For those of you that remember me-I posted Mommy wants to cry. My 3 1/2 year old difficult child was put on Clonidine 0.025 mg @ 1 ml at bedtime. That started Tuesday night. I gave him 1 ml tuesday night and he slept all night and A LOT of Wednesday. On Wednesday night I figured 1 ml was too much so I gave him 1/2 ml. Same results--sleepy all day. SO NOT MY CHILD. I called the doctor on Thursday and they said keep trying 1/2 ml. I did but he still sleeps ALOT. I amtaking him back to the doctor on Monday, but I wondered if anyone else had used this medication for a child and if it had the same effects. Please help me as I am not used to this kinda thing and it is really scary for my child to sleep all the time. I feel horrible for even giving it to him but the docs say it has to get in the system and give until Monday.
Clonidine Help!!!
- Thread starter tjg4god
- Start date
wakeupcall
Well-Known Member
It IS scary when your child sleeps like that! My difficult child did the same thing when he first started Clonidine. The system gets used to it in a relatively short time and then it REALLY does help them sleep. I would give it a bit more time. My difficult child still takes it and it really helps him with aggression and sleep.
hi,
i used it too and had the same affect initially it does take time till their system adjusts to it. i remember the first night sleeping on her floor beside her bed becasue she passed out so quick because afterall i'st a blood pressure lowering medication. scarey stuff. i'd give it a few days though if it were me to see if he adjusts to it.
another natural way never worked for mine was melatonin.
jen
i used it too and had the same affect initially it does take time till their system adjusts to it. i remember the first night sleeping on her floor beside her bed becasue she passed out so quick because afterall i'st a blood pressure lowering medication. scarey stuff. i'd give it a few days though if it were me to see if he adjusts to it.
another natural way never worked for mine was melatonin.
jen
I do see a few others posted but I as an adult am on Clonidine for Blood Pressure and I have to take it at bedtime because within an hour of taking it I am done for and can not stay awake. I will sleep about 4 hours straight and then wake up and be able to go back to sleep. I can not take it any later then about 11:00 or I am sleepy all day the next day. I hope things work out well for you.
wakeupcall
Well-Known Member
As a rule, Clonidine doesn't react the same for a child as for an adult. I'd call the doctor, but don't panic at all. I think it's a common reaction for a child to be sleepy with this medication until the system adjusts. If I remember correctly, there are many children on this board who take it.
Good Morning all! Just want to say thank you for all your comments about this. It is so scary when your child don't act right. He is still acting the same I even adjusted the dose to 1/4 ml which is literally only a drop or two. He still had the same reaction. I am taking him back to the doctor @ 9 in the morning. I was also wondering if anyone had a ADHD child on Concerta? My 8 year old difficult child is on that and seems so unhappy all the time. He seems depressed alot. He says he don't have any friends etc. His teacher says he has alot of friends and he is included in everything at school. We do live in the country but there is alot to do if he would use his imagination. Just wondering if anyone else had similar problems. Again, thanks for ALL the help. It is so nice to find people who understand all this and are kind instead of berating me for medicating my child.
Shari
IsItFridayYet?
My difficult child uses this drug for sleep. We give him 1/8 tablet or less only as needed. We literally shave a tiny bit off and give it to him, then give him a bit more if we need to.
We avoided using it all the time as it seemed to make him more agressive the next day.
GOod luck. Hope it helps.
We avoided using it all the time as it seemed to make him more agressive the next day.
GOod luck. Hope it helps.
Ok. Is my childs doctor on drugs or what? I took him back to the doctor this morning and they took him off Clonidine and said quit giving it to him because he was too drugged (in MY opinion, not docs) and they couldn't do anything else for him until he is older. This is the first medication they have tried, and while I am not big on the medications anyway, why did they waste my time and money for THAT? I am so ticked off right now!!! They could not help his behavior either. Just take him to a behavioral counselor. Well duh, who do you think referred me to this psyc. "specialist". What a joke!! I called in on Thursday of last week about him sleeping round the clock and they called me back and everything, why did they not just tell me over the phone to discontinue instead of having me drive 45 minutes 1 way to have her look at him and say don't give him the medications anymore. Do other parents have these same problems or is the doctor just stupid??
Shari
IsItFridayYet?
Find a new doctor ASAP.
My first pediatrician told me this and I listened for a year. Turns out that was a yeat that could have been spent figuring out what's going on with difficult child before he got to school.
"Wait" is bologna - find someone who knows about early intervention.
My first pediatrician told me this and I listened for a year. Turns out that was a yeat that could have been spent figuring out what's going on with difficult child before he got to school.
"Wait" is bologna - find someone who knows about early intervention.
Shari
IsItFridayYet?
PS - my son was on the clonodine for sleep, also, and initially it was one tablet at bedtime every night. He ended up like your son. Our docs worked with us, tho, and we finally settled on the clonodine just as needed, in minute doses when he couldn't sleep. Just enough to get him to sleep. Its worked well since, and we don't need it often anymore.
On the Main page there's a FAQ with Board Abbreviations... but here's a quick look...
difficult child -- Gift from God -- our children that are challenging
husband -- Dear/Darling Husband
daughter - Darling/Dear Daughter
DS - Darling/Dear Son
SO -- Significant Other
diagnosis -- diagnosis
difficult child -- Gift from God -- our children that are challenging
husband -- Dear/Darling Husband
daughter - Darling/Dear Daughter
DS - Darling/Dear Son
SO -- Significant Other
diagnosis -- diagnosis
