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Special Ed 101
Risperdal?
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<blockquote data-quote="slsh" data-source="post: 716171" data-attributes="member: 8"><p>PiscesMom - medication management is an art, not a science. It involves a lot of trial and error because when it comes to psychiatric medications, it's impossible to predict how *your* daughter will react to the medication. It can be different for everyone. Absolutely, a lot of the medications our kids are on (or maybe *all* of them) have the potential for scary side effects. For example, Prozac (and virtually every other antidepressant) has a black box warning about use in peds patients. </p><p></p><p>My son *became* psychotic on an antipsychotic (Seroquel). Zyprexa did nothing. Ritalin caused extremely violent outbursts. Lithium fried his thyroid. Depakote eventually caused hyperammonemia (after over a decade on the drug). Not expected reactions, but not unheard of. The very best thing you can do for your daughter is <strong>educate yourself</strong> not only about possible side effects, but also if routine lab tests should be done and potential medication interactions, be alert and aware of your daughter's response (if any) when a new medication is added, and have a good line of communication with psychiatrist. You can ask psychiatrist and pharmacist about side effects/labs/interations, but I'd also recommend triple checking them yourself. rxlist.com and drugs.com were two very reliable sites I depended on. </p><p></p><p>On the plus side, she is starting at a very low dose of Risperdal. My son maxed out at 8 mg a day (at age 9). At that point, he did start showing neuro side effects and we had to stop it (although he was on it at a lower dose later in his teen years). His side effects resolved. He had been on it for almost 3 years and, for us, it was a miracle drug. He did gain weight on the medication from the start, but it was not something that interfered with his quality of life or ability to participate in activities. He went from a very thin kid to one with a pretty solid physique. </p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, it sometimes comes down to do the potential benefits outweigh the potential risks. Is the possibility of it improving her ability to function in her daily life worth the chance of a side effect? That's a pretty weighty decision to have to make for your child, and it's an individual one.</p><p></p><p>For every horror story about a drug, there's a success story - and vice-versa.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="slsh, post: 716171, member: 8"] PiscesMom - medication management is an art, not a science. It involves a lot of trial and error because when it comes to psychiatric medications, it's impossible to predict how *your* daughter will react to the medication. It can be different for everyone. Absolutely, a lot of the medications our kids are on (or maybe *all* of them) have the potential for scary side effects. For example, Prozac (and virtually every other antidepressant) has a black box warning about use in peds patients. My son *became* psychotic on an antipsychotic (Seroquel). Zyprexa did nothing. Ritalin caused extremely violent outbursts. Lithium fried his thyroid. Depakote eventually caused hyperammonemia (after over a decade on the drug). Not expected reactions, but not unheard of. The very best thing you can do for your daughter is [B]educate yourself[/B] not only about possible side effects, but also if routine lab tests should be done and potential medication interactions, be alert and aware of your daughter's response (if any) when a new medication is added, and have a good line of communication with psychiatrist. You can ask psychiatrist and pharmacist about side effects/labs/interations, but I'd also recommend triple checking them yourself. rxlist.com and drugs.com were two very reliable sites I depended on. On the plus side, she is starting at a very low dose of Risperdal. My son maxed out at 8 mg a day (at age 9). At that point, he did start showing neuro side effects and we had to stop it (although he was on it at a lower dose later in his teen years). His side effects resolved. He had been on it for almost 3 years and, for us, it was a miracle drug. He did gain weight on the medication from the start, but it was not something that interfered with his quality of life or ability to participate in activities. He went from a very thin kid to one with a pretty solid physique. Unfortunately, it sometimes comes down to do the potential benefits outweigh the potential risks. Is the possibility of it improving her ability to function in her daily life worth the chance of a side effect? That's a pretty weighty decision to have to make for your child, and it's an individual one. For every horror story about a drug, there's a success story - and vice-versa. [/QUOTE]
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