Friday, April 17, 2009

New med

The new med that we were given to give Akila if she wakes in the middle of the night is great. I think it is called Clonadine. I'm too lazy to get up and go look at the bottle right now.

About 2:15 last night, I woke to the sound of a cabinet in our bedroom opening up and saw Akila trying to get the mini DVD player out. I got up, gave her the meds and some cheeze its (the easiest way to get her to take her meds without an all out brawl), and she went back to bed and actually fell asleep.

I think this is the 4th time I have used this med in the middle of the night and I am happy to report that it has worked each time, and that Akila is fine in the morning. The Dr. said she might be a bit tired or groggy in the morning, but she isn't at all. The key to this option is to just make sure that we hear her when she wakes up in the middle of the night.

We really are going to have to get some door alarms or something like that soon, especially for in the summer when her sleep patterns are more sporadic due to the non-structured element of summer. If anyone has any tips or ideas on door alarms, types, or any advise, I'd love to hear it!!

5 comments:

The Accidental Mommy said...

Clonidine rules.
I mean that seriously. My kid has a brain like steel wool that keeps her on edge all the time. Clonidine, as her psych explained it to me, counters adrenaline. So when her brain has an inappropriate reaction and tries to fire up, it helps delay her meltdown.
She takes a very small dose all day and a bigger one at night. Lovely stuff.

Anonymous said...

T was on Clonidine for years. Unfortunately, it didn't do a thing. I'm glad it is working for Akila. We have door alarms. They are these little boxes that you screw to the top of the doorframe and the door. When the kid opens the door, they trigger an alarm in my bedroom. Totally wireless and works like a charm. We got them through Amazon. You can do multiple rooms, too, if your other kids have similar issues.

Anonymous said...

I've taken Clonidine - for panic disorder. It was a great tranquilizer but didn't help the anxiety.

Do you have the wafers that melt in your mouth? They have those, and they work instantaneously rather than the 15 minutes the pills take. That was the part I liked most! Of course, they taste like a cross between sterile gauze and Milk of Magnesia... :P

Titus 2 Thandi said...

I'm so glad something is working for you. Long may it last.

HennHouse said...

My oldest is on clonidine. He takes it a little before bedtime and since he started, he has been able to sleep through the night.

We also have cameras in his room and an alarm on his door. I'll get the actual names of those things if you want. Email me (henn.16 (at) osu.edu).

(BTW-found you through Urban Servant)