Anyone have experience with Hardy Nutritionals Daily Essential Nutrients for treating ADHD symptoms?

[Momofmischief]

I just started my 9 year old son on Daily Essential Nutrients by Hardy Nutritionals after learning about Julia Ruckledges' research on nutrition and brain function. She wrote a book called The Better Brain. We've only been using the supplements for 3 weeks and so far I don't notice much change, but the recommendation is to use them 3-6 months before assessing effectiveness.

My kiddo also takes two ADHD meds (stimulant and anxiety). I'm really struggling to keep hope that we will be able to find something that will help my son and just wanting to hear from other parents about their experiences (positive or not) with these supplements for treating ADHD symptoms.

[ECJH2022]

My son is 7 and he really had a hard time taking all the required doses. He has very “alert” senses and it was always a struggle to get him to take it for as often as they recommended because of the smell, taste and texture. I would try and mask it all but nothing worked. Finally gave up. We instead put him on a few supplements as side from his multivitamin which includes inositol, magnesium, omega 3s and zinc. We also avoid dyes, dairy and eggs. Sleep is prioritized as well as hydration. I think it’s helping. Good luck to you and your son. It’s wonderful he will take the Hardy supplements without issue!

[Momofmischief in reply to ECJH2022]

Thanks for this. I'm curious about why you eliminated eggs and dairy. We prioritize getting a good amount of protein and fresh vegies, and lowering the amount of "junk" carbs, like sugar...which means that cheese is in heavy rotation in our son's diet.

[ECJH2022 in reply to Momofmischief]

Honestly we were throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. I had come across several articles and studies that stressed the importance of elimination diets and proper nutrition with ADHD (here is one to check out additudemag.com/treatment/e... and eggs were something that he was obviously sensitive to (along with the other things mentioned). I agree with you protein is very important, so he eats a lot of organic meats, beans fruits and veggies.

[Momofmischief in reply to ECJH2022]

Ah yes, very familiar with throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks methodology. The more desperate I get, the more I start throwing stuff. This year has been the most trying to date and I'm not sure why....pandemic isolation? Too much screen time? Pre-puberty hormones? My kid is in 3rd grade, after being held back a year in second grade, and is still performing academically behind his peers. He's very smart but cannot focus and probably has dysgraphia. Maybe dyslexia. Friendships are not happening....he's been uninvited to play with neighbor kids recently and my heart is breaking for him. We are desperate to see improvement. The pharmaceutics we are on don't make much difference, the ADHD clinic we were attending fell apart in spring of 2022 and we are just now getting seen by the other practice in town after a six month wait-list. I'm so exhausted overwhelmed, and depressed. Sorry for venting, I guess I'm needing an outlet.... feeling isolated af and therapy only goes so far.

[Sankhara]

yes, my 13-year-old has been taking Hardy’s Nutritionals for several months. We noticed a change in sleep (not waking up to pee as often) almost immediately. The 4 capsules 3x/day is hard to regulate while he is active in school & camps so we do 6 in the morning & 6 in the evening. We also do neurofeedback every other day & he takes 4mg of ER Guanficine in the mornings. These three routines have made a radical shift in his brain & behavior. Definitely costly, but he is so much more regulated & able to attune to other people.

[Momofmischief in reply to Sankhara]

Thanks for this. I'm curious why you add 4mg of ER Guanficine to the supplementation.

[Momofmischief in reply to Momofmischief]

When I wrote my last reply, I didn't realize Guanfacine was a pharmaceutical. I looked it up When I asked you about it, I thought it was a nutritional supplement.

[Cjkchamp]

My son has used the Hardy Nutritionals DEN for four years now. He started in first grade and is now in fifth. We saw small changes when he first began using them, but we saw the biggest impact when he reached a half dose (two pills three times per day). He has not taken any ADHD medications for almost four years. His dose age got lowered over a few months until it was eliminated. Now I love Hardy because they changed our lives, but micronutrients don’t work for everyone. They helped my son with the anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation symptoms he had. He started sleeping better. Now he is still easily distracted and at times hyperactive, but he is much more manageable now without the behavior issues. I would definitely stick with them and give them a chance. It is a lot of pills and it is expensive, so you can always look at True Hope too. When the psychiatrist recommended micronutrients, she didn’t recommend one brand over the other. Wishing you the best!

[Momofmischief in reply to Cjkchamp]

Thank you for this. I haven't heard of True Hope so I'll check it out.