Supplement recomendations?

[vivigirl2008]

I have an ASD 2.5 year old. Wanting to try some supplements to see if they will help but I need ones that she will take. Looking for ones that are tasteless and can be hidden in water or on a peanut butter cracker. What she eats is so limited so it's hard and she will only drink water and nurses. If you try to make her take a liquid she will usually spit it out or throw up so I really need a liquid or powder that I can hide. Maybe a good multivitamin. Looking also specifically for B vitamins and magnesium. Good resources around here are limited so I don't really have any help from doctors, just trying to do research on my own. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[BookGoddess]

I hide supplements in chocolate rice milk.  We use this powder brand from Lee Silsby.  It mixes well into liquid and it doesn't have a lot of fillers, artificial colors, cheap additives, and other things that cheap vitamins use.  I realize it's a bit pricey compared to some other brands, but the quality of ingredients is very good.

http://www.ourkidsasd.com/products/multi_vitamins/2501%7CASD%20Vitamin%20&%20Mineral%20Powder%20(without%20Stevia%20or%20flavor)-Lee%20Silsby

One little jar lasts for months so it's actually a good deal.  It's the brand our doctor recommended.

[vivigirl2008]

Hmmm I wonder though if it can be tasted in just water.

[jakeyandnatey]

Most powders we've tried make water taste "off".  However, you can mix the powder into peanut butter.  We've mixed it into frosting ... not the best sugar-wise, but liquids, esp. mega-B doses, taste gross.  Kirkman Labs has a lot of things ... so does ourkidsasd.com.

[nayma]

for vit b-12 (the methyl type) i use a sublingual one that she doesn't resist, but i also hear there's a spray that's not nasty.  for magnesium, i put epsom salts 2-3 cups) in her bath.  b vitamins do taste nasty, so i try to take extra for myself, and hope they get to her through my breastmilk.

[vivigirl2008]

Anyone know of any liquid probiotics that are GF/CF? I tired putting some powder in the water but she could taste it and wouldn't drink it.

[nayma]

my guess is no, but can she do sauerkraut?  if you're looking for good gf/cf things for the gut, that's be one :).

[vivigirl2008]

No, she is a VERY picky eater :(

[KimPM]

My DS has huge eating issues, plus allergies.  The only vitamin I've been able to get into him is Pure Encapsulations PediaNutrients (unflavored in small capsules), mixed into goat yogurt (he's allergic to cow dairy).  He can't swallow the capsule, so I open a few and mix them.  I used to put it in his breastmilk + baby cereal, but since then we've discovered his sensitivity to both oat and rice, so cereal is now a no-go.  We tried the Child Essence vitamins from OurKidsASD, and they are very high on the B vitamins and most of them are good forms of each vitamin.  But the downside of heavy B vitamins is that they have a strong smell and taste.  It also makes the yogurt orange color!  Even DS noticed the smell and taste, but he would *just* barely eat it after I did a lot of explaining.  He didn't really like it though.  The PediaNutrients go down better - they have much, much less taste.  Of course they are not always the "best" forms of vitamins, and not as much B vitamins, but for him, just getting some kind of vitamin is huge.  He cannot take any chewable because he's allergic to all the flavorings they put in them.  He was actually eating a few different chewables, until we found out with each of them that he was sensitive to the flavoring.  I'd love to see a vanilla flavored chewable vitamin, but I haven't yet found one.

ETA - you will have trouble mixing a multivitamin with water because of the fat-soluble vitamins in it.  If you just have a powder of B-vitamins, you can do that in water because they are water-soluble.  However, I would guess the flavor of the B vitamins alone will be strong if you just put it in water. 

Edited by KimPM - 12/3/10 at 6:24am