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mr.ediebee

medication crisis - help required

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Me and Ediebee have agreed to go down the medication route with TS after trying all other avenues, such as diet and strageries.

 

TS has been prescribed concerta xl, the slow release one. We're on day 4 but have hit the brick wall of TS unable to swallow the damn thing. What kind of doctor thinks that a seven year old can swallow f**king tablets?!?! :angry::angry: I'm 37 and I have to break up paraceutamol to swallow them!!! We've tried sticking them in yoghout, pasta and ice cream. As Ediebee tries one last time (we've now up to the second hour of trying, persistence is our middle name), I've come to the conclusion that I haven't got clue anymore. I thought I was fairly well up on TS's difficulties (ADHD/ASD (aspergers)) but it would appear that I'm (and Ediebee) are just floundering in a sea of sh*t, with not a rock of sanity in sight!!! :crying::crying:

 

We respect the psycharatrist, we think he is a decent man, but I think this is going to unravel the fabric of our family life, I'm crying, Ediebee is crying and JM (our little man who is neuro typical and four) is crying. What do you do? Do you continue in the hope that TS will be able to swallow the tablets or do you say ###### to it and give up?

 

The medication is 'to prevent disaffection at school and reduce the chance of exclusion', so we feel that we're getting pressure from all sides and feel that we've been backed into a corner with no chance of an exit. Family members have said that we should trust the pschartrist. #The one person I want to talk to it about, my brother, I can't because his wife is like a harpy and thinks that we are cr*p parents and that TS is spoilt and in need of a good crack.

 

So what do you do?

 

Please, I'm begging you, help us, we need it!!!!

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I'm so sorry to hear you're all having such a rough time :(>:D<<'>

 

I may be completely wrong, but I would check with the pharmacist to see if you can get the Concerta in liquid form.

 

Really hope you get things sorted out, and I truly sympathise over the family thing.

 

Bid >:D<<'>

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I'm so sorry to hear you're all having such a rough time :(>:D<<'>

 

I may be completely wrong, but I would check with the pharmacist to see if you can get the Concerta in liquid form.

 

Really hope you get things sorted out, and I truly sympathise over the family thing.

 

Bid >:D<<'>

 

Thanks Bid for replying Mr. Ediebee has taken the kids out to the park, and I'm sorting myself out so as not to ruin a potentially nice day. I'll tell him he's had a reply, it helps just to know we're not as alone with all this as it feels.

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I have just answered your posts in help and advice so take a look there.

 

I personally would not medicate my child unless I was happy to do so. But that's me - then again we took our sons out of school and now home ed.

 

No one can tell you what to do but I think your posts says it all. None of you are happy with this decision to take meds. I have also had the fabric of my hope ripped apart by well meaning professionals and then realised that they were not living my life.

 

Do whatever feels right for you as a family - not the professionals.

 

Oracle

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Hi >:D<<'> >:D<<'> >:D<<'> to you all. My dd who is epileptic was prescribed medication in tablet form (I Know this isn't the same thing) I thought I was going to have a breakdown trying to get them down her. We tried mixing them with all kinds of things including grinding them down and mixing them with milkshake powder :o. She would cry and so would I and the doctors were no help and said she MUST take them. Got speaking to the pharmacist and he sold me a pill cutter. We cut the pills down into really small pieces and gave her a piece of choc after each bit. I know this isn't the healthiest way but she takes them now :thumbs: She is 9 and this has worked since she was 4 and a half. Hope you find the answer to your problem, I really know how you feel

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Really felt for you as I read your post then.

 

My son also went on concerta and I recently took him off it because I thought it made him more violent. It helped wonderfull with the concentration but I felt he was concentrating more on the arguing with everything including taking them.

 

I tried evrything too to get him to take his meds. A first and then board has now been introduced where he is not allowed in the lounge untill he has taken med's, obviously this is much harder with the slow release as really it needs to be given at the same time everyday and if they show reluctance like my son used to there was the odd day when it would have just been too late to give it to him.

 

The first and then board is just that a piece of paper with first and then on it and below each word a picture of first his tablet then the telly. This now works but it has taken a very long time. My son I think was refusing it because he doesn'tunderstand why he has to take them, I also think they may make him feel funny. I would try and ask your son if it's making him feel funny because if he has taken it ok so far then maybe he doesn't like how it is making him feel.

 

Overall do you see much improvement from this medication ?

 

Don't let the proffesionals bully you into your son taking them meds, for too long I listened to them say to me about his meds changing and that we shouldn't of kept changing because of that I stayed on a med which just wasn't right for him. At last he is calmer, a lot calmer.

 

Do what you think is right for you. I tried to bribe my son with taking his,hiding it everythiung but he didn't want totake them, now I wonder why,was it that which was making him worse.

 

I would also speak to the paed about if it is available in liquid form. Most of all goodluck with what you try and choose. >:D<<'>

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Patients should be informed that CONCERTA� should be swallowed whole with the aid of liquids. Tablets should not be chewed, divided, or crushed. The medication is contained within a nonabsorbable shell designed to release the drug at a controlled rate. The tablet shell, along with insoluble core components, is eliminated from the body; patients should not be concerned if they occasionally notice in their stool something that looks like a tablet.

Just found this on Drugs.com.Not sure if it's any help but the slow release one doesn't seem to come in any other form.My son 15yrs cannot swallow tablets of any kind or size.It might be worth asking if your son can be put on a liqid or capsule that can be opened instead.

Edited by asereht

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Guest hallyscomet

My son has been taking Concerta for 2 years and he said he finally feels like he has a life, before that he was using a medication that is called Ritalin that is exactly the same med but smaller tablets but, your child has to take it every two - three hours and you can never rely on schools to administer it. Without meds my son would not be able to attend school or do homeschool, he would possibly end up in Residential Care.

 

To take concerta without problems or Paracetemol, the trick is to put the tablet right at the back of the tongue then swallow a big glass of water. I taught both my kids this method I was also taught as a child and the tablet goes straight down, and the benefits are better.I say to my kids when you eat food you eat big mouthfuls of food like when eating apples or a sandwich, a tablet is much smaller and easier to swallow but put it at the back of the tongue and stand straight so the tab doesn't fall forward. :thumbs:

 

Concerta is controlled release and slowly dissintegrates over 10 hours giving the right dose throughout the day. Before Concerta my son tried 2 other slow release tablets and they were useless not effective.

 

Concerta is excellent, according to my son. Ever since my child was young I have had to give him meds every 3 hours, so my son is much better with them. No lapses of behaviour throughout the day.

 

H.

 

Welcome to the forum.

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Info is right, Concerta needs to be taken whole or the 'slow release' doesn't work. My son has been on this but went back to Ritalin as he couldn't eat when he was on Concerta, but every child is different.

 

It took a long time & a very patient TA to help my son take tablets, but he's only 7 and he's better than me with them now. We did use reward after at first, now he takes them no problem, but I remember what a fight it was.

 

I know you can get Methylphenidate in liquid form, but I think all slow release forms are in tablet or capsule which must be taken whole.

 

 

Good luck >:D<<'>

Edited by lil_me

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Hi,

 

My son is also 7 and is on concerta too. If you decide to try to continue with the meds, you could try smearing butter on the tablet to make it slippery, then get your son to gulp a large mouthful of drink. This method works with my son.

 

Loulou x

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my daughter is 7 and been taking concerta with no problems for over a year now. before then she was on fast acting ritalin and for a while used to chew the tablets. once she stopped chewing she was able to go on concerta. the concerta cannot be crushed as someone else said. try practising with tic tacs.

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We always chew a largish chunk of banana until just ready to swallow... and then pop whatever tablet it is inside the banana (with your tongue - so you can't feel the pill at all)... and then swallow. We follow up with drinking some water. This is the only way I can swallow biggish or sour-tasting tablets and works for those that don't need to be taken on an empty stomach.

 

vs xx

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Thanks everyone for all your advice.

 

We've reached the point now, where he won't even put the tablet in his mouth!! Have tried all your suggestions, but to no avail. With the meds being a slow release, I don't think that there'll be a liquid form.

 

More of a worry is that he's back at school on monday after the Easter break and I feel that they'll be expecting marked improvement in his behaviour (but not their own towards us or him, that goes without saying!!!)

 

Ediebee is dreading it, I'm dreading it, and so it goes................................................................

 

Mr.Ediebee

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Sorry to hear that it is not going too well. We started using Concerta a couple of years ago as M risked being excluded and attempts with diets/fish oils etc. had made no difference. M was also very reluctant to swallow the tablet - but obviously it must be taken whole for the slow release to work.

 

I am not proud to admit that we succeeded be sheer bribery (or should that be motivational aids :) ) - she got a sticker for each one she took without too much fuss and we made it clear that she was saving up for something she wanted (Harry Potter on audio book) - the first few weeks she got her reward after 5 stickers - then 10 etc etc and after several months we dropped them altogether and she takes it OK.

 

Taking Concerta gave her a chance at having a life - it is not magical but it gives her time to think before she reacts to something as well as helping her concentration,

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Thanks for all your tips and supportive words, we'll keep trying because like some of you have found the medication has helped your children. It's more the pressure we feel for him to have changed, and become more controlled, and of course there won't be much difference yet. Well our time frame is life, not a term !

So the impatient, unsupportive, narrow minded, headteacher will just have to put up with us all for a bit longer. Thanks everyone you're really helping us through a tough time and we really do appreciate all your advice. "The Ediebees".

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Guest hallyscomet

Hi the Edibee's

 

The only other suggestion is to get the doctor to change over to Ritalian which is exactly the same smaller tablets and crush them up into some Nutella or Peanut butter or honey. I had to do this with B aswe had trouble with him taking tablets back then.

 

The only difference is that they will need to be taken a few times a day...

 

(Ritalin is exactly the same as Concerta but not slow release)

 

H.

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Something that I've just remembered from when M was younger was that taking tablets in a dessert spoon of smooth creamy yoghurt worked really well - it just slipped down her throat!

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Thought it was about time we let you know how we are going on with the meds. After many attempts at getting our son to take his meds. we decided to wait till we had the next psychiatrist appt. However things got really out of hand at school, and like a very good friend said to us , sometimes being backed in a corner makes you come out fighting. Well we didn't fight our son (you'll all be glad to know !!), we didn't fight school, we fought the situation and expained to our son what the meds. are supposed to do and asked him how he felt when he was at school or anywhere new. Well the next day he got up and took his meds. no problem and so far so good. As you all know meds. were not our favourite option at all. We were very scared of them. Well at the moment, and we know that things are always changing, his life seems much happier. The medication seems to give him enough time to think before he does something, and has certainly improved his concentration. The best change we have noticed is that more of the other kids are shouting hiya to him in a nice way, and he's talking about playing with the other kids as well. We know it'll never be easy for him but if his medication is giving him more of a chance at joining in and feeling happy then we can't argue with it.

At risk of repeating ourselves though, we do thank all of you who replied to us when things felt desperate. We're realistic enough to know we'll have more desperate times, it seems to go with the territory, but at the minute we're making the most of a better run. Thankyou, the Ediebees.

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Hi "Ediebees"

 

Thanks for letting us know how things are going - good to hear that the meds have helped your son in so many ways. It's always a difficult decision to go down the medication route and I'm glad it's worked for you so far. I hope things continue to improve for him.

 

K x

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im so glad the medication is helping. we were a little undecided whether or not to try meds in the beginning, but we had tried all other options and my girl really was so very out of control, not just bad behaviour, but her adhd seems to effect everything, like posture, ability to hold a conversation, use the toilet, everything. since she has been on meds she is so much better, she stands upright, can sit still, and makes sense when she talks, best of all shes in mainstream school and doing well. shes just got level 2 in english on her sats, something that would never have been possible without them.

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Hi,

 

I'm really glad the medication is helping your son. It must be lovely to see him making friends. I have always felt wary of medicating my son too (he is 7 ADHD/AS) and i still go on "guilt trips" about it sometimes. But i have to think of HIS quality of life, and if it's better with medication then so be it.

 

Loulou x

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ediebees so glad to hear that things are going well at the moment. Really pleased that the meds are working out.

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