My son seems to be developing normally. We have had difficulty with his breathing at times but he takes Singulair for that.
What does worry me is his behavior. Yes, he is a typical boy and loves to play rough. He does play well with others at school and is very friendly. His aggression tends to be unleashed on me only. He rams into my legs constantly - I am assuming to seek attention. He also pinches, hits, and kicks at me. NO form of redirection has worked with this. Don't get the wrong idea when I tell him to be gentle he tries to tickle me but he seems to have two modes either rough or playful....he doesn't recognize to be gentle no matter what I try. Any suggestions from mothers or OTs out there.
I think I am going to take the suggestion to take him off of Singulair for a trial period of time. He definitely has allergies but our dr. has never dx him as asthmatic. I am going to consult her about it. Have any of you tried an alternative to Singulair? He does have Albuterol breathing tx as needed for these symptoms.
We looked up Singulair's side effects and our son definitely shows other side effects as well.
I do appreciate the responses and will let you all know how it winds up for us.
If the behavior is only directed at you then it's unlikely to be related to medication. You need to set limits and give him timeouts for mistreating you. Redirection doesn't work for 2 year olds. He needs stricter dicipline. My two year old sits for 2 minutes in her playpen for her timeouts. She has demonstrated that she is well old enough to learn and remember house hold rules.
Our son has been on Singulair - we put him on and took him off of it 3 times. His behavior went downhill every time we put him on Singulair. After talking to 2 other moms, they reported the same thing. I know that Singulair helps greatly with asthma symptoms, but I personally think it's a terrible drug. I'd suggest talking to your pediatrician about an alternative to Singulair, switch him, and see if his behavior improves. Good luck.
K.,
Since you have already tried a number of options you may want to consider your son's medication. In 2008, the FDA issued a warning regarding the side effects associated with Singulair. The label now reads "The following additional adverse reactions have been reported in post-marketing use: Psychiatric disorders: agitation including aggressive behavior, anxiousness, dream abnormalities and hallucinations, depression, insomnia, irritability, restlessness, suicidal thinking and behavior (including suicide), tremor." There are numerous natural remedies that could help with your son's breathing issues without nasty side effects. I recommend speaking with a naturopath, herbalist, or other qualified alternative healthcare provider in your area. I hope this helps.
B.
I second what Bridget said.... I took my son off of Singulair and he is like a completely different child.
I'm not saying that Singulair is a bad drug or that for some kids, it's not the right drug. Some kids have none of the side effects and the drug works wonderfully for them. I just know that for my son, it created more problems than it solved.
i know as a kid raised on allergy/asthma drugs, they can easily turn you into a different person, take away your self-control, and make you extremely emotionally sensitive to noise, light, touch, etc.
Also, if he's NOT acting this way to anyone else, he may just be mad at you. This is NOT a condemnation of your mothering, simply a thought for consideration. Is he left in daycare, with another caregiver, left alone to play for long periods of time, is there a huge change in his life (like are you pregnant, recent move, etc), or do you have to ignore him for prolonged periods while in the house with him in order to get work/etc done? If so, he may be trying to express to you that he is hurt and angry, or even just confused by this. You may want to seek to understand his emotions and see if that's not the culprit also...
could it be something he's learned from another child? My son learned most of his negative behavior from other kids in daycare....
Also, boys play MUCH rougher than girls! And that doesn't stop. Could you think of ways to make that fun? water gun fights, pillow fights, wrestling matches, etc....
Good luck! :)
Hi K.,
I wanted to add that I'm another mom who had a child that had problems with Singulair. My kids were taking it for allergies. My younger son has no problems with it. My older son turned into a monster and, like you, it was all directed at me. He also has trouble with other allergy type meds. He's been off it for quite a while, but he occassionally still goes into rages at me. I don't know if it is related to having taken the meds or not, but it's very frustrating.
Good luck!
talk to your ped about this my daughter does the same thing and we had her tested for adha and low and behold she has it. just a thought good luck
Hi K.,
check out this website: www.celebratecalm.com I love Kirk Martin, the Calm Coach. I wonder if there might be something neurological going on as well. Some kinds with sensory issues need the pressure, though it's odd that it is only directed at you.
Who knows. How often does he take the Singulair. Some kids have allergies to meds or even gluten or dairy and it affects all kinds of things. You'd be amazed!
Hope this helps.
N. E., Wellness Coach
K., You are so right on target. I'm a pediatric OT. Often children can appear to be overly aggressive in their play because they are seeking vestibular stimualtion and or proprioception. You may have to come up with clever, but safe ways for him to receive this stimulation. When we lived in Calif., there were two toddler places I took my son to (he's 13 now and has ADHD). One place was called MY GYM and the other Gymboree. We went twice per week. They had padded climbing gyms, swings (rope, tire, Zip line, etc.), and balance equipment.My son could literally "bounce off the walls" and be safe. I bought him a small trampoline for his bedroom and arranged the furniture so he could safely jump from his bed onto the trampoline. If you have a safe yard, hand an innertube swing from a tree very low. Play tug-0-war or wheelbarrow (walking on his hands while you hold his ankles). He can push heavy things around so you can vacume or help you carry heavy objects. Hope this helps. S.
