Michelle,

Thanks so much for your reply! I took Emma off the Periactin and
haven't seen the hyperactive behavior at night since then. Amazing!
The GI doctor told us that it may work, it may not. I don't think it
was such a big deal, just something else to try.

I appreciated you sharing your experiences with me!

Wendy (& Emma, too!) ~ 21-months-old, 6q25.3-qter deletion, G-tube
www.caringbridge.org/visit/emmanicole


--- In feeding@yahoogroups.com, Gregory Buckley <buckley_gmba@...>
wrote:
>
> Hi Wendy,
>
> My son had been on Periactin off and on since age 2. It never
seemed to do anything for him but make him irritable and cranky and
yes, when he was 2, he didn't sleep well on it. For him, it just
it's worth giving because it hasn't had any noticeable affect on his
appetite. My dd on the other hand started taking Periactin at age 4,
first for allergies and now also for appetite. It does wonders for
her appetite. We give it to her only at night because it does "knock
her out" so she sleeps. I understand that antihistamines, even
though they usually cause drowsiness, can have the complete opposite
affect on a toddler. That's what happened to my son, when he was
younger, it made him hyper (well, more hyper than he already was) and
always cranky. As he got older, it had less effect on his sleep, but
still, always makes him irritable. So, our experience shows that
Periactin works differently on different kids and at different
ages. Ask the doctor that prescribed it
> if you can give smaller doses and work up to what he wants her to
be on. Also check with your doctor about how to cycle it, as we've
learned that this drug needs a "holiday" so the body doesn't just
get used to it and it ends up doing really nothing for the appetite
after prolonged use. Hope this helps.
>
> Michelle
>
>
> Wendy <d.kubiak@...> wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
>
> I've been a member for quite some time, but I don't think I've
> ever posted. I do read the e-mails, though, and they have been very
> helpful.
>
> My daughter, Emma, is 21-months-old and was born with a 6q25.3-
> qter chromosome deletion. She has Tetralogy of Fallot (a congenital
> heart defect), microcephaly, and as a newborn aspirated on her
feeds
> and had severe reflux. She's been tube fed her entire life. She had
> an N-J tube for her first 8 1/2 months until her G-tube was able to
> be placed after she healed from her first open heart surgery.
>
> Emma is beginning to eat and learning to chew. She still
> only "snacks" on things and is 99.9% tube fed. Our GI doctor
> prescribed Periactin as an appetite stimulant about 4 months ago
and
> coincidentally (I think) that's about the time that Emma started
> trying more foods.
>
> My question to the group is this: Has anyone else used the drug
> Periactin? And if so, have you noticed any sleep problems with your
> child?
>
> Emma has never slept well at night, but lately we're noticing her
> becoming very hyperactive at bedtime. I'm wondering if this could
> possibly be related to the Periactin. I know that they list the
side-
> effect of causing drowsiness, but I'm wondering if it's not having
> the opposite effect on Emma. We've also discovered that when she
has
> had MRI's or sedated echos that she doesn't sedate, and the doctors
> have had to put her under with general anesthesia. We believe this
> is related to her chromosome disorder and her body is not
> metabolizing the medications in a "normal" way. I'm thinking that
> maybe the same is happening with the Periactin.
>
> Anyway, I'd appreciate any reponses! I may be dealing with a
> totally different issue than "feeding," but thought I'd start
asking
> questions in this group first! :)
>
> Thank you,
>
> Wendy (& Emma, too!) ~ 6q25.3-qter deletion, G-tube
> www.caringbridge.org/visit/emmanicole
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
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>