Update on Red Dye Experiment.

On the 8th of April, I tried to removed all red dyes from Carson's diet, and I noticed a dramatic improvement. His impulsivity was much better, as was his general overall attitude. When I say I tried to remove it... it wasn't for a lack of trying. On Tuesday of this week Carson found the fruit snacks that I had yet to get rid of in the pantry. He had two packs before I knew it. He had his best friend over to the house that evening, and he was very emotional, and impulsive with him. The boys both fought a lot more than they normally do. He just seemed out of sorts with everyone, and anything.

I thought if I removed foods that obviously had red coloring in it I would be doing good. I found Red Dye # 40 in Pillsbury crescent rolls, Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, Pillsbury vanilla frosting, and Jello chocolate pudding. These aren't even remotely red in color. Benadryl, the little pills as well as the liquid have red dye in it. I am sure it is even in the coating on some of Carson medications that he has to take every single day.

Obviously, I don't think I will be able to totally eliminate it from his diet. We have made tremendous strides in greatly reducing it, and in my opinion, it has shown a great deal of promise. I am planning on taking things a step further and try to eliminate yellow dye#5, which has been thought to have adverse reactions in children with hyperactivity disorder. Time will tell on this one.