Skip to main content

Epsom salt & magnisium

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

Does anyone have any stories, successful or otherwise, with use of Epsom salt or adding magnisium to the ADHD diet? I just read some interesting material about how a 20 min epsom salt bath helps with the hyperactivity of the ADHD child and has some positive effecton the issue of attention. Any personal info would be helpful. Thanks

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 03/24/2003 - 10:39 PM

Permalink

Yes…I put it in my daughters bath when I need to calm her down. If she’s totally out of control - I’ll just say c’mon Lauren time to take a bath and pour about 1/2 C in a warm bath..calms her right down for rest of evening and we can actually get homework done…sometimes I don’t even make her actually “wash”…just get in - soak then get out so we can get on w/ our evening (she normally takes her showers in the am bec of her SID issues…it helps get her going and “feels good” on her skin in the am..

I’ve heard many positive things on my SID list about using MOM (milk of magnesia) for better sleeping, calming and the like.

Loves ;)

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 03/24/2003 - 11:31 PM

Permalink

What about using it before school to get that same calm? I’ve read you can mix some of the dissolved salt with lotion and cover your body with it. Does it offer the same calm and for how long? Does the calm help your daughter to focus?

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 03/25/2003 - 2:00 AM

Permalink

yes you can put it on their arms…..actually it’s sold in a form that way - not sure about mixing w/ lotion….I think it’s more like mixed w/ water and then sponge aplicated onto the skin.

Lemme go and check for ya.

Loves,
S

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 03/25/2003 - 2:27 AM

Permalink

Here are some more testimonials….I’ll post the url’s as well so you can go and see for yourself….

http://www.isn.net/~jypsy/epsom.htm

“So I tried it, the next day all my sons oppositional behavior went AWAY. AWAY I tell you, gone. So, we’ve been on it every night for about 6 months, and his languag has gotten better, his mood, his cooperativeness, etc. Try it and tell us what happens. An adult with autism has tried it, she says she’s never slept better but that it made her irritable. So far about 65 people have responded to my informal survey, she and one other child became irritble, one child had no change after one day. All the rest found dramatic improvement in behavior, language, even bike riding. Candace****

“We started using it in July and saw a DRAMATIC improvement in Alex’s verbal skills. He was more willing to use speech, was able to string 4-5 words together (till then it had been 1 or 2), and even his articulation improved. It was the biggest jump in his language skills since he first began to talk at 6.2 years old. If only 5% of these language gains can be credited to the epsom salts, that’s still pretty impressive. We discontinued use once and once we started again he had another language spurt. Alex *must* like it as he often fixes the bath himself, adding the correct amount of epsom salts. “

”. I read with the greatest of interest the section on Epsom Salts baths and decided to try this for myself. Logan has always had ‘sores’ on his tongue and every doctor has said it was thrush and tried to treat it accordingly with absolutely no effect. However after giving him the baths it cleared up within a couple of days. On one occasion I hadn’t used them for a week and the sores came back so again I used the Salts and again it cleared up. I now bath him every second night using the Epsom Salts and his tongue has stayed clear. “

“The Basics…..
Use 1 1/2 - 2 cups in a tub full of warm (as warm as possible) water.
Dissolve in HOT water first.
Soak for about 30 minutes or longer.
You can wash hair in this water, add bubblebath etc.
Bath daily if you can.
Evening is probably better than morning as it is very relaxing. “

as far as a great sit for nutritional supplements….this is a great site:

http://www.kirkmanlabs.com/

I give my daughter, PEPTIZYDE from the website http://216.114.78.114/webcenter/sites/HNI/Section.asp?SID=3534&N=Peptizyde

I found that dairy really triggers her awful behaviour…but she CAN have dairy as long as I give her a peptizyde capsule before that particular meal. I don’t pack dairy meals for sch - but at home she can have dairy as long as she takes her peptizyde capsule before that meal :) Works great!!!

Also,
“”There is considerable evidence that food dyes can worsen the symptoms of ADHD in some children”

Also: http://www.vitaminlady.com/Articles/ADHD.htm
“In addition to dairy and gluten, many autistic (Lynn: and ADD/ADHD) children don’t tolerate:

corn
soy
egg yolk
tomato
oranges
red grapes
colored fruits and vegetables
beef

Foods high in phenols (frequently craved) include:

tomatoes
oranges
cocoa
bananas
red grapes and colored fruits
apples
cow’s milk “

This is a really cool site, stumbled across it…..
http://www.healthcalls.net/hh_adhd.html

What do Jolt, Surge, and Water Joe have in common? They are high-caffeine drinks that are the drug of choice for kids in the 90’s. What makes stimulants like caffeine and tobacco so alluring to this generation, and their parents (the Starbucks Generation), is that so many individuals suffer from brains numbed by perfumes, carpets, scented detergents, fabric softeners, and room deodorizers. A toxic brain craves stimulus and caffeine will provide short term stimulation. Two other popular stimulants are prescriptions: Ritalin, the drug of choice for ADHD,and theophylline inhalers for asthma.
Healthy Arousal and ADHD

The consistent inattention and impulsive behavior seen in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—is often treated with Ritalin. As many as 2 million children in the U.S. are currently taking Ritalin, a prescription drug with cocaine-like characteristics.

Why a nervous system stimulant for hyperactivity? Because stimulants like Ritalin help to increase the controlling action of the midbrain and increase dopamine in frontal lobes that regulate attention and impulses.

Ritalin is training children to fix themselves with stimulants, but there are other choices:

Heron Herbals KAVA KAVA FORMULA dopamine

sniffing bergamot essential oil

petitgrain essential oil
dopamine
homeopathic natrum carbonicum 30C
dopamine
Brainstorm from Allergy Research

includes acetyl-carnitine, phosphatidyl serine
dopamine

Heron Herbals MELISSA FORMULA norepinephrine
single herbs: ginko, eleuthero, damiana

st. johnswort, helonias root
norepinephrine

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 03/25/2003 - 12:14 PM

Permalink

the peptizyde is like an herbal capsule….at first I would pull it apart and just add to juice - now she swallows it.

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 03/25/2003 - 1:25 PM

Permalink

I visited the web site… Reported Side Effects
In children with sensitivity to exorphin peptides, initial use of Peptizyde™ may result in “opiate-peptide withdrawal syndrome”, as the food-derived peptides are decreased. This may present as hyperactivity, irritability, increased aggression, tantrums, etc. for a period of several days to as long as a month. In most cases, this syndrome is resolved when dosing of 1 capsule per meal is obtained for a period of several days. Most report the cessation of negative behaviors after about 3 weeks. Often, the syndrome can be minimized by starting with low doses (¼ - ½ capsule) and working up to 1 capsule per meal within about 2 weeks. If behavior during this initial dosing becomes a concern, stop the enzyme supplementation for a period of 2 weeks (or until child returns to former behavior), then re-introduce Peptizyde™ at a much reduced dose and increase dosing at a much slower rate than previously used. Many parents also reported that decreasing or discontinuing certain vitamin supplements containing high amounts of B6 or P5P would alleviate much of the hyperactivity. Addition of HN-Zyme Prime to Peptizyde™ supplementation also seemed to reduce side effects from opiate-peptide withdrawal syndrome.

Any concerns with this or experience with these side effects they seem counter productive…

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 03/25/2003 - 1:34 PM

Permalink

yes I saw these side effects after just one capsle….I didn’t try it again for another 2 wks….when I tried it for the 2nd time..all was well and I had a terrific child.

Loves,
S

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 03/25/2003 - 1:34 PM

Permalink

Some foods that are high in Magnisium: the last number is the amount in food
100 percent Bran, 2 Tbs 44
Avocado, Florida, 1/2 med 103
Wheat germ, toasted, 1 oz 90
Almonds, dry roasted, 1 oz 86
Cereal, shredded wheat, 2 rectangular biscuits 80
Seeds, pumpkin, 1/2 oz 75
Cashews, dry roasted, 1 oz 73
Nuts, mixed, dry roasted, 1 oz 66
Spinach, cooked, 1/2 c 65
Bran flakes, 1/2 c 60
Cereal, oats, instant/fortified, cooked w/ water, 1 c 56
Potato, baked w/ skin, 1 med
Soybeans, cooked, 1/2 c 54
Peanuts, dry roasted, 1 oz 50
Peanut butter, 2 Tbs. 50
Chocolate bar, 1.45 oz 45
Vegetarian baked beans, 1/2 c 40
Potato, baked w/out skin, 1 med 40
Avocado, California, 1/2 med 35
Lentils, cooked, 1/2 c 35
Banana, raw, 1 medium 34
Shrimp, mixed species, raw, 3 oz (12 large) 29
Tahini, 2 Tbs 28
Raisins, golden seedless, 1/2 c packed 28
Cocoa powder, unsweetened, 1 Tbs 27
Bread, whole wheat, 1 slice 24
Spinach, raw, 1 c 24
Kiwi fruit, raw, 1 med 23
Hummus, 2 Tbs 20

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 03/25/2003 - 5:02 PM

Permalink

Thank you so much! You guys are great. With so much information and personal trials I feel much better. I’m going to try the epsom salt baths and see what I get. I’ll let you know. Thanks for all the tips re: food and the pepitzyde. I hope this works. In the last six days since he’s been on Adderall he has gotten into two fights, been depressed, and seems to be mad at me but refuses to talk to me about it.

Has anyone mixing some of these things with positive results? i.e. epsom salt, interactive metronome, diet—things like that? —Trudy

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 03/25/2003 - 5:03 PM

Permalink

Be very careful about the herbal stuff. The industry isn’t regulated by the FDA, so I would be very wary about giving them to my dd without her doctor’s knowledge and blessing. For example food products or pharmaceuticals are regulated by stringent content and labeling guidelines (although one can easily argue with their guidelines like “made with 10% real juice” does not a constitute a healthy juice) - they are there and must be legally adhered to. The herbal industry is not regulated with regard to formula or any of that.

There could also be contraindications with current treatments and/or serious side effects too. One of them mentioned (maybe Kava Kava?) has been pulled off European store shelves and either has been or may be pulled here. I forget what serious side effect were the reason.

So, please just be careful.

OTOH, I’m putting Epsom salts on my shopping list!

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 03/25/2003 - 7:50 PM

Permalink

I saw a big jump with interactive metronome and another with eggs. I think it is the protein but it might be the efa’s in the eggs.

I swear, I had such a good response from the eggs it was similar to the reaction some have gotten with meds. I wish I knew what it was in them that was making the difference.

I bought the epsom salts for good measure.

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 03/26/2003 - 2:08 PM

Permalink

Are you talking about eggs high in DHA? DHA is an essential fatty acid. To learn more about essential fatty acids (EFA) and ADHD you can do a search on the web or go to www.drstordy.com. Some people respond very well to EFA supplements.

Back to Top