People often ask me what I give Aidan on a daily basis so I thought I would gather it all together here for those who are curious or for those who are just starting out on this journey to get a visual. I have to preface this by saying the following:
*No, I do not work, volunteer or know anyone who works at any of these companies
*These were supplements I was advised to get from our DAN! doctor that are specific to the issues with Aidan
*I am in NO WAY telling you to give these to your child/ren. Your child will need to be assessed by his/her own doctor to find what is the best fit for them
*ALWAYS talk to your doctor before starting any herb, supplement or vitamin. Just because these are over the counter does NOT mean they are always safe.
If you decide to start supplements after talking to your doctor, do not buy them from the grocery store or chain drug store. You need to go to a health food store to get quality products. Here is a pic of his daily lineup: (sorry for the stretched photo. I will never claim to be tech savvy)
Starting from the left we have:
Chelated Magnesium Glycinate by Bluebonnet
Efalex (EFA) by Efamol
Ther-biotic Complete by Klaire Labs (Probiotic)
Tri-Enza w/DPP IV Activity (Digestive Enzyme)
Vitamin D3 by Carlson Labs
Folic Acid by vitmain shoppe
L-Theanine (Suntheanine) by Enzymatic
It seems like a lot doesn't it? I have friends who actually dwarf me in supplements, but like I said above, each child is different. Some may need more, some less. Many people also give a good all around multivitamin but every time I give one to Aidan he gets more hyper and agitated so we leave that one out.
I break his regimen up throughout the day. The morning seems to be the biggest dose.
A.M. -Magnesium, Efalex, Probiotic, D3 and L-Theanine
Afternoon- L-Theanine and Folic acid
P.M.- Efalex, L-Theanine, Magnesium
Now, you may have noticed the digestive enzyme is missing. I give this as needed with meals. The enzyme helps his body absorb the nutrients from the food he is eating and since it is given with meals, the times vary. When we go out to eat, which is rare because it is so hard to get "safe" food at restaurants, I always take it with me and give it to him before he puts even a crumb of food in his mouth. I have to say, this enzyme got rave reviews from my friends and I have not been disappointed. I even take one myself when we go out to eat because I stick to a pretty strict diet and different cooking/food doesn't always agree. Another alternative for a digestive enzyme is Digest Gold which is also effective and works well.
So there you have it. All in all it isn't too bad. It is amazing what you get used to after years of doing the same routine. Have I seen a difference? Yes. Did it cure anything? No. If I had that pill I would honestly share it with everyone for free, but so far I have not found it. What these supplements have done is helped Aidan's concentration, focus and moods. When Aidan was younger and non-verbal, EFA's helped with language and eye contact and reduced quirks like random clapping in sequences of three and sensory issues. Supplements are supplements. They supplement the therapy that we are doing, the work his teachers are doing, the work that we are doing and most importantly, the work that Aidan is doing.
Much love...xoxo
