Re: Newbie medication question-Long again sorry :(

July 16, 2007

Hello all,

Thank you all who responded to my question. I'm currently looking at information about the medications you listed to see what I think would benefit my child. Roxanna's post below made me realize that in trying to keep my explanation as short as possible, I didn't make much sense.

I wasn't trying to suggest that the act of medicating my child for anxiety and depression was a 'short cut'. My problem is that there are no psychiatrists in my area. So the doctor, who isn't an expert on mental disorders, wants the psychologist, who can't prescribe medication, to suggest what medication the doctor should prescribe. The doctor dropped it into my lap as to what I wanted to do about it. So the 'short cut' would be to talk to my son's psychologist and basically choose for myself which medication to put my child on. The 'long way' would be to drive 300 miles to find a psychiatrist for my ds and find a way for my insurance to cover it or pay for it out of pocket. The reason why I'm concerned about the 'short cut' method is that I feel like I'm the one who now has to become an expert on antidepressant and antianxiety medication which is why I appreciate your thoughts on different kinds of medication.

And to answer Roxanna. You are absolutely right that medicating a child for anxiety, depression, or whatever medication they Need is not a 'short cut' and truthfully shouldn't be taken as a choice. If my child Needs something, I will do whatever it takes to get it to him. My son's anxiety and depression until recently were almost completely focused on school itself and, though he can be a handful at home, weren't a real problem for the most part at home. He did seem more moody at home for a while, but the further we get into summer the more relaxed he is. My biggest hesitation comes from the fact that I am not an expert on medication and I hear all these horror stories about Ritilin causing heart attacks in 20something kids who've taken it for years as a child etc... I don't want to pick something for him now for anxiety and depression that will have me losing him later.

Thanks Roxanna for your comment. And thank you all for your discussions. I see a lot of my boy in your children and it helps me understand the difference between Asperger's and 'typical' kid behavior.

Once again, thanks for the support!

Jen

Mom to: Evan 3-12-99 dx Asperger's Syndrome & Jack 10-4-01 (so far just has Asthma that I know of *g*)

4a. Re: Newbie medication question-Long sorry Posted by: "Roxanna" madideas@... roxannaneely Date: Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:40 pm ((PDT))Medicating for anxiety and depression is not a short cut. Nor is it done for the benefit of others. If a child is depressed, then you should consider medication for the sake of the child alone. Depression is a real medical illness. Anxiety can interfere with learning, daily activities and social skills. Whether to medicate for anxiety or not depends upon the severity. You should talk about this with your doctor to see if this is a problem for your child or not.Now of course, the benefits of having a child who is not depressed or overly anxious can benefit everyone around him and everyone who works with him. But ultimately, it benefits him the most.RoxannaAutism Happens

July 17, 2007

Hello ,

If you're concerned about the side affects of Ritalin (AKA metadate,

methylphenidate, Concerta, etc- they all have the same base as

ritalin) try Straterra- it has a completely different chemical base

than all of the others. It is also the only one that is NOT a

controlled substance- meaning if it works you can get refills for 3

months instead of having to pick up the physical piece of paper every

month for a refill. It also means that it's non addictive. The catch

is that it does not work for everyone. They don't know why but some

people it works great and some people it does nothing! Also, it's not

an upper so it does not contribute to keeping the kid up all night.

It may cause your child to gain weight (that was actually a pleasant

side effect for my DS because he did not gain a single pound for 2

years and finally gained 4!!) As far as the anxiety and depression

goes we finally gave in and let the Dr put him on the lowest dose of

Prozac. The biggest change we've noticed is the knock down drag out

crying fits have decreased to once in a great while!! Hope this helps.

>

> Hello all,

>

> Thank you all who responded to my question. I'm currently looking at

information about the medications you listed to see what I think would

benefit my child. Roxanna's post below made me realize that in trying

to keep my explanation as short as possible, I didn't make much sense.

>

> I wasn't trying to suggest that the act of medicating my child for

anxiety and depression was a 'short cut'. My problem is that there are

no psychiatrists in my area. So the doctor, who isn't an expert on

mental disorders, wants the psychologist, who can't prescribe

medication, to suggest what medication the doctor should prescribe.

The doctor dropped it into my lap as to what I wanted to do about it.

So the 'short cut' would be to talk to my son's psychologist and

basically choose for myself which medication to put my child on. The

'long way' would be to drive 300 miles to find a psychiatrist for my

ds and find a way for my insurance to cover it or pay for it out of

pocket. The reason why I'm concerned about the 'short cut' method is

that I feel like I'm the one who now has to become an expert on

antidepressant and antianxiety medication which is why I appreciate

your thoughts on different kinds of medication.

>

> And to answer Roxanna. You are absolutely right that medicating a

child for anxiety, depression, or whatever medication they Need is not

a 'short cut' and truthfully shouldn't be taken as a choice. If my

child Needs something, I will do whatever it takes to get it to him.

My son's anxiety and depression until recently were almost completely

focused on school itself and, though he can be a handful at home,

weren't a real problem for the most part at home. He did seem more

moody at home for a while, but the further we get into summer the more

relaxed he is. My biggest hesitation comes from the fact that I am not

an expert on medication and I hear all these horror stories about

Ritilin causing heart attacks in 20something kids who've taken it for

years as a child etc... I don't want to pick something for him now for

anxiety and depression that will have me losing him later.

> Thanks Roxanna for your comment. And thank you all for your

discussions. I see a lot of my boy in your children and it helps me

understand the difference between Asperger's and 'typical' kid behavior.

>

> Once again, thanks for the support!

> Jen

> Mom to:

> Evan 3-12-99 dx Asperger's Syndrome &

> Jack 10-4-01 (so far just has Asthma that I know of *g*)

>

> 4a. Re: Newbie medication question-Long sorry

> Posted by: " Roxanna " madideas@... roxannaneely

> Date: Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:40 pm ((PDT))

>

> Medicating for anxiety and depression is not a short cut. Nor is it

done for the benefit of others. If a child is depressed, then you

should consider medication for the sake of the child alone.

Depression is a real medical illness. Anxiety can interfere with

learning, daily activities and social skills. Whether to medicate for

anxiety or not depends upon the severity. You should talk about this

with your doctor to see if this is a problem for your child or not.

>

> Now of course, the benefits of having a child who is not depressed

or overly anxious can benefit everyone around him and everyone who

works with him. But ultimately, it benefits him the most.

>

> Roxanna

> Autism Happens

>

July 17, 2007