When I wrote Rainy Days and Mondays a week and a half ago, I used a photo of our son simply because it seemed fitting with the rain and all. Little did I know the significance of that entry! On the Saturday following the post, our son had a giant freak out. It was so unlike him that my hubby and I laughed out loud when it happened. I took my time tucking him into bed and was caught off guard by the following conversation:
MEELEY:I am SO EMBARRASSED by what happened, I am really sorry. I feel like something is really wrong.
ME: Are you feeling crabby or tired?
MEELEY:No. I feel really sad but don't know why. I've been crying every night in bed, you just haven't noticed.
ME, ALARMED BUT TRYING NOT TO SHOW IT: How long has this been going on?
MEELEY: About a month and a half, it started around September 19th.
He's just the type of kid to remember precisely when the icky feelings began. For some big God reason, I decided to Google his recently prescribed allergy medication. I was shocked by what I found! Here are just a few of the listed side effects: agitation including aggressive behavior, irritability, depression, restlessness, suicidal thoughts and actions. We pulled him off the medication and within days, he was a different kid - it felt like a weight had been lifted.
Shortly after the medication had been discontinued, Meeley began to complain of stomach pain and naseau. Our clinic was closed so I went directly to the Singulair website to see if there was a possible connection. I discovered that for a month and a half, Meeley had been prescribed the ADULT DOSAGE of 10 mg/day when he should have only had 5 mg/day! This was confirmed by our pharmacist and again the following day by a second physician.
I am so thankful for those quiet moments with my son, thankful he shared how he was feeling. I am also thankful for the God-given insight and wisdom, thankful for Google, and so thankful he is okay. From this point forward, I will not only thoroughly read the information provided by the pharmacy but from the manufacturer as well!
He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers. Psalm 91:4
3 comments:
Wow! Elliot was just put on Singulair a week ago - i just ran to check his dose - it's 5mg, but I'll be on the lookout for unusual behavior! Thanks for sharing! - Amy W.
Here are a couple of helpful links you might want to check out (just cut and paste them into your browser if it doesn't work to click on them):
http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=20829&name=SINGULAIR
http://www.medications.com/se/singulair
Count my blessings everyday! So thankful!!
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