PRED - Aggresive behaviour

Hi All

Does anyone else (or is my son just a bad tempered aggressive little turnip!) or thier children experince changes in temperment when on pred?

Ollie is 3 and a bit and on 4 day of pred - his behaviour is appaling - yesterday he jumped on me and ended up scratching my eye (it's now red and a bit swollen/black) - he bit me- hit me - pulled my hair!!!! Even when he's trying to be nice and kiss or hug me it's all done very aggressivly.

He's like a mini Jekyll and Hyde.

He's got quite a bad temper at the best of times but isn't usually aggressive or violent!!

I hope it is the pred otherwise i might have to invest in a sound proof padded box (for me obviously)

thanks

claire

[KateMoss]

Hello

Sorry to hear Ollie has turned into a Turnip!

Yes, pred can cause hyperactive and behaviour problems in some people.

Sometimes the colourings in the tablets don't help - is he on soluble or the red tablets? The red colouring in the cheap brands makes me hyper.

There may be some parents here who can advise more on children.

I would mention it to your GP though.

Kate

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Hi Kate

Thanks for that - he's on the soluble ones - not sure about colourings in them but i'll look at ingredients and chat to gp about it.

Unfortunately he's pretty hyperactive and bad tempered anyway (genetic trait inherited from me!!!) But never usually aggressive/violent.

As for Turnip - they're knarled and knobbly - sort of sums him up currently!!

Cheers

Claire

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Combination of pred and ventolin equals total tantrum city in my three. Try and stay very calm and treat supernanny calm like as extreme terrible twos!

They just can't control their emotions and illness, tiredness increased meds all adds up to a total nightmare.

Stick to your normal boundaries rigidly do not give in to hitting etc even though you know it's the drugs making him worse or you don't stand a chance and you can't reason with a child loopy on pred.

I say to them that the medicine monster has come to visit and we've lost you can you come back please and give them a chance to calm down without consequences also ripping up screwing up newspaper and throwing in a washing up bowl works really well at getting the anger out of both of you esp when want to scream at him!!!!!

Good luck he'll be off them soon adults get wound up on pred it's no wonder kids lose it.

Marmite ( mum to 3 yr old twins and an 8 yr old going on 18!)

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Cheers for the Marmite

3 yr old twins (i can only imagine!!!) But then again 8 going on 18 is also pretty tough!!!

Thanks for that - unfortunatly i'm not a suppernanny sort of mum - I never never ignore hitting - i time him out as 'naughty step' proved a disaster he can't sit still that long!!! He cracks off so badly that it makes his asthma worse - that makes me worry more - so i tend to give in. Last time he realised this and used it to his advantage!!! So this time i've been consistent and put him in his bedroom - obviously he's now upped the anti and got violent!!

I have been trying ot remain calm - but it's tricky as we're all sleep deprived and being house bound for last week are all suffering from cabin fever!!

I like the idea of the 'medicine monster' - i'll try that one.

He's had his last pred (6 days) so i'm not sure what will happen tomorrow as he's not much better and without the pred will not be at all well. So i think we may be heading for Hotel NHS!! Got to see GP tomorrow for review.

I hope all is well with you and yours.

Take care and thanks again

Claire

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hi claire my son who is 12 is extremley aggresive and violent especially towards his siblings he is a mouthy little so so to me,,, but he never used to be like this when he was younger infact the total opposite ant more layed back and he be flat on his back nothing flawed him but since he has been put on steriods all the time and sub cut bryicanl hes a totally diff child and yes like a jekyll and hide its came to the point tht iv asked for him to be refered for councilling as i feel he is holding his emotions up aswell ..... as we have just been told his asthma will be like this for life ..... but i like u have just given in as like yr son if he gets himself in a state hell be in hos with an asthma attack but now im trying to put my foot down and its a nightmare and he has even said to me if u make me ill make myself ill and then ull have to take me to hos ........ so i would say yes make allowances but dont make excuses as i have found out the hard way ,,, and now trying to rectify it ....... i know its hard to know what to do and how to disiplian a ill child and i think iv done it wrong in a way but we all learn by our mistakes dont we...

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Hi Owen's Mum

Ah - that's the trouble when they get bigger - they get too clever!!! It's a very very hard call - stand your ground and he may be really ill and need hospital or give in and his behaviour won't improve - but you won't have to live with the consequences. Um - the choice between the lesser of 2 evils. I suppose as Owen's mum and his siblings mum you have to do what you feel is right for Owen and your family - i wouldn't say you'd made a 'mistake' or 'done it wrong' - hindsight is a wonderful thing. We do the best we can at the time - being a mum is never easy and I find there's always someone out there who will judge or critise but not that many who offer real help.

I hope that things improve for you and that you get some counselling.

As for Ollie he's a cunning little monkey - tonight whilst 'discussing' (for that read arguing) cleaning his teeth he told me that ""I was making him cough""!! I ignored him and kept on brushing. Hopefully he's young enough for us to be able to be firmer without the consequences being too great. He's off the pred for now so hopefully i'll get my usually good but bad tempered little boy back. I mean if only to save on black eyes - it's a bit embarassing telling people your 3 year-old did it!!!

Take care

Claire

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Well done for standing your ground on the teeth cleaning!

Forgot to say i got some really helpful tips from the asthma nurses- see number at top when was struggling with questions re drugs behaviour etc.

It's REALLY important that kids don't use their asthma as an excuse for behaviour/ not doing things and that us mums don't let them away with it!

With the right medication almost all are symptom free and i have been known to go into school at begining of new school year to point out that my eldest can do cross country even if its freezing and can take her inhaler onto the top field, use it if necessary and carry on with whatever activity she happens not to be liking doing 9 times out of 10 as the little toad has tendancy to play on it with new teacher.....

Asthma isn't an excuse not to do stuff or act in a certain misbehaving way ever in my book or with asthma as bad as mine i would never have done anything in my life!

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Marmite, just read your mesage and, like claire, have a son who turns aggressive on pred! He has just finished a course and has been horrendous for the past few days, this happened 3 weeks ago when he had been on a course of pred also. Infact he had not long been back to himself when we were given more!

We do discipline him in the same way as when he is well but the guilt on telling off and sending him to his room is awful because I know that it is behaviour he seems to have no control over when on pred (or increased ventolin?) it seems it's me using it as an excuse so will have to stop explaining and blaming in front of him so he doesn't pick up on it and use it to his advantage when he is older.

Claire, How long does it take Ollie to start behaving 'normal' again? I ask because it can take Isaac up to 2 weeks to be back to 'normal' after finishing a pred course!

Hope he is feeling better

Sarah x

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Hi Sarah

I'm not sure how long it takes Ollie to get back to normal - can't remember - i will look out this time - after a week of pred and constant inhalers i'm usually too pooped to notice anything!!!! I'm hoping it's not 2 weeks - i may have to move out!!!!

He's a bit better today - off the pred and managing alright - but very tired and asking to be picked up a lot - although we've noticed that for the last month or so he's not able to walk that far without being tired.

Not sure if it's his asthma or him being a lazy boy!!! It's hard we've been trying to get him to tell us how he feels or if he feels ill/ does he hurt etc. But he's not being very consistent in his answers so not sure if he's giving us answers he thinks we want.

I also send Ollie to his room for 3 minutes - it's the safest place and gives us both a well needed 'timeout'!!!

I hope Isaac is feeling a bit better today.

take care

claire xx

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Hi Marmite

Thanks for that - it's good to be supported - some well meaning family members give me heavenward looks when i discipline Ollie - i have to otherwise he'll be running rings around me forever!!! and using his asthma as an excuse.

I'll try the asthma nurse - i've spoken to them before and found them really good.

Our problem at moment is that if Ollie coughs at preschool while playing outside - they take him in - AARGH - he's not the most friendly child with his peers as it is so taking him aside to be with adults isn't really helpful!!! I'm going to chat to them after Xmas if they keep doing it.

Currently Ollie doesn't say or know when he's ill and needs his puffers - so it's hard - i do tend to keep him in (currently been 2 weeks virtually) which i think we'll have to sort come new year as it's no good for any of us. Also means that we've misses out of everything - no visit to santa - walks in the forest etc. But as it's all still a bit new to us and we're still learning how to manage asthma effectively then we're are tending to probably be overprotective. So thanks for that - New Years Resolution - Don't let Asthma rule our lives. I suppose as long as we've always got inhlers with us and mobile then it shouldn't be too bad.

hope you get off the crutches soon - shopping with 3 children and crutches this week is probably not a laugh.

take care and thanks

claire

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I definitely would speak to asthma nurses they've always been really helpful as is the asthma nurse at GP who looks after my kids. They'll be able to reassure you that it's poss to live a perfectly normal life with asthma. A lot of the people who post on here have more severe symptoms and it can give the impression that life with asthma is an enless round of nebs and hospital trips but for most people it's not like that which is why they are not here, they are too busy living their normal lives!! I have asthma at the more severe end of the scale but still manage to live a relatively normal if slightly chaotic with 3 kids life! The crutches are much more limiting than my asthma has ever been.

Unless they are actually ill with temp or on prednisolone for first couple of days and very very wheezey i tend to carry on with everything as normal for the kids including preschool/outdoor play just give ventolin inhaler as we go as they need it, wherever we happen to be and don't let puffed- outed-ness get in the way. we just wrap up warm including scarf round mouth/nose to stop cold air problems,do things more slowly, have more rests have lots of drinks and don't aim to do so much and take the buggy for little ones!