Week 1 Clonidine --Joey

Doing a patch. Clonidine 0.1mg. It stays on (God, I pray!!) for a week. I put it on his back between his shoulder blades (where he can't reach) and I'll be checking for it daily, multiple times daily.

Night and Day

That is how Joey and Joshua are, night and day. Joshua is 5yr and takes his pills without a problem then goes and cleans his room and asks do the vacuum! He eats like a champ and is so easy to make a healthy meal.
Joey is 7yrs, fights tooth and nail not to take his meds, hates all healthy food and when I give him clean/folded clothes to put away instead of opening a drawer he "opens" the door and throws them behind the door.

I called and talked to the NP, apparently there is one non-stimulant med that comes in patch form...she's calling it in and we'll try it tonight! This either works or he goes off the pills and fails out if school. I can't keep fighting him and wasting money. It's not fair for the other kids to have a stressed out worn out mom who's fighting constantly with Joey.

Peace

3 of my boys sleeping. The only peace I seem to get now days is when they sleep.

Get me off this damn road!!

I'm so done here it's not funny. I don't want this, never did. I can't handle this crap and it's killing me. I'm miserable, my kids are miserable and I just can't do it anymore.

Joey absolutely refuses to take this medication. I sprinkled it on some toast this morning then buttered it. He tasted it and threw the toast on the floor so the dog or one of the other kids could get to it! I tried to bribe him and he can't be bribed. I'm at my wits end. I give up!

Josh is doing great on the meds, he really is. He swallows them like a pro. But when he's not getting his way and the meds have worn off OMG, who the hell is this child?

Jon, I think he needs meds more than the older two. He just will not stop all day long. He's going and going and going. Into everything. Screaming and hollering. In everyone's way and screaming while he's there and as he's being redirected else where. He's violent when he's not getting his way. He's 4yrs old and he bit Joey in the back over a blow up ring for the pool. He had 3 of them, stole one from Joey and as Joey's getting his back Jon bites him. WTF did I ever do to deserve this? I am honestly losing my mind, I'm shutting down and so very depressed...

Day 2

I want the medication IN him so I sprinkled it. I decided to make that as unpleasant as I could so I just poured it on a spoonful of scrambled eggs! He didn't like it but he took it. Hope he soon decides its better to just swallow it...

Day one of Strattera

Total bust!! He keeps putting it UNDER his tongue, crying saying he can't. Eventually the capsule broke open and made a mess versus getting into his system. Baby's therapist then showed up so I had to give up.  I think he's just refusing to take any meds what so ever. He's telling me I need to let him prove he doesn't need them. How do I do that when he's already proven he does need them??!!

Med change number 3 for Joey

Took Joey in today and told the NP that I wanted him off the moody tantrum meds. So we went back and forth between trying a low dose of adderall or Strattera. So I went with the Strattera. She was going to do twice a day adderall and I'm very against that if it's not necessary. So while the Stattera will take 6 weeks to get into his system. It gives me the opportunity to lie and bribe him to take it as a pill. So wish us luck!

Joey the pain

The other night I realized that Joey fell asleep before I could give him his night dose of meds. Then around 10pm he got up to use the bathroom and came to give me a hug and kiss. I utilized that time to give him his meds. I found it strange that he nursed that syringe of medicine...

The next morning I gave him his morning dose and he did his usual, he steps into the living room to watch TV and a second later he's handing me the empty syringe...

Hmmm, what's going on???

Upon investigation I find that little pain has been squirting the meds onto my carpet and not actually taking them!!! OMG!!!

Now my rule, which I apparently should have had in place from the beginning, is everyone takes any and all meds right there in front of me so I see them go in and go down.

Problem now, I lowered Joey from the 1mg back down to 0.5mg again and it's HORRIBLE for him. I can so see the difference from when he stopped taking the meds to going back on them. His personality off meds is awesome, the meds just need to focus him so he can pay attention. On the meds his personality is that of a weepy, whiny, 2yr old temper tantrumy kid. No one can life with his medicated personality, no one! Thank goodness we see the NP today for a med check. I'm going to have him taken off this one and we're going to try something new.

So angry!

Last night I forgot to give Joey his meds before he fell asleep. He woke up on his own around 10pm so I gave them to him then. It was a little strange that he was nursing that syringe when usually I had it to him and he's handing it back to me empty in a few seconds. This raised a huge red flag right away. So this morning I had him his meds and he does his usual steps into the living room and then hands me back an empty syringe! Come to find out that little boy has been spraying his meds on my floor instead of in his mouth!!!

I had titrated him up to 1mg twice a day and now I'm having to go back down to 0.50mg twice a day because I haven't a clue what THAT does for him versus the 1mg!!!  

Now what I do find strange, he's been hugely better with his attention... WHY???  I've gotten him to do his speech homework, with distractions around him and I've had to reel him back very little. I thought it was the meds but if he's been squirting them out then I'm totally confused!!!!

Rough Day

I'm really having a rough day today. The kids have been horrid. I woke up fine, had a headache shortly after and with the kids help it turned into a migraine.

I dropped Joey and Josh at school and went to the grocery store. Jackson (2yrs) was HORRIBLE the entire time with is yelling and screeching (his choice of communication unfortunately). I get a call from the pedi to discuss Josh's meds (I called him yesterday morning) so I'm trying to think and communicate in the middle of the grocery store with screaming baby and naughty 4yr old... About 30mins later the teacher is calling me to say that Josh is refusing to cooperate, to do anything, at school so she's sent him to the office. After I finished my shopping and got out to the car I called the office and bought Josh's good behavior for the last 30mins of the school day.

I go home to put away the groceries quickly and as I get back in the car the NP for Joey's meds is on the phone that Jon was playing with while I was busy. So I got his med refill called in. I did take meds for my raging migraine finally.

Go get Josh and came up with a plan for him. I'm really concerned about his unwillingness to transition 2hrs a day 2x a week when he has to go 7hrs a day 5 days a week come Sept 4th. After Joey is done with speech we get McD's for lunch and drive up to Milwaukee to pick up the Rx for Josh (Adderall) and go to the hospital pharmacy to have it filled and pick up Joey's.

The insurance doesn't want to pay for Joey's, it's 3 days too soon!! I have enough at home for 3 days but I don't want to have to drive up there again in 3 days when I'm there NOW. They do an override due to a dosage change. While I'm waiting my stomach is upset for some reason and I'm in and out of the bathroom 4 times. Finally get to the car with my 2 rx's and Jon is melting down for the 2000'th time. I sit there in the car, plug my ears and close my eyes. I open them and look at the very inviting edge of the parking structure and imagine the peace after I jump over it. Pull up my big girl panties and drive home. *sigh*

Put the kids in Joey's room to watch TV so I can lay down for a little bit. They let me have a 15min nap. I just want SLEEP right now!!!!  I keep thinking that others would think I am so stressed because I chose to have too many kids in too short a time span. However, I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd have 3 kids in less than 3 years all end up with ADHD!! That's a totally different scenario than just 3 kids in 3 years, or 4 kids in 4 years. If I knew then what I know now... I just don't know ...

Taking pills

Is going GREAT for Joshua!!! We did one capsule put back together, no problem. Practiced with a couple TicTac and no problem. Three days of one practice with the TicTac then success with the real pills!!! Yay Joshy!!!

Joey has been practicing but he's not there yet. He did it once but just can seem to do it again :(