DS Resists Med Change

[Anonymous]

We are still trying to find the right cocktail for middle school DS (anxiety, OCD, ODD) and so we've had to change things up every month or so. Each time we change, he resists and says he won't take it because it doesn't help anyway. We try to make the analogy that if you were sick with Strep, we would look for the right medicine to help and this is the same thing. Still, I get where he's coming from, and am scared of the day when he outright refuses to take the medicine. How do parents handle this?

[Anonymous]

My child is younger, but when she started resisting taking meds, we had her take them at school, from the nurse. Taking me out of the equation made a world of difference.

[Anonymous]

My child often resists medication. To the extent she can understand, we teach her about how the brain functions, what the medicine dos and what doctors know and don't know about it. Unfortunately, it isn't really like strep where there are tests that can tell you what strain you have and what the best choices are. So doctors have to try different things until we get it right.

Also helps to have a doctor that your DS likes, and explain the changes to him. If my DD doesn't like a doctor, she won't even stay in the same room with him or her.

[Anonymous]

I think by middle school the child is old enough to decide on meds for himself in conversation with his doctors. Letting him take charge will be good. And I don't think the strep analogy is a good one - psychiatric meds are nothing at all like antibiotics. Your son knows this, and so by insisting that they are, you are not really gaining any credibility or trust, nor are you helping him take the appropriate role in managing his own mental health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think by middle school the child is old enough to decide on meds for himself in conversation with his doctors. Letting him take charge will be good. And I don't think the strep analogy is a good one - psychiatric meds are nothing at all like antibiotics. Your son knows this, and so by insisting that they are, you are not really gaining any credibility or trust, nor are you helping him take the appropriate role in managing his own mental health.

Totally agree. My son is in fifth grade and he has appointments quarterly with his psychiatrist. He goes back with Dr by self and talks to her for 20 min or so. Then she brings me in and asks me how things are going. So far my son's input and mine have matched. My son has input on how things are going. The best thing you can do is help your child be aware of his or her needs, and advocate for self. Also I have shared info on what the medications do and how they help. Definitely share this info with your psychiatrist, they can explore this concern with him and with you at the next appointment. Do you see a child psychiatrist or are meds from regular doctor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think by middle school the child is old enough to decide on meds for himself in conversation with his doctors. Letting him take charge will be good. And I don't think the strep analogy is a good one - psychiatric meds are nothing at all like antibiotics. Your son knows this, and so by insisting that they are, you are not really gaining any credibility or trust, nor are you helping him take the appropriate role in managing his own mental health.

Totally agree. My son is in fifth grade and he has appointments quarterly with his psychiatrist. He goes back with Dr by self and talks to her for 20 min or so. Then she brings me in and asks me how things are going. So far my son's input and mine have matched. My son has input on how things are going. The best thing you can do is help your child be aware of his or her needs, and advocate for self. Also I have shared info on what the medications do and how they help. Definitely share this info with your psychiatrist, they can explore this concern with him and with you at the next appointment. Do you see a child psychiatrist or are meds from regular doctor?

OP here. Agree that strep analogy wasn't the best, but we've used other examples also to no affect. Yes, he sees a therapist and we do meds from a psychiatrist, but we more so lead that discussion because DS always tells the psychiatrist that everything is find and so we have to give the real scoop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think by middle school the child is old enough to decide on meds for himself in conversation with his doctors. Letting him take charge will be good. And I don't think the strep analogy is a good one - psychiatric meds are nothing at all like antibiotics. Your son knows this, and so by insisting that they are, you are not really gaining any credibility or trust, nor are you helping him take the appropriate role in managing his own mental health.

Totally agree. My son is in fifth grade and he has appointments quarterly with his psychiatrist. He goes back with Dr by self and talks to her for 20 min or so. Then she brings me in and asks me how things are going. So far my son's input and mine have matched. My son has input on how things are going. The best thing you can do is help your child be aware of his or her needs, and advocate for self. Also I have shared info on what the medications do and how they help. Definitely share this info with your psychiatrist, they can explore this concern with him and with you at the next appointment. Do you see a child psychiatrist or are meds from regular doctor?

OP here. Agree that strep analogy wasn't the best, but we've used other examples also to no affect. Yes, he sees a therapist and we do meds from a psychiatrist, but we more so lead that discussion because DS always tells the psychiatrist that everything is find and so we have to give the real scoop.

I disagree in that I don't think a 12 year old is mature enough to decide whether or not he takes meds when not taking them interferes with his functions of daily living such as whether he can attend school, take care of personal needs, etc. (And I don't know if that's the case here or not, but in my DS's case it was. If that is the case, parents need to make those kind of decisions - presumably with the support of the psychiatrist and taking the child's input into account.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think by middle school the child is old enough to decide on meds for himself in conversation with his doctors. Letting him take charge will be good. And I don't think the strep analogy is a good one - psychiatric meds are nothing at all like antibiotics. Your son knows this, and so by insisting that they are, you are not really gaining any credibility or trust, nor are you helping him take the appropriate role in managing his own mental health.

Totally agree. My son is in fifth grade and he has appointments quarterly with his psychiatrist. He goes back with Dr by self and talks to her for 20 min or so. Then she brings me in and asks me how things are going. So far my son's input and mine have matched. My son has input on how things are going. The best thing you can do is help your child be aware of his or her needs, and advocate for self. Also I have shared info on what the medications do and how they help. Definitely share this info with your psychiatrist, they can explore this concern with him and with you at the next appointment. Do you see a child psychiatrist or are meds from regular doctor?

OP here. Agree that strep analogy wasn't the best, but we've used other examples also to no affect. Yes, he sees a therapist and we do meds from a psychiatrist, but we more so lead that discussion because DS always tells the psychiatrist that everything is find and so we have to give the real scoop.

I disagree in that I don't think a 12 year old is mature enough to decide whether or not he takes meds when not taking them interferes with his functions of daily living such as whether he can attend school, take care of personal needs, etc. (And I don't know if that's the case here or not, but in my DS's case it was. If that is the case, parents need to make those kind of decisions - presumably with the support of the psychiatrist and taking the child's input into account.)

Maybe for a 12 year old, but pretty soon a 12 year old is going to be 13 and 14, and then you are really going to need to have them on board. If a kid is saying the meds don't work (and possibly that he does not like the side effects) then that is something that you have to take at face value to a certain extent, and deal with. Maybe it's time for your DS to be meeting by himself with the psychiatrist, and for some group therapy sessions on the medication issue.