Hi All,

I see a lot of hype on the Internet about Omega-3 Fatty Acids and ADHD.

Has anyone out there tried them for their ADD? I bought a bottle yesterday and thought I would give it a try. From what I have read it can take about a month for them to start working.

Also, I finished my first month on my part time drafter job. I never thought I'd make it. I noticed something. I stopped taking my Celexa (40mg x 2 daily) and within a day or so I noticed I was not as bothered by the monotony of the work being so simple.
I had two days of down time with nothing to do. That was a killer. My supervisor does not know about my ADD.

I asked for my first accommodation. I asked my supervisor if I could bring in my laptop computer and do AutoCad (that's the software I use at work) lessons and tutorials when I had nothing to do. HE SAID YES! I also have Corel on it so I can download tutorials for that program also. Actually, I can use the time to learn all kinds of stuff. The Internet is loaded with free lessons and tutorials.

I think I may be adjusting to being back to work. The boredom feels somewhat less bothersom. I'm not spending the long weekend obsessing about how awful going back to work Tuesday will be like I was before.

Something interesting happened at work. A couple of times I caught myself relaxing and enjoying the moment, just doing simple tasks. As soon as I noticed this something changed and I was back to feeling anxious and upset by the monotony of the work. It's like I have two people at war inside my head. One side wants to just relax and go with the flow and the other side wants to be stimulated and entertained.

I think I am going to try cultivating the side that just wants to go with the flow. If I can learn to tolerate the mundane my life would be heaven.

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Ernie J

Hi,
I am interested in your post because I just bought some Flaxseed oil capsules which I am taking for perimenopause symptoms, lots of oil is good in the system because of the drying effects of aging, I guess, but also I read it is good for clarity of thought and good for fatigue and that kind of thing, also I heard dandelion is good for fatigue and no sugar, so I am trying those things. I would like to go back into teaching, but don't know if I can handle the organizational and just general stress that comes with it, thanks for posting, hope everything goes well for you-LORI

EFA's are very beneficial...everyone should be taking them, ADD or not. Consider getting fish oil caps over the flax seed oil caps....regular dose for fish oil is 6-9 caps daily.

I have taking Fish Oil for just over a month. Wow! What a difference it is making. I normally take 20mg of Ritalin 3 x per day. In the last 2 weeks I noticed that I felt over "buzzed" as if I had taken too much Ritalin. So, I am now cutting the Ritalin in half and am doing great. I have noticed a difference in my "working memory" as well. I started to take it because I was getting depressed from family illness and work worries. I could not get my energy back. I read a book about solving depression without the use of drugs and talk therapy. One of the chapters was on the findings that Harvard discovered while doing a study on Bi Polar clients. Those clients taking the "high dose" fish oil, had only a minor relapse to a mild depression, while the placebo group started bouncing off of the walls with the highs and lows. I know that Fish Oil is a substance recommended by Dr. Hallowell and Dr Amen as well as a few others for ADD. I am taking the type and the dosage suggested in the book that came from the Harvard study. The effective ingredient is the "EPA" in the fish oil rather than the "DHA". Both EPA and DHA are "EFA"s (Essential Fatty Acids) but the effective ingredient appeared to be 1000mg to 2000 mg of EPA. I bought the pharmacuetical grade EPA by Nordic Naturals it has lemon flavor which helps to eliminate that fishy burp that comes about 15 min. after taking it. In order to get 1700 mg of the EPA have to take 4 capsuls per day. Note: taking 2 at a time makes my tummy slightly quesy, so I take one at breakfast, 1 at lunch and 2 before bedtime to sleep through the higher dose tummy issues. It does take about a month to realize the antidepressant and clear headed effect, but I noticed an increase in my energy in about a week. Also noted in the Harvard study was that higher doses from 4 to 9 grams of EPA had no further benefit than the benefit gained in between 1 to 2 grams. Although it was mentioned that one case had benefit at 3 grams.

I definately feel better, more energy and as I stated earlier I noticed a slight benefit in my "working memory", which means that I seem to remember where I set things down better. I can find my car in the parking lot quicker. It also seems like I am clearer about what I read. And for the ladies, PMS was went by unnoticed. YEAH!!

I would be interested in hearing about any other experiences or resources, studies etc.

Are there good reasons to choose flaxseed oil vs fish oil? Or would a good strategy be to just use both?

In September last year
I started giving my daughter fish oils ( Eye Q ). It took about 6 weeks to
start seeing a difference and they say up to three months before you see a
bigger difference. Her report card ( December ) said - presentation skills
have developed in leaps and bounds, she is attentive and focused in class,
gross motor skills have developed well, shows more interest in her work, she
has become more aware, all these from different teachers. So - it's working for us. BTW I also give them to my husband and he said he can feel a difference.
Thanks for the great resource here.
Kind regards
Jackie

P.S. I put flaxseed oil in her smoothie every morning - so we actually use both.

Before anyone new, who is reading this thread, thinks that supplements are the answer for ADHD, they should know that supplements have never been clinically proven to help ADHD. Having said that, on an individual basis it certainly does look to help some people.

I sometimes wish there were a magic "pill " to take for it other than the "meds" route ( which I haven't tried as yet ). And you're right - what works for some does not neccessarily work for others.

I sometimes wish there were a magic "pill " to take for it other than the "meds" route ( which I haven't tried asyet).
There are people here who have tried both the dietary and meds routes so you have come to the right place.

I have been reading up on this a bit because I find it odd that so many with ADHD feel better and do reduce their meds but there are no studies to back this up. One of the doctors notes that I read on this suggests it because not all of us have the same deffeciencies. So if you follow his theory on this, then Omega-3 only works if you have a problem with protien uptake. The same is true of magnesium. So the studies show that a very small percentage of those tested showed a difference, but possibly because the groups where not screened for such deficiencies.
I'm of the oppinion that if you want to try something like this...go for it, but be committed to at least 4 to 6 weeks of it. If you notice a real difference, then you found something that perhaps your body doesn't produce or use effeciently. There are too many people who do notice a difference to dismiss supplements just because no one has done the right type of research study to prove it, yet. The fact is that some people see results despite what the research says.

Good point Jaycee. A trial of meds would help someone decide if they were beneficial.

Go for it if thats what you want. If you're impaired you have nothing to lose. The only drawback would be the money spent and possibly that you don't have 2 months to do a trial run. You might need something that works right now.

I take flaxseed meal. I use about a size of a quarter or a little bigger. I usually notice a difference within a week. :) Guys, make sure when you take Omega 3's stock up on anti-oxidants. I drink a cup of green tea and eat raspberries each day. I'm going to add selinium soon. You need anti-oxidants with Omega 3's because the fats oxidize easily. Also, the fats can lower your immunity.

You might try taking a full multivitamin with it. Magnesium and other anti oxidents are usually found in them. some studies show that vitamin B is also important so you may see better results with the Omega if Your taking a multi-vitamin too.