posted 10-14-2003 08:15 PM            

It works wonderful for me. I hope it works for your son.

P.S.
For some people it takes a while to see the benefits. Average is 2-3weeks. Sometimes it can take about 8weeks though. So if you don't see improvement early on no worries. Just stick with it for a couple of months.

posted 10-15-2003 09:34 PM            

beCalm'd - natural supplement
B'calmd - an herbal treatment

posted 10-16-2003 01:10 PM            

beCalm'd (this is the good one!!!)
Each Capsule Contains:
D/L - Phenylalanine 300mg
L-glutamine 150mg
5-HTP 5mg
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine HCL) 1mg
Calcium (chelate, citrate) 50mg
Magnesium (chelate, oxide) 25mg
Folic Acid 0.01 mg

Becalm
Melissa Officinalis is indigenous to the Mediterranean, but is widespread throughout the world. It is often used as a general nervous system restorative, digestive calmative and to reduce blood pressure. Its active ingredients include volatile oil, tannins, flavinoids, tocopherols and choline.

Lavandula Augustifolia is another well-known herb which has made its home in countries all over the world, including Europe and Africa and is also used in Arab medicine as an expectorant. It is best known for its calming properties and as a tonic for the nervous system. Lavender contains the active ingredients tannins, coumarins, flavinoids, triterpenoids and volatile oil.

Passiflora Incarnata - also called Passion Flower - is used as a sedative and for insomnia and can relieve anxiety and nervousness. Active ingredients include flavonoids, cyanogenic glycosides, alkaloids and saparin. It helps to calm and soothe and is also thought to reduce high blood pressure and nervous tremors.

posted 10-16-2003 02:12 PM            

"How long does it work"
On average it will take 3 weeks to start seeing positive effects. Some people see benefits within the first coupld days, others don't see the positive effects until they've been taking it continuously for a couple months,(8 weeks).

"is it taken in dosage for a length of time or as a supplement, every day and once it's you system, it continously works?"
You must take it every day. Taking it consistantly is one of the most important things. If you don't take it consistantly you will not have good results. Once it's in your system and working (this will take between 3 & 8 weeks) then it will work consistantly, but ONLY if you take it consistantly.

"concerta has changed a nightmare school year to a A/B school year, still having difficulty in social settings."
BeCalmd can help with focus and schoolwork as well as social problems. If it doesnt end up working there are many other natural treatments that you can try. New studies prove that natural supplements are just as effective as stimulant medication in treating ADD/ADHD. Another great supplement is the Omega3!!! As I've mentioned I take that and the beCalm'd. It's much easier to figure out what supplements are needed when you know the specific ADD subtype. If you're unsure about which subtype heres some short info on the different subtypes.

#1- Hyperactivity/Impulsive/Inattentive ADHD

(otherwise known as ADD combined type)

People with this type of ADD show symptoms of both hyperactivity and inattentiveness along with being very impulsive. While the brain is at rest it activity appears to be fairly normal. While attempting to concentrate activity in the pre frontal cortex area decreases instead of increasing as it should. This causes ADDers to have a hard time on tasks that require a great amount of concentration. The harder they try the harder the task in front of them becomes. Many times this causes frustration which can in turn lead to anger. The same is true of sitting still. Being quiet is never an easy task for any child and it is especially difficult for those with ADD with hyperactivity (ADHD) Forcing a child who is hyperactive to stay still and be quiet will make the hyperactivity worse. If an ADHD child believes they will only have to sit and listen for 30minutes before they get a break they will do much better for that 30minutes than they would in the first 30minutes of sitting if they thought they were going to have to wait 2 hours for a break.

Treatments include:

Natural Treatments - L-tyrosine, DL-phenylalanine, Omega 3, beCalmd

Medications - Ritalin, Dexedrine, Adderall and other stimulant medications.

Also helpful are Wellbutrin (a popular stimulating anti depressant) and the new non-stimulant medication called Strattera. This is the first non controlled prescription medication specifically designed to treat ADD.

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#2 - Inattentive ADD

People with this type of ADD are inattentive but not hyperactive, in fact some may appear hypoactive. They may run low on energy, seem unmotivated or even lazy. These are the “space cadets” and “daydreamers” They are often times very well behaved, quiet, and pleasant to be around. They get bored extremely quickly and their mind vivid imaginations take over. The world inside their minds of their own thoughts, ideas, and worries is many times extremely distracting. These are the children that can’t finish a timed test because they keep having to read the same question over and over each time forgetting what they read. They are the adults who try their very hardest to listen to their loved ones tell them about a bad day they had at work but their minds just “zone out” This ADD subtype is also caused by decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex.

Natural Treatments- L-tyrosine, DL-phenylalanine, omega 3

Medications - Treatments include: Ritalin, Dexedrine, Adderall and other stimulant medications.

Also helpful are Wellbutrin (a popular stimulating anti depressant) and the new non-stimulant medication called Strattera. This is the first non controlled prescription medication specifically designed to treat ADD.

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#3- Hyperactive/Impulsive type

People with this type of ADD show symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsiveness yet are not inattentive. This is also caused by decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex. In a learning environment they may still seem inattentive simply due to the fact that they are to hyperactive to sit still long enough to learn the material. This subtype is often seen in males with co-occurring conduct disorder or explosive aggression. Often this is seen in children who have a history of head trauma, FAS, brain damage during birth etc.

Natural Treatments - L-glutamine, Omega 3, 5-HTP

Medications- Treatments may include stimulants such as Ritalin, Dexedrine, or Adderall. Other treatments include clonidine, buspar, SSRIs and anti-hypertensive medications.

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#4 - Overfocus ADD

People with this type of ADD have trouble shifting their attention. They get stuck on one task or behavior and just cant seem to move on to something else. Common symptoms are trouble shifting attention, cognitive inflexibility, difficulty with smooth transitions, excessive worrying, oppositional or argumentative behavior, along with the basic core ADD symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviors. This type of ADD is caused by increased blood flow or activity in the top middle parts of the frontal lobes. This is known as the cingulate area of the brain.

Natural Treatments- 5-HTP, St. Johns Wort, SAMe, beCalmd

Medications - Treatments include Effexor, Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Remeron, Serezone, and Luvox. An additional stimulating med may be added to an SSRI if needed.

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#5 - Temporal Lobe ADD

This is one of the least understood ADD subtypes. Common symptoms include inattention, mood instability, aggression, paranoia, anxiety, headaches or stomach pains with no physical cause, visual or auditory illusions (in severe cases) hallucinations, panic attacks, dark violent thoughts of suicide and or homicide, social withdraw and learning difficulties especially in the area of reading. The person may or may not be hyperactive.

This can also be called temporal lobe dysfunction. It can be inherited or caused by head trauma. The cause is for one or both (left and right) temporal lobes to be either over or underactive. Untreated this type of ADD can be life threatening.

Natural Treatments - GABA, L-glutamine, Phosphatidyl serine

Medications - Treatments include anti seizure medications Depakote, Neurontin or Tegretol.

WARNING-Temporal Lobe symptoms are made worse by serotonergic medications including the new SSRIs such as Paxil, Zoloft, etc..

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#6 - Limbic ADD

People who have this type of ADD have the main symptom of inattention, they may or may not be hyperactive. Other common symptoms include negativity, depression, sleep problems, low energy, low self esteem, social withdraw or isolation from others, low motivation, and irritability. The cause of this is an overactive limbic system. This type of ADD often looks about identical to depression. The difference is Limbic ADD is life long, it does not suddenly appear in adulthood or in the late teen years. It never goes away only to later return as do depressions, it is constant.

Natural Treatments - SAMe, DL-phenylalanine, beCalmd

Medications - Treatments may include Wellbutrin, or other anti depressants such as SSRIs, In some cases stimulants be helpful. A good combination for this ADD type is the anti depressant Wellbutrin and the stimulant Adderall. Strattera may also be helpful.

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#7 - Ring of Fire ADD

This is the term referring to those of us who have 3 or more of the ADD subtypes. Common symptoms include severe oppositional behavior, distractibility, irritability, extreme mood swings, and temper problems. They can become verbally or physically aggressive with little provocation, may be hyperactive or hyper verbal (talk non-stop, many times too fast for others to understand what is being said) Their minds never seem to rest, they have a continuous flow of thoughts, worries, and ideas flying through their minds too quickly for any sense to be made of them. Moods tend to cycle from extreme lows to extreme highs. Many with this condition are extremely sensitive to environmental stimulation including light, bright colors, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch. Behavior is often equivalent to that of bipolar disorder.

Natural Treatments - Omega 3, beCalmd, Attend, Lithium Orotate

Medications - Treatments for this type of ADD include anti convulsants such as Depakote, Neurontin, Lamictal. In severe cases anti psychotics such as Risperdal and Zyprexa.

WARNING- Stimulants such as Ritalin, Adderall, Dexedrine may make this type of ADD worse if they are given without a stabilizer. SSRIs may also make symptoms worse. Strattera may be helpful for some with this type but not for others. Extremely close and careful monitoring of medication and symptom reduction or increase is suggested.

posted 10-16-2003 03:17 PM            

I would try to supplement over the herbs. Taking herbs is about like taking a drug, while supplements feeds the body so it can rebalance and heal.

You might try magnesium by itself! Take a low dose and raise it until the stool becomes too soft, then back off on the dose: that is how to tell the right dose for you.

posted 10-16-2003 08:15 PM            

In the past I have tried OPC's for my son and a few other things. I'd like to give BeCalmd and Omega 3 to my son and see if it is helpful. He has inattentive ADD and can be sensitive, doesn't always adjust to change well, easily frustrated, picky eater. I'm hoping BeCalmd could be helpful.

posted 10-16-2003 08:27 PM            

The sites where you can order from are equally as good. It's all through the same company. The price differs from site to site sometimes. Usually the difference is no more than a few cents. $1 at the most.

posted 10-17-2003 12:54 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by cmelton31:
free spirit- I had my son on becamed over the summer and ( the kind from neurogenis, I hope we are talking the same stuff?!)It did help with his anxiety but not for focus or impulsivity. May I ask your dosage. and how long it takes b/4 you saw results., I would really like to take him off adderall, but he has become so much more self confident and is doing better in school. any replies would be appreciated.thanks

---

Hi, well like I said my dose is between 3-6 caps daily. BeCalm'd, DL-phenylalanine, 5-HTP, L-Glutamine, and some vitamins.. (is that the one you're talking about?) The same supplement will not work for everyone. L-Tyrosine works well for many with Inattentive type ADD or Classic ADHD without any other subtypes. Being Ring of Fire type the L-Tyrosine did not work well for me. DL-phenylalanine is also used to produce dopamine and norepinephrine (which play a role in ADHD) and it is contained in beCalmd. It works very well for me, even by itself. I prefer the beCalmd because it also has the l-glutamine which I also need. See L-Tyrosine and DL-phenylalanine both increase production of dopamine and norepinephrine but I can only tolerate the DL-phenylalanine. Since beCalmd worked well for his anxiety but not his focus maybe your son needs L-Tyrosine to help wake up his prefrontal cortex and allow him to concentrate.

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Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

posted 10-18-2003 06:29 AM            

Thanks again for all the help and support! I had no idea how many of you out there can relate to the stress and frustration of having a child with ADD/ADHD or having it yourself. Sending out strength and support hugs to all!!

Sincerely,

posted 10-23-2003 10:42 AM            

Are you a distributor Becalmd? I'm asking because I cannot get a positive response on this stuff from anyone who is not selling it. Does it really control impulsivity and hyperactivity? I would like an unbiased opinion.

posted 10-23-2003 08:35 PM            

For me, yes it helps to control all my ADHD symptoms. I also take omega3.