A Letter From Mary
Dear Primary Source,
Thank you for your help the past 2 years during which our child has received tremendous results from your product called OPC GrapeGold. I would like to write of our experiences with the product, some background information and offer encouragement for parents looking for answers. I want to point out that I am only a parent with a story and that I am in no way connected to the company. I may sound as though I am selling the product because our experience has been so positive!
In short, we have been using Primary Source OPC for nearly two years and have found it to be as effective as prescription medications for help with ADHD and without the serious side effects. School performance has remained consistently excellent; attitude and self-esteem have improved. We have not had to see any doctors during the past two years and our child's overall health has improved. We have made great progress and the only thing that has changed is that we have discontinued stimulant medication and have exclusively used Primary Source OPC GrapeGold on a daily basis under the direction of the staff at Primary Source.
We first learned of OPC from Jean Carper's book titled Miracle Cures. At that time I was reading everything I could find on the subject of ADD, looking for an alternative to the stimulant medication that was being prescribed for my child. Our doctors (in all, about six) gave us absolutely no alternatives to that of medication and I resolved to find a solution in spite of what I was told. Jean Carper mentioned Primary Source in connection with OPC so I contacted the company and began to investigate the possibility. Based on their own experience and information from what has worked with other families, the staff provided information, help and suggestions for use of OPC. I have to admit that the only reason I even opted to try OPC is the money-back guarantee! (To date, we have not requested a refund for OPC).
What follows is some history of our child's situation. I choose to include this because when I began to investigate OPC, I wanted to hear what other parents had to say and if our situation was somewhat similar in severity. I think I could recite this in my sleep by now since I have had to provide it so many times through the years! I especially remember the humility my child felt when time and again the same information was disclosed which was neither positive nor edifying. Our child is now an adolescent and as mentioned, has not taken any medication for nearly two years. Prior to that, he had taken Ritalin for about three years and Adderall for two years. As parents, we knew that our child was extremely energetic and impulsive to an extent that it was problematic. I wish we knew then (at age two!) what we know now about Primary Source OPC.
Our experience with professionals is that they didn't want to overreact, and yet could only offer behavior modification, psychotherapy and patience, since our child was too young for medication. These behavior-based programs and suggestions did nothing to improve our family situation. We sought other opinions and evaluations because the medical community refused to believe our child was struggling with an attention deficit. We also ruled out physical problems, central auditory processing difficulties, and allergies. At age five, Prozac was prescribed (and I cringe at that thought). We continued with that, as it improved attention and impulsivity, until first grade when another evaluation provided us with a definitive diagnosis of moderate to severe ADHD. We then felt we had no alternative except medication since our home struggles were in crisis proportion.
During the years of stimulant usage, we began to see other problems develop, and sought help from our doctors. In retrospect, I know that there were side effects of the medication. Some of the difficulties included extreme insomnia and inability to sleep soundly. The result of sleep deprivation was moodiness and irritability. We also struggled with increasing emotional problems such as irrational behavior, obsessive/compulsive tendencies, depression and LOW self-esteem. Physicians suggested other medications to be taken along with the stimulant. It was a disaster! At that point, we knew that something had to be done and that the drugs were making the situation even worse. School performance was declining and social situations were not positive. This experience led me to a full-scale search for something other than drugs.
When we began to use OPC, we did so with the guidance of the Primary Source Company. The dosage, which we followed, was specific for our situation. In short, we started with 100 mg of OPC GrapeGold and needed to increase to 400 mg for about one month to "saturate" our child's system. It seemed like the OPC was being soaked up like a sponge! We gradually decreased the amount and now use 200 mg each morning, on an empty stomach with water.
A general assessment at this point is that everything is not perfect nor did it "totally take away" the ADHD. We still have struggles, but now feel that we have the wherewithal to deal with problems. I am in the process of reading a book written by Marcia Zimmerman titled The A.D.D Nutrition Solution in which the author mentions not only OPC and its effectiveness for ADD, but also additional supplements which feed the brain. They may even reverse some nutritional deficiencies in the brain and improve the overall situation with ADHD. I intend to do a trial of these supplements, but I will not discontinue the Primary Source OPC. The documentation presented in Zimmerman's research is the best I have read on the subject.
The downsides to OPC? Our family takes OPC for various reasons and it has the tendency to make us nauseous when taking it, since it is preferred that you take OPC on an empty stomach. We try to eat a little and it helps a bit but we just live with this occasional "yucky" feeling for thirty minutes or so because it does subside once we eat. I think that this is not typical for OPC users. Anyway, the benefits far outweigh the little problems. Another downside to the product is the cost, since it not reimbursed by insurance. But now we buy it in large quantities for saving measures. This is one area in which I will not shop around for a cheaper product; I won't risk an inferior product in trying to save money. We now have a much happier, well-adjusted child and that is worth more than money. Finally and most importantly, we thank God for answering our relentless prayers for help with our family. It has made a tremendous difference for all of us!
Mary - A Happy Primary Source Customer