My 5 year old son has been taking Metadate CD 10 mg for exactly 4 weeks. Pretty much the only major side effect was that he wasn't falling asleep until around 11:00 - 11:30. It seemed like some days his behavior, impulsivity, hyperness, etc. were pretty good and other days not so good. I figured it was because he wasn't sleeping well. The doctor suggested melatonin 1 mg which we have been giving him for 5 nights now. It helps him fall asleep within 15- 20 minutes which is great, and he now gets a good 10 hours of sleep (compared to maybe 7 or 8 hours before the melatonin).
Well the past 3 days or so he seems very whiny and cries a lot. He easily gets upset. And I don't think his attention is so much better on the medication. He's taking a small phonics class with my daughter and she said the teacher had to tell him 3 times to put away his folder.
I don't know if I am expecting too much, but I feel like I should be seeing better attention span and behavior in him. My sister's friend said it was like night and day when her son started taking medication. I don't see that.
We see the doctor again on August 1st. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.
It is very possible he is taking too much Melatonin and even though he is sleeping longer, his quality of sleep is not good. Melatonin at higher doses can ( and does) cause nightmares. Try giving him 1/3 or half of the pill, then increase as needed. Best to start low and work up.
Also, meds are not "behavior pills", and he might needc behavior modification in addition to meds. Does you psych suggest behavior therapy?
edbson,
Thanks for replying. I'll try giving him less Melatonin. I'll have to buy a pill cutter.
His doctor did not suggest behavior therapy. I guess I probably was looking for great behavior after starting the medication. The doctor said it should help with impulsivity, hyperness and attention. I do see a bit less impulsivity and hyperness, and as far as attention, I have noticed he colors outstanding now, almost to the point of being a perfectionist. But when I talk to him, or like the example I gave above in the phonics class, we still have to repeat things for him to follow through. I'm hoping his attention will be better by the time school starts in September. We'll just have to wait and see. Thanks.
Are you using a Pediatrician or a Psychiatrist? I suggest taking him to a good psych if you are not already.edbson,
Actually a developmental pediatrician prescribed the medication. (Actually it was the nurse practitioner of our dev. ped. - we see the dev. again in October and couldn't see her sooner, so we had an appt. with the nurse pract. who consults with the dev. ped.).
I think we will try the lower dose of melatonin and see if that helps. Thanks Diane V.
Kathleen dont settle. If he is struggling on a med there are so many options out there.
I took melatonin for one night (for myself) I hated it. I think the dose was too high for me. I took the recommended adult dose, but I had vivid dreams all night. The next day I was very, very groggy and "out of it", nausea and headachy. I agree with edbson about trying to lower that dose first. Many, many poeple use it and love it.
If things dont improve try asking about a different stimulant.
In addition to tinkering with the Melatonin dose, you might want to discuss increasing the Metadate CD dose. 10 mg is a low dose to be taking, and more might be needed. I would change only one thing at a time so you can figure out what causes any changes you might see.