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Post by LauraA on Sept 17, 2004 14:58:43 GMT -5
I went to a website that ohmama posted. The website shows which supplements will work the best with the prescription drug that you are taking. My son is taking 20mg of Adderrall XR and I am getting ready to order some supplements for him. I have ordered the Nordic Naturals DHA, I am going to order the Blue Bonnet Manesium from house of nutrition. On the website that ohmama posted it also showed that tyrosine, B6 and Ltryptophan would help with the Adderral. Should I order all of these? He is also taking a multi vitamin. You had posted before that with the DHA you should take 100IU of vitamin E, why? His multi vitamin only has 30IU of vitamin E. I hope I haven't confused you but I didn't want to order something that is not needed and not order something that would help him. I got his multi vitamin at Wal Mart and it is called One Source for teens. Maybe you should give me another option on multi vitamin if you know of any. Thank you so much. Also, if I order the tyrosine, B6 or the ltryptophan, how much should he be taking. He is 16 and weighs 145. I do plain on giving him the supplements in the evening because vitamin C messes with the adderrall absorption.
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Post by catatonic on Sept 17, 2004 17:43:52 GMT -5
Laura,
I'm not particularly well-informed on the pharmaceuticals, but I will tell you what I can about the supplements the website recommended. When you take a stimulant medication, it increases neurotransmitter levels in your brain. Ritalin and Adderall both increase dopamine levels. Some new research on Ritalin seems to indicate that it may act on serotonin levels as well, implying that it is the balance between these two neurotransmitters that is as important as the amounts themselves.
Tyrosine is an amino acid used to build dopamine and taking it will increase dopamine levels. Tryptophan is a serotonin precursor and taking it will increase serotonin.
Most ADHD children appear to require more dopamine. Some appear to do better if their serotonin is increased instead (which is why SSRI's tend to work when stims don't). Some children require more of both.
I know that I give my son tyrosine and it helps with his attentiveness. I don't give him serotonin enhancing supplements because they don't seem to have a positive effect on him. But this is a very individual thing. You probably need to experiment and fine-tune a little, just as you would if you were trying a new prescription medication. You certainly CAN give both tyrosine and tryptophan, and may want to. You could start first with the tyrosine since you've seen him respond to Adderall and know that the dopamine route works for him. Or you could start with the tryptophan and see if increasing serotonin enhances the effects of his meds.
If you're going to try the tryptophan, then the B6 wouldn't hurt, since it's required for metabolism of precursors into serotonin. Be aware, though, that while B6 has very positive effects on some children, it has negative effects on nearly an equal percentage. Start it separately from anything else so that you can see if it causes any behavioral changes. You don't HAVE to use B6 with Adderall...that recommendation is based on a single case study where B6 helped a person having side effects...not the most conclusive of evidence.
Do use Vitamin E with the Nordic Naturals. It serves two purposes. First, it aids in metabolism and transport of the fatty acids. Second, it is an antioxidant and helps protect from free-radical damage as the fish oil is broken down.
I'm not familiar with the multi-vitamin you are using. If you want to post the label information, or a link to the label information, I'd be happy to take a look.
If you use tyrosine, the suggested dose is between 500mg and 1,500mg either twice or three times daily. (Lots of flexibility there.) I give my 10-year-old 750mg twice a day. If you're giving tryptophan in the form of 5-HTP, suggested dose is 100 - 300mg 3 times a day, which can be reduced once you see that it is working. While it is possible to by l-tryptophan rather than 5-htp, it costs about $80 - $100 per bottle, where the 5-htp is around $15, so I'd go with the 5-htp!
Let me know if this hasn't answered your questions.
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Post by LauraA on Sept 20, 2004 13:44:14 GMT -5
You are such a wealth of information. I am going to post from the label of my son's multi vitamin.
Vit A 5,000 IU
Vit C 100mg
Vit D 400IU
Vit E 30IU
Vit K 25mcg
Thiamin 1.6mg
Riboflavin 2mg
Niacin 20mg
Vitaming B6 2.25mg
Folate (folic acid) 400mcg
vitamin B12 8mcg
Biotin 45mcg
Pantothenic Acid 10mg
Calcium 200mg
Iron 18mg
Phosphorus 50mg
Iodine 150mcg
Magnesium 40mg
Zinc 15mg
Selenium 70mcg
Copper 2mg
Manganese 2mg
Chromium 120mcg
Molybdenum 75mcg
Boron 150mcg
Nickel 5mcg
Silicon 2mg
Tin 10mcg
Vanadium 10mcg
Thank you so much for your help.
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Post by catatonic on Sept 20, 2004 23:47:19 GMT -5
This looks like a good multi-vitamin. Nice mineral content. There are only a couple of areas where it doesn't quite meet the special needs of ADHD children. I do think the Vitamin E is too low and would go ahead and add a separate Vitamin E capsule to make sure you're getting enough antioxidant protection, since that's important with the fish oil. The magnesium is also low, so you're wise to include an additional magnesium capsule as well. I wouldn't hesitate to use this vitamin, assuming you've checked that it doesn't contain artificial colors or flavors. (We follow the Feingold diet and are very strict about that.) It appears to be a good choice.
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Post by LauraA on Sept 21, 2004 10:41:53 GMT -5
catatonic, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for your help. You are such a wealth of infomation. I am now going to order some Vitamin E and Magnesium from houseof nutrition.com. You have helped me greatly. I do have another question for you. I also have an 11 year old and a 6 year old, both boys. They are not ADHD and I need to get both of them taking a multi vitamin. They do not swallow pills, even the 11 year old can't or won't. Can you recommend a good multi vitamin for them that is chewable? Thank you again.
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Post by catatonic on Sept 21, 2004 21:41:51 GMT -5
Freeda's makes a chewable that I've heard from a lot of people they like. And Kirkman Labs does as well. I generally prefer the Kirkman Labs products to the Freeda's; I think they're a little more powerful. But I can't tell you from personal experience about them since we don't use chewables at all. (I think they're so horrible. Even smelling them makes me want to heave. And the thought of putting one in my mouth....ugh. You see, you've found one of my phobias  ) My son couldn't swallow pills either when we started on supplements when he was 8. So I'd set the kitchen timer for 2 minutes and tell him I'd pay him $2 if he swallowed all his vitamins before it buzzed. He learned to swallow pills in ....well, in about 2 minutes. This doesn't work unless you kid loves cash. I hope your 16-year-old will be positive about trying the supplements. I know that my 15-year-old is in his "Mom Is A Big Retard" stage and it can be difficult to convince him of anything at this point! I have to resort to outsmarting him (because I'm really not as big a retard as he thinks I am!) |
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