Last Monday, I took Duncan to see a paediatrician for a review. It's been a year since he last saw a doctor so we went along. He was in great form and so charming. He chatted on her phone (Hello! Is it Lala! Is it Duncan...yes, I here...) The paediatrician's phone actually rang while we were talking and he answered it, she let him talk for a bit then took over.
Anyway, I told her all about how he's been getting on, what great progress he's made. I mentioned the drawn out bedtimes and the difficulty he has getting off to sleep most nights. She told me that he could try melatonin, so I'm gong to read a bit more about it to see if I think it would be the right thing, and moreover, to see what Gordon thinks about it. He's the medication expert in this family, after all.
She also said that she sees children with ADD and ADHD often and that these are sometimes comorbid with autism. She mentioned drug therapy; stimulants, and asked if I wanted to investigate that possibility. I don't. I told her that although he may fit the criteria for another label, I don't see how it would help him at this stage. I certainly don't want to give him any stimulant medication. He doesn't need it. As long as he's learning and developing, he's fine as he is.
5 comments:
I haven't ruled out medication yet. We had so many dire warnings at the beginning, but it seems such a roller coaster once you start. There again, Temple Grandin said that it was the best thing that her parents ever did - still sitting on the fence then, as you can see.!
Best wishes
Melatonin is about as mild a medication as you're likely to come up against.
When I was researching it (we use it with our son) I found a paper from Australia where 3 people tried to overdose themselves with it by taking about 10 times the recommended dose, but suffered no ill effects.
Hi McEwan, I would think seriously about medication if I thought there was something to medicate. Right now, for Duncan, there isn't. Apart from the sleep issue, he doesn't need Ritalin etc any more than Thomas or Lady.
Thanks for your comment Club 166. I know several parents whose children are using melatonin to good effect. I just need to research it for myself a bit.
When Brendan was first with ASD diagnosed at age 6 the neurologist was concerned that he was depressed & wanted to put him on SSRIs. We didn't really see it, so politely declined. I mentioned that I am interested in complimentary medicine & she kindly found some information on the use of vitamin C (1000mg/daily) for mood stabilisation. We did a trial ( a couple months on & a couple off) & decided that it was doing some good so that was the only thing Brendan was taking until everything broke loose 2 years later when the OCD made itself apparent. I would definitely reserve medications for a last resort, when you can't deal with things behaviourally, since you're right about it being a roller-coaster ride (albeit, a necessary one for us these days...).
Melatonin only works for my son if he has doesn't have it every night. The slow release is better than the one that goes straight to work and it is better in liquid drops. Also if you give it too early they are up at 4 am:(
I also give my son a Flower Remedy called Cognis.
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