Fish Oil and Behaviors

[momagain59]

Has anyone seen any positive behavior benefits after your child started taking fish oil? Have you seen any negative effects either?

[chigirl29]

Fish oil can cause nosebleeding, blood thinning, and bruises.

[April2]

Really? Wow, I'm sorry. I never heard of anybody having a bad reaction to it. I stand corrected. Everyone's different in how they react to things too. So it's wise for all of us to be careful starting anything new, I guess. My mom is very alergic to aspirin and other meds. Thankfully, I don't seem to have had that passed on to me.

Is Cod Liver Oil the same thing as Fish Oil? I remember my mom saying that every good parent gave their child Cod Liver Oil every day back in the "old days". Yuck, huh! :)

[chigirl29]

Actually, fish oil can cause blood thinning in the low doses.  That is how I found out about it--bruising all over my body.  I was not anemic then so I knew something was up and did research.

Do not mix it with aspirin.

Even low dose aspirin can thin the blood.

It depends on the size of the person--I think--and children are small.

I agree--fish oil has good uses--just be aware of the side effects in case you need to change to something else.

[April2]

Fish oil and flax seed oil will only cause blood thining in very high dosages. The benefits far outweigh the possible side effects which when properly taken shouldn't be any. You do want to take it seperately not with medications as it can slow the effects of the medication. It's best to carefully study anything before ingesting or trying anything new. If you google fish and flax seed oil or Omega 3's benefits, you can get a lot of information. I hope everything works out for you and your son. Best wishes.

[althepal39]

I hope you find some good help for him.  

[momagain59]

My mistake, he is not yet receiving speech at school.

[momagain59]

His latest diagnosis is Borderline Intellectual Intelligence, ADHD, ODD, Speech delayed and SID. He is on meds for aggression also. All of these things effect his behavior. Due to the ADHD he has very low impulse control, has trouble paying attention, and is overactive. Due to his ODD he usually goes against the rules as soon as he figures out the rules. Due to his SID anything and everything can set him off at a moments notice. He is very sensitive to sound, sight, hearing, touch, and taste. He is very selective on which foods he will eat. His speech delay takes away from his ability to communicate when he is having issues with all of his other problems. The diagonsis Borderline Intellectual Intelligence IQ 72, used to be MRR with a 54 IQ score two years ago. I don't think most people realize how intelligent he is and due to his disabilites, he is not a good test canidate. He has trouble with small motor skills. He receives speech and occupational therapy at school. He used to go to physical therapy but he has caught up over the years and that is no longer needed. After typing all of this, I think I am going to make a new post to see if I am the only one in my boat.

[althepal39]

Wow - that sounds severe.   He's on all that medicine for ADHD?  Is in therapy?   If he has all those allergies, then I wouldn't give him fishoil or flax without asking your doctor.   Maybe a good nutritionist might be able to help him ?

[momagain59]

I have heard fish oil, flax, and omega 3. I am ready to try almost anything at this point. My son is 6 and he is already on ritalin, risperdal, and clonidine. I have read about different studies but I would rather rely on what works for other parents, friends, or relative. Everytime I read a study, the next year I read one that contradicts it. He has been tested for allergies and has many. If I eliminated everything he is allergic to, he would then starve to death. We have had lots of other testing and therapies which have all helped but he is still so ADHD that he has to have an aide at school and he is only allowed to attend 3 hours a day.

[althepal39]

I wasn't aware of that either. I'm not positive but  I think it's the omega 3 in the fish oil that benefits the mood of children (and adults)  in which case you can get that from other sources like flax.  I have read great things about omega 3 and mood disorders..  Is that what you heard - that it is the omega 3?  Or something else?

[momagain59]

Thank you, I wasn't aware of this.