Increased EFA dose - emotional outbursts?

May 23, 2009

We have had na (4.5 years old) on Nordics EFA´s since August 2008 and we

have been very pleased with the results. We started really slowly, we had

actually had her on Nordic´s children´s DHA since feb 2008 until we realized it

was the EFA we wanted! So August 2008 and we started on 1EFA , increasing to 2

after a month then we added 1 Epa a month or so later and I have had her on 3EFA

since February 2009. In early May I finally got the nerve to increase her dose.

I classify na as a fish oil responder even though we have no real words -

but her response to fish oils in terms of attention, eye contact, concentration,

listening and comprehension, sensory issues, coordination, has been nothing

short of amazing. Enough to keep me going with fish oils even though she didn´t

start blurting out words! Her speech therapist, OT, special ed teacher have all

noticed her improvement and can´t stop telling me how different she is! Her

imitation skills have increased and she tries really hard to repeat sounds. She

follows instruction now and is very cooperative in therapy now - 180º difference

from 9 months ago where she would do everything including vomit to avoid

therapy! At school she sits in circle time, holds her peers hands, actually

acknowledges that they are there which is great. Everything except for real

speech. We had more babbling but no real words...except for mom, dad wa for

water...

A week ago (16th May 09) I increased her EFA/EPA dose from 3 EFA/1EPA to 4

EFA/1Epa. Within 1 day we noticed all the usual " adaptation " signs - emotional

and acting up,more funny mouth sounds, exploring with different sounds, but she

started doing something recently that made my heart break! She came up to me

with her fave book, the saddest look in her eyes, opened her mouth and tried to

say something but - of course -nothing came out - so she burst into tears! She

sobbed and sobbed with real tear for about 5 minutes and I did everything I

could to distract her. She kept on opening her mouth and trying to force out

the words - but nothing! She doesn´t have any real words but I have never seen

this reaction before. She has been more emotional at school, biting kids - on

wednesday she bit 5 different kids in an effort to get them to understand her.

Her teachers are very understanding and say " its her way of communicating when

nobody listens " - but she hasn´t had this kind of outburst/negative behaviour

since she was 2! She pulled and scratched her Speech therapists face, threw her

shoes around the room and refused to do anything. In OT on friday she was fine

and happy but then burst into tears, did the open and closing her mouth thing

almost to the point where she vomitted and her OT thought she might have

something stuck in her throat!!!? I was beside myself - took her to the car and

gave her a drink and put on her favourite CD to distract her. She calmed down

again and had a pretty normal and usual evening until bedtime when she brokedown

into tears again....sobbed actually, hugging me then daddy.

Last night I went to bed completely depressed.

Today she is happy and no outbursts yet.

This is all part of the body adapting right? My goal is to get her to two doses

of 2efa/1Epa ( if i can stand it!) How much is enough for a 36lb 4 year old?

Should I be adding E? (The whole E issues scares me hence I have not tried it

out!)What can I do to get her to start imitating sounds more?

Thanks,

Tania

May 23, 2009

what does your speech therapist say about this?

my son is only 2 but his speech therapist gave us some exercises to do at home

they are more like massages to bring awareness to his mouth area. i have also

heard of touch points on the face that que certain muscles to work.

im new so just thinking out loud.

sharon

From: mom2angelmariana <mom2angelmariana@...>

Subject: [ ] Increased EFA dose - emotional outbursts?

Date: Saturday, May 23, 2009, 2:49 PM