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SteamPowerDev
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22 Aug 2012, 2:12 am

Your experience with Fish Oil pills. I've heard that a lot of the young Aspie's take it to help with focus and short term memory.

Have you taken it, and if so did you notice any difference?
If you did notice any difference, what were they?
Positive? Negative?

My recent experience with Saint John's Wort has made me consider taking some of these vitamins. I was having a very panic attack kind of day and in desperation I bought a jar of Saint John's Wort and noticed that the panic attack went away, as well as my every day general anxiety. It allowed me to analyze all the things that made me anxious. Turned out to be a lot of things, including talking to people, the thought of talking to people and the after affects of talking to people, as well as the general anxiety of my job.

Of course I realized that it also seemed to have removed my internal filters I use to talk to people, and my willingness to analyze what I just said. Which gets rid of the anxiety, but also seems to open me up to be willing to say what I really want, which in my line of work could be bad. I work as a mall security guard and not making situations worse is very helpful. But I am more than willing to deal with that if it means an end to constant anxiety.



CrystalStars
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22 Aug 2012, 3:21 am

I took them for awhile when I was younger. It didn't do anything bad as far as I'm aware.


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Pondering
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22 Aug 2012, 3:35 am

I take them for joint pain/lubrication. I haven't noticed a big difference if any in my mental focus or short term memory. I still feel more comfortable mentally/emotionally though by taking them, just because they are supposed to help brain function. something to think about is the waulity and potency of each different kind of fish oil pill as well. Some kinds are better than others. Cod Liver Oil seems to have the best reputation I know that.

SteamPowerDev wrote:
Your experience with Fish Oil pills. I've heard that a lot of the young Aspie's take it to help with focus and short term memory.

Have you taken it, and if so did you notice any difference?
If you did notice any difference, what were they?
Positive? Negative?

My recent experience with Saint John's Wort has made me consider taking some of these vitamins. I was having a very panic attack kind of day and in desperation I bought a jar of Saint John's Wort and noticed that the panic attack went away, as well as my every day general anxiety. It allowed me to analyze all the things that made me anxious. Turned out to be a lot of things, including talking to people, the thought of talking to people and the after affects of talking to people, as well as the general anxiety of my job.

Of course I realized that it also seemed to have removed my internal filters I use to talk to people, and my willingness to analyze what I just said. Which gets rid of the anxiety, but also seems to open me up to be willing to say what I really want, which in my line of work could be bad. I work as a mall security guard and not making situations worse is very helpful. But I am more than willing to deal with that if it means an end to constant anxiety.


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windtreeman
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22 Aug 2012, 12:59 pm

I'm a bodybuilder and somewhat obsessed with nutrition at the moment so I've made huge changes in what I consume. The first thing about fish oil pills is, most of them are absolutely gigantic so if you have trouble swallowing pills, you'll have to do a little homework to make sure you find the smaller ones. Secondly, I started lifting weight and improving my nutrition because of symptoms of previously undiagnosed hypothyroidism so any changes/improvements could be relative to that. One big thing, regular exercise and a good multivitamin made a HUGE difference in my anxiety and panic attacks. I still feel scared as all hell before a doctor or dentist appointment ;) but those times when it seemed to crop up without warning or cause have nearly disappeared completely in the last year. As far as fish oil specifically, I really feel like it improved the quality of my hair/skin/nails and though this could be a placebo effect because I had very high expectations for it based on how warmly the bodybuilding community embraces fish oil, I just felt 'better' when taking them. They seem to be something nutritionists and doctors would recommend even if you feel great so I'd say they're well worth a try.



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22 Aug 2012, 2:22 pm

I tried taking fish oil gel caps and everytime I do I start bleeding as if I have periods, considering I went through my menopause in 1997. So I had to do some research everytime I took these fish oil caps. I found out that they act as a female hormone and haven't taken them since. Otherwise I never got to take them long enough to see if they have any other benefits. :(



Callista
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22 Aug 2012, 2:52 pm

I'd rather just eat the fish. But I really hate the smell of fish, so I can see why people might take the pills instead. I have to wash all the dishes and take out the trash and open the windows every time I eat fish. It's pretty annoying.

Taking fish oil pills is a lot like taking vitamins: If your diet is decent, with enough variety to get all the essentials, then it's useless to take additional supplements. If it's not, though, then vitamin pills or fish oil might fill in the gaps. But it's always better to get your nutrients through eating decent food, if you can afford it, tolerate it, and organize yourself well enough to make sure you eat it.

If you're autistic with a limited diet due to sensory or executive dysfunction, it would probably be better to take a more general nutrition supplement (one of those nutrition shakes, like Ensure, so you're getting calories/fat/carbs/protein plus your vitamins and minerals) rather than just depending on specific things like fish oil. You never know if you're covering the right gaps, otherwise. And if your problem is with executive dysfunction, then you're better off not having to juggle multiple pills anyway.

But, y'know. As far as nutrition supplements go, it's not that dangerous. So if you want to try it, go ahead. As always, make sure it doesn't interact with anything else you're taking. Call the pharmacy if you're not sure.


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N0tYetDeadFred
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22 Aug 2012, 2:56 pm

I haven't taken the pills, but I have changed my diet so that it's about 50 percent fat, which is the goal of the pills. I've noticed a positive difference.

Popular examples of this approach would include The Zone Diet, Primal/Paleo, etc.



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22 Aug 2012, 8:29 pm

If you don't like fish oil, you can try flax seed oil. They have very similar effects, except some people seem unable to process flax seed oil.


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