#134040 - 02/01/09 04:03 PM
Children who decide they are the doctor
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TennisAce
Registered Visitor
Registered: 09/19/05
Posts: 1063
Loc: Boston, Ma.
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I and my son's peds rhumy have been having a problem. My son has decided he's "cured". Weekly on Sunday night, I ask him at take his Mtx. Well, the prescription was filled on 12/15 and he has 3 weeks left in the container. Skipping some?!!!!?!!!
I asked him tonight to take it, and turned my back. I swear there are the same number of pills b/c I called in a ton of presciptions, and he pretended to take the meds. His doctor would like to wean him off, and has told him several times he wants to do it clinically correct and wean him down...not cold turkey. He's doing fantastically, but who knows whether it's in remission or just contained.
I can't believe that a 15 yro runs the roost, over the rhumy. My husband just shruggs his shoulders. He only takes care of his own asthma when it's in the acute stages and does nothing else for it when it's active. GRRRRRRH!
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Daughter diagnosed 2004; son diagnosed 2006. One takes a mix on pharma: sulfa, naproxyn and celebrex. The other one is clinical remission at the moment and not taking any drugs currently.
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#134088 - 02/02/09 01:28 PM
Re: Children who decide they are the doctor
[Re: TennisAce]
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JenInCincy
Registered Visitor
Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 3656
Loc: Cincinnati, OH
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Unfortunately this is pretty typical behavior for teenagers with chronic disease! Kids don't want to be different from their friends and oh by the way, didn't you know they are invincible and immortal?
We have entire teams of people at my hospital working on innovative ways to manage these kids, teach them to manage THEMSELVES and take their various diseases (mostly stuff like asthma and diabetes for now) seriously. It is a tough nut to crack. Sorry one of the "nuts" lives at your house!
_________________________
Jen, 38, tentative spondy diagnosis, tried Enbrel 8/10, moved on to Humira 9/10; happy partner of James & mom to Evan, 10.5 & Lucy, 9 (Crohn's disease dx age 3, started Remicade 4/10)
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#134193 - 02/03/09 08:43 AM
Re: Children who decide they are the doctor
[Re: JenInCincy]
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catwoman
Registered Visitor
Registered: 12/04/07
Posts: 892
Loc: Kansas City
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I think he sounds pretty typical for a teenager in this regard about taking medicine. You'll probably have to watch him take it to really ensure he takes it.
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#134238 - 02/03/09 08:29 PM
Re: Children who decide they are the doctor
[Re: catwoman]
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TrudiD
Registered Visitor
Registered: 01/13/08
Posts: 187
Loc: Michigan
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heh.. he sounds like me. I hate how most meds make me feel and I stop taking them after about a week. He may be dealing with similar things but doesn't realize it ... If he's not feeling a difference whether he takes it or not, why should he take it? Or if they are making him feel mentally or physically 'not right' should he keep taking them? I've heard mtx is one of the harshest meds out there.....
my daughter is the same way with a 'lazy eye' problem. she was not motivated to wear her eye patch because there was no difference for her. So we've changed tactics and it is working perfectly.
_________________________
~ Trudi 35 yo mum to 5 kids! dx with 'probable AS' in the middle of 1995 in the Navy. positive inflammatory spondyloarthritis dx by the end of that year. no meds really work yet. am trying sulfasalazine plus a lot of alternative therapies. www.madebytrudi.blogspot.com
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#134264 - 02/04/09 09:04 AM
Re: Children who decide they are the doctor
[Re: TrudiD]
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TennisAce
Registered Visitor
Registered: 09/19/05
Posts: 1063
Loc: Boston, Ma.
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It is because the mtx is working and has alleviated his loss or rom in his back and his achilles problems. He thinks he's "cured" and doesn't need it. He might have some type of remission or just be controlled.
_________________________
Daughter diagnosed 2004; son diagnosed 2006. One takes a mix on pharma: sulfa, naproxyn and celebrex. The other one is clinical remission at the moment and not taking any drugs currently.
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#134394 - 02/05/09 10:34 PM
Re: Children who decide they are the doctor
[Re: TennisAce]
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TrudiD
Registered Visitor
Registered: 01/13/08
Posts: 187
Loc: Michigan
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oh.. that could be... does he have to stay on the mtx then if he's in remission? Maybe let him come off and if the pain comes back, that is the big test to let him know he needs it. That is how I am as well with meds... and even supplements. I have to stop awhile to make sure they are really working. I went thru a pretty decent remission in the beginning stages of disease.. I only had twinges of pains here & there, but nothing needing medications or a concerned thought. But soon enough the pain became a slowly creeping, constant companion.
I've heard many friends here & another group that said as a child/teen they were able to always push thru the pain because they were teens.... pain is different at that age because of their stubborness and personal view that they are indestructable! And partly because they want to make the choice for themselves as well as a dabble of denial mixed into the whole picture.
If he's already weaned himself off the meds... are you going to put him back on so he can be weaned off the 'right' way?
I hope you are all able to work thru this difficult time with your son! And remember.. this is something he will have to learn to deal with on his own some day.
_________________________
~ Trudi 35 yo mum to 5 kids! dx with 'probable AS' in the middle of 1995 in the Navy. positive inflammatory spondyloarthritis dx by the end of that year. no meds really work yet. am trying sulfasalazine plus a lot of alternative therapies. www.madebytrudi.blogspot.com
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#134442 - 02/06/09 08:48 PM
Re: Children who decide they are the doctor
[Re: TrudiD]
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Virginia
Registered Visitor
Registered: 05/13/05
Posts: 198
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I had to look twice to see who had started this post. It could have been me. The whole scenario fits, right down to the husband's asthma.
The doctor is trying to get our fifteen year old son off mtx and onto Arava, but I'm not to make the switch until the mtx runs out. At this rate, its never going to run out.
But what I find the pattern to be is that once he is off the meds a few weeks, he starts hurting, and then it is somehow my fault. He gets back on the meds and things get controlled again for a while and then we play the same game again. I really don't have an answer. I can just say I understand.
Virginia
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#134527 - 02/08/09 06:15 PM
Re: Children who decide they are the doctor
[Re: Virginia]
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TennisAce
Registered Visitor
Registered: 09/19/05
Posts: 1063
Loc: Boston, Ma.
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Help me please! I had to hunt him down as he was only going to take his stomach protectors and walk away. Then 3 pills instead of 4. I can't do this. Why do they think they know more than the doctors.
I guess I also protect my kids and don't tell them really can potentially happen if things get worse. He looks at me and says...gee..I can touch my toes right now...so what?
_________________________
Daughter diagnosed 2004; son diagnosed 2006. One takes a mix on pharma: sulfa, naproxyn and celebrex. The other one is clinical remission at the moment and not taking any drugs currently.
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#134632 - 02/10/09 09:49 AM
Re: Children who decide they are the doctor
[Re: TennisAce]
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JenInCincy
Registered Visitor
Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 3656
Loc: Cincinnati, OH
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Maybe he IS old enough for "tough love" - the reality of what could happen. At some point he will need to know - he won't have you to monitor his medication compliance forever, and at some age he will be capable of handling the info and have a right to it.
On the other hand, maybe you need to just stop pestering, let him go off his meds and see how he feels. That might do more good than any amount of talking you could do!
_________________________
Jen, 38, tentative spondy diagnosis, tried Enbrel 8/10, moved on to Humira 9/10; happy partner of James & mom to Evan, 10.5 & Lucy, 9 (Crohn's disease dx age 3, started Remicade 4/10)
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#135889 - 02/25/09 12:35 PM
Re: Children who decide they are the doctor
[Re: JenInCincy]
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TennisAce
Registered Visitor
Registered: 09/19/05
Posts: 1063
Loc: Boston, Ma.
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I love my kids doctor.
He took it in stride that my son was his own doctor. He explained he would like to wean him off slowly, but his experience with children with this mindset is that they will do it anyway. He gave him the green light to discontinue his methotrexate.
He did, however, tell him that he had more experience in these matters. He did make a bet with him and that while he hoped he would continue to be fine that usually he will find himself in pain in a few weeks to months. The doctor tried to explain the 3 different reasons to take the methotrexate 1)control pain, 2)control joint destruction and 3)keep his flexability in his lower back. He agreed 1 and 2 are fine and 3 is only okay.
Am a little bit worried about his asthma as it has dissapeared with the methotrexate. He's been taken off all his asthma meds, so that could be a problem too.
_________________________
Daughter diagnosed 2004; son diagnosed 2006. One takes a mix on pharma: sulfa, naproxyn and celebrex. The other one is clinical remission at the moment and not taking any drugs currently.
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