Remember FX ?

[losingmysanity]

Hello!!
Has anyone had any experience using Remember FX ??

Right now I have him on Nordic Naturals DHA 500mg twice a day. Been on it for about a month and a half, maybe two.
His mood improved and he was actually getting along with the rest of the family and saying that he would only allow himself to get mad once a year now... wow, what a change.
then boom. something happened about a week and a half ago, and its been back to the same old defiance and controlling behaviours. Didnt seem to help the school work but then we really didnt have much time to judge that yet.
I will keep him on it for now anyway, because I still have faith in it.
However, I've just seen ads for Remember FX and was wondering what the news is on this...
thanks

[rosyred45]

I've never heard of it, but searching on the net, I found this site for it, I don't know if it will help, but here you go.
www.posiwell.com/RememberFx.aspx

Take care
Kaiti

[catatonic]

RememberFx contains 15% active ginsenosides. Ginseng, in other words. There's not a thing in the world with taking ginseng, (you ought to take it WITH gingko biloba) but there's no evidence that it will make any impact on ADHD symptoms.

The well-designed studies on ginseng have yielded mixed results. There may be short-term memory improvement after taking ginseng (particularly in combination with gingko biloba).

Animal studies that have focused on ginseng's mechanism of action in the brain have provided evidence that use of ginseng increases the amount of acetylcholine available in the brain.

The strongest evidence for use of ginseng comes from research on senile dementia (alzheimer's, etc) where it has been shown to improve age-related memory loss. Age-related memory loss is a very different problem from ADHD. (There's also research on middle-aged populations concluding ginseng improves memory a little bit, although the improvement washes out not long after you stop taking ginseng.)

I wouldn't expect ginseng to function like an ADHD treatment, and I don't know that it will help if the learning/memory problems are caused by lack of attention. My personal opinion is that ginseng probably has limited use for ADHD...but it's apparent that it does have SOME kind of effect on the brain. And for that reason, ,it may be worth trying. (I have freinds who swear by it for the forgetfulness caused by turning 40 and having too many children!!!!!!)

[losingmysanity]

Thanks so much for the info. I guess it sounds more like it would be useful for older adults.
The thing is, although he has severe ADHD and Tourettes
he may also have some neurological damage from alcohol
during pregancy and early years poor nutrition (we adopted him from Russia at age 2). I was thinking this may help with the brain.
He literally cannot think for himself. Tonight he had some cantelope, and was eating with a fork. There was some juice in the bowl and he says "can I get a spoon to eat the juice?"
He's 10.... just every little thing that he does you have to think for him. I try to get him to ask himself first before asking us to see if he can come up with the answer himself, but no luck so far. He has a terrible temper, and is confrontational. When he is not flying off the handle though he can be very sweet and he is always very helpful. Trouble is he is just so darn difficult to be around.
Hard to explain. ;D

[rosyred45]

Not that I am in your shoes, but some things are hard to explain.

But look around and see if there is anything that might help around here.

I have found asking a question, like you just did, even if it might sound dumb, gets alot of good advice.

Take Care
Kaiti

[catatonic]

I have a friend who adopted a boy from a Russian orphanage when he was about 3 and they face many problems similar to yours. Fetal alcohol syndrome, poor nutrition, complete lack of stimulation or interaction during those early years...goodness knows what that does to a child (He was tied to a crib for most of the time.) Their second child (same orphanage, same conditions) is now completely normal in every way. Go figure.

So I know from watching my friend's boy that you have a real challenge. The sweetest, most affectionate and helpful child one moment, a full-blown temper tantrum the next. Mastering even special education curriculum is almost impossible, and with his speech delay you can hardly understand him when he's excited. Defiance, fights at school, every tiny little task requiring endless help and guidance... It's very, very difficult, I'm sure.

I believe that many of the dietary changes and supplements useful in ADHD would benefit your son. Particularly an additive-free diet. Due to the early childhood deprivation and alcohol during pregnancy, he's probably particularly vulnerable to neurotoxins. I know that my son's vocal tics are practically non-existent as long as he strictly follows the Feingold diet. The Australian Failsafe diet, developed as part of a hospital allergy treatment program, is even more restrictive. New research is proving that chemical food additives affect even normal children adversely, so imagine how awful they are for our children who already have neurological challenges.
for the Feingold diet www.feingold.org
for the Failsafe diet www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/

Research on animals has determined that one of the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome is intestinal damage in the fetus which affects digestive enzymes...perhaps one reason these children are smaller than normal, because they aren't absorbing food properly?
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8986219
It might be worth experimenting with use of digestive enzyme supplements. (You might also want to try a month-long course of probiotics and GSE.) Many people find that use of enzymes helps reduce behavioral reactions caused by food sensitivities. I don't know if it would have an impact in your case, but it's not particularly expensive and can't hurt him if it doesn't work.
www.enzymestuff.com

You're wise to continue the Nordic Naturals. Both fetal alcohol syndrome and ADHD are associated with low levels of Omega-3, which is essential for normal brain function. (See www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=10479465 ) The Nordic Naturals is a high quality product and you're giving him plenty, so keep up the good work.

You don't mention if you're using magnesium. USE MAGNESIUM. It's absolutely essential to neuron function, and magnesium deficiency is even more common among ADHD kids than is Omega-3 deficiency. Once you've rectified the deficiency (and this can take a while, particularly if you don't get a product that's got enough elemental magnesium AND that's highly bio-available) the difference in behavior is very noticeable. Take a look at the informative magnesium website:
www.mgwater.com

This is probably more information than you really wanted...certainly more than you asked for! I just really feel for you because I've seen first hand how difficult it can be to parent a child like yours no matter how much you love him...and the only help I can offer is to bombard you with information. I hope some of it helps a little.

[rosyred45]

Just went to see the Failsafe website.....I felt like I was starting all over with Feingold. Not a bad feeling, but man, took me back a bit to before Mikey then seeing the now Mikey.......BIG TIME CHANGE!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Cat

[losingmysanity]

How much elemental magnesium should I be aiming for?
Is the liquid form the best way to absorb it?
He weighs about 65 lbs, and is 10. I will go out and buy some pronto.
Tonight was very bad. Thank G*D for these support boards. Its just a comfort to know that others know what we are going thru. We have nobody in our family who has ever seen his confrontational behaviour and none of their children had any problems out of the ordinary. They just view it as bad parenting and told us to take some parenting courses!! Hah! They have just never asked him to do something he doesnt want to do, its always a fun situation when he sees them. Our Dr. said he may end up being a street kid. I dont want that to happen, and am trying to get to him before its too late.
thanks everybody for your help and support.

[rosyred45]

(((((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))))))

I'll let someone else answer about the magnesium, but bad parenting has nothing to do with a childs diagnosis, let alone the poor health your child had before you adopted him. (I'd have a few choice things to say to the doctor too, I think that was unprofessional to say something like that, but that is only my opinion.)

You have a heart of gold for adopting a child with disabilities, don't let anyone undermine your abilities to care for him.

I hear you on the being able to come here, it's my saving grace. Take care
Kaiti

[catatonic]

I think a lot of us get that kind of cr*p from our families. They probably mean well and if they realized how hurtful their remarks are, they'd keep their mouths shut. Wouldn't they??? We all try so hard, harder than they can imagine, to be good parents to difficult children, and we deserve support and understanding, not criticism.

On magnesium, I've found that liquids and chewables cause stomach upset more often than tablets or capsules. They're generally easier for kids to take, though. And liquids are absorbed much better than solid forms, by some estimates perhaps twice as much is absorbed from liquid magnesium.

To determine the correct dose, if you are looking for a maintenance dose (that is, you don't suspect a deficiency) then multiply body weight by 3mg. For your son, that would mean 195mg.

If you suspect deficiency, and I'd operate on the assumption that there's a deficiency, then you want to multiply body weight by 6mg, for a daily dose of 390mg. That's a pretty easy number to get close to, since 200 and 400mg increments are common. I use a Blue Bonnet Magnesium that supplies 400mg elemental magnesium per 2 capsules from magnesium aspartate HCL and it costs $8.77 per 100 capsules. It's easy to swallow and hasn't caused my son any tummy trouble at all. (He won't take liquid supplements, says they make him "sick".)

There's a test you can do at home to determine whether or not magnesium deficiency is likely. It's called the Cvostek test and is the same thing the doctor will probably do before he sends you to the lab for a magnesium blood test. Have your child sit comfortably upright in a chair. With one finger, tap the hollow of his cheek, halfway between the earlobe and the corner of the mouth. If the upper lip underneath the nose shows a twitch or jump, then magnesium deficiency is likely.

When I did this to my kids, 2 showed a twitch and 2 didn't, but interestingly enough the 2 who twitched are the ones who eat the best...never complain about vegetables at dinner, snack on fruits and nuts, not big on sweets. But they are also the 2 who like soda and try to get their hands on it whenever possible. Wonder if there's a connection?

An easy way to up magnesium intake...eat cashews. A half cup of cashews has more magnesium than most supplements, and it comes nicely packaged with the fats needed to promote improved absorption.