[QUOTE=Sleeps With Butterflies]
So you agree that the child shouldn’t be receiving either dosage every day for a year. I believe everyone has agreed to that. That’s not really up for debate.
The point that I was making (in the quote you responded to) was that the product he was reading about was not the same as the one the child was given. Why you’re coming in acting as if we are not agreeing, I can’t understand.
Yes, I’m quite aware they both contain Tylenol. Did you really think I didn’t know that, or is there another reason you pointed that out? As I said (more than once) in the other thread, Tylenol PM is a waste if all you want is a sleep aid. Skip it and buy the Benadryl.
What exactly are we not agreeing on?
[/QUOTE]
Where to start? First of all, you say that Sally should not get TylenolPM because it says on the bottle that it should not be used in kids under 12–and you’re right: it does say just that. BUT Sally is not getting the full dose of TyPM. She is getting half the adult dose–which is a safe dose for her. I don’t like her getting ANYTHING to help her sleep for an entire year. She’s 8. She (AFAWK) has no ADD or sleep disorders–she should be able to sleep without the assistance of drugs. Sure, there may be no reason for her to be getting the Tylenol–why that was ok’ed is a matter to take up with her doctor. I am not one for unnecessary drugs, myself, and people tend to think that OTC stuff is innocuous–it’s not.
One of the reasons it says on the bottle to not take for more than 2 weeks is because if you find you need TyPM for that length of time, you need to be checked out by an MD because your symptoms have not been relieved by the drug–the makers don’t want you to be taking the drug long-term, without a doctor’s knowledge or approval. But Sally has been seen by the doc and he has green lighted the med.
If this were my kid, I wouldn’t be giving her this–not because I fear liver damage (although Dangerosa has a very good point), but because no “normal” 8 year old should need a sleep aide. But-- this is what is happening. If we keep to reality, and not what you think should be happening, we have to accept that Sally is getting an appropriate dose of a med that may not be the best choice for her. This hardly a reason to castigate the dad. It’s a matter of concern, sure–but not the heaping pile he got.
To get Sally off this med, he has to get Ex on the same page as him, Sally needs to know why her routine is changing (again) and the doc will most likely need to weigh in to get both Mom and Sally compliant. This is not done overnight. Even though Benadryl is not habit forming, given Sally’s anxieties, I’m sure she has a psychological dependence of some kind.
If this were a stable home, I’d say go cold turkey and put up with some acting out on Sally’s part and a few sleepless nights–this is not a stable home at present. I think Belrix will get there, eventually. He cannot just take this away from her, while she is still so fragile–to do so would erode her trust in him and also ruin any chance of sleep for that household. He needs to go slowly, but steadily, toward his goal.
Second, your comments re TyJr and TyPM were such that I thought you were differentiating between the two as if it were the Tylenol that mattered. It does not–neither the child or the adult dose does bupkus for sleeplessness. The strength of it does matter in terms of potential liver problems, but again, Sally is receiving an appropriate dose. She is also receiving an appropriate dose of Benadryl, so there’s no issue there. Should she be on this med? I don’t think it’s necessary, BUT IANAD and it’s up to the MD who has examined the child to make the final determination.
Someone (possibly not you) commented in the other thread about Mom “forgetting” that she gave Sally the half tab and giving the second half, or giving her the rest of the dose if Sally doesn’t go down easily. We have no way of knowing if that is occurring. Also, IF Ex is doing so, then Belrix is correct in his characterizing of her, and some of this heat should not be given to him. But we have entered into the hypothetical now, so I’ll let that go.
My issue with you is this: I don’t like your tone in that other thread. I thought you harped too long and too harshly on a tangential point–I found myself wondering if this had a personal element for you. There’s a forest of problems there, and you saw one tree.
For someone who is so concerned about Sally, you came across as very contemptuous of the only person we have contact with who can help her. How does it profit you to call him a liar? Even if you think that’s true–what purpose does it serve to say so? Do you think he’ll say, “it’s a fair cop and kudos to you for picking up on it!”? To help the child, we need to help the dad–that’s all we can do. Well, you can pray if you feel it helps. Me, I’d rather do some practical good. YMMV.
I am not blaming the adults, but damn.