Supplements

[LJsAdvocate]

I desperately want some guidance in starting my son on some natural vitamins and supplements for his OCD. I am in New Jersey and I am at a loss for what type of doctor to even contact.

I don't want a prescription, but I would like someone experienced to help us through this process. Any advice on a specialty area or type of doctor that might help with this?

[MomWithOCDSon]

You might try an integrative doctor or a naturopath; some DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) doctors are also well-versed in OCD (many autistic kids suffer from it as a comorbid disorder).

 

You could also search here on the forum, and maybe try a "Supplements OCD" key phrase search on the PANDAs forum, as well. Many of us have exchanged information, ideas, research and doctors' recommendations there.

 

My son takes n-acetylcysteine (NAC), B6 and zinc which seem to help his OCD. Inositol is another one, but if your son is already taking an SSRI, adding inositol is probably not the best idea because it, too, is supposed to leave more serotonin available in the brain for more extended periods.

 

Good luck!

[Wombat140]

I'd just add, it's always recommended to change only one thing at a time if possible, giving it at least a couple of weeks to see what effect one supplement has before adding another. I'd say this matters especially with NAC because I do know that a minority of people find that NAC doesn't agree with them and makes them worse instead of better, so you want to be able to tell unambiguously whether your son's one of those people or not so you know what to do.