Omega 3

[bmom]

I had a long talk with Dr. Murphy's nurse and research assistant the other day. She was very nice and informative. She talked about how important the Omega 3's are. My son was only on fish oil for a couple of days, but seemed to increase in tics so I stopped. When he was on flax he broke out into rashes on neck and began a throat clearing tic which stopped when I stopped the flax. So I just have let the Omega 3's go and he is doing pretty good. The nurse said that the Omega 3 could increase tics temporarily, but should die down and they are so beneficial. They do seem to be a wonderful supplement. I am just scared to use them. My question is, they are so confusing to me. I guess there are fish oil, flax, and I see the Dr. Pulmetter has a DHA non fish or flax the Sheila Rogers had mentioned when I did a phone consult. I haven't had him tested for Pyloria and so I guess I am shying away because I believe omega 3 make this worse. Is this true? Can anyone add imput on the die down info that the nurse suggested? I know that my son had major increased tics on the Kids Calm for 4 days and then much, much improved. Could this be the case with Omega 3 as well? Should I have him tested for Pyloria and nutrients to see if he is deficient in Omega 3 before beginning? I read Chemar recent post on the Omega 3's which made me think about it again. Any input on these would be helpful.

[emma1]

This has been an issue for my child as well. My daughter began ticcing several months ago after a strep infection. I will say, she was on fish oil supplements at the time. I stopped them, to see if the tics/ocd would also stop -- but no, they didn't. Antibiotics were our answer.

 

So -- after we were back to minimal tics/ocd, I added fish oil back in (this time just omega 3). After about Day 4, I was convinced that the omega 3 was causing increased tics. I stopped them. We are back to minimal symptoms.

 

I am not sure what to do at this point. It seemed to me that anything that was causing increased tics was not good. I wonder, how long should we stay on fish oil before we give up and stop? (My daughter hates the tic so much -- if she starts in a noticable way, she gets stressed, and that makes everything worse -- so I really hate to do anything to make things worse, even temporarily. But, of course, some day I am hoping the symptoms will go away.)

[faith]

I have the same mindset about the fish oil (imagined more tics so stopped before I could give it a chance). I had him on flax for about six months and things were fine, but after he started waxing with a vocal and we had the Alcat intolerance test, flax was his very high intolerance so of course we had to stop that too.

 

Does anyone know what it is about the fish oil/omega 3 that seems to cause this increase? I thought it was to reduce inflammation. One would think it should be the opposite.

 

Faith

[Caryn]

What brand(s) were or are you using?

 

 

I found this interesting article:

Fish Oil Side Effects

 

Many consumers are concerned about the quality of the fish oil used in omega-3 supplements. There are also questions about fish oil side effects from mercury contamination in some fish oil products. In an attempt to answer these questions, Environmental Defense (formerly known as the Environmental Defense Fund) through its Oceans Alive program conducted a survey of 75 different companies that produce fish oil supplements.

 

Though common side effects fish oil are mild, the ones that are caused by fish oil mercury contamination can be very serious. This is why it's absolutely crucial you only buy only fish oil that has undergone molecular distillation. Mercury exposure is particularly hazardous to children and women of child-bearing age, but health concerns do exist for men and women who do not plan on having children. Mercury is a poison and has been found in the fish we eat due to industrial pollution. Standards for allowable levels of fish oil mercury contamination vary among government organizations.

 

Oceans Alive found that the Council for Responsible Nutrition, an association of companies that supply nutritional supplements, has standards that are equal to or higher than the most stringent government standards.

 

The normal or common side effects fish oil consumption may cause are diarrhea and a fishy aftertaste. The side effects caused by mercury poisoning range from birth defects and learning disabilities to hair loss and fainting spells. Omega-3 supplements purified by molecular distillation do not pose a risk of fish oil mercury contamination and therefore no risk of the side effects associated with mercury poisoning.

 

The more common fish oil side effects (that is, even those that has undergone molecular distilltion) can usually be avoided by taking with food (even a cracker or small amount of juice will prevent the fishy after taste) or reducing the dosage.

 

However, some mild side effects may still happen, such as having the fish oil "repeat" on you. Another precaution is if you are using fish oil in conjunction with blood thinners. This is because fish oil itself is a blood thinner, and taking too many blood thinners may cause excessive bleeding. So if you are taking any type of anti-coagulants, let your doctor know before you add fish oils to your health regimen.

 

Most companies will voluntarily provide purification details to their customers who are concerned about fish oil mercury contamination and fish oil side effects.

 

To learn about the highest quality molecularly distilled fish oils we personally take after having researched numerous products on the market, please visit

http://www.omega-3-fish-oil-guide.com

 

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Ho

[emma1]

I have been extremely careful in choosing fish oil. I have used three brands: Omegabrite (this has some connection to Harvard studies, I believe), Nordic Naturals, and (after PANDAS, when I was looking for only Omega 3) Carlsons.

 

Carlsons has independent testing, and is recommended on the mercola.com website.

 

So, I am thinking, mercury is not the answer for us. But I do agree, from what I've read about fish oil, it should help tics diminish. I have no clue why that is not happening for us. I have never had my child tested for allergy to fish, but she does eat salmon, and I've never noticed a reaction to it.

[Chemar]

please do remember that, in most people, it is highly unlikely that OMEGA 3 itself is causing increased tics, but rather that it is the *source* of the omega 3 in FISHOIL specifically that *some* people react to with more tics.

 

wikipedia has a good article on omega 3, which includes its other sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3_fatty...923_fatty_acids

 

my son has increased his intake of walnuts as they not only have good omega 3 content but also help boost serotonin. He also uses freshly ground flaxseeds on cereal, salad etc and we eat fresh alaskan salmon often as he does not react negatively to fish the same way he does to fishoil

 

I dont know the specifics re omega 3 and PANDAS, but I do know it is essential to good health and also is an anti-inflammatory and usually recommended for those with auto-immunity

[patty]

I have also tried Fish oil for my son when he first started ticcing and it brought on vocal tic. The tic stopped when i stopped the fish oil, so i have not been brave enough to try again even though i know fish oil is essential to the nervous system.

 

Pat

[Chemar]

Patty

again I stress it is NOT the FISHOIL that is essential .....BUT OMEGA3 fatty acids that are essential.

 

altho fishoil is an excellent source of omega 3....*it is NOT the ONLY source* and i linked above to show how one can obtain omega 3 from other sources apart from fishoil

 

so

if tics increase with fishoil, do TRY one of the other sources, of which flaxseed oil is the richest in omega 3

[bmom]

Dr. Pulmetter has a pill that is not flax or fish I believe, yet it is DHA only. Would DHA only be okay. The whole ratio thing is also very confusing. I think Bonnie's is DHA only. What would be best?

[Chemar]

bmom

there should be a "source" for the DHA listed on the bottle as it must have come from somewhere

 

I know only the basics on the omega stuff, was initially told to give my son balanced 3,6,9 but since his dx with Crohn's he gets only the omega 3, as the 6&9 can promote inflammation, a good thing in balanced normal diet but bad for those who have autimmune illness

 

Here is a comprehensive thread MrsD has on EFAs at neurotalk

 

I think you may find more details there

[bmom]

Yes, it does say it is from a plant source. Perhaps algae although it does not say. I think at this point I am just going to add some more of the dietary sources you suggested. Luckily my son likes salmon. I will add walnuts as well. Thank you.