Q. I am taking my 10 year old daughter off prozac, which she has been on for 1 1/2 years for her anxiety disorder and now mood disorder. I do not want to go the Lithium and Zyprexa route for her mood disorder, but am interested in Omega-3 DHA, EPA. Also, I have read that High doses of B complex vitamins can act as Lithium for mood stabilization. Do you know of any other natural remedy for mood stabilizing? How do we know what dosage should be for a 10 year old?

Thanks in advance!

A. Be careful when taking your daughter off of prozac. I believe that a gradual tapering off is recommended over just stopping cold turkey. You may also want to wait until you have some of the below strategies in place.

Studies show that Omega-3’s like ALA, DHA and EPA work through the same metabolic processes in the body as lithium and Depakote (valproic acid, which is derived from a fatty acid), so that would definitely be my first recommendation. In my experience, flax oil (ALA) starts making a difference in moods faster than fish oil (DHA & EPA), within a few days to a week. Fish oil can take 6-8 weeks to make a noticeable difference. However, fish oil delivers a higher DHA punch in the end than ALA (which the body must synthesize DHA from), and there are some indications that some of us have a difficult time converting ALA to DHA. I would recommend starting out on flax oil, and after a few weeks to a month, adding fish oil.

Flax oil can cause gastric distress if introduced too quickly, and while it is more palatable than fish oil, the dosage and therefore the pill size is much bigger. Introduce it slowly, working your way up to about a tablespoon a day. We use liquid flax oil in a bottle rather than the pills, which are pretty big for kids to swallow. I mix 1 tablespoon flax oil (we us Udo’s oil) with 4 oz milk, 1 dose of Kids Chamomile, 1 tablespoon of liquid lecithin, and half a scoop of chocolate Naturade protein powder to make a breakfast milkshake for my son. The flax oil, lecithin, and the vitamins and minerals in the powder are all mood-boosters. Chamomile helps with anxiety and hyperactivity.

When you add fish oil, go with a brand with a children’s dosage on the bottle. We use Natural Factors, but I know there are a lot more fish oils targeted to kids in the United States. Natural Factors tests their oil for heavy metals, and there are a couple of oils added to the fish oil to increase its efficacy. Watch out for oils that have added food colouring, which can be a trigger for some of our kids. Watch out for oils that are high in Vitamin A, like cod liver oil. You do not want to overdose on Vitamin A, which is a fat-soluable vitamin and the excess is stored in the body rather than excreted.

A diet overhaul may be in order. Vitamin C, B-Complex, E, Iron and Copper are all co-factors required to synthesize neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Calcium and magnesium are required for proper communication in the nervous system. You should get as many as you can from foods rich in these vitamins and minerals: milk (if not sensitive to casein), beans, peas & lentils (especially fava beans, chickpeas, soy); nuts & seeds (especially cashews, peanuts, pumpkin, sunflower); brown rice, oatmeal and other whole grains; citrus (especially calcium enriched juice); broccoli and other cruciferous; dark green leafies; cooking in iron; yogurt; cottage cheese; dried fruit; avocado; mushrooms; garlic; use blackstrap molasses, wheat germ, flax seed, nutritional yeast, lecithin in cooking. Stay away from refined (white) flours which are low in the needed vitamins and minerals and trans-fats (anything with shortening, margarine or hydrogenated oils) which compete with omega-3 fatty acids in the brain.

If you supplement vitamins and minerals, make sure that individually and collectively they do not exceed the daily recommended amounts, particularly for vitamins A, D, E, and K which are fat soluable. Our supplements include the breakfast shake above, vitamin C, and a children’s multi. One reason that we chose a supplemental shake is that calcium is so bulky, it is hard to put much of it in a children’s pill and keep it a reasonable size. The shake contains more calcium and minerals than a pill. Be wary of diet shakes like Slimfast which may have artificial sweeteners or colours in them. They may cause worse moods rather than better.

You do not need to be as worried about overdosing on B-complex vitamins, which are water-soluable (and will turn her urine bright yellow). Make sure you take a B-complex multi rather than one vitamin B (B12 or B6) that is not balanced by others. Niacin can cause a sensitive reaction in some people, so watch for a rash the first time you give it to her. In my experience, a B-complex supplement is very calming in times of stress.

There are other herbs which can ease anxiety, but I would do all of the above first, and see how her anxiety level is before pursuing any of them. Other natural anxiety-reducers that fit well with a nutritional program are exercise, laughter, sunshine, snacks (to combat hypoglycemia), stress reduction techniques like progressive relaxation or biofeedback, and prayer.

I hope that helps!

Pam