Salicylates? ADHD?
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I thank you so much for taking the time and understanding. It's so frustrating not knowing what is causing the issues and what to try and eliminate for an elimination diet. I have the brain fog and the terrible terrible bloating. I'm feeling a bit better without the bunch of sugar/caffeine and potatoes. We will see.I am coming from the 'having experience,' at least when it comes to mental health and dietary measures that impact it. This applies to myself, and both my children, too, so I'm just going to throw some things out there.
1. From the standpoint of diet potentially impact mental health - OMG, yes. Diet can have a HUGE impact on mental health, but is largely ignored by the medical profession (according to a couple of my doctors, most of them are taught currently in school that 'food is almost never a cause of physical problems,' and so will almost never recommend elimination diets unless you have something that requires it obviously, like diabetes). So the fact that your doctor is promoting food as something that can have an impact? Good on him.
The list being out of date...eh, that's not so good. But at least the doc is willing to think about it, you know?
2. When it comes to food impacting mental health, sometimes it's because you HAVE a condition that makes you react to food.
For example: People with mild food allergies frequently suffer from memory trouble, brain fog, and/or fatigue (and sometimes mild gut issues), even if their allergy is not severe enough to cause hives/itching. Most doctors - and sadly even some allergists - will not suspect you have allergies UNLESS you have hives. But the allergy prick tests are often not as accurate for foods you don't have a skin reaction to, either.
And if you get a blood test for allergies, many allergists will often recommend 'not worrying' about any foods that you don't have a 'high level' reaction to. However, for myself and many allergic folks I speak to, we have felt SO MUCH BETTER going off of the lower level allergy foods. Like, unbelievably better. Had good memory and focus for what felt like the first time in YEARS. I would seriously recommend considering it, honestly.
Another example: celiac disease. This is a gut disorder, requires a dietary change as treatment (but don't do the change until AFTER getting tested, as the test looks for accumulated and active damage biomarkers to eating gluten). Many doctors are aware of gut symptoms to look for: stomach pain, bloating, bowel trouble. Some look for skinny people or short people. However, over a third of folks don't have this and have OTHER symptoms that are actually a result of nutrient deficiencies. And most doctors don't know what those are, or don't think about them - but mental symptoms are on that list, 'cause the brain needs enough nutrients to keep working, like anything else.
Another issue with this - many doctors will test for just a couple nutrients and assume that if THEY are fine, the rest would be too. But with celiac disease, which nutrients are low depends on where the damage IS, so some nutrients can sometimes be low, but are never tested or difficult to test for so you never find out and never consider getting tested for the disease.
- and food intolerances, too. Doctors know, pretty much NOTHING about food intolerances. Not kidding around: nothing. GI doctors know about lactose intolerance, because that involves an enzyme in the gut. Same with fructose malabsorption/intolerance. Doctors only LAST YEAR proved that gluten intolerance existed, but it's not an enzyme but rather the body reacting with an immune response to gluten, in a way that is NOT celiac disease nor an allergic response. that's the extent of what they know so far - literally don't even know how it works yet.
Every other type of intolerance, we don't even know what's happening. ALL the tests on it are speculative on what they are GUESSING is happening (which is why many doctors don't accept intolerance tests as valid). The thing is - intolerances are kind of a 'lost' problem in human health. Decades ago, if you have a reaction to food, an allergist helped you with it. But when IgE was discovered, allergists started ONLY treating patients who had an IgE response. Except a LOT of people have reactions to foods and chemicals that do not involve IgE...and no specialty ever popped up to pick them up, to study it, to take care of the people the allergists avoided now. So there is very, very little research on the topic, unfortunately, and elimination diets about the only thing that you can use to see if there is a problem. :-(
- and oddly, some diseases are impacted by food, as well, like lyme disease, or parasitical infections like giardiasis that respond to diet changes.
So basically...there's a lot of physical changes that can be affected by diet. And I have seen SUCH a huge difference for so many people, I'm honestly to the point that I think doctors should recommend their patients try an elimination diet for a few weeks, on principle, just to see how they feel on it. Because for me...I was sick for 20 years before one, freaking diet change altered my whole life. Hope other people never have to go through that, you know?
3. re: salicylates. If you wish to avoid them, this is a good site to check out that's kept pretty updated: http://salicylatesensitivity.com.0 -
strshllw84 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »Dump the doctor, and find one that's not a GP to help manage your symptoms. the list is well out of date(it was 20 years old in the 70s, and is of primary benefit in dealing with male children with ADHD under the age of 15. If your picture is you. You don't fit the target audience.
If you actually have ADHD, stimulant treatment is the most common and most effective way of managing it.
Caffeine is a stimulant.
That may have been a touch harsh, regardless, the Feingold diet is not appropriate for an adult female. You will deal with different triggers and causes.
I also have ADD and caffeine actually helps, and most doctors would say so.
On a side note, high protein diet also can help with ADHD
Caffeine does help with my ADD but hurts my anxiety /: double-edged I'm afraid.1 -
Not sure if this will help anyone but I am offering it. MY son has severe ADHD with aggression, O.D.D, bipolar, OCD and SPD. For 14 years we have struggled with everything from physical violence to being so depressed he doesn't want to live. He has been in trouble for stealing, setting fires, etc. We have tried every medicine under the sun. The only thing that has worked for us was the combination of prozac, intuntiv and diet. The meds did not work by themselves only in combination with the Gap diet and adding fish oil supplements daily. I suggest to anyone who is looking to help symptoms with diet to try the Gap diet and fish oil supplements. It has been a absolute blessing for us.1
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Thank you I will look into thisdaniellelear7 wrote: »Not sure if this will help anyone but I am offering it. MY son has severe ADHD with aggression, O.D.D, bipolar, OCD and SPD. For 14 years we have struggled with everything from physical violence to being so depressed he doesn't want to live. He has been in trouble for stealing, setting fires, etc. We have tried every medicine under the sun. The only thing that has worked for us was the combination of prozac, intuntiv and diet. The meds did not work by themselves only in combination with the Gap diet and adding fish oil supplements daily. I suggest to anyone who is looking to help symptoms with diet to try the Gap diet and fish oil supplements. It has been a absolute blessing for us.
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I've been diagnosed since I was 6 and other than having a healthy diet overall, what I eat doesn't really have an impact on my ADHD. I use caffeine to supplement my non-stimulant medication (we're talking one diet soda a day maybe two on bad days).
I am on Strattera, which works really well for me. Stimulants work for me by themselves, but only at unsafe levels if that gives you an idea of how bad my ADHD can be! Honestly, the most effective treatment for me has been meds + cognitive behavioral therapy/behavior modifications.1 -
Thank you! I have an appointment to be prescribed whatever medication he deems might fit in a couple weeks. I have to wait to see my new health insurance and what it covers(adding to my anxiety)twistedingenue wrote: »I've been diagnosed since I was 6 and other than having a healthy diet overall, what I eat doesn't really have an impact on my ADHD. I use caffeine to supplement my non-stimulant medication (we're talking one diet soda a day maybe two on bad days).
I am on Strattera, which works really well for me. Stimulants work for me by themselves, but only at unsafe levels if that gives you an idea of how bad my ADHD can be! Honestly, the most effective treatment for me has been meds + cognitive behavioral therapy/behavior modifications.0 -
This is very helpful!! Both my son and I suffer from ADHD...he is medicated, I am not...as a result, I tend to struggle more than him. But, both of us would love to be able to control the ADHD with diet. (He is 25, and in his last year of an Electrical Engineering degree.)0
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This site has helpful information on lots of topics including ADHD.
I searched ADHD (scroll down past the ads) http://www.greenmedinfo.com/search/google-cse#gsc.q=adhd
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Other things to think about (which affect gut health, serotonin receptors in the stomach) and inflammation include:
GAPS Diet: http://www.gapsdiet.com/
PUFAs Avoidance: https://paleoleap.com/many-dangers-of-excess-pufa-consumption/
Adding Resistant Starches: https://authoritynutrition.com/resistant-starch-101/
Benefits to increasing Butyrate (Used for Treating Anxiety, Depression, and Mania): https://selfhacked.com/2016/05/07/health-benefits-butyrate-derivatives-sodium-butyrate-phenylbutyrate-trybutyrine-butyric-acid-butyrate-prodrugs-butyrate-producing-bacteria/
I have to add also, that being on Paleo / Keto has helped me immensely. I just recently began to add desiccated adrenal 80 mgs and Butyrate and my moods are incredibly stable despite the fact that I still drink a small amount of coffee. I can tell you though, if I drink it from somewhere else, I don't have control over the caffeine amount and I definitely notice it.0 -
Meditation can help to center you and help you to become more present, which is difficult for those who have ADHD and anxiety.0
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Lovee_Dove7 wrote: »This site has helpful information on lots of topics including ADHD.
I searched ADHD (scroll down past the ads) http://www.greenmedinfo.com/search/google-cse#gsc.q=adhd
There are a LOT of questionable sites and links on that page.1 -
Doctors only LAST YEAR proved that gluten intolerance existed, but it's not an enzyme but rather the body reacting with an immune response to gluten, in a way that is NOT celiac disease nor an allergic response. that's the extent of what they know so far - literally don't even know how it works yet.
I am going to hi-jack this thread for just a second to say that this quote is just so good to know. My daughter has this and I had doctors tell me that she was "just" a hypochondriac / high strung... Despite the fact that she would react to wheat, its derivatives, in very small amounts with stomach cramps and bumps. I would love to know the source so that I could share this with her.
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The gaps diet has no studies. Not even a case paper. It also is extremely restrictive and can cause nutritional deficiencies.
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/gaps-diet/0 -
Last year I believe I was the healthiest I've ever been mentally, due to yoga and frequent "centering". There was no medication. I have since moved and haven't been able to get into a studio quite like my old one. I haven't gotten that focus back at all.tessy2names wrote: »Meditation can help to center you and help you to become more present, which is difficult for those who have ADHD and anxiety.
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stanmann571 wrote: »Lovee_Dove7 wrote: »This site has helpful information on lots of topics including ADHD.
I searched ADHD (scroll down past the ads) http://www.greenmedinfo.com/search/google-cse#gsc.q=adhd
There are a LOT of questionable sites and links on that page.
Since you know so much, post your own link suggestions.0
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