Posted by Jade on May 28, 2000, at 19:54:11
In reply to Re: effexor,ritilan and children, posted by Sara T on May 28, 2000, at 17:10:23
Hello Cbj,
I also had a son with ADHD but with the time frame and what was known, his situation turned out a little different, and it is still somewhat of a mystery. He is 21 now.
I feel that Sara has made an excellent suggestion of getting into a chat room and finding out the various experiences people have had with the medications you are dealing with.
Being the behavourist that I am, you also, may find comfort in trying behaviour modification approaches that can be very effective with children. No doubt, you have probably been introduced to these already, out of necessity. A good site for articles and resources that you might find helpful (if you are not familiar with them already) is www.samgoldstein.com. You will find a good article on treatment options to be wary of because of their unscientific methods. You will also find an article on childhood depression. Go to the section that says articles. Stanley Turecki has a good book to gain some information from, even though it may not fit your situation entirely. His book is titled, The Difficult Child. There are many resources on this site as well, if you browse the link and book sections at the top of the page.
I would also suggest seeking out a child psychiatrist if your sons are seeing a pediatrician. A pediatrician seems to be a little more spread out with his practice, and a child psychiatrist would be better suited to their needs. (It just seemed that ADHD was a trivial issue when the children before and after us were cancer patients.)
I know the anguish that comes with uncertainty, especially with children and these powerful medications. You are right to question what you are observing and to be afraid. You should be able to trust this doctor enough to ask about what you are observing, so you can gain insight on how to procede.
I too, had based my decisions on medication with asking myself, "Would he be better off if I put him up for adoption?" After some careful consideration, I decided that a change in family environment would have more of a negative effect on him. No one would adopt a child who operates on high speed any way, or love him despite his differences like I could. :)
I also asked myself,"Will he function better at school, with his peers and family on this medication, and will this impact his life in a major way?"
So, I based my decision on a No for Q.#1, and a Yes for Q.#2.
Just as it may be inappropriate to use certain medications for some children it is also inappropriate to NOT use certain medications for some children. Local ADHD support groups should give you insight into how others feel about the doctor you are using, so that you may feel able to trust this doctor. This is a very important step and one I would take as a priority.
Sorry Cjb, I have not had any experience with this combination of medications but hopefully you will find others who have. Good luck to you and my thoughts are with you.
Sincerely
Jade
poster:Jade
thread:34720
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000526/msgs/35004.html