If you have been told that your child would benefit from taking medication there are some things you need to know. In my latest book, “When Kids Need Meds; Everything You Need to Know about Psychiatric Medication and Youngsters” I have prepared a 13-step guide that will help you alleviate some of your concerns and answer your questions about the medications. I am sharing the guidelines in a three blog series this week. This is the third, and final, blog in the series. Below is a link to the first two blogs. Please share the series with others who have concerns about medications prescribed for their children and teens and email me your questions and concerns.

(The guidelines listed are a continuation from my two previous blogs).

10. Tell your child’s doctor about any other medications, supplements, or home remedies your child is receiving to be sure there are no adverse interactions with the prescribed medication. Remember even natural remedies can cause interaction problems.

11. Never compare dosages in milligrams between medications; they all differ and cannot be compared because of potency differences in the manufacturing process. Thus, one milligram of one medication might equal in efficacy ten milligrams of another. For example, I recently had to explain to a patient that the new medication I was giving was measured in one-half to two-milligram dosages and was replacing one that measured about thirty milligrams. It was simply another compound whose potency was measured differently.

12. Be prepared for your child’s doctor to recommend more than one medication. This use of multiple medications has become more common, as it sometimes gives better results. There are, however, risks to this practice that your doctor will need to explain. Risks include medication interaction, increased safe side effects, as well as decreased compliance because of the difficulty some patients have with multiple prescriptions. Always find out why your doctor is prescribing multiple medications and ask specific questions about the benefits and risks of such prescribing.

13. Always trust yourself and all the knowledge you have about your child. No one knows your child better than you! Making you the best resource for observing side-effects, therapeutic effects, and the overall well-being of your child. Don’t be intimidated. Call your psychiatrist with any concerns.

This is the final blog in a three-part series.
Link to blog 1
Link to blog 2

As part of National Mental Health Awareness Month I am offering free copies of my book. Please email me if you’d like a copy.

Disclaimer
This blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.

If you have been told that your child would benefit from taking medication there are some things you need to know. In my latest book, “When Kids Need Meds; Everything You Need to Know About Psychiatric Medication and Youngsters” I have prepared a 13-step guide that will help you resolve your concerns about the medications. I will share it with you in a series of three blogs this week. Please share it with others who have questions and concerns and email me with questions.

1. Have your doctor explain your child’s diagnosis in as much detail as possible. Is there a known cause for the difficulty? What course might the disorder take if not treated? For example, if a child with ADHD doesn’t get treatment, the chance of substance abuse increases as the teenage years approach. Teenagers not treated for depression have an increased suicide risk. What positive effects of the medication will the psychiatrist be looking for? How long should it take? What will he do if it doesn’t work? While there is no medication which totally cures everything, your child’s prescription should target specific symptoms.
2. Make sure your child gets other forms of treatment along with medication. What does your doctor recommend? Individual talk therapy? Special school interventions? Behavioral therapy? Family counseling? Be wary of the practitioner who simply gives you a pill and wishes you good luck.
3. Make sure you child is physically healthy. If not, then the prescribing psychiatrist needs to be familiar with a medical condition. To this end, the doctor should take a detailed medical history of your child. Also, I like to see a report of a recent physical examination from the child’s pediatrician. I also suggest a routine 12 lead electrocardiogram in most cases. The blood tests and EKG will not only give signs of present conditions but will serve as baseline readings. Some medication affects blood tests and the EKG, and if we don’t have a baseline it will be difficult to know if future abnormal readings are caused by a medication or were always present.
4. Have a clear understanding of the medication’s side effects. Most side effects are fleeting and mild and don’t interfere much in your child’s life in any way, but they can be specific depending on the medication. You should know what they are so you don’t get worried. Serious or long lasting side effects for child and teenage psychotropic drugs are rare, but again, you should be told of the signs. If you read information from the Internet, be careful about the websites you choose. Don’t jump to the conclusion that the information you find online is more accurate than you psychiatrist’s years of clinical prescribing experience.

As part of National Mental Health Awareness Month I am offering free copies of my book. Please email me if you’d like a copy.

Disclaimer
This blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.