Medicate or not??

[TwoMummies]

I have today had an appointment with my son's specilist which has left me quite shocked and confused as to what to do

They want to start him on a cocktail of medications to help with various issues that he has. Desmopressin, Melatonin and Methylphenidate!

I know that something has to change and he can't carry on the way he is but I was thinking behaviour therapy or ABA? I didn't think medications would be suggested so it really hit me quite hard

I am really uncomfortable with the idea of giving him so much but at the same time it is what he needs. His therapist thinks that he is too out of control to try behaviour therapy and that we should revisit the idea once the medication starts to work.

Has anyone given their child any of these medications?
Do you think it makes much of a difference?

Has anyone refused the medication?
Do you think you made the right decission?

I have been reasearching for hours now and it's not getting any easier to make a decission, I am so scared I will make the wrong choice

 

[New2Bumps]

Hello there

I've just popped over from natural parenting x

I'm a teacher and so have come across kids with adhd. I've directly taught 2, aged 6 and 7, and have been in a school with another who was 10. Our Educational Psychologist really will not agree to medication until everything else has been tried. Usually the physician and the parents want the medication, the Ed. Psych doesn't.

I can tell you this:
- Once you're on the medication road you'll be on it for quite a while and will need strong focus and a plan if you intend to wean your boy off it in the short term. It can be done, it just needs that focus and determination.
- Lots can be done without medication generally, but hugely depends on the family circumstances and the willingness and parental skills of the parents (talking generally here, obviously not about you and your situation personally). Things like is your son an only child, if not what are his siblings like behaviour wise, what kind of household do you run (busy, bustling, laid back,...) how much time do you have to spend with your son (obviously the more the better but in the real world that's not always possible).

Can I ask - as well as the above questions, who is recommening medication? Doctor? Ed Psych? Not sure how old your son is but if at school what do the school say about his behaviour if approprate? How long has he had a diagnosis? Does he have any other issues or conditions? What have you tried so far?

Hope I can help
If nothing else I'd be able to give you details about how we deal with this kind of thing in a primary school environment which would give you ideas of things you could try for a while before making a decision about medication.
P.s. As far as I'm aware there are no big reasons why you need to medicate now rather than later except his behavour may get slightly worse, but certainly delaying it a month or so won't make a difference so don't be pressured xxxxx

Have copied this to the thread in np
Feel free to pm me

 

[TwoMummies]

Hello there

I've just popped over from natural parenting x

I'm a teacher and so have come across kids with adhd. I've directly taught 2, aged 6 and 7, and have been in a school with another who was 10. Our Educational Psychologist really will not agree to medication until everything else has been tried. Usually the physician and the parents want the medication, the Ed. Psych doesn't.

I can tell you this:
- Once you're on the medication road you'll be on it for quite a while and will need strong focus and a plan if you intend to wean your boy off it in the short term. It can be done, it just needs that focus and determination.
- Lots can be done without medication generally, but hugely depends on the family circumstances and the willingness and parental skills of the parents (talking generally here, obviously not about you and your situation personally). Things like is your son an only child, if not what are his siblings like behaviour wise, what kind of household do you run (busy, bustling, laid back,...) how much time do you have to spend with your son (obviously the more the better but in the real world that's not always possible).

Can I ask - as well as the above questions, who is recommening medication? Doctor? Ed Psych? Not sure how old your son is but if at school what do the school say about his behaviour if approprate? How long has he had a diagnosis? Does he have any other issues or conditions? What have you tried so far?

Hope I can help
If nothing else I'd be able to give you details about how we deal with this kind of thing in a primary school environment which would give you ideas of things you could try for a while before making a decision about medication.
P.s. As far as I'm aware there are no big reasons why you need to medicate now rather than later except his behavour may get slightly worse, but certainly delaying it a month or so won't make a difference so don't be pressured xxxxx

Have copied this to the thread in np
Feel free to pm me

Have responded on NP but will PM you now also.

Thanks x

 

[JASMAK]

I have given my daughter melatonin. It is naturally occuring in the body. The other ones I have not, but I think I would be just as upset and fearful as you are. Giving meds is scary. I am not sure...second opinion???? Seems like they are jumping the gun not even trying therapy and just wanting to hop on the medication train. I am sorry I am of no help. Let me know what you decide.

 

[TwoMummies]

I have given my daughter melatonin. It is naturally occuring in the body. The other ones I have not, but I think I would be just as upset and fearful as you are. Giving meds is scary. I am not sure...second opinion???? Seems like they are jumping the gun not even trying therapy and just wanting to hop on the medication train. I am sorry I am of no help. Let me know what you decide.

Thank you for that, did you find the melatonin helped her to sleep?

They are looking at therapy but the Pead's opinion is that he is just too wired for any therapy to work at the moment and that once we calm him we can then look at therapy.

I think we are going to go ahead with the melatonin as his sleep really is a huge issue that is affecting us all and 'possibly' the desmopressin as that is to help him get dry in the day and getting out of nappies may help him a lot.

Refusing anything else for the moment however as I want to see how we go first, plus I don't want to introduce too much at once.

Thanks for your help x

 

[JASMAK]

yes, i think the melatonin helped somewhat. but it only really helps with them falling asleep...actually, maybe there is one that is slow release...not sure, but we got just the drops as she was only 2 years old. The pharmcist was a dick and didn't want to give it to us even though the pediatrician was the one who told us to use it. I had to go to a health food store. My daughter is really wired too. She used to only sit for 2 seconds. At school they have her sitting for about 20-30 minutes tops. Medication was talked about with me, and I freaked. I am not sure...I would need LOTS of details to make a decision like that. It's scary!!!

 

[Tryin4Number3]

I would definitely go ahead with the melatonin. My son has aspergers and was first prescribed it when he was about 5/6, he's now 11. He took it constantly for about 6 months and then i decided to try without it and he slept fine! He went from not going to sleep til 1/2am to easily falling asleep at around 8.30pm. Over the last 5 years hes gone back on it every now and then but he normally only takes it for a couple of weeks and it gets him back into a better sleep pattern

 

[peanut08]

I have given my daughter melatonin. It is naturally occuring in the body. The other ones I have not, but I think I would be just as upset and fearful as you are. Giving meds is scary. I am not sure...second opinion???? Seems like they are jumping the gun not even trying therapy and just wanting to hop on the medication train. I am sorry I am of no help. Let me know what you decide.

Thank you for that, did you find the melatonin helped her to sleep?

They are looking at therapy but the Pead's opinion is that he is just too wired for any therapy to work at the moment and that once we calm him we can then look at therapy.

I think we are going to go ahead with the melatonin as his sleep really is a huge issue that is affecting us all and 'possibly' the desmopressin as that is to help him get dry in the day and getting out of nappies may help him a lot.

Refusing anything else for the moment however as I want to see how we go first, plus I don't want to introduce too much at once.

Thanks for your help x

Hey hun how you doin, just found this thread and my boy has ADHD amongst other issues, it took my untll he was 7 to get a diagnosis and they offered methlyphenadate, desmopressin and melatonin we took the desmopressin and melatonin on a short term basis and his bed wetting stopped within 2mths and he was sleeping better, so we stopped both the meds and carried on with the new sleep hygine rroutine when had accopmlished while on the meds. With his behaviour i found it controlable but school couldnt control it and they wanted him to have methlphenadate but that i felt they needed to get more help with him in the class not meds. I did not want to medicate just bc his teacher couldnt cope when i could manage his behaviour, yes it was hard but managable. But sadly after he turned 9 his education started to suffer and his concerntration was worse than ever, so after many appointments and conversations with loads of health professionals we decided to try medication. But it worked very well, he only took it in term time and now he is in high school and takes long acting concertXL just so school dont have to give him medication at lunch time. He is now 14 and we are starting to wean him off