step of improvement, is that my son was on concerta 54 and now with dietary changes and suppliments he takes only 18 mg of concerta. It is very nice bacause the let down in the evening is no longer severe and he can be without on weekends.
You are going to find a way to help your child. If medication will save his self esteem then you will do what you must. Just keep looking and adding another layer of help.
Check out the crawling thread and look at this website. Just more layers!

Start with dietary changes by eliminating red dye, asparatame and MSG. You may just be amazed.

~ogram~39079.6503703704HOPE HELPS HERE. WISH SON WAS ON THIS BUT CAN'T BE DO TO HIS FISH ALLERGIE. FOOD CAN EFFECT BEHAVIOR SO NEEDS ALLERGIE OR SENSATIVITY TESTING DONE. WE WERE TOLD AMINO SUPPLEMENT TAKEN BEFORE BED. ivanhoe39009.7767939815Just an update for anyone interested in what happened with the Pfieffer Treatment Center. We have not gotten back the test results yet. It takes 5-8 weeks and we were there just over 3 weeks ago. The preliminary vitamins the doctor put our son on seem to be helping though. Last week, I left him alone to do homework. Usually I sit beside him and it takes an hour to do a page. I left to take a shower expecting to come back 20 minutes later with nothing done but he had finished both pages of math problems by himself. He did this 3 days in a row. He also has always had problems with coordination when it came to swallowing liquids (he would hold the beverage in his cheeks first) but last week he started swallowing normally. Perhaps all of this is a cooincidence but we are cautiously optimistic. He is also on a very restrictive diet (not because of weight but because of hidden food allergies) so that could be helping too.

Momonamission -

How did you get your son tested for pyroluria? Was this test ordered by your Doctor or did you do it on your own? Have you seen any improvements?

Thanks,

Debi K

We had to argue with our sons doctor to get the Pyroluria test done locally. She asked me to bring in copies of the research I had done on the internet to prove to her that it was a ligitimate chemical imbalance which I was happy to do. She and other pediatricians she asked had never heard of it. Probably because it cannot be treated with a drug. At one point she said, "even if he has it I wouldn't know how to treat it" but finally agreed to order the test. A result of below 10 is considered normal. 10-20 is borderline and should probably be treated and above 20 is Pyroluric. Our son tested at 21. We then found out that the local collection site had done the test all wrong. The urine sample is supposed to be protected from light and have ascorbic acid added to it and then be frozen to preserve the pyrroles in the urine. None of those things were done so he will probably test much higher the next time. You can order a test kit from the Bio-Center Lab in Wichita Kansas which I have heard is one of the few in the country who does it correctly. They will send you an amber-colored beaker with ascorbic acid in it and a freezer bag so that you can overnight the sample to them. The cost is .00 for one test or 0.00 for 3 tests. The Pyrroles in the urine can fluctuate depending on your stress level so if your child is prone to extreme fluctuations in stress level the 3 test option would be best. You just freeze the samples as you collect them. You do not need a doctors order for the test there.

We have not started treating our son for the Pyroluria yet because we have decided to take him to the Pfeiffer clinic near Chicago for the full array of testing there before starting any supplements. His appointment is next week. We have just started seeing a great nutritionist who specializes in ADHD but, at Pfeiffer, they strictly do research on and treat a variety of mental disorders like ADHD, autism, Bipolar, etc. with nutritional supplements so we wanted to get their opinion as well. It is expensive but we are willing to try anything to get him completely off drugs and, since some supplements can be harmful, we would not feel comfortable playing around with dosages ourselves to see which work without first knowing which ones he actually needs. As a place to start, I highly recommend the book "Optimum Nutrition for Your Child's Mind" if you want to learn all about your child's brain and how it is so easily affected by any number of things that could be going wrong in his body. It may take months before we know if the supplements they are going to recommend will work but we are very excited about the prospect since several things the book said could be wrong with him such as the Pyroluria and signs of digestive issues such as constipation are true in his case. He has also always had dry skin and hair which are signs his body is not absorbing the proper nutrients as well as it should. Studies have shown that even things such as poor handwriting and coordination can be helped in these children who are not able to properly absorb vital nutrients needed for proper brain function.

Don't expect much support from a pediatrician with these issues. They are well-meaning but most have been taught to strictly match up symptoms with the corresponding toxic drug which merely masks symptoms of underlying problems that can be identified and corrected nuritionally. Our pediatrician is very kind and caring but since, other than mild coordination and behavior problems and extreme lack of concentration, our son appears to be an extremely healthy kid, his pediatrician saw no reason to do testing. I will post results one way or another after we go to Pfeiffer next Friday and after he has had treatment for a while. It may not work but we are hopeful and feel it is worth a try.

Luvmykids0239079.764224537

Hello everyone... I love this site. Everything is so wonderful and easier to understand when you have people who are there now or have been there to explain things compaired to websites that just spit random bit of information at you. So here I am... asking away...

My son is 3 years old and 40 pounds. He was diagnosed ADHD two weeks ago. I think natural is the way to go for now until he is old enough to understand medicine or maybe he can just stay au'natural.

So what Omegas would be recommended and how much for someone so small/young? Also, does anyone have any comments about Magnesium? And how much there... or just stick with the Omega's? Thanks.

We use Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil (1 tsp), Vital Nutrients Ultra Pur Fish Oil (1tsp), and 1 tsp each of Borage and Flax Seed Oil........ That way he is getting all his Omegas (3,6,9) and an appropriate dosage of DHA and EPA. Our son is 4 and 45 lbs and has been taking that dosage since he was 3.5.

Magnesium is definitely worth looking into (there isa thread w/ that title that can give you a ton of info) if your child is ADHD (emphasis on the H). However, you might want to introduce one thing at a time so you will know what "works." The last caution I will give you is that they take time -- it's a gradual improvement.

You might also want to look into some simple diet modifications as well.... good luck!

Just an FYI, our son with ADHD tested positive for Pyroluria, a chemical imbalance more common in kids with ADHD than the general population that causes B6 and Zinc to be escorted out of your body before it can be absorbed into your brain. In people with Pyroluria, Omega 3 can sometimes make ADHD symptoms worse. Primrose oil (omega 6 supplements) supposedly work better. The Bio-Center in Wichita, Kansas will send you a test kit to do at home for Pyroluria. It is a very sensitive test so it's important to make certain it is done according to instructions. momonamission39017.3423263889

I also looked into the OM3, but have not tried it. Very odd that they do not show the supplement info. for the Jr. version. They do show it for the regular and the regular contain 60 caps, which is a 20 day supply. It seems you'd be better off with the regular and only giving her 1 or 2 a day, than going with the Jr. version and having to take the 4 to 6 caps a day. That could get very expensive very quickly! I'd like to know what is in the Jr. version for EPA & DHA.

Good luck!

I am looking into some new products for a friend who has a young son diagnosed ADD and trying to stay off meds. I am very happy with the Omega3Mood for my niece, but a couple of other products that I have run across recently are Omega Smooth Berry (liquid) and OM3 Junior. The Omega Smooth Berry is backordered at Life Extension Website. and the OM3 junior at Isodis Natura is a little bizarre they want you to order in "boxes" but no indication how much is in the boxes, like how many capsules etc., so I am a little put off by that.

Just wondered if anyone here has any experience with either of these products, or if I should just stick with recommending the Omega3Mood to her and have her bust the capsules for him

Thanks

We have been doing the High EPA omegas for my dd 7 yrs with ADHD. It's been about a month now and I do think we are seeing some results. I am not ready to lower her Concerta or Tenex doses, but I have noticed that evenings and mornings when off meds are getting better. When she gets mad she gets over it a little quicker and she seems to be able to better deal with changes in routine and responding better to our behavior change program. And, she is all of a sudden trying foods that in the past she refused to eat. Don't know if that is directly related to the omegas or not.

If she has the "hyper" piece of ADHD, you might want to look into Magnesium as well!

She is VERY hyper. We started her on the magnesium at the same time we started the omegas. B (6?) vits, too. She is on 1000 mg of the EPAs - almost no DHA. She may just take a little while to get the full effect. Also, I am suspicious that she is slowly building up a tolerance to the Concerta. We had to up to 54 mg this year - and she is only 48 lbs! Plus, on 1 mg Tenex.... She has only been on meds for 1 1/2 yrs now. I haven't been as concerned about the need to increase, again, so maybe the omegas are helping to delay this process? Those of you that did not see good results from Omeaga 3's may have issues with BH4. Its all related to NOS and the Urea cycle. BH4 is used in lipid peroxidation and if you over load the already weak functioning Urea Cycle with more lipids as in high dose omega 3's and those omega 3's may be from a cheap source and low quality thus more lipid peroxidation for the BH4 has to deal with then things may get worse instead of better. If BH4 is low from a weak Urea cycle function and Genetic NOS mutations then these low levels makes it hard for the body to make some valuable neurotransmitters and deal with ammonia issues that can be cause by another genetic issue called CBS upregulation issues that generates excessive ammonia. This excessive ammonia can be a source of alot of bad behaviors. Plus BH4 helps keep Oxidative stress in check , if BH4 is low then Super Oxides are produced. Super Oxides that increase oxidative stress is not good on our cells mitochondrial. If your using a high quality omega 3 and not using mega doses you may not see any issues like described above due to the fact that the system can deal with the better quality that has less peroxidation of the oil and at lower quanities .

coach139199.3028356481whew! I had to read that a few times. Thanks for the info.

So, if we're already using a high quality fish oil and not seeing results should we lower then dosage? I'm giving 1000mg now and have been doing so for several months, I'm thinking of cutting that dosage in half.

Thanks in advance,

Christine

ps, how do we get rid of excessive ammonia?
Well I was refering more to people who have had bad results than people not getting results. Like things get worse. Its just one explaination on what could be happening. Everyone is a little differrent.

Thats why there is Genetic testing called NutriGenomics for finding what kind of supplementation is need for your certain Genetic makeup.

The ammonia issue can come from people who have a CBS upregulation genetic issue which means an enyzme is working at a faster rate and one of the products from that Enzyme working over time is excess Ammonia production. People are actually getting ammonia testing done to see what their ammonia levels are. Some supplements they use to lower ammonia levels is Yucca and Charcoal. The charcoal will absorb the ammonia but should be taken away from other supplements so as not to affect their absorption. Yucca can be taken with a high protein meal to reduce the ammonia from eating lots of protein. Ammonia is also a by product of breaking down protein. Its not good to take a lot of B6 with a CBS upregulation as B6 increases CBS function. I have read some people have done poorly on high dose B6 and this may be why. This is all Dr. Amy Yasko theories and part of the program parents use on her message boards.

[QUOTE=ChristineM]whew! I had to read that a few times. Thanks for the info.

So, if we're already using a high quality fish oil and not seeing results should we lower then dosage? I'm giving 1000mg now and have been doing so for several months, I'm thinking of cutting that dosage in half.

Thanks in advance,

Christine

ps, how do we get rid of excessive ammonia?
[/QUOTE]coach139199.4399768518

the omeaga 3 take 6 week to work correct?

I saw results in less than 3 weeks of my niece taking it consistently. By the way last night she asked if she could try to just swallow the capsules. We had been busting them and mixing it in with apple sauce. I let her try it and she got them down. As most of you know the OmegaJoy is some huge capsules. She still wanted her applesauce as a chaser, but I am so proud of her for trying to swallow them. Up until recently she had problems even getting an ibuprofen down. The other suppliments I have her on are all chewable because of this, Attentive Child is a wafer kind of like a big sweet tart, and the Child Bright AM/PM is a chewable gummy bear. Her being able to swallow pills will allow me to try some different things that don't come chewable. Oh and the melatonin we use is a sublingual tablet that disolves under the tongue.

I am very excited with her progress, just this week she actually asked me to order a book for her, another first. She is 11 and in the 4th grade, but was reading on a 2nd grade level. My dream is for her to get caught up to grade level by the end of next year, so that she can start middle school (6th grade here) without being behind and struggling. I am beginning to think its possible.

Cindi

I used the o3mega joy in liquid form. Its an orange flavor and my son likes it. He too can't swallow a capsule.My daughter also had the hyper part. ive never put her on meds. what i done that help us alot is gave her the omega 3, with a 125mg of mag. taurate and 100mg of vit E the lowest dose i could find. i added these things one at a time then i decided on takeing her off red dyes (artifial colors) and high frutose corn syrup. just by takeing her off those things that had the dyes and stuff. help alot with the hyper part. i sugest doing it one thing at a time. thats what we did. and so far still no meds. it had been almost 2 years now.

Read all 44 pages and I am a little confused. My 8 yo son is just about 50 pounds now. So, from what I read, he needs 1000mg of epa a day? And that epa should be the 7:1 doseage. Also, he is a little on the hyper side, so I also need to add magnesium.But, how much magnesium? Also, someone said that you get the vitamin e in the omega pill. How much vit e is to much, since he already gets 40iu in his multi vitamin.

Right now he is on concerta 27mg, and he definately needs a higher dose. But, I want him off of it for the summer, and hopefully I want to keep him off of it for good.

So, where do I start??

Hi Devonboo,

My favourite fish oils are the 03Mega+joy

There is listed the vit E that is in there. You should run this by his physician before he takes it, and to check the vit e, but I think the 1000 mg per day omegas part should be fine. That is the dose they come in. Both DS and I take them. I also notice on the same site, they have a new vit/mineral supplement that can be taken with the omega formula, but it also has a lot of vit e added. This would probably be for the adults, is why I mention it now. AND, they have one for glowing skin (for someone who has dry skin, brittle hair/nails I would imagine) as well, that is new. I will check into these further.

Can't help on the magnesium part, after doing some reading, decided not to do it. We get beneifts just from the oils. you might try just adding one thing at at a time to see how he reacts. Then if there is a problem, you know right where to make a change. Hope whatever you do you can reduce those meds!

ms.mom39236.6183217593

I know I posted this in another topic, but I have been searching all day, and I thought it was relevant. I found this on the office of dietary supplements website in regards to how much vitamin e is to much.

Table 4: Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL) of vitamin E for Children and Adults [5]

Age (years) Males
(mg/day) Females
(mg/day) Pregnancy
(mg/day) Lactation
(mg/day) 1-3 200
(=300 IU) 200
(=300 IU) N/A N/A 4-8 300
(=450 IU) 300
(=450 IU) N/A N/A 9-13 600
(=900 IU) 600
(=900 IU) N/A N/A 14-18 800
(=1,200 IU) 800
(=1,200 IU) 800
(=1,200 IU) 800
(=1,200 IU) 19-70 1,000
(=1,500 IU) 1,000
(=1,500 IU) 1,000
(=1,500 IU) 1,000
(=1,500 IU) > 70 1,000
(=1,500 IU) 1,000
(=1,500 IU) N/A
(=1,500 IU) N/A
(=1,500 IU)

Thought this might clear things a little. I plan on doing alot more research, but I think I just might try the 03mega+joy. I will let you know how I make out.

Donna

I know, me again, I hope I am not being a pain. But, one more question,.

I ordered the omega +joy, and in the supplement facts, it says that 2 softgel tabs contain 2000mg of fish oil, 1000mg of epa, and 50 mg dha. So, to get the 1000mg dose per day which everyone says he needs for his age, I should give him one pill?? What exactly is the difference between fish oil, epa and dha?

tia, Donna

They called back and left me a message that the Jr version is 120 caps per box. I was assuming it was the same ratio of epa/dha as the OM3, which is right on target, and in a smaller dose, but I didn't confirm it as I wasn't here when they called.I have had great successs with Nordic Natural Ultimate Omega Lemon Liquid. We have been using it for over a year now and I can definitely see the changes.I tried a couple of different brands at the recommended dosage for children but they made him have worse brain fog than usual. I am now trying an EPA-only Omega 3 mixed with Organic Omega 6 (Veg EPA) that someone recommended but it also seems to be making him worse. Pyrolurics often do worse with Omega 3 and better with Omega 6. I am supposed to talk with the doctor at Pfeiffer next week to see what he recommends for his treatment. It will be interesting to see if it works.I use Jamieson Omega-3. I give him one capsule which is 1000 mg.

here's another sticky.

I have found Nordic Naturals for a reasonable price. This is the website of a Psychiatrist in Nashville that promotes alternative medicine for ADD/ADHD. I have been ordering EPA Extra (it has done wonders) for my son from him for the last few months. His office is very knowlagable about Omega's and ADD and very willing to answer questions.

Luvmykids0239085.8701851852 Hi all,

I'm new here, been lurking for a while trying to read all of this great info. I'm grateful for this forum - thank you!

My 5 1/2 year old son is a former preemie, he only weighed 1 # 12oz., I didn't know until I started doing research (after his teacher suggested I have him tested for ADHD) that preemies with very low birth weights are 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD.
He hasn't been formally tested yet, I need to fill out the questionaire from Dr. etc, but he probably does fall into that category. He lacks social skills, has trouble with academics (hard time learning ABC's, 123's and writing) and focusing in class, but ask him anything about woolly mammoths and he can tell you all about them, lol!

Anyway, I want to try him on Omega 3's but I'm not sure where to start. I've read thru a lot of this thread and some other online resources as well as the book I'm currently reading, Dr. Bobs guide to stop ADHD in 18 days, has some good info but a little extreme as far as changing diet, I'm all for it, but my son is SOOOO picky, he won't even eat a banana. Good thing because according to Dr. Bob bananas need to be cut out of the diet.

I would like to start him on something from Omegabrite or one of the others suggested here but he can't swallow pills. I'm wondering what product I might be able to add to his oatmeal without him noticing. He won't drink juice, only milk or water. Or any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your help!

~Christine

ps. this thread had 40 pages about an hour ago, now it's 37 pages?? hee hee. oh well.

ChristineM39080.6215740741 [QUOTE=kerbelm]Speaking of which...

Are there any members on the message board in Toronto (Ontario, Canada) that can recommend good nutrionists or naturopaths in the area that have experience in helping ADHD kids?

I've heard of a few names, but haven't spoken to any patients as referrals yet.

[/QUOTE]

Hi, I'm not sure if you received any infomation regarding this but we all (the whole family) go to the Robert Schaad Naturopathic Clinic by Leslie and the 401. Great place and great prices. Son with ADHD and LD does very well after going there.

1255 Sheppard Avenue East (at Leslie Street)
(416) 498-9763

hope this helps.

BACKGROUND - Son 11 diagnosed with ADHD and communication based learning disability. Is in a learning strategies class in the PM and regular grade 6 class in AM and has been in this class since since last year in grade 5. Teacher is great and the LD is being helped by the class but there is still the ADHD to content with. He was getting into fights last year at school and the kids were constantly picking on him because his behavior is not that of a normal 11 yr old. My husband was completely against meds so after research I took him to a naturopath last christmas 2005. Son was initially on probiotic and liquid zinc to clean out his sytem and regulate his zinc. Then just on Learning factors pills and multi vitamin. We definitely saw some improvement but at the end of the year there was still some concern about his behavior and impulsivity. After finding this site in the summer I started him on Jamieson Omega 3 Calm in August hoping to see some sort of improvement in a few months.
No change initially in September. In late Sept I added a therapeutic dose of magnesium every morning and in mid october the teachers (he has two) said he was like a different kid. No fights, no crying in class because "i can't do it, i'm stupid". Still not perfect behavior but a heck of a difference over the previous year. He even got an award for taking responsibility for his actions (totally shocking). Changed his omega to Omega Joy which is a stronger dose of EPA/DHA in late November. Met with his teachers before the holidays and they both said he was doing great. Then the holidays came and we went on vacation and I did not take his medication with us. WHAT A DIFFERENCE. he fully bounced off the walls in Hawaii and both my mom and grandmother offered to go to the drug store to buy his supplements :-)
He is a kid, I wanted him to enjoy his vacation without having to worry about meds.
We got back and I forgot to start him on his meds. 3 weeks after school started I asked his teachers how he was. Well, lets just say that they too offered to buy his meds. :-) He TOTALLY regressed. Crying, fighting, arguing. Only at school mind you, but still very bad behaviour.

He has started on therapeutic dose of magnesium and Omega Joy again and I hope he bounces back again.

I don't care what modern medicine says about ADHD and supplements, my son is living proof these things work and you don't have to resort to meds. Heck, just ask his astounded teachers.

Hi everyone,
I have had my son on Omega fatty acids with high EPA/DHA for over a year with ? difference. He's alos on Tenex which helps somewhat. He can't take stimulants because he has Mitral Valve Prolapse and Strattera gave him very bad anxiety. I am a Physician Assistant and have been very hesitant to start my son on magnesium. Unlike the Omegas, it is a mineral and can really screw up your body if supplements are not needed. I try to give him stuff with magnesium in it, like milk and Carnation Instant Breakfast which has 80mg in it. I hear you guys saying that the magnesium supplements help, but I 'm really afraid to try them. I'm starting to feel that I'm hitting a wall, though because Sean (age 9) is really having difficulty concentrating in the afternoon and there really is no other meds to give him that we haven't tried. He's very sensitive to the side effects of meds. We tried to increase the dose of his Tenex to 1.5mg from 1 mg and his grades slipped, he wandered around the classroom and had odd behaviors. all this went away when we lowered him back down. Has anyone's child had side effects from the magnesium? I feel like it's my last resort. Any comments?
Sorry guys. I tried to start a thread on the clinic I mentioned earlier but it was apparently deleted by the powers that be. I guess I know why I haven't been able to find much about it in the archives. I am not going to go into why I think they did it. Other products and clinics are mentioned by name and not deleted. I was not advertising for the clinic because we are just now getting his prescription and I have no idea if it will work or not. I just wanted to help others out by either recommending them or not based on our experiences. If it works for us or does not, I will post it here unless they delete me altogether.

Mary B,

I am also a little worried about trying the magnesium with ds (dear son). If its just foucus issues you are looking to remedy maybe try foucus by naturalremidies.com. the have a tread started for their products that some are using and seeing results.

As for me taking mag, I take a isotonic calcium formula that has mag in but not sure how much because we ran out last week!

I'll see if I can find it on thier web site.

Mary B,

found the product on line it has.......

Calcium : 750mg ( cabonate, lactate & Phosphate, sulfate & citrate)

Potassium: 225mg (bicarbonate, & citrate)

Magnesium 200mg (Oxide, & carbonate)

Maganese 1mg (sulfate)

B2: 2mg (Riboflavin-5-Phosphate)

Vitimin C: 58mg (asorbic Acid)

vitimin D3: 400IU (Cholecalciferol)

Boron: 1mg (Sodium Borate)

I have been out going on two weeks and are noticing i get irritated more eaisly with the kids and hubby!! I saked a friend who I get these from if I can give it to ds and he will find out and get back to me!! If your intrested let me know. Our whole family also takes their multi vitimins and LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!

Greetings!

What is a good EPA/DHA supplement for a 4 year old?

Our pediatrician actually suggested Carlsons for kids months ago which is what we have been using, but I don´t believe that one ranks among high EPA. I´d be interested in some actual childrens products before discussing a change with our doctor.

I also finished reading Dr. Bob´s guide. I am actually reading it a second time, to consider how much of it is actually what we can follow. I´ll probably be looking at some more books on ADHD diets and supplements if anyone can recommend any, it would be real good to have some other opinions.

Thanks so much in advance,

Joey

Hey Joey! I just wanted to kick in here, and mention that the younger children actually need the higher DHA for the brain development. You will have to ask around or dig a bit to find the age to switch to the high EPA, but if I remember correctly, your son would still be the age for the high DHA.

Purity Products makes a kids purified fish oil supplement that is strawberry flavored and chewable. I do not know the amounts of EPA or DHA in it however.

I have read a number of ADHD books and, personally, do not hold Dr. Bob's Guide in high esteem, though he makes some good observations. Perhaps it has helped some. I don't know. I think the ADD Nutrition Solution is a bit better but still too "one-size-fits-all." I recommended "Optimum Nutrition For Your Child's Mind" by Patrick Holford in an earlier post. It is available at Amazon UK. It is very good for an overall knowledge of how your childs brain functions and what it needs or doesn't need (pesticides and chemical additives) to function properly.

Unless you have a thorough knowledge of nutrition, I would not recommend trying to put your child on any special restrictive diet or add large amounts of supplements by yourself. If you can afford it, the help of a good Nutritionist or Naturopathic doctor is well worth the money, especially one who specializes in treating ADHD. They can help make sure your child is getting everything they need for proper growth and development and may even be able to uncover some hidden health issues.

Speaking of which...

Are there any members on the message board in Toronto (Ontario, Canada) that can recommend good nutrionists or naturopaths in the area that have experience in helping ADHD kids?

I've heard of a few names, but haven't spoken to any patients as referrals yet.

Welcome Flea!

The Omegas you probably would find at GNC, or even locally, would not have enough of the high EPA ratio that the studies have found most helful for improvments we are looking for with ADHD. I have used the OmegaMood by country life, it's a 5:1 ratio, but found even better results with Omega+joy that is available online. It's a very good product. It is very hard to get a lot or too much of the omegas naturally, but eating a lot of fish also will add alot of the toxins naturally found in commercial fish, so watch out for that. The high quality omegas are all distilled and filtered for toxins and mercury.

Ahh, fish burps. Take them at night, and no fish burps during the day.

You might also take a scoot over to the crawling threads here in the alt section, or for a shorter read, the book "Stopping ADHD" by Cook and O'dell, that addresses a baby reflex that is not supressed in many individuals, affects learning and causes some ADHD symptoms, and aims at correcting some of those symptoms at the core, and is not widely know about. You may check if your daughter fits the profile for being helped by it, it's only the cost of the book to do the therapy!

Best wishes to you!

Thank you, I had been reading the thread about the crawling. I definitely plan on buying that book. My daughter didn't start crawling until she was 16mo and it didnt come naturally, her therapists had to put her in crawling position and force her to do those movements.

I am so eager to try anything right now, she has been on and off medication for about 1 1/2 years now and I really would love to find something that will help her. I'm not looking for a miracle, just something that won't make every day a struggle for her. We live in Texas where standardized testing rules. Sitting through a standardized test is torture for her and she never does well.

Wow, I am so glad I found this place. I have a 9yo daughter who has dyspraxia and ADD. We have tried all kinds of medication for her and they have not helped. She is also very skinny and her lack of appetite on stimulants concerned me. She is 9 and only weighs 50lbs!

I do have a few questions. I was thinking of ordering the book The Omega diet but would also like to start her on omega supplements. Do you think taking omega supplments and eating more fish would be too much for her? I am also unsure of which supplement to buy. I live in Texas and there is a GNC close to my house and a Sun Harvest. Would anyone know if one would be preferable over another as far as what they carry? I know some of y'all are on Nature's Way, Omega Joy and Omega 3 mood........any preference for those that have tired more than one brand? I am concerned with any fishy burps. She is already one of those quirky outcasts at school, I would hate to add anything else that might cause her to be teased.

Again, Thanks to all that have contributed to this post. I can't wait to try these supplements!

I gave my son EPA-only fish oil for 8 months. I ran out 3 weeks ago, and it was winter break, so I figured I'd slack off for awhile. What a mistake. I just ordered some today. He is soooo spaced out, and cannot follow 2+ directions. The teacher is sending notes that he is very distracted, and it is difficult to keep him on task. I cannot believe the downturn. Anyway, I just thought I'd post that clearly the fish oil is effective for my son. He takes 1000 mg Omega-3 daily plus an antioxident to increase the retention/absorbtion.I need help!

I just ordered O3mega Joy capsules and I need to figure out a way to give these to my picky 5 year old.
He can't swallow them -they're too big. Tried squeezing the fish oil on mac n cheese but he wouldn't eat it. He won't drink juice, just milk or water.

Any ideas??

Thanks!

Christine

applesauce.... stay away from putting it in dairy products -- the protein will cancel out the benefits.

Christine

Omega Joy also comes in a liquid form that my son used to take before he started swallowing the pills.

Does anyone know a good multi to pair with the Omegas?

ohjoy10439093.8115856481

momonamissiom,

Sorry to here that they are messin around with you. I know that can be very irritating and well crushing your spirits! I wish their was a place like that where I live! I know what you are going thruogh tring to get these people to get there act together! I almost want to call them my self or shack them and say do you know what your doing to peoples emotions? well do you? Angry

I hope you get the results that you are after. My heart goes out to your family!

I'll keep you in my prayers!! Yuor child is lucky to have you!!!

The new CEO of Pfeiffer has been in touch with us and is seeing to it that things are handled properly from now on. He hadn't been made aware of the problem and I have the feeling some people got in big trouble for the way we have been treated. He offered to Fed Ex the results to me and apologized several times. He is going to take measures to see that this doesn't happen to anyone else.

Now we will just have to wait and see if their treatment program works. I will start a new thread on it soon under Alternative treatments so it is easy for anyone interested to find it.

I find so far that omega 3 has worked the best for my son. I also give him half a tab of magnesium as well. Have noticed positve changes since starting both of these.I know a lot of people swear by the omega 3's but, unfortunately, my son has a mild form of Pyroluria (a specific chemical imbalance) and the Omega 3's we tried made him worse.momonamission,

What brand & dosage were you using?

and for everyone else

If you have had success with omega 3's (adult or children) what brand and dosage are you using?

Thanks!

Christine

- Another update on what is happening with Pfeiffer -

It has been 10 weeks now since we were there and we still do not have a treatment program. I called almost two weeks ago because we were out of the primer vitamin they gave us and the nurse said she would send some more and remind the doctor assigned to my sons case that we were past the eight weeks promised. I left a message for the doctor just over a week ago and my call was not returned. I called and spoke to the nurse assigned to my sons case and she apologized, said she was glad I had told her what was going on and said that she would have the doctor and office manager call me the next day.

The doctor called later that day. He briefly apologized and said our case should have been reviewed three weeks ago but someone had taken it out of his stack. He promised to review it and send out his recommendations right away so we should get them some time this week.

We have also requested info. from the receptionist three times to help us give more info. to the insurance company. She always says she will but never does.

They say they want to gain acceptance from the public, get referrals from happy patients and have their theories more accepted by mainstream medicine, but they need to learn that treating people with disrespect isn't going to get them there.

I still believe in what they are doing and am anxious to try their recommendations on my son. I think they may just be underfunded and short-staffed. We will wait and hope for the best.

momonamission39114.7473148148I just wanted to share something I just read, that I have not heard before concerning taking the omegas. That is, to take them with food and not on an empty stomach, otherwise, the gallbladder has to deal with it all by itself, which can cause nausea, vomiting, stomachache. I had wanted to reply to the thread that Chasesmom had started a couple of weeks ago, but could not find it, in case that may (or may not) be a factor in what happened with her son taking them. I've noticed my skin wasn't as dry this winter. Could that be the OmegaJoy I've been taking? He was taking the omegas with food...at breakfast and at dinner....

I just think he has enough acid on his own in his tummy, and the addition of the fish oils put him over the top. It has now been 2 full weeks with no fish oil and no acid reflux.

I want to report that I am seeing some significant differences now that my niece has been on the Omega Joy for 3 weeks pretty consistently. I have also been having her take a melatonin subllingual at night, and Attentive Child chewable wafer suppliments, but those haven't been as consistent as the Omega. She reports that she finished the Red SRA's in her "tutoring" class in one week, and last week at our Bible Study Group, she made 2 comments and read one very hard scripture from Revelations. She did so well I almost fell out of my chair. Her confidence seems to be growing as her abilities do. I am absolutely thrilled. My father in law took her to a Dr at the schools request so we could keep her in this extra tutoring program, and they gave him a prescription for Adderall, but if she keeps up this improvement, I am definitely not going that route. By the way I ran across this info on a really small study (4 kids) in Scotland, that shows significant results verified by biological changes in their brain scans.

Cindi

ms.mom39195.7154050926

This study is really controversial. It involved 4 children who were grossly obese. There was no control group, no placebo. The "brain growth" is actually measurement of NAA, something that increases as you grow, expecially in utero. It's not a marker of brain growth, but rather speculative. It was conducted by Dr. Basant Puri who happened to invent VegEPA, which is the product they used. Dr Richardson who did the Oxford-Durham study noted the flaws of this study.

Ben Goldacre wrote an article: http://www.badscience.net/?p=385#more-385.

Ben Goldacre is a very outspoken British Medical Doctor, who seems very threatened by anything NOT medical or alopathic, and does not want to even take a second look at any one thing that has not passed the scrutiny of scientific research and study. This is a shame, because things have to start somewhere in order to get anywhere! The durham trials have come under some scrutiny for some flaws in their work, and maybe should be thought more of as a "project." Still, lots of individuals swear by the omegas, I and DS do, and they HAVE been proven to be so beneficial in so many ways. I don't think you could go wrong in giving them a try, IMHO. :-)

I am sure that what NoTellin, was wanting to point out was the flaws in this particular study. I don't think anyone disputes the validity of the Oxford-Durham study. The site I had pulled this off is usually very good at checking the background and validity of information in their magazine, so I was very surprised to read the information at NoTellin's link. I guess the news releases on their web site, don't get the same scrutiny as their publications. I already realized the study had limited validity because of the small scope. I think the danger is from this badscience website, and others like QuackWatch, that while they are well intentioned, to protect people from unscrupulous promoters of products, they also tend to go way overboard against anything out of the mainstream, and are not usually open minded to the benefits of anything considered "alternative".

Cindi

cndij39196.5378819444I'm going to make this quick but I will say even if you don't see a difference taking a good quality fish oil is benificial for EVERYONE. It's an essential fatty acid, meaning our bodies cannot synthesize it on its own. We MUST get this fatty acid from our diet. Chances are if you're not taking a supplement you're probably deficient in Omega 3 EFA's. Do some research on the benifits of O3 fatty acids to find out why you need them.
Since I've started taking them I've noticed I don't have the anxiety and moodiness I had before.

ChristineM do you give it your child?

I'm all for fish oil; my son even takes the product that supposedly caused brain growth in the 4 child study. I just wanted to make sure everyone is wary about this particular study. At face value it seems like an incredible finding, but I felt kind of "gyped" when I did a little digging. NoTellin39196.6251967593Notellin I when to the site that you mention badscience and they say there is no scienctific proof that omega 3 helps adhd what to you think. I know you have been using it, I am thinking about using it to.

Good Morning,

I just ordered some EPA and was wondering if anyone has had different experiences giving this at different time of the day or more than once a day?

I should have it within the next week and i'm not sure wether I should give it to Gregory in the morning or at night, or both. Thanks for the help.

Teri

1/2 at night and 1/2 in the morning worked out best for me. [QUOTE=good25]

ChristineM do you give it your child?

[/QUOTE]

Yes, we all take it. When I mentioned to his Ped that we were taking it her exact words were, "that's a no brainer, everyone can benefit from fish oil"

Omega 3 essential fatty acids is vital to our health just as minerals, vitamins, fats, carbs..... in other words, it's not a fad supplement.

If you want more info on why you should take it you can pm me and I will point you to some info on studies etc...

I am cutting the capsule for my son cause it is to big for him to swallow it cutting it ok? [QUOTE=good25]I am cutting the capsule for my son cause it is to big for him to swallow it cutting it ok?[/QUOTE]

Yes, that's ok. I put it in a syringe and give it orally to my son.
Do the have to take vit E with the omega 3 for the absortation it read this some where? [QUOTE=good25]Do the have to take vit E with the omega 3 for the absortation it read this some where?[/QUOTE]

Most quality fish oils already have Vit E in them, check the labels.

Nordic Naturals, O3Joy, Country Life Omega 3 Mood all have Vit E

Hi guys...I'm new to these boards. You can view my story under the "tell your story" thread. I've just rec'd the Omega3joy in the mail. How is everyone that is using that doing with it? Also, how much to give a 5 year old? He'll be 5 at the end of this month. Label says 1 tsp/day. Should I give him 1/2 teaspoon?

I Just got my Omega Mood in the mail today. i had been using a small gelcap of evening primrose oil for my niece until they came in, and she could swallow that ok, but wow, these are some huge capsules. I guess, I will have her try it, but probably have to cut them open. I know someone said not to mix in peanut butter because the protein made it harder to absorb, but any other ideas on what to mix it in or on?

Thanks

Cindi

Cindi,

Try mixing it with a tiny bit of fresh lemon juice and honey.

HTH,

Christine
My son had to learn how to swallow large pills at 6. We tried everything. The thing that finally did the trick was suspending the pill in the middle of some very thick chocolate pudding so that he couldn't even tell it was there. Once he realized he could swallow that big pill without choking he no longer needed the pudding.Well I have got her "biting" the capsule open, and then squirting it into a cup of applesauce. It must not be too offensive since she has to get some in her month with the biting. She spent last week with her biological parents who were in town, so I didn't even try to get her back on track until we got her home Sunday night. The mom is planning on staying home off the truck for a while, so I will have to make these suppliments a condition of her visitation with her, because I intend to stick to it completely for a couple of months at least. I don't remember if I mentioned that the 3 nieces and my inlaws who have custody of them all live with us.

Has anyone tried the EPA Gems by Carlson? I understand Carlson is a good brand and is less expensive than Nordic Naturals. Does anyone use other Carlson products?

Thanks!