Efalex Does it cause problems

[Scooby]

Hi. I would be very grateful if you could take a moment to answer my queries.

 

I have an eleven year old son with Dyspraxia and Aspergers Syndrome. A few years ago we were recommended Efalex to help with his coordiantion and brain function. He became stressed taking the rather large capsules so we did not continue after a few days.

 

Recently the family have been taken Omega 3 fish oils, therefore watching his two younger brothers also taking capsules we thought we would try again. He has been taking both Efalex and Omega 3 fish oils for over a month now, but unfortunately the reverse of the desired result has happened.

 

He seems to have become far more anxious, irritable and disruptive at home, although school have seen no noticeable change in his behaviour. We are unsure whether his increased difficulties are to do with him reaching puberty or because of a side effect to these tablets.

 

Plese could you let us know if you have any information regarding these issues as I am becoming more and more desperate to find wisdom in the way that I am paretning my son.

 

Thank you

[call me jaded]

I've heard it can do, scooby.

 

I've always worked on the principle that anything that produces a change of some sort (positive or negative) is in general a good thing, because it's showing that something is not quite right and can be changed. Then the trick is to turn the negative around into a positive or to make the positive even better. Obviously some things produce such a negative reaction that you stop immediately.

 

Efalex and Omega 3 are similar products, so it could be that the dose is too high. Or there may be something in either formula which is disagreeing with your son. Or it could be that the combination is disagreeing with him.

 

So I would (perhaps) stop the Omega 3 for a couple of weeks and observe.

 

I used to keep a diary for my son. I wrote down what he ate, what time he slept, his general mood and irritability factor, bowel movements, how school found him, etc, etc. See what happens for a while and whether you can identify a pattern.

 

If that's not helping, then perhaps change the type of Omega 3 your giving. Alex Richardson suggests in some of her research that it is omega 3 in the form of EPA that is the least challenging for children who may have compromised metabolism. Eye Q has EPA in this form and also comes in liquid form (can add it to a yoghurty type pudding).

 

Aaaannyhoo, change one thing at a time and give it time to settle, especially if there are other things going on that change routine. Our children are all different and what works for one will not work for another so there is nothing for it but to try.