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Has anyone used a natural supplement to help their child with anxiety?


mama2cntrykids
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My 10 yr. old ds is REALLY struggling with anxiety/stress.  I would understand if they were huge stressors, but it's seemingly small things that he stresses about.

 

I really don't want to put him on prescription meds, if I can avoid it. 

 

I'm sure there are others out there that have dealt with anxiety in their children.  What would you recommend?

 

 

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Do some reading to see if zinc, GABA and/or 5-htp might be helpful.

 

You might also try an elimination diet to see if food intolerances are causing/adding to anxiety.

 

In my son's case, the "cure" for his adhd/anxiety was zinc, probiotics, removing gluten, and eventually, a low dose of Intuniv.  

 

Lisa

 

 

 

 

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I would recommend this book: The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Antianxiety-Food-Solution-Cravings/dp/1572249250

 

It isn't child specific but has some good starting points as well. For heavy supplements, I would want to talk with a naturopath or someone more knowledgeable in supplements but perhaps some of the food suggestions would be helpful.

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My son has more than anxiety going on. So far, he's not had a successful medication trial (he reacts either allergic or poor behavior) so we're going back to supplements only.

 

He currently takes:

 

Smarty pants multivitamin

 

Spectrum awakening by metabolic maintenance

 

Calming cream (back rub at night) by neurobiologix

 

Children's dha by Nordic naturals

 

Pharmacy brand fish oil

 

It is helping him! Prior to behaviors brought on (I'm fairly sure) by Zoloft, he was completing school without much hassle, his cursing is nearly gone, showering and eating without tantrums, and a ton more.

 

He will not be trying another medication for a long time. In a month or two he should be at full dose with these supplements and I'll know for sure if it's working.

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I take my son to a naturopath.

 

he takes

1000mg GABA 2x per day (my ND would prefer I did 500mg pharmaGABA from thorne 3x per day.  pharmaGABA is a more bioavailable form - but pricey and 500mg is the max dose so it usually only comes in low dose capsules.)

200mg L-theanine in the am

those are what he takes specifically for anxiety.

 

my older son also takes l-tyrosine for anxiety.

 

everyone takes methylcobalamin b12 sublingals and a good b complex (I do emerald labs b healthy.) which affect anxiety.

 

I have also removed nitrates from his diet

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You might also consider some classes in meditation for kids/teens. Mindfulness and meditation can help reduce anxiety by helping a person to refocus and not react so strongly to stressors, by realizing what is actually going on.

 

I just finished a 10 week course on mindfuless for anxiety and it was great. If he had a daily practice, it might be a great thing.

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Thanks for the replies. He currently takes zinc, fish oil, ginko, b6, and magnesium. He's been taking them for concentration, and they're working. Now I need to work on the poor kids stress. Every little thing stresses him out. I try to be understanding, but I get fed up. Maybe I will find a homeopathy in the area.

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It's not a supplement but CBT has really helped my anxious kid learn to handle her stress.

 

Yes, definitely explore Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It's really a life skill, a different way of thinking about and looking at thoughts and feelings. There's a great book based on CBT principles called Freeing Your Child from Anxiety by Tamar Chansky. It gives suggestions of activities and techniques that you can teach to a child from preschool age to teen to help them manage their feelings. It's a tool I wish I had had a lot earlier in my life, since I was a very anxious child. I have taught my DD some of the techniques with good success.

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My son doesn't have anxiety, but I have had panic and anxiety attacks for the last 15 yrs. The cause can vary from emotional to environmental, which is why finding the root cause, if at all possible, is desirable. Perscriptions just relieve the symptoms, but don't heal.

 

In my case, therapy plus cognitive behavior modification helped, along with eating a cleaner diet. Then I started using YL essential oils and they relived the remaining symptoms. I still have a few triggers, but since I usually know when to expect them, I apply oils ahead of time and it's not a problem. I do carry a bottle of Stress Away in my purse, just in case I need it. :)

 

If it were my child, I would closely observe his/her environment and start making lists. What kinds of products are they using on their bodies? Sadly, most soaps, shampoos and other HBAs are quite toxic. What kinds of foods do are they eating regularly? Do they seem more anxious after eating certain types of foods? How much processed foods are they eating? What are they drinking. Are they drinking enough water? Most ppl are chronically dehydrated but not realize it. Blood becomes thicker when dehydrated and may not be moving toxins out of the body quickly. Many drinks today are also nothing more than chemicals.

 

It can be a long process, but if you are able to figure out if there are any environmental factor and remove them, that will probably help a lot. Other Young Living essential oils that are helpful with nerves and anxiety are Lavender and Valor.

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Thanks for the replies. He currently takes zinc, fish oil, ginko, b6, and magnesium. He's been taking them for concentration, and they're working. Now I need to work on the poor kids stress. Every little thing stresses him out. I try to be understanding, but I get fed up. Maybe I will find a homeopathy in the area.

 

 

I'd encourage you to stop associating "stress" or "stressors" with anxiety and whether it is understandable or not.

 

Anxiety is (like depression) a brain dysfunction issue. There is something wrong with the brain. To try to manage life in a way to prevent anxiety (or depression) misses the mark medically. It may also add to the anxiety in making the human who suffers with it feel they lack something (coping skills, etc.)

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I'd encourage you to stop associating "stress" or "stressors" with anxiety and whether it is understandable or not.

 

Anxiety is (like depression) a brain dysfunction issue. There is something wrong with the brain. To try to manage life in a way to prevent anxiety (or depression) misses the mark medically. It may also add to the anxiety in making the human who suffers with it feel they lack something (coping skills, etc.)

 

This was something very encouraging I learned in my mindfulness and anxiety class. When I tried to identify the reasons why I was anxious--I had to identify them as "silly". I knew they were silly. They're "silly" "small" things. It's my reaction to them, the unintentional way my mind and body react to these "not very big" issues that's difficult and debilitating. 

 

It's not about "stressors" so much, it's a condition that's making my mind and body respond to these "small" things in non-healthy ways.  I don't want to react in this way to things that used to roll right off my back...but I do.

 

It makes you frustrated to "understand" the stressors because your son isn't reacting to them like a person with a healthy system would--that's why it's hard for you to get. I'm not chiding you, but rather sympathizing and hopefully helping you to get a different perspective.  It's sort of like not understanding allergies. "I don't understand why peanuts make this person's airway constrict". . . you just have to realize that they do.   :)

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Besides practicing mindfulness meditation, which is about physically redefining areas of the brain, and CBT, acupuncture could be helpful, too. My youngest tried this for the first time recently for a stiff neck and some mild persistent acne. He loved it and said that he has never felt that calm and alert at the same time. We're going to keep doing the treatments to see how they work.

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  • 3 years later...

I know this is an old post but I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for anxiety in kids. I did a trial run on zoloft and feel that it has brought out more bad behaviors then positive. I will be looking to stop the zoloft. Now I am trying to find something that will help with his anxiety. I have started the Smarty Pants Vitamins recently and was wondering if there is something else I should start? Thanks!

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I know this is an old post but I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for anxiety in kids. I did a trial run on zoloft and feel that it has brought out more bad behaviors then positive. I will be looking to stop the zoloft. Now I am trying to find something that will help with his anxiety. I have started the Smarty Pants Vitamins recently and was wondering if there is something else I should start? Thanks!

 

 

under the guidance of a naturopath, I use supplements that have been very helpful with dudeling's anxiety.  I buy off amazon - they deliver.  price is roughly the same, but you can price it around.

 

no substitutions (the douglas ashwagandha is much more concentrated for withaniloids than other brands.)

douglas laboratories ashwagandha  2 @ am/pm (4 total)  combined with pure encapsulations bacopa monnieri.   1 @ am/pm 

the difference was amazing - and noticable at 1/2 dose. 

we also do nordic naturals proomega/ultimate omega (they're the same) - @ am/pm.

for aggression - NAC was amazing.  he's at 200mg am/pm, but you can try less or more (depending upon weight.)  I also had to ban nitrates, and HFCS (heavy metals - mercury)

 

are you giving kids smarty pants or adults?  they really don't have much in them and I have reservations about the form of b6 they use.   I used rainbow light (comes in a chewable gummy) then when he started swallowing pills, switched to emerald laboratories (I bought the 4 a day, and only gave him two. most cost effective than buying the 1 or 2)

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Regular exercise really does help chronic anxiety. Fish oil, if you aren't taking it already is great for so many things, including the nervous system. My daughter who is prone to anxiety will take Passion flower capsules or drink Passion flower tea before bed. None of it is going to help as much a meds, but you won't have side effects either. Anxiety can be managed but it takes a lot of consistent effort.

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I know this is an old post but I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for anxiety in kids. I did a trial run on zoloft and feel that it has brought out more bad behaviors then positive. I will be looking to stop the zoloft. Now I am trying to find something that will help with his anxiety. I have started the Smarty Pants Vitamins recently and was wondering if there is something else I should start? Thanks!

 

Smarty Pants includes methylated B12 which is better than the stuff in other multivitamins (better than cyanocobalamin), but some kids can't handle the methyl donors.

 

I'm finally getting back around to this for a couple of my kiddos who happen to have MTHFR polymorphisms.  They need B supplementation but I haven't found hydroxycobalamin or methylcobalamin to be useful, nor folate (5-MTHF).  I think I'm going to get Seeking Health B-minus so I can get them some Bs without B12, which they're not ready for.  I'm not sure on dose though; I tend not to give full capsules of Thorne products; I'll probably split them up with empty capsules.

 

Smarty Pants also includes Vitamin D, which can exacerbate problems for some kids, as it definitely does for one of mine.  In his case, bloodwork shows low vitamin D, but high calcitriol.  Calcitriol is actually D3, and he has a homozygous mutation for the vitamin D receptor; he just can't absorb the stuff.  So we avoid vitamin D supplementation for him.

 

Just my two cents :)

Edited by wapiti
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Regular exercise really does help chronic anxiety. Fish oil, if you aren't taking it already is great for so many things, including the nervous system. My daughter who is prone to anxiety will take Passion flower capsules or drink Passion flower tea before bed. None of it is going to help as much a meds, but you won't have side effects either. Anxiety can be managed but it takes a lot of consistent effort.

 

This is correct,

 

There is quite a bit of research into executive function and exercise and it does help such issues.

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  • 2 years later...

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