Re: How Long?

[Guest guest]

My dd has been on meds for 5 years. I don't expect she will ever be off of them,

though she has comorbid diagnoses. I won't answer your question about knowing

when it is OK to stop meds because the situations aren't the same. She has been

on and off of therapy during that whole time. Mostly when she was out of therapy

it was due to her refusal to go. My child is the best she has been in a long

time. For her that means she is functional and also able to do things that other

teens can do. Good luck. Stormy

________________________________

To:

Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2009 8:47:24 PM

Subject: How Long?

 

Just curious, how long has your child been on meds?, in therapy? It's going on 2

yrs for us and we have come a really long way just not sure what to expect, how

long will/should she be in therapy (we are down to every other week), how long

on meds, when do you know you have gotten to a place that's the best it can or

will ever be? How can you know if it will be ok to stop the meds? What is the

best we can ever expect? I realize there may not be any answers and that the

answers are diff for every child, just curious.

Thanks

Melinda in Tn

[Guest guest]

You are going to get a huge range of answers here.? My kids have been on meds

and in therapy for nine and seven years.? I know, it is a bit longer than the

twelve weeks people talk about.? There are reasons for this.? First of all, my

kids have disorders other than OCD--one also has Asperger's and the other has

Narcolepsy.? Second, a lot of the therapy they receive has to do with dealing

with each other.? Third, I think for our family it is just going to be a

life-time thing.? My youngest takes only two meds:? Luvox and Clonidine.? The

Clonidine is for sleeping and if she doesn't take it, she doesn't sleep.? She

used to take other meds too, including Celexa and Abilify but was weaned off of

them over a year ago.?She is fine without them.?The older one, Hannah, takes

Luvox and Abilify for her OCD and three meds for her Narcolepsy:? Adderall XR,

Provigil, and Temazapam.?? She came off of Abilify when her sister did and it

was not pretty.? She lost it.? She improved within three days of going back on

it.? I don't plan to ever take her off of it again.? In a nutshell, I have no

plans to? take them off of the meds.? Hannah will always have Narcolepsy and

doesn't take much for the OCD.? is doing well on what she is taking.?Our

doctor feels we should leave well enough alone and I agree.? I think it is

awesome, though, that some people don't need the meds and are able to work it

all out.? It will be interesting to see the responses you get!? Kelley in NV

[Guest guest]

HI Melinda,

My daughter is almost 13 and has been in therapy since she was 3, and on meds

since age 5. My son has been in therapy since age 5 and on meds since age 4 and

he will be 8 in two weeks.

I have tried stopping my kids meds and they always seem to need something, at

some point.

Not to repeat everyone elses responses but it is sooooo different for each

child, depending on the severity of the issues and how well they respond to the

meds and therapy.

I think the best you can expect is for them to be functioning at the best of

their ability in every aspect.

Hugs

Judy

________________________________

To:

Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2009 9:47:24 PM

Subject: How Long?

 

Just curious, how long has your child been on meds?, in therapy? It's going on 2

yrs for us and we have come a really long way just not sure what to expect, how

long will/should she be in therapy (we are down to every other week), how long

on meds, when do you know you have gotten to a place that's the best it can or

will ever be? How can you know if it will be ok to stop the meds? What is the

best we can ever expect? I realize there may not be any answers and that the

answers are diff for every child, just curious.

Thanks

Melinda in Tn

[Guest guest]

My son has been on and off meds and in therapy for almost 6 yrs. We are really

starting to get somewhere this past year. I don't know when he will be OK

without it. It's not in the near future. I imagine that he will need therapy

(and meds?) on and off always. I have seen the depths of his emotions and I

have made peace with the fact that he may always need help. There are

milestones in life that can wreck havoc on you and I imagine those will be hard

for my son who struggles with the everyday. I am a true optimist however and

I'm stubborn as heck. If I could give him one characteristic of myself, it

would be that!

Bonnie

>

> Just curious, how long has your child been on meds?, in therapy? It's going on

2 yrs for us and we have come a really long way just not sure what to expect,

how long will/should she be in therapy (we are down to every other week), how

long on meds, when do you know you have gotten to a place that's the best it can

or will ever be? How can you know if it will be ok to stop the meds? What is the

best we can ever expect? I realize there may not be any answers and that the

answers are diff for every child, just curious.

> Thanks

> Melinda in Tn

>