Teenage Health - Acne, Weight, Irregular Cycles, Moods

I just finished reading Dr. Erika's Hormone Solution for Your Daughter (Dr. Erika Schwartz) and it was a good book.  I like solutions that give you other options for behaviors other than just Prozac and other options for regulating a teen's menstrual cycle other than birth control pills.  There is a lot more information in the book as well (such as weight and acne) and the use of supplements like natural progesterone (natural, not synthetic), Coenzyme Q, L-carnitine, B-complex, Omega-3, Vitamin C, Iron, Magnesium, and calcium supplements.

My stepson was diagnosed with ADHD years ago and I can say, by experience, that Omega-3 made a HUGE difference in his ADHD symptoms.  He wasn't hyper or misbehaving while on them and when I'd forget to give them to him - wow!  Noticeable difference.  I give all of our kids the gummy Omega-3 supplements, not just my stepson when he's here, for their health.  At first, they hated the taste of them but within a week, they all loved them.  My stepson's mother wouldn't give him Omega-3 though unless his pediatrician told her she could and his pediatrician only had him on ADHD drugs that made him tired and hurt his stomach.  Big Pharma won out there.

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Stepson's Grades

Well, my stepson is doing the same thing this year that he did last year - letting his grades fall to almost failing. Coming from a kid who was several grade levels ahead of his classmates a few years ago, and knowing his mother hasn't done anything again this year to help him (get him an IEP, get him therapy, ensure he is doing his homework), it's so frustrating to see this woman with custody of the kids let a very smart young man's grades go to hell. Why doesn't she care more to do something?

It appears that we are going to have to do what she won't do, which is nothing new. We are the ones who previously took him to a child psychologist, speech therapy, and occupational therapy before. She never even attended any of those sessions herself! I, the hated wife of her ex, drove him an hour each way into the city for his therapies, therapies his mother never attended. Gosh, I'm such a rotten stepmom AND kept her fully updated with notes from the sessions I took and copies of every thing they worked on while there. I'm so awful aren't I? I dread having to go through this again because she's not a pleasant person to deal with but damn! Do something for your kid already! Maybe if we "suggest" a change in custody because she's letting him fail, she'll pretend to care enough to get him some help?

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ADHD Update

I forgot to post yesterday that we did hear back from the ex about what she wanted in terms of evaluations for my stepson's ADHD and our suggestion about changing his diet (less processed foods, less additives, less bad carbs/sugars, less food dyes) and ensuring he is receiving all the recommended vitamins and minerals (which he would if he ate healthy). In other words, we just want her to feed him a healthy diet! She wants a professional to give her a diet plan (in other words, she doesn't know what a healthy diet is or what vitamins and minerals a kid needs?). A mother of two children doesn't know what a healthy diet is after 15 years of parenting? Um, how about looking it up or asking his pediatraician?

*sigh*

I guess we'll pay a specialist several hundred of dollars at least so she can be told what a healthy diet is instead.

She also needs a different doctor because his current pediatrician (she picked) isn't qualified to handle his needs beyond prescribing medications she said (and the developmental pediatrician we took him to ourselves initially that specializes in this that she doesn't take him to anymore would've been or at least could've referred her to another doctor with similar qualifications but the ex did what she wanted because she knows all...that came back to bite her - and my stepson - didn't it). She also could've asked my stepson's former counselor for a referral as well (I say former because she won't take him to them anymore even though they specialize in ADHD as well because they figured out part, ok - most, of my stepson's problem was his mother's behavior). She will find a new doctor all on her own without any help from the professionals who have in depth examined the child many times over because she knows everything - - except how to feed her kids perhaps or help her son before allowing him to go through an entire school year without any help from anybody. *sigh*

We might as well just bloody our heads by banging it against a brick wall. Anybody have a brick wall for me?

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Do we have to be a ritalin society?

I am still researching the possibility of Omega-3 being the answer for some children with ADHD. There is quite a bit of information on the web about this and it makes me hopeful that this is not some quacky hoax.

It could also be quite sad if true because a lot of society has switched from wholesome meals to processed and/or "on the go" drive through meals, resulting in our children not receiving the proper nutrients and having deficiencies - not only deficiencies in the known vitamins and minerals but the unknown benefits that come in natural, unprocessed foods that we haven't even found out about yet. Perhaps some children are more susceptible than others to these unhealthy additives resulting in the behavior we see that is diagnosed as ADHD. Add to that children who are stuck in the middle of two warring parents in a divorce situation and the resulting behavioral problems, parents who do not parent with some structure and consistency, or parents who give their child everything with no expectations for responsibility or accountability...it's a recipe for Ritalin because behavioral problems in children get an ADHD label quickly instead. Is any of the above contributing to or being mistaken for ADHD with the child being medicated the result?

We are a Ritalin society. We shouldn't be.

Interesting article:
WebMD - Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help With ADHD?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends eliminating preservatives and food colorings from foods for ADHD kids.

There is SO MUCH out there online. I think other factors need to be considered and remedied or eliminated before we medicate our children.

For the other articles in my blogs on this topic, and links to research data:

Omega-3 Source

Need Your Help

Is Omega-3 A Breakthrough?

Managing ADHD Without Meds

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ADHD, Apraxia & Omega-3

I am looking for information on the use of Omega-3 for helping symptoms of ADHD and Apraxia. If you have firsthand knowledge of positive results, please let me know here. It's really important that I find out all I can on this. Thanks!!

Some information I have read about managing ADHD without medications I've listed here. Though, I do have a bunch more info. that I will post soon.

Research, research, research!

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Managing ADHD Without Medications

I've been doing some online research on ADHD because my stepson was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD several years ago. He was on medication for a few years but is now off of it (not because he's better but because of the stomachaches). Since coming off his medication, his grades have fallen several grades and many of his teachers are having problems with his behavior in class. Nothing has been done about it to date either that we've been informed of, which is really sad because he is an "A" student.

However, I have found some promising research that I think parents with ADHD children (or who are ADHD themselves) might find useful. It has to do with kids being deficient in Omega-3 and the studies that showed improvement in children who were given fish oil supplements. Here are several links to review:

www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA400011

http://www.adhdnews.com/blog/archives/2006/03/adhd_teens_calm.html

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071202022130AAu1by3

http://www.healthline.com/eatingwell/etw-omega-3-fats-and-adhd

http://www.drgreene.com/21_2167.html

http://writtenoutputdisorder.blogspot.com/2007/04/study-shows-omega-3-helps-adhd.html

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/108/109071.htm

http://www.askdrsears.com/news/headlines0407.asp

http://holistic-parenting.suite101.com/article.cfm/adhd_and_omega3


http://www.naturalhealthweb.com/articles/virtue2.html


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061205220041.htm

http://addadhdadvances.com/omega-3.html

http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=68599-equazen-omega-adhd-fish-oil

http://www.healingwithnutrition.com/newsclips/archive/omega3add.html


Obviously fish is a great way to get it with some fish higher in it than others). Flax seed is high in Omega-3. You can grind it up (or buy it ground) and sprinkle it over cereals, yogurts, and into sauces like spaghetti sauce. I keep the bulk of it in the freezer and take out a small bowlful each week and keep it in the fridge to use. Flax oil is high in Omega-3 as well and should be kept refrigerated (so it doesn't go rancid). I've never used the oils. I've read the oils can be mixed in with butter (though you can now buy butter with it in there already), ice cream, shakes, yogurts I have read. There are supplements as well. Also, eliminating high carb, heavily processed foods is recommended along with it for ADHD.

My own children do not have ADHD thankfully. I am going to make sure they receive all the nutrition they need though for their overall general health.


I did send this information to my husband's ex, though I doubt it was received well because it came from me (and I'm evil). This was last week and not a word. No surprise there. Given his grades and behavior, and the fact that his diet is atrocious (as I saw when he was here in March...the amount of weight this boy had put on and the junk he wanted to put away...ugh), I hope at least the topic is brought up with his doctor before it is tossed in the trash. If it didn't help his ADHD symptoms, at least he'd be eating healthier.

This is NOT a sponsored post.

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