Do they even help with focus at all? :confused:

I have taken them for years (mostly for healthy joints)

But they did not help me with my inattention at all. :faint:

Omega 3 fatty acids are essential to brain function in general, from what I understand, I don't think it has an improvement in target symptoms.

I doubt it would have an impact on my hyperactivity.

When I've been eating paleo (stoneage) foods only for months straight, I feel less irritable and I'm more "awake", but that's about it. To say that it's all that is needed to "cure" ADHDers, is to minimize what the disorder is.

I cant say I really felt more awake...

The only effect I got from these things was a very fishy taste in my mouth... :eek:

Frazz, I seem to be the fish oil guru here, so bear with me if I sound redundant. They can help, but they need to be very high quality, high EPA to DHA ratio, or you are just taking fish oils that are good for the rest of you. Both my son and I started out taking the regular oils we found at the health food store: no change. then, we switched over to the high EPA forumla, the one we take is 20 to 1 EPA to DHA. Big difference for both of us on one gram (one cap). I have recently added another gram for myself, and an even bigger difference! Mood is even more evened out, and the attention, memory, and concentration is evern that much better. you can even find pure EPA online. It takes up to three months to notice an effect though, and it kinda creeps up on you, but I swear by 'em and I love 'em. My 15-year-old is a really wonderful 15-year-old guy on them.

The high quality pharmaceutical grade ones don't have the repeat (fishy taste) as badly as the store brands, and I take mine at night before bedtime, and have NO problems with aftertaste.

Definitely worth a try, but get the better ones Frazz.

Auntie Frazzle. :D

I agree with Frazzle on the quality of the supplement. I have found that most cheap supplements haven't done very much for me.

As to whether which of either EPA or DHA is better, that is a subject of debate. DHA is present in significant quantities in the brain, while EPA is supposed to have an effect on one's "stress hormones" (epinephrine, cortisol, inflammatory agents, etc.), which in effect can lower blood pressure.

I can't say that the fish oil has had an impact on ADD symptoms though for me. It will definitely have an impact on mood, but it probably made my symptoms a little worse in certain areas. Consequently, it could improve sleep.

cheap supplements won't help much. i take about 7200 mg of fish oil, which translated to about 1200 mg EPA and 600 DHA. it makes a difference on focus, but you have to allow it to build up in your system for a few weeks if you take high concentration. i've been pretty bad cases of ADHD helped by fish oil. i personally either take sprinjg valley brand (made by nature's bounty) 1200 mg capsules, or take lovaza (formerly omacor) which is very high EPA/DHA omega 3 esters. available by prescription for high triglycerides...but not ADHD, but i got my psych to prescribe it for adhd.

fish oil actually helped alter my life by altering my ability to focus and gave me more energy (a lot like coffee, but more productive). i think its hit or miss, but in order to realize its potential you must take a better supplement and take it consistently in high dose until it finally kicks in. (one capsule really doesn't do the trick for a regular supplement)