My daughter will be four in three weeks and has been having sleeping issues for the past year. Her doctor put her on Clonodine to help her sleep but it's major drug, in adults it treats high blood pressure. I'm concerned about long term effects. I was using a natural sleep aid called Sleep Ozzzz's which contains 0.5mg Melitonin and 5mg Camomele. Does anyone out there know anything about this medication? Has it ever been precribed to your child for anything?
Any advice any has would be so helpful, thanks.
My daughter was on other meds (they get referred to as "psych meds") for sleep. I later found out that other methods can work without the side-effects. This may help: http://itsnotmental.blogspot.com/2009/01/sleep-timing-of-...
My 6 year old has been taking it for almost 2 years. He uses it to treat his ADHD mostly, he can't take stimulates. He hasnt had any side effects from it. His DR checks his blood pressure every 2 weeks because it can lower it but his has always been fine. What dosage was prescribed? My son takes a pretty high dose, a total of 2.2mg a day broken up. He gets his big dose at night to help him sleep and it's made a huge difference. He sleeps so much better and will usally sleep a good 9-10hrs a night. Good luck and feel free to message me with any further questions.
Both my younger kids have been on clonodine for years. It is the only safe way to get them to sleep. There are no long term effects. One of my son's friend's dad is a pediatrician and he gives it to his son to help him sleep. I figure with all the medical wealth he has access to he did his research, ya know?
When my daughter was initially put on medication at the age of 5, this was one they gave her. She continued it for 2 months and I had them switch it because she became extremely lethargic. She was like a zombie all through the day and night. Her doctor is now having me give her benadryl to help her sleep instead of using a prescription drug. Every child will respond differently to each drug but I think the more you can keep her off the prescription meds, the better. I'm not a fan of medicating kids but sometimes it's unfortunately necessary. My daughter has been on medication for the past 3 years due to a handful of issues so I understand them needing it sometimes. Did the Ozzzz work at all? Also, giving her a warm bath right before bedtime and/or maybe massaging her back when she goes to bed to help her relax might be helpful. Does she get a lot of exercise throughout the day? If not, maybe you could increase her physical activities to help wear her out and help her sleep better.
If you put your child on prescription drugs to sleep at age 4 she will have sleep issues for the rest of her life. No matter what anyone else has said about this drug... It has Never been tested on children. Try to figure out why she isn't sleeping and get to the root cause... It will be more work but it's worth it!
need to know more info.
need to know exactly how she's having sleeping issues...before I can recommend any other solutions.
BUT coupled with your previous postings, are the sleeping issues tied in with the behavioral issues? & have you sought treatment for the possible sensory issues?
All of these little bits & pieces create the full picture!
I would strongly suggest looking into the Feingold diet, or atleast eliminating food coloring and preservatives (TBHQ, BHT, BHA). It is amazing to me how well my son sleeps now (no more night terrors!! and falling right to sleep at bedtime) that he is completely free of those items (have to treat it like an allergy, even a little can have a long lasting negative effect) , As the parent of a child who was nearly diagnosed Bi Polar, I try to share my experience with other parents. It breaks my heart to hear about your four year old on sleeping pills and I hope that you will give dietary changes a try. It takes a couple weeks but it is well worth it.
Although I am a nutritional consultant and am very much in favor of non-medical alternatives, I have to warn you to be very careful about "natural sleep aids". You don't know where this product is made (you only know who distributes it), and you don't know the source of the ingredients. A friend of mine was taking something with melatonin, valerian root, hops, etc. Although these ingredients CAN be used safely by good companies, she had a product that was not balanced, and she wound up with a severe drop in blood pressure & heart rate. She collapsed several times and really hit her head. After work-ups in 2 hospitals including a trauma center, the cardiologist nearly fell over when my friend told her about her natural sleep aid. The nutrition industry is not well regulated, and claims of "natural" don't have to be supported. Remember that poison ivy, snake venom, mosquitos and toadstools are all natural too - doesn't mean they're good for you! I'd get another medical opinion and maybe talk to a naturopath - there's a very good clinic in Boston (ISIS Holistic Institute) that has been around for a long time and has a great reputation. I know the director and she's top notch.
