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Malika: Answering your question...
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<blockquote data-quote="InsaneCdn" data-source="post: 438248" data-attributes="member: 11791"><p>medications... when they work, we wouldn't trade places with anyone. When they don't... </p><p></p><p></p><p>Its also important to have ALL of the diagnoses... we're working with multiple diagnosis and more to come - and the things that help one diagnosis, are a problem for the next! So it can be really tricky.</p><p></p><p>Start with the simplist, fastest-acting, "proven" options first... for example, for ADHD, the old standby is Ritalin (and the generics and alternative delivery mechanisms of the same chemical compound). You take it, and it has about a 4-hour half-life... in other words, half of it is gone from your body in 4 hours. It works - or it doesn't. Dosage can be adapted fairly quickly (we've done 1-week cycles... increase dose, measure results, increase again a week later, etc.). For some diagnosis, there are no "standby" drugs, and/or none without considerable side-effects. But it helps to start with the simplest class of drugs first where possible.</p><p></p><p>Where possible, one medication is better than multiple - fewer interaction risks, less chance of one medication causing problems for a different diagnosis than prescribed for. BUT - sometimes, one medication just won't do it.</p><p></p><p>Deal with the risk inherent in medication, in comparison to the risk without medication - if there is little benefit and definite risks, no need to go there... but for significant benefit and marginal risk, I'll take medications risk.</p><p></p><p>Biggest factors in medications are... <u>right diagnoses</u>, <u>right professional</u> working with the medications trials (NOT family doctor!), and <u>right timing</u> (if school is the source of anxiety, it doesn't work to adjust anxiety medications over the summer break...). And then, you have to monitor and update as they grow... some medications stop working (person develops "tolerance"), sometimes intolerances develop, sometimes puberty changes the effectiveness... </p><p></p><p>A couple of weeks back, we were wondering if K2 even needed to continue medications - things are going very well. Then, one Saturday (thank goodness not a school day!) K2 actually forgot to take the medications in the morning - and we didn't notice until after lunch... but BOY OH BOY did we ever notice the difference - totally draggy, nothing got done, "space cadet"... after spending the morning trying to kick butt and get her going... we discovered the un-taken pills. Ah-Ha! Ok, we know what's going on... bring on the black tea, we'll get you through the day (with lowered expectations!)... but yes, K2 needs those medications (at $127/month... wouldn't mind not needing to buy them, but...!)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="InsaneCdn, post: 438248, member: 11791"] medications... when they work, we wouldn't trade places with anyone. When they don't... Its also important to have ALL of the diagnoses... we're working with multiple diagnosis and more to come - and the things that help one diagnosis, are a problem for the next! So it can be really tricky. Start with the simplist, fastest-acting, "proven" options first... for example, for ADHD, the old standby is Ritalin (and the generics and alternative delivery mechanisms of the same chemical compound). You take it, and it has about a 4-hour half-life... in other words, half of it is gone from your body in 4 hours. It works - or it doesn't. Dosage can be adapted fairly quickly (we've done 1-week cycles... increase dose, measure results, increase again a week later, etc.). For some diagnosis, there are no "standby" drugs, and/or none without considerable side-effects. But it helps to start with the simplest class of drugs first where possible. Where possible, one medication is better than multiple - fewer interaction risks, less chance of one medication causing problems for a different diagnosis than prescribed for. BUT - sometimes, one medication just won't do it. Deal with the risk inherent in medication, in comparison to the risk without medication - if there is little benefit and definite risks, no need to go there... but for significant benefit and marginal risk, I'll take medications risk. Biggest factors in medications are... [U]right diagnoses[/U], [U]right professional[/U] working with the medications trials (NOT family doctor!), and [U]right timing[/U] (if school is the source of anxiety, it doesn't work to adjust anxiety medications over the summer break...). And then, you have to monitor and update as they grow... some medications stop working (person develops "tolerance"), sometimes intolerances develop, sometimes puberty changes the effectiveness... A couple of weeks back, we were wondering if K2 even needed to continue medications - things are going very well. Then, one Saturday (thank goodness not a school day!) K2 actually forgot to take the medications in the morning - and we didn't notice until after lunch... but BOY OH BOY did we ever notice the difference - totally draggy, nothing got done, "space cadet"... after spending the morning trying to kick butt and get her going... we discovered the un-taken pills. Ah-Ha! Ok, we know what's going on... bring on the black tea, we'll get you through the day (with lowered expectations!)... but yes, K2 needs those medications (at $127/month... wouldn't mind not needing to buy them, but...!) [/QUOTE]
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