Do you tell your kids about possible side effects?

Jennasis

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When your child is prescribed a drug, do you normally tell them all of the possible side effects they may suffer from the drug? Do you think a child "deserves to know" what may happen to them from taking a drug?

Just want to know if my thinking on this is out of line. If it makes a difference, let's say that the child is, oh, say 5.
 
I wouldn't think so. Kids are more likely to imagine symptoms or worry about stuff like that. Just tell them it will make them better and let it be. :)
 

No. Mine would probably have imagined they had every one of the side effects esp at that age.
 
I agree with others. They would get imaginary symptoms then and you would know to worry or not.

It isn't only little ones either. My 12 year old got his shots yesterday in school and he was a big drama queen. They said he could have a headache said he had one of those , he was dizzy , etc. He did this with his flu shot shot too and as soon as we said we were going out for dinner once he was better it didn't take long to feel better.:lmao:
 
Nope. They would just worry about (and likely imagine) the symptoms. I consider it innapropriately frightening the child not giving them information they deserve.
 
Why, yes. For instance, when I gave my child Symbiocort (an asthma medication) I said to him (this is an exact transcript, since I record all converations with Legalsea Junior for legal reasons):

"Legalsea Junior, some side effects you may experience include hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; worsening asthma symptoms; chest pain, fast or pounding heartbeats, tremors, nervousness; wheezing, throat irritation, choking, or other breathing problems; signs of infection such as fever, chills, sore throat, flu symptoms, easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness; blurred vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights; white patches or sores in your mouth or throat; or dangerously high blood pressure (Junior, this may involve severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, and even seizure activity).

Furthermore, Junior, you may also notice headache; back pain; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach; back pain, muscle cramps; sore throat, stuffy nose; joint or muscle pain; or even changes in your voice."

;)

Actually, I would tell the child to tell me if they notice anything strange about themselves, without actually telling them what.
 
No. Why would I? As long as I know the side effects that they may have, then I don't think they need to obsess over it. My DS14 can be a hypochondriac and if he knew the side effects of meds he's taken, he'd be looking everything up on the internet and freaking himself out.:rolleyes1
 
Why, yes. For instance, when I gave my child Symbiocort (an asthma medication) I said to him (this is an exact transcript, since I record all converations with Legalsea Junior for legal reasons):

"Legalsea Junior, some side effects you may experience include hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; worsening asthma symptoms; chest pain, fast or pounding heartbeats, tremors, nervousness; wheezing, throat irritation, choking, or other breathing problems; signs of infection such as fever, chills, sore throat, flu symptoms, easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness; blurred vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights; white patches or sores in your mouth or throat; or dangerously high blood pressure (Junior, this may involve severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, and even seizure activity).

Furthermore, Junior, you may also notice headache; back pain; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach; back pain, muscle cramps; sore throat, stuffy nose; joint or muscle pain; or even changes in your voice."

;)

Actually, I would tell the child to tell me if they notice anything strange about themselves, without actually telling them what.

ROFL:lmao: Don't forget death. Junior, you may experience death. Or, you may experience an erection that doesn't go away after four hours, so be sure to let me know if that happens....:lmao:
 
In general no, however, one son has a medication where suicidal thoughts is one side effect that is listed, so I told him that if he started thinking about jumping off the bridge or doing anything dangerous to himself, to tell me because we would need to stop taking the medication then. So far, so good.
 
lol, if med students can imagine symptoms, I'd say that a 5 year old has no hope. So, no. I watch for symptoms, but don't tell them.
 
I think the only medicines they've taken are antibiotics. I've told them they might get stomach cramps but never anything big. Why worry them? If they really felt a weird symptom, they would let me know.
 
Why, yes. For instance, when I gave my child Symbiocort (an asthma medication) I said to him (this is an exact transcript, since I record all converations with Legalsea Junior for legal reasons):

"Legalsea Junior, some side effects you may experience include hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; worsening asthma symptoms; chest pain, fast or pounding heartbeats, tremors, nervousness; wheezing, throat irritation, choking, or other breathing problems; signs of infection such as fever, chills, sore throat, flu symptoms, easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness; blurred vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights; white patches or sores in your mouth or throat; or dangerously high blood pressure (Junior, this may involve severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, and even seizure activity).

Furthermore, Junior, you may also notice headache; back pain; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach; back pain, muscle cramps; sore throat, stuffy nose; joint or muscle pain; or even changes in your voice."

;)

Actually, I would tell the child to tell me if they notice anything strange about themselves, without actually telling them what.

:laughing::laughing: You forgot dizziness. ;)

No, I don't tell them.
 
ROFL:lmao: Don't forget death. Junior, you may experience death. Or, you may experience an erection that doesn't go away after four hours, so be sure to let me know if that happens....:lmao:

Hmm. My wife wants to know the name of that medicine. She said she will chance the one side effect for me if the other side effect works. ;)
 
Goodness, I would never frighten a child with all that information. Some of those things happen to maybe one in two million patients, but if it's happened to anyone and been reported, they have to list it as a "possible" side-effect. A child would almost certainly imagine symptoms, especially a 5 year old, who is still in that stage of fantasy thought.

I did tell my DD13 about the potential for diarrhea the last time she took antibiotics, but only because it's a common side effect and I didn't want her to think something ELSE was wrong if that happened to her. I wouldn't tell her about all the ten million other things that MIGHT happen.

I don't load them up with the statistics of being killed in a car wreck every time we go to the store either. ;)
 
Well it seems we're all on the same page. So for instance, if your 5 year old were put on a medication for, say, allergies, you would NOT tell them that "this medicine will make you never grow big."?

Personally, I would find such a thing to be indicative of Munchausen's...but that's just me.
 




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