Re: EFA and Hyperactivity/Agitation

[Guest guest]

Did you start out with one EFA and then slowly up the amount? My

son is 5 and has never been able to even go up to 1.5 EFA caps a day

as he starts acting like he is climbing out of his skin. Others

have said that their children acted terribly for a couple of weeks

and then settled but I tried for months and simply couldn't stand

living with the way he was acting. Just my opinion but if you just

started with that high dose I would suggest backing way down and see

if that improves the situation. If it does then you can slowly try

upping the amount by small doses to see what he and you can

tolerate.

All the best,

>

> My son has been taking EFA 3/6/9 (two capsuls), EPA (one capsule)

and

> 400IU Vit. E, two times a day. We have been on this program for 3

> weeks.

>

> He is having trouble " settling down " , almost like an agitated

state.

> He is constantly in motion and seeks very physical activities. We

> noticed these symptoms immediately when we started

supplementation.

> My son has apraxia and minor developmental delays.

>

> Is there something we could do to " calm " his behavior? Do others

> experience this reaction? The behavior is affecting his sleep and

is

> severe enough that I am considering not continuing the supplements.

>

> Please help!

> -Christy

>

[Guest guest]

-Hi Christy,

I too had the same problem with my son when we started the vitamin e.

He was so moody and cried over the littlest things. The behaviour

got so bad that I did stop the vitamin e even though he was showing

more gross motor skills and for the first time ever, said he was

cold!

I know some people here experimented with re-introducing it. I

found that when I stopped the efa's for a few days, then gave the

vitamin e only, then started back with the efa's that worked best

for us. He is still a little moody but not anywhere near what he

was when I first started it.

Hope this helps.

Sandy

Mom to

-- In , " brightwb " <brightwb@...>

wrote:

>

> My son has been taking EFA 3/6/9 (two capsuls), EPA (one capsule)

and

> 400IU Vit. E, two times a day. We have been on this program for 3

> weeks.

>

> He is having trouble " settling down " , almost like an agitated

state.

> He is constantly in motion and seeks very physical activities. We

> noticed these symptoms immediately when we started

supplementation.

> My son has apraxia and minor developmental delays.

>

> Is there something we could do to " calm " his behavior? Do others

> experience this reaction? The behavior is affecting his sleep and

is

> severe enough that I am considering not continuing the supplements.

>

> Please help!

> -Christy

>

[Guest guest]

We also had to stop pro efa/epa due to hyperactivity that was

actually dangerous as he was banging in the walls and unable to calm

down. We gave only one of each , so it's not like i went overboard

either.

There were some sentences coming out of his mouth (and he is severely

apraxic) but it wasn't worth the hyperactivity and dangerous .

It's a shame really. I would love to find something that works , but

have given up that there are any natural products that will actually

be a miracle cure for us.

I would advice you to give amounts according to his weight - I think

that's the safest way to do it, and ask your doctor's consent to be

on the safe side. The oils may also act like blood thinners - not

sure if that's so good for a child or not.

And yes, if your child is hyperactive, you need to stop the

supplement for his sake- I think. Take care,

> >

> > My son has been taking EFA 3/6/9 (two capsuls), EPA (one capsule)

> and

> > 400IU Vit. E, two times a day. We have been on this program for

3

> > weeks.

> >

> > He is having trouble " settling down " , almost like an agitated

> state.

> > He is constantly in motion and seeks very physical activities.

We

> > noticed these symptoms immediately when we started

> supplementation.

> > My son has apraxia and minor developmental delays.

> >

> > Is there something we could do to " calm " his behavior? Do others

> > experience this reaction? The behavior is affecting his sleep

and

> is

> > severe enough that I am considering not continuing the

supplements.

> >

> > Please help!

> > -Christy

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Also, does the vitamin E you are giving him contain any of the gamma

tocopherol? My child seems to need the gamma as well as the d-

alpha. I started slowly beginning with 200IU d-alpha/200mg gamma for

one month, doubled it for another month, and now we are on 800IUs d-

alpha/400mg gamma. The reason I know he needs the gamma is because

when I increased to 400IUs I tried giving the second dose of the day

as a straight d-alpha dose and it was like he never received the

second dose. He would regress to sensory seeking behaviors that

vanished when on the d-alpha/gamma mix. Others have recently posted

they their child does better with some gamma as well.

When I went to 800 IUs I only increased the d-alpha. I've kept the

daily gamma amount at 400mg.

I just last week began using the Pro-EFA (first just one for a few

days, then added a second) and added the Pro-EPA this week. So far,

so good. It's hard to go so slowly, but so far we have reaped

unbelievable benefits and continue to see daily improvements.

[Guest guest]

Did you start out with one EFA and then slowly up the amount? My

son is 5 and has never been able to even go up to 1.5 EFA caps a day

as he starts acting like he is climbing out of his skin. Others

have said that their children acted terribly for a couple of weeks

and then settled but I tried for months and simply couldn't stand

living with the way he was acting. Just my opinion but if you just

started with that high dose I would suggest backing way down and see

if that improves the situation. If it does then you can slowly try

upping the amount by small doses to see what he and you can

tolerate.

All the best,

>

> My son has been taking EFA 3/6/9 (two capsuls), EPA (one capsule)

and

> 400IU Vit. E, two times a day. We have been on this program for 3

> weeks.

>

> He is having trouble " settling down " , almost like an agitated

state.

> He is constantly in motion and seeks very physical activities. We

> noticed these symptoms immediately when we started

supplementation.

> My son has apraxia and minor developmental delays.

>

> Is there something we could do to " calm " his behavior? Do others

> experience this reaction? The behavior is affecting his sleep and

is

> severe enough that I am considering not continuing the supplements.

>

> Please help!

> -Christy

>

[Guest guest]

-Hi Christy,

I too had the same problem with my son when we started the vitamin e.

He was so moody and cried over the littlest things. The behaviour

got so bad that I did stop the vitamin e even though he was showing

more gross motor skills and for the first time ever, said he was

cold!

I know some people here experimented with re-introducing it. I

found that when I stopped the efa's for a few days, then gave the

vitamin e only, then started back with the efa's that worked best

for us. He is still a little moody but not anywhere near what he

was when I first started it.

Hope this helps.

Sandy

Mom to

-- In , " brightwb " <brightwb@...>

wrote:

>

> My son has been taking EFA 3/6/9 (two capsuls), EPA (one capsule)

and

> 400IU Vit. E, two times a day. We have been on this program for 3

> weeks.

>

> He is having trouble " settling down " , almost like an agitated

state.

> He is constantly in motion and seeks very physical activities. We

> noticed these symptoms immediately when we started

supplementation.

> My son has apraxia and minor developmental delays.

>

> Is there something we could do to " calm " his behavior? Do others

> experience this reaction? The behavior is affecting his sleep and

is

> severe enough that I am considering not continuing the supplements.

>

> Please help!

> -Christy

>

[Guest guest]

We also had to stop pro efa/epa due to hyperactivity that was

actually dangerous as he was banging in the walls and unable to calm

down. We gave only one of each , so it's not like i went overboard

either.

There were some sentences coming out of his mouth (and he is severely

apraxic) but it wasn't worth the hyperactivity and dangerous .

It's a shame really. I would love to find something that works , but

have given up that there are any natural products that will actually

be a miracle cure for us.

I would advice you to give amounts according to his weight - I think

that's the safest way to do it, and ask your doctor's consent to be

on the safe side. The oils may also act like blood thinners - not

sure if that's so good for a child or not.

And yes, if your child is hyperactive, you need to stop the

supplement for his sake- I think. Take care,

> >

> > My son has been taking EFA 3/6/9 (two capsuls), EPA (one capsule)

> and

> > 400IU Vit. E, two times a day. We have been on this program for

3

> > weeks.

> >

> > He is having trouble " settling down " , almost like an agitated

> state.

> > He is constantly in motion and seeks very physical activities.

We

> > noticed these symptoms immediately when we started

> supplementation.

> > My son has apraxia and minor developmental delays.

> >

> > Is there something we could do to " calm " his behavior? Do others

> > experience this reaction? The behavior is affecting his sleep

and

> is

> > severe enough that I am considering not continuing the

supplements.

> >

> > Please help!

> > -Christy

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I have him on Vit. E VegaGels, D-alpha tocopherol, 400IU x 2 a day

(for a total of 800IU daily). I am a little confused about Vit E,

can you please clarify the differences in types? Is the Vit E or

the EFA causing the agitation? Which Vit E is best for treating

Apraxia, SI and developmental delays?

Additionally, I have received several post ( & appreciate them!) but

I want to clarify that I am using supplements with the support of my

son's ped and SLP. All dosing has been approved by both

professionals and a third dose of EFA, EPA and Vit E is also

approved by both (We have him on a program to slowly increase his

dosages).

Thanks-

Christy

[Guest guest]

Also, does the vitamin E you are giving him contain any of the gamma

tocopherol? My child seems to need the gamma as well as the d-

alpha. I started slowly beginning with 200IU d-alpha/200mg gamma for

one month, doubled it for another month, and now we are on 800IUs d-

alpha/400mg gamma. The reason I know he needs the gamma is because

when I increased to 400IUs I tried giving the second dose of the day

as a straight d-alpha dose and it was like he never received the

second dose. He would regress to sensory seeking behaviors that

vanished when on the d-alpha/gamma mix. Others have recently posted

they their child does better with some gamma as well.

When I went to 800 IUs I only increased the d-alpha. I've kept the

daily gamma amount at 400mg.

I just last week began using the Pro-EFA (first just one for a few

days, then added a second) and added the Pro-EPA this week. So far,

so good. It's hard to go so slowly, but so far we have reaped

unbelievable benefits and continue to see daily improvements.

[Guest guest]

I have him on Vit. E VegaGels, D-alpha tocopherol, 400IU x 2 a day

(for a total of 800IU daily). I am a little confused about Vit E,

can you please clarify the differences in types? Is the Vit E or

the EFA causing the agitation? Which Vit E is best for treating

Apraxia, SI and developmental delays?

Additionally, I have received several post ( & appreciate them!) but

I want to clarify that I am using supplements with the support of my

son's ped and SLP. All dosing has been approved by both

professionals and a third dose of EFA, EPA and Vit E is also

approved by both (We have him on a program to slowly increase his

dosages).

Thanks-

Christy

[Guest guest]

I don't think anyone really knows what causes agitation/moodiness in

some kids and not others. Unfortunately, it is all trial and error

and finding the best formula for your kid. I'm not a medical

professional, but I'll try to summarize what I've learned and there

is a lot of info in past posts, especially from Dr. ,

that you may want to search through to get a better picture. It took

me many hours of late-night archive searching to soak it all in, but

basically for the type of supplementation that is mostly discussed

here, the d-alpha tocopherol is what our children are benefitting

from. I think some people have seen improvement with speech from the

Vitamin E, but for us the Vitamin E has eliminated major sensory

issues. Since a vitamin E deficiency can cause symptoms that mimic

apraxia (with associated SI issues), it makes sense. Check out

www.merck.com for good info on Vitamin E deficiency symptoms.

Taking higher doses of d-alpha tocopherol can induce a deficiency in

gamma tocopherol, and the initial thought was that we also supplement

with gamma so as not to create a deficiency that wasn't already

there. But in our case and in the case of some others who posted,

some children seem to also need the gamma (even though we don't know

why and how it may be working in their bodies). There isn't a lot of

information on gamma tocopherol, but it is believed to have some sort

on anti-inflammatory properties. The Linus ing Institute web

page has some info on it at:

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/ss03/vitamine.html

Since higher doses of Vitamin E could also possibly induce a Vit K

deficiency, you may want to also talk to your peditrician about

supplementing with a K1 and K2 (not K3) supplement once a week or so

(we do this).

Please also remember that the fish oil oxidizes Vitamin E. When we

were on the lower doses of Vitamin E (200 and 400 IUs), I tried using

the fish oil but the sensory issues returned. It wasn't until we

increased to 800 IUs d-alpha and 400mg gamma that I could begin using

the Pro-EFA without sensory regression.

People normally see the " language explosions " while using the fish

oil. We haven't experience that yet, but we've only been on it for a

week. I understand that it can take up to 3 weeks (sometimes more)

to see those changes, so I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.

I hope this helps. I wish we could all have an easier time trying to

find what works for our kids and more than anything I wish that all

kids would respond to the supplementation, but sadly that is not the

case. Good luck and best wishes for the new year.

>

> I have him on Vit. E VegaGels, D-alpha tocopherol, 400IU x 2 a day

> (for a total of 800IU daily). I am a little confused about Vit E,

> can you please clarify the differences in types? Is the Vit E or

> the EFA causing the agitation? Which Vit E is best for treating

> Apraxia, SI and developmental delays?

>

> Additionally, I have received several post ( & appreciate them!) but

> I want to clarify that I am using supplements with the support of my

> son's ped and SLP. All dosing has been approved by both

> professionals and a third dose of EFA, EPA and Vit E is also

> approved by both (We have him on a program to slowly increase his

> dosages).

>

> Thanks-

> Christy

>

[Guest guest]

I don't think anyone really knows what causes agitation/moodiness in

some kids and not others. Unfortunately, it is all trial and error

and finding the best formula for your kid. I'm not a medical

professional, but I'll try to summarize what I've learned and there

is a lot of info in past posts, especially from Dr. ,

that you may want to search through to get a better picture. It took

me many hours of late-night archive searching to soak it all in, but

basically for the type of supplementation that is mostly discussed

here, the d-alpha tocopherol is what our children are benefitting

from. I think some people have seen improvement with speech from the

Vitamin E, but for us the Vitamin E has eliminated major sensory

issues. Since a vitamin E deficiency can cause symptoms that mimic

apraxia (with associated SI issues), it makes sense. Check out

www.merck.com for good info on Vitamin E deficiency symptoms.

Taking higher doses of d-alpha tocopherol can induce a deficiency in

gamma tocopherol, and the initial thought was that we also supplement

with gamma so as not to create a deficiency that wasn't already

there. But in our case and in the case of some others who posted,

some children seem to also need the gamma (even though we don't know

why and how it may be working in their bodies). There isn't a lot of

information on gamma tocopherol, but it is believed to have some sort

on anti-inflammatory properties. The Linus ing Institute web

page has some info on it at:

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/ss03/vitamine.html

Since higher doses of Vitamin E could also possibly induce a Vit K

deficiency, you may want to also talk to your peditrician about

supplementing with a K1 and K2 (not K3) supplement once a week or so

(we do this).

Please also remember that the fish oil oxidizes Vitamin E. When we

were on the lower doses of Vitamin E (200 and 400 IUs), I tried using

the fish oil but the sensory issues returned. It wasn't until we

increased to 800 IUs d-alpha and 400mg gamma that I could begin using

the Pro-EFA without sensory regression.

People normally see the " language explosions " while using the fish

oil. We haven't experience that yet, but we've only been on it for a

week. I understand that it can take up to 3 weeks (sometimes more)

to see those changes, so I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.

I hope this helps. I wish we could all have an easier time trying to

find what works for our kids and more than anything I wish that all

kids would respond to the supplementation, but sadly that is not the

case. Good luck and best wishes for the new year.

>

> I have him on Vit. E VegaGels, D-alpha tocopherol, 400IU x 2 a day

> (for a total of 800IU daily). I am a little confused about Vit E,

> can you please clarify the differences in types? Is the Vit E or

> the EFA causing the agitation? Which Vit E is best for treating

> Apraxia, SI and developmental delays?

>

> Additionally, I have received several post ( & appreciate them!) but

> I want to clarify that I am using supplements with the support of my

> son's ped and SLP. All dosing has been approved by both

> professionals and a third dose of EFA, EPA and Vit E is also

> approved by both (We have him on a program to slowly increase his

> dosages).

>

> Thanks-

> Christy

>

[Guest guest]

Are you seeing any benefits with this?

Timing of supplements may make a difference too, regarding sleep.

Are you giving them at dinner? You could try giving them at

breakfast and lunch...see if sleep is better.

> My son has been taking EFA 3/6/9 (two capsuls), EPA (one capsule)

and

> 400IU Vit. E, two times a day. We have been on this program for 3

> weeks.

>

> He is having trouble " settling down " , almost like an agitated

state.

> He is constantly in motion and seeks very physical activities. We

> noticed these symptoms immediately when we started

supplementation.

> My son has apraxia and minor developmental delays.

>

> Is there something we could do to " calm " his behavior? Do others

> experience this reaction? The behavior is affecting his sleep and

is

> severe enough that I am considering not continuing the supplements.

>

> Please help!

> -Christy

>

[Guest guest]

Sometimes it is so hard to tell what is environmental and what is

physiological.

For the past two days I have decreased my son's Vit E dosage from

800IU to 400IU, given once in the morning. This seems to have

helped with the agitation and sleeping. Do you think it is

appropriate to give Vit E 400IU/EFA/EPA doses (so close together) in

the a.m. & a second Vit E 400IU/EFA/EPA dose at lunch (I want to

resume his Vit E to 800IU daily)? Should I be looking into other

forms of Vit E? I have also started giving the EFA & EPA latter in

the evening (right before bed instead of with dinner). I have not

noticed any regression with the decrease in Vit. E.

Unfortunately, I did not just change one factor in my son's therapy,

which makes it harder to gage what has been most helpful. The most

important thing is that I have noticed improvement. It has not been

a " hallelujah " moment like others have experienced. BUT it is still

early. Additionally, my son has had several other changes. He

turned three 11-28, started a special education preschool that is

phenomenal and is receiving ST 4x a week. So, I believe that it has

been an accumulation of factors.

My purpose continues to keep me on my toes and on the Internet into

the wee hours! This group is amazing.

-Christy

PS. If anybody ever wants to hear a recording of my son speak, I can

email a MP3 file (~30 seconds long). My son has been diagnosed

moderatly Apraxic and is 37 months old. Sometimes it helps me to

hear other Apraxic children speak....just an offer.

> Are you seeing any benefits with this?

>

> Timing of supplements may make a difference too, regarding sleep.

> Are you giving them at dinner? You could try giving them at

> breakfast and lunch...see if sleep is better.

>

>

> > My son has been taking EFA 3/6/9 (two capsuls), EPA (one

capsule)

> and

> > 400IU Vit. E, two times a day. We have been on this program for

3

> > weeks.

> >

> > He is having trouble " settling down " , almost like an agitated

> state.

> > He is constantly in motion and seeks very physical activities.

We

> > noticed these symptoms immediately when we started

> supplementation.

> > My son has apraxia and minor developmental delays.

> >

> > Is there something we could do to " calm " his behavior? Do

others

> > experience this reaction? The behavior is affecting his sleep

and

> is

> > severe enough that I am considering not continuing the

supplements.

> >

> > Please help!

> > -Christy

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Are you seeing any benefits with this?

Timing of supplements may make a difference too, regarding sleep.

Are you giving them at dinner? You could try giving them at

breakfast and lunch...see if sleep is better.

> My son has been taking EFA 3/6/9 (two capsuls), EPA (one capsule)

and

> 400IU Vit. E, two times a day. We have been on this program for 3

> weeks.

>

> He is having trouble " settling down " , almost like an agitated

state.

> He is constantly in motion and seeks very physical activities. We

> noticed these symptoms immediately when we started

supplementation.

> My son has apraxia and minor developmental delays.

>

> Is there something we could do to " calm " his behavior? Do others

> experience this reaction? The behavior is affecting his sleep and

is

> severe enough that I am considering not continuing the supplements.

>

> Please help!

> -Christy

>

[Guest guest]

Sometimes it is so hard to tell what is environmental and what is

physiological.

For the past two days I have decreased my son's Vit E dosage from

800IU to 400IU, given once in the morning. This seems to have

helped with the agitation and sleeping. Do you think it is

appropriate to give Vit E 400IU/EFA/EPA doses (so close together) in

the a.m. & a second Vit E 400IU/EFA/EPA dose at lunch (I want to

resume his Vit E to 800IU daily)? Should I be looking into other

forms of Vit E? I have also started giving the EFA & EPA latter in

the evening (right before bed instead of with dinner). I have not

noticed any regression with the decrease in Vit. E.

Unfortunately, I did not just change one factor in my son's therapy,

which makes it harder to gage what has been most helpful. The most

important thing is that I have noticed improvement. It has not been

a " hallelujah " moment like others have experienced. BUT it is still

early. Additionally, my son has had several other changes. He

turned three 11-28, started a special education preschool that is

phenomenal and is receiving ST 4x a week. So, I believe that it has

been an accumulation of factors.

My purpose continues to keep me on my toes and on the Internet into

the wee hours! This group is amazing.

-Christy

PS. If anybody ever wants to hear a recording of my son speak, I can

email a MP3 file (~30 seconds long). My son has been diagnosed

moderatly Apraxic and is 37 months old. Sometimes it helps me to

hear other Apraxic children speak....just an offer.

> Are you seeing any benefits with this?

>

> Timing of supplements may make a difference too, regarding sleep.

> Are you giving them at dinner? You could try giving them at

> breakfast and lunch...see if sleep is better.

>

>

> > My son has been taking EFA 3/6/9 (two capsuls), EPA (one

capsule)

> and

> > 400IU Vit. E, two times a day. We have been on this program for

3

> > weeks.

> >

> > He is having trouble " settling down " , almost like an agitated

> state.

> > He is constantly in motion and seeks very physical activities.

We

> > noticed these symptoms immediately when we started

> supplementation.

> > My son has apraxia and minor developmental delays.

> >

> > Is there something we could do to " calm " his behavior? Do

others

> > experience this reaction? The behavior is affecting his sleep

and

> is

> > severe enough that I am considering not continuing the

supplements.

> >

> > Please help!

> > -Christy

> >

>

[Guest guest]

> > Are you seeing any benefits with this?

> >

> > Timing of supplements may make a difference too, regarding

sleep.

> > Are you giving them at dinner? You could try giving them at

> > breakfast and lunch...see if sleep is better.

> >

> >

> > > My son has been taking EFA 3/6/9 (two capsuls), EPA (one

> capsule)

> > and

> > > 400IU Vit. E, two times a day. We have been on this program

for

> 3

> > > weeks.

> > >

> > > He is having trouble " settling down " , almost like an agitated

> > state.

> > > He is constantly in motion and seeks very physical

activities.

> We

> > > noticed these symptoms immediately when we started

> > supplementation.

> > > My son has apraxia and minor developmental delays.

> > >

> > > Is there something we could do to " calm " his behavior? Do

> others

> > > experience this reaction? The behavior is affecting his sleep

> and

> > is

> > > severe enough that I am considering not continuing the

> supplements.

> > >

> > > Please help!

> > > -Christy

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

> > Are you seeing any benefits with this?

> >

> > Timing of supplements may make a difference too, regarding

sleep.

> > Are you giving them at dinner? You could try giving them at

> > breakfast and lunch...see if sleep is better.

> >

> >

> > > My son has been taking EFA 3/6/9 (two capsuls), EPA (one

> capsule)

> > and

> > > 400IU Vit. E, two times a day. We have been on this program

for

> 3

> > > weeks.

> > >

> > > He is having trouble " settling down " , almost like an agitated

> > state.

> > > He is constantly in motion and seeks very physical

activities.

> We

> > > noticed these symptoms immediately when we started

> > supplementation.

> > > My son has apraxia and minor developmental delays.

> > >

> > > Is there something we could do to " calm " his behavior? Do

> others

> > > experience this reaction? The behavior is affecting his sleep

> and

> > is

> > > severe enough that I am considering not continuing the

> supplements.

> > >

> > > Please help!

> > > -Christy

> > >

> >

>