Aspirin for Children
-
Hi All - first time poster here and thanks for all the great information in this forum. I was lucky enough to stumble upon Peating about six months ago and haven't looked back. I'm sure this topic was covered many times on RPF, but I'm curious if most feel aspirin is generally safe to give to children (10 year old in my case). My 10 year old has some significant focus/attention issues and feel like a low dose aspirin a few times/week could potentially help from what I've read from the peat community. I know there's the Reyes Syndrome issue but it sounds like that's mostly for kids with fevers (and probably rare and likely a scare tactic). Any advice or first hand experience anyone shares is appreciated and like the forum says, I know this is not medical advice. Thanks in advance!
-
Focus and attention issues-often diagnosed as ADD or ADHD-are a result of a heightened adrenal state. It takes energy to be still and focus. This is the same condition with sleep issues, it takes energy to go to sleep. Ritalin and other amphetamine-like drugs that influence attention and focus seem to work by increasing blood glucose levels, thereby increasing the brain's access to sugar. Low blood sugar may be due to lower metabolism, vitamin deficiencies, and contribute to/or result from hypothyroidism.
Blood sugar regulation requires B-vitamins and minerals, especially biotin and manganese. Liver is a good source of biotin, mussels/oysters/clams are good sources of manganese. Egg yolks are also a good source of biotin.
Consider giving honey and sugar dissolved in milk with some added salt. Consider making a tasty jello with gelatin and grape/pineapple juice- the glycine and other amino acids are anti-excitatory and pro-metabolism. Grape and pineapple juice are good sources of manganese. I use a pineapple concentrate that I mix with water into juice.
I would suggest making sure that your child is getting enough salt in their diet. The adrenal response that is associated with attention issues can be attenuated with additional salt.
I encourage trying a month or so of targeted nutrition before giving aspirin or any other medications.
-
@JulofEnoch thanks for all the suggestions. We've tried a lot of things, some working too various degrees. Currently doing b-vitamins (b1, b2, b6, b12, heavier on thiamine), tyrosine, taurine, glycine, magnesium, colostrum on weekdays with a break on the weekends. Haven't tried biotin or manganese specifically so I'll do some research there and maybe incorporate some gelatin/juice (I take gelatin so have some on hand). Salt is easy enough to uptick as well. I do the carrot salads as well with all the family - can always add a little extra salt there too or in the milk powder pancakes in the morning. Thanks again!
-
One thing to keep in mind with aspirin is to mix it with baking soda, less likely to damage the stomach that way.
Also have you tried lots of orange juice? That might help a lot in lowering your child's stress. Second gelatin as well.
-
Perhaps stop ALL the supplements – additives in supplements can increase serotonin in the gut.
-
What are you doing for b-vitamins?
-
Hi,
For ADHD consider heavy metals. You can look at our citrus pectin thread if you want a natural solution(s). I can send the link if you want.
I have had and do have SEVERE ADHD all my life. EXTREMELY IMPULSIVE. Zero filter. Zero focus. This is slowly changing with lowering heavy metals and with stuff like listed on this thread, meat for B vitamins and zinc etc...
ADHD is low dopamine. Heavy metals lower dopamine and tax the adrenals too so a connection there. Sometimes it can take a few years to manifest the symptoms so it could only show up at say 10 years old
ADHD people have gut problems. I do. I can send a link to our gut health thread if you want.
Ok you need to try zinc too.... Maybe try pure red meat not isolated amino acids. For a kid like that red meat might be the key to unlock a better life. It is for me.. As rare/raw as possible. Raw meat from a healthy, clean, grass fed animal might actually be helpful. But up to you of course. I feel very focused eating specifically RAW organic grass fed mutton.
Consider iron deficiency, strong correlation with ADHD actually... I always liked the smell of petrol/gasoline which is iron deficiency.
NO GLUTEN. Read about gluten brain. Try no milk maybe.
If the kid can handle a small amount of caffeine maybe worth trying once you figure out the root cause of the attention symptoms to hold them over until you fix the issue. That's what I did but obviously young kids are so sensitive
Saturated fat for pregnenolone. Not too much fat but you need a bit. I find coconut oil or lamb/beef fat helpful.
I would try the highest quality red meat 100% I know this works well for ADHD and it's worth a good honest try.
Is there a history of infections at a young age, hypothyroidism, cold feet, antibiotics being given? If antibiotics were given how many times?
When you read nutritional charts its ONLY THEORETIC. OUR SOILS ARE DEPLETED OF MICRONUTRIENTS
Buy organic GRASS FED meat that comes from farmers who CARE ABOUT THE SOIL. This means it will actually contain the micronutrients needed. I'd suggest until you get real meat try a boron or selenium supplement in a lower dose appropriate for the child. I'm going to try boron myself soon. If there is mercury in the brain selenium reactivates the enzymes inhibited by mercury.
If you visit the farmer to buy the meat ask for a jar of their soil. This is your probiotic.
Obviously general energy is important too but the stuff above will all help with that. Heavy metals etc can cause thyroid issues.
-
@JulofEnoch B1, B2, B3, B6, B12
-
@questforhealth thank you for all the information! I'd love any links you have along with all the info you've already shared
-
Even with all this great information (and I'll take any other suggestions as well), I still have want to circle back to the original question if the group has any input if aspirin is safe for a 10 year old.
-
If this stuff doesn't help it must be some rare disease. But I know this stuff will help.
Btw be careful with zinc supplements or too much red meat it can make you anemic because too much zinc lowers iron
Along with muscle meat get some liver and heart, from cows or sheep but not pork
I don't know about aspirin, if the child is anemic which can be likely with focus issues it could make it worse, every drug has its side effects. Food really doesn't unless you just eat the same thing for months on end and no variety in the diet
Does the child have white spots on the nails? This can be zinc deficiency
-
What form? Pills, powders?
BTW, you can give aspirin to a 10 year old though they are smaller than an adult so you'd need a pill cutter and cut a baby aspirin(81mg) in half.
-
@JulofEnoch I take a regular 325 mg aspirin 1-2x/wk dissolved in water so I thought I'd cut it in half or 1/4 if I went the aspirin route. Could always get some baby aspirin too
-
@questforhealth Thanks for sharing the threads. The citrus pectin sounds promising in reading your posts. Might be something to try after school is out for the summer in case it causes any stomach issues. We did a bottle of apple pectin last summer - didn't notice much difference but also didn't notice any gut irritation. I took some myself as well
-
@questforhealth I may have missed it in the thread, but what brand of citrus pectin are you using?
-
Cheap amazon brand made a difference for me in terms of thinking and being less clumsy
I would try raising energy and nutrition first before citrus pectin possibly
