Brand new to the Forum; Question about Medication

[cammie]

Good morning and hello to all! This is my very first post on this forum (something I usually avoid like the plague). But, yesterday, my 6 year old was prescribed Tenex. When he was diagnosed to be on the autism spectrum, I SWORE I would never medicate my sweet little boy. His volatile temper has started to affect his sister (especially the three year old, who receives the brunt of his wrath) and his psychologist recommended him to a psychiatrist... and here we are.
Here is my question: We have yet to fill the prescription and I would like some more experienced parents takes on medicating this young. My mother, who is a therapist, has reservations, but says that it is ultimately my decision. husband is fed up with the behavior and advocates the medication. I just don't know what the right answer is.

 

[DaisyFace]

Hello and welcome!

I have two children....both of whom were prescribed medications to control behavior at some point....

I medicated one, but not the other. For me - the decision was based upon the child's quality of life vs the medication risk. For my daughter (our difficult child) - her violent behaviors were a deteriment to herself and those around her. We felt medication was a viable option. For my son - his ADHD made him impulsive and fidgety (I'm sure a headache for his teacher)....but being fidgety was not a negative impact on life - so we opted not to medicate.

I think you need to look at the whole situation and weigh the risks. If your child is having a negative impact on those around him - he can't be too happy with himself either... That may be a reason to medicate...but ultimately, it is up to you.

 

[cammie]

Thank you for your warm welcome.
I'm thinking about medication mostly because it's not fair to Nana that he's beating the hell out of her. He's doing some self-harm (head banging while frustrated), but I can intervene in those behaviors, for the most part. It hurts to think about medicating him. But, if it will improve quality of life while we seek alternative treatment options (probably ABA), I suppose it's worth it...

 

[InsaneCdn]

I think you hit the nail on the head with a key phrase: "If it will improve quality of life..."
Sometimes, you have to do whatever it takes to survive.

 

[DDD]

Welcome. You've found a really great site. I do want to add from personal experience that Tenex can really be helpful for difficult child's. Some MDs forget to stress that Tenex has to be titrated. A Pediatrician told my daughter to stop giving Tenex to difficult child #2 and switch to a medication the MD was more familiar with...NOT. You don't "stop" Tenex cold turkey. It resulted in a BiPolar (BP)
spike that had to be monitored 24/7 for a few days.

For both the boys the Tenex was really helpful. I hope it helps your difficult child also. DDD

 

[BusynMember]

You can try it, but don't expect miracles. Sadly, there are rarely any, especially for spectrum kids. Interventions often help a lot more than medications, but there is no harm in trying. Read up on the medication before you give it to him to make sure you are comfortable giving it to him. That's one thing I've always learned to do before I give anything to anyone in my family. Just click on the link.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/tenex

 

[AnnieO]

Hi there - and welcome!!!

I've never been much for medication. Didn't even like the idea. Jett was on Concerta and it was the worst thing possible. But Onyxx needs - something. We're trialing Invega right now... I don't have any experience with Tenex, but here's how I see it... Really, it comes down to each individual child.

No, it's not fair to Nana - but it's probably not fair to Bubba, either. If it helps calm him - go for it. Again, don't expect miracles. But the thing here is - as others have said - quality of life...

and welcome!!!

 

[cammie]

Thank you all for your warm welcomes and support. I gave him his first one this afternoon (1/4 tab hidden in some applesauce), so we'll see what happens, I suppose.

 

[firehorsewoman]

Welcome.
I medicated reluctantly at first. My difficult child's first medications were anticonvulsants but still I was conflicted and worried. My son was only two at the time. A year later his behavior problems were so severe that the epileptologist recommended antipsychotic drugs be added in to an anticonvulsant that already had mood stabilizing properties.

I think the decision to use medication is very individual, personal and, the situations are dynamic and complex. We all know that medication won't cure any of the problems our children have. Medications are never a quick fix. Most of us apply many non-medical strategies in addition to medication in order to help our families maintain some semblence of peace and the aforementioned quality of life.

As for Tenex specifically, we did not see any change with our difficult child after several months and dose increases so we weaned him. We did not see any adverse side-effects during the time he was taking it which was earlier this year I think. The medications are all trial and error. What works for some many not work for another. Several parents here see/saw positive results with that class of medication.

Good luck and welcome!

 

[buddy]

Hi. Welcome! My son is on clonidine and was from the age of 2. It is the same class as tenex. Tenex did not work for him. He went off of the clonidine for several years and started again around age 11. It is one medication that has made the most difference for us. He wears patches of it for part of his dose so we don't have to wait for it to kick in in the mornings. It can make them sleepy and a little light headed esp. when getting used to it. Many of our kids have negative behavioral responses to some medications so be prepared that it might help, might do nothing, or might cause issues.
One thing I feel really tips the decision to try medicine is whether they are constantly receiving negative behavior corrections. Heck, even positive behavior programs can be rough on self esteem when they get old enough to realize they are different and no other kids in the family or at school have to work so hard for every little thing. Of course safety of others is a huge consideration too. These behaviors can impact siblings for a lifetime and as was mentioned, he likely doesnt feel right either. Very little is forever, so you can trial it and if there are no benefits, you can adjust the dosing or try a different medication in that class or try a different class of medications. There is not a right answer. You need to trust your heart and gut.
The fact that you are being so careful to me means if you do try it for a while he will be fine because you are monitoring him well. Let us know how it is going ....

 

[cammie]

Again, thank you to everyone who has answered. I feel like finding this forum is a whole lot like being able to breathe again! It's nice to know that there are other people in similar situations to mine (I knew in my head, but not my heart, ya know?) So, I gave him his first dose after school yesterday and it honestly seemed to help. He transitioned from activity to activity without incident, ate CONSTANTLY (and he never eats), and ended up asking to go to bed early. He still wrestled around with his sister, but it was all in fun. He didn't seem sedated or unhappy. Now, that could have all been coincidental, but if this is any indication of what he is capable of being, I'm all for it. Now, I need to call the ABA therapy place and try and get in to there...

Sometimes it seems like having a special needs child or two means you have to know ALL of the doctors.