Medication Reevaluation

For years I have struggled with my decision to medicate my son. And most recently I have had to deal with the possibly my son be over-medicated. When I first decided to allow Andrew to be medicated for  his autism and co-morbid diagnoses I felt I had no other choice. My son would walk through parking lots and lick car windows, pinch or spit at strangers in the store, and one of my favorites, yell for security in a store even when I was right next to him and he was safe. It got to a point that sometimes we just could not take him anywhere. The medication helped a considerable amount, but the doctor just kept adding and adding more and more. But I was stuck.

Finding a child psychiatrist is not the easiest task. Unless you are a millionaire, and can pay the $400 per visit you are stuck with the few that accept insurance. I had health insurance through his biological father and Medicaid through Social Security, since the government deems Andy disabled. Medicaid highly prefers that you use a doctor that accepts the private insurance first and then they pay all of the copays. A great concept which makes sense, but unfortunately the private insurance I had was CRAP. Now, however, my son’s deadbeat dad quit his job and moved to California (without telling me!) so I am without that primary insurance, so all we have is the Medicaid. 

So, for years I had searched for another Psychiatrist to reevaluate my son and potentially help us reduce the amount of medicine that he needs. I take him to a mental health clinic where he also receives therapy. Lately the doctor who has been very disagreeable to me about getting him off some of the medication has been canceling every appointment. One time when I asked her about reducing the medicine she even looked at me and said. “Why do you think he’s doing so well, it’s the medicine!” And when I mentioned his school was concerned I got, ”Who’s the doctor here?” She didn’t even see my point that he’s been on meds for 5 years and don’t we need to think about biological changes of his body? Needless to say I might as well have been talking to the wall. 

Well, on Friday after another canceled appointment I was able to speak to the medical director of the clinic. She herself was overly concerned with the huge doses of medication my son has been on. She set me up to see another psychiatrist for a reevaluation of medication. I could not be more excited!!! Today I received a letter in the mail stating that his original psychiatrist was leaving the clinic as of October 1^st. Strange.

I am so hopeful that maybe, finally we can get him off of at least some of these medications. I don’t regret putting him on medicine back five years ago but I do regret not being more insistent that the doctor listen to me. In five years people change so much, from ages 5 to 10 he is a such a different person. I’m hopeful this doctor will see things more my way, after all I am the Mom and I know him better than anyone. I’ll still search for another opinion outside of the clinic but for now this a big and exciting step. YEAH!