Considering that I have been off my Ritalin because of an uncooperative doctor who refuses to write me a full prescription, I have been desperately searching for over-the-counter alternatives until I get to see a shrink in two weeks.
I was reading that omega-3 fish oil capsules have an abundance of health benefits and may even help people with ADHD.
I bought a bottle last night and I haven't had time to see if it really works, but I'm wondering if anybody here can vouch for it.

Mrs. Clam buys it and feeds it to herself, me, and Clam Jr. She claims it is very good for the brain, the mood, and the health, and I have faith in her knowledge of the subject, but I can never remember to take them myself, so they don't do me much good...

I think you're not going to see much of a change in only two weeks change. While I believe that nutrition has a big impact on how your body functions, but IMO it takes time to see the benefits of taking supplements or making changes to your diet.

In the meantime, you might try dosing up on caffiene until your dr's appointment.

I don't know about fish oil, but when I take flax oil, my symptoms improve within days. Whenever I eat fish it improves within hours.

you might find this thread interesting

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3249&highlight=Omega-3+fish+oil

and if you use the search function you will find quite a few more you may like to read

I've been taking it for a few weeks now and haven't really felt any noticeable effect on mood/concentration yet. I take 6g of fish oil capsules per day, and I'm going to continue taking them even if I don't get any effect on my ADD symptoms, just because of all the general health benefits.

What I might suggest *has* made me feel better is eating right, though. On days when I eat right (right times, right amounts, right stuff), I just plain feel 100% better than days when I don't. It's that big of a difference.

I am currently trying it too ... I will try to remember to tell you if it works for me. *lol* I have only been on it for 2 days ...

The one over-the-counter remedy that does give immediate ritalin-like relief of adhd symptoms is l-tyrosine with vitamin a. You can buy a big bottle at a natural remedies store for less than $10 USD. If you have any diet pills they may contain l-tyrosine (check the ingredients) but the other ingredients like caffeine may interfere. Only problem with tyrosine is it doesn't last more than a couple weeks before tolerance sets in--for you, not a problem.

I find concentrating on audio meditation guides or baroque music helps--really any instrumental music. The effects are immediate but not long-lasting (an hour, tops).

Strength-training helps improve my concentration. Cardio helps with calmness, negativity/oppositional behavior and hyperactivity. Again, effects are immediate but not long-lasting (like maybe an hour or two).

Or do you take them separately? Also, what dosage do you take?

I would not use l-tyrosine with any other psychiatric meds without discussing it with my doctor, first. Some of them can actually be dangerous with certain meds. I believe l-tyrosine is one that can cause problems with SSRI antidepressants, in particular.

Even if I'm wrong about that, definitely tell your doctor what you're up to.

Ive been taking fish oil supplements for years, and have not noticed any improvement with my ADD. However, fish oil + st. johns wort make you feel very calm. Taking fish oil with stimulants will probably potentiate the medication.

Are there any theories as to the mechanism involved in the beneficial effects, perceived and/or real, for the EPA & DHA omega 3 fatty acids?

copied from quick online search:

ADDers Are More Likely to Have Fatty Acid Deficiencies

A Purdue University study showed that kids low in Omega-3 essential fatty acids are significantly more likely to be hyperactive, have learning disorders, and to display behavioral problems. ..The American diet is almost devoid of Omega 3's except for certain types of fish. In fact, researchers believe that about 60% of Americans are deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids, and about 20% have so little that test methods cannot even detect any in their blood.

Your brain is more than 60% structural fat, just as your muscles are made of protein and your bones are made of calcium. But it's not just any fat that our brains are made of. It has to be certain types of fats, and we no longer eat these types of fats like we used to. Worse, we eat man-made trans-fats and excessive amounts of saturated fats and vegetable oils high in Omega-6 fatty acids, all of which interfere which our body's attempt to utilize the tiny amount of Omega-3 fats that it gets.

<SMALL>Imagine your brain conducting some routine maintenance on your dopamine and serotonin receptors (implicated in both ADD and mood disorders). These receptors are composed of an Omega-3 fatty acid called DHA. If you don't have much DHA in your blood, man-made trans-fat molecules may be used as a construction material instead. But trans-fats (hydrogenated oils) are shaped differently than DHA: they are straight while DHA is curved. The dopamine receptor becomes deformed and doesn't work very well. Repeat this scenario day after day, year after year, and you could wind up with problems like depression and problems concentrating. This problem is most severe for a child whose brain is still developing.</SMALL>

<CENTER>***Research has shown that the diets of hunter/gatherers were rich in Omega-3's. They ate a mix of meat, fruits and vegetables, with little or no grains. Green leafy vegetables, certain seeds and nuts, and wild game are rich in Omega-3's. It turns out that cows, chickens and other animals have much higher levels of Omega-3s when they are fed by "free-range" methods because they eat lots of green leafy vegetables. On the other hand, if they are fed grain, their Omega-3 levels crash. Wild game is much healthier to eat and it is much leaner than farm-raised animals</CENTER><CENTER> </CENTER><CENTER>Hunter/gatherers ate greens with lots of Omega-3's. We know this because scientists have actually tested many of the plants and animals eaten by existing and past hunter/gatherer groups. These have been replaced primarily with grains, which contain the wrong kinds of fats.</CENTER><CENTER>*****</CENTER><CENTER style="MARGIN: 0px"><SMALL>Incidentally, pregnant women experience a major loss in DHA as their DHA is rerouted to the fetus. This may be one reason depression is so common after child birth.***</SMALL></CENTER><SMALL><CENTER><SMALL>Why it's Bad to Eat Too Many Vegetable Oils: That's right, one more things is bad for you! Vegetable oils contains Omega-6 fatty acids, and we eat lots of these. Sunflower oil, soybean oil, safflower oil and most other vegetable oils contain lots of Omega-6 fatty acids. This is bad for a couple of reasons:</SMALL></CENTER><CENTER style="MARGIN: 0px"><SMALL>1. Omega-6 fatty acids feed tumors.</SMALL></CENTER><CENTER style="MARGIN: 0px"><SMALL>2. The enzymes used to break parent Omega-6 fatty acids down into various compounds are shared by Omega-3 fatty acids. If you have a lot of Omega-6 fatty acids in your blood stream and only a small amount of Omega-3 fatty acids, the enzymes will probably be used up by the Omega-6 fatty acids, and you will be unable to manufacture DHA out of ALA.</SMALL></CENTER><CENTER style="MARGIN: 0px"><SMALL></SMALL> </CENTER><SMALL><CENTER style="MARGIN: 0px"><SMALL>3. Omega-6 fatty acids are broken down into substances which promote inflammation and other problems while Omega-3 fatty acids are broken down into substances that reduce inflammation. Therefore, there should be a balance between the two oil. The typical ratio in the U.S. is currently 22:1 in favor of the Omega-6 fatty acids. The ideal ratio is between 1:1 and 4:1.</SMALL></CENTER><CENTER style="MARGIN: 0px"><SMALL></SMALL> </CENTER><CENTER style="MARGIN: 0px"><SMALL>###In addition to changing serotonin and dopamine levels and functioning, omega-3 deficiencies are known to compromise the blood-brain barrier, which normally protects the brain from unwanted matter gaining access.21 Omega-3 deficiency can also decrease normal blood flow to the brain,22,23 an interesting finding given the studies which show that patients with depression have compromised blood flow to a number of brain regions.24,25 Finally, omega-3 deficiency also causes a 35 percent reduction in brain phosphatidylserine (PS) levels.26 This is also of relevance when considering that PS has documented antidepressant activity in humans.27,28</CENTER><CENTER style="MARGIN: 0px"> </CENTER>gotta go
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I think L-Tryptophan is the one that they recommend you not take if you are taking an SSRI. It helps to manufacture seratonin while the SSRI's try to help what you already have remain in the receptors. If there gets to be an excess there is risk of Seratonin Syndrome. Someone posted the link to the BrainPlace.com and it's VERY helpful regarding supplements/meds for ADD/ADHD!