Need to know about these two new medications hospital has put difficult child on

[Critter Lover]

Ativan and Haldol

Does anyone have a child that is taking these now and how good do they work? They are putting this on top of the medications already listed below.

 

[bran155]

My daughter took Haldol for a bit and they also gave it to me to use as a prn. She absolutely hated it!!! It made her very sleepy and she got the shakes from it. She only took it while she was in the hospital and then maybe a week after she was home she started refusing to take it. So the doctor agreed for her to use it only as a prn, however she also refused to take it then too. It's a shame because it really worked for her. She was so much more in control while on it. It kept her calm and on an even keel. I wish she would take again. She was so much easier to get along with while on it.

Good luck.

 

[gcvmom]

Ativan is somewhat sedating and used for anxiety. It can make some kids disinhibited. It can also be habit-forming if used regularly. We used it for a while for difficult child 1 to help him get through blood draws. He only took it on the days he had to go to the lab. It helped him quite a bit (he was intensely needle-phobic). He's since learned to cope on his own, so he refuses to take it now.

I don't know much about Haldol.

I hope these new medications are helpful for your difficult child!

 

[klmno]

We tried ativan prn 3 times (as in- 3 doses) it was given on top of difficult child's regular lithobid and depakote er. difficult child hated it and refused to take it again- he said it made him feel worse and odd and made him jittery. psychiatrist said that was odd and that it does not have that kind of reaction with most people.

psychiatrist did warn me to not use it on difficult child often because it can be highly addictive.

 

[BusynMember]

I've seen too many people on Haldal who were virtual zombies (when I was in phospital the first time many years ago) to put my kid on it. That doesn't mean it won't help your kids, but I wouldn't do it. There are more modern antipsychotics that don't cause as many side effects. I would watch carefully for pacing or tongue portruding or muscle spasming. I'm surprised the doctor is using this--it is sort of an older drug. Ativan is habit forming. That's another one I wouldn't give a young child. I take benzos--I have to--but I would hold off on giving them to a kid. There are other medications for anxiety. Plus your child is already on three medications. How do YOU feel about all this? What does your gut tell you?

 

[Critter Lover]

I don't like them using more medications but I wish they would change his Depakote ER to something else. That is what my gut is telling me....maybe his body has become too accustom to that drug and he
needs another one to replace it. I totally hate this Holdol. He was so
in LA LA land last night that half way through our visit I asked him if he
wanted to go to sleep and he said yes. There has got to be a happy medium of what drugs will work for him. If the Ativan is addictive then I
really do not want him on it.

 

[lillians]

i have no experience with these other than if i remember correctly ativan was used for anx on our daughter for a flight we were taking a few years back,,, it ahh kept her down i guess,, but that was all,,,i think we know our children,, best, and if its not seeming to be right ,then it likely isnt and go back to dr keep trying til they get it right your child will know it and so will you,, your guts usually right

 

[Critter Lover]

Sorry about posting again after my last but I just got off the phone with my difficult child's support coach and he was telling me that the first three days of
Holdol will make them very drozy until they get acclimated to the right dosage. I am willing for him to try anything as long he can function right in the world.