“If you have the luxury of choosing when to make a medicine change, discuss these options with your teen. Often, you will find your best answer there.”When is the best time for your teen to undergo a medicine change? Consider these choices and decide which one works best for your circumstances.
During the Summer
The advantage here is that you have a long stretch of time to make adjustments if things don’t go well. Over summer vacation, your teen is not dealing with the stress of school, and their grades won’t suffer if there’s a problem. If you opt for this choice, try to keep your teen in some sort of a routine. Teens can sometimes become sluggish if they have nothing to do and this can begin to feel like depression. That could make it hard to tell if it’s the medicine or just lack of stimulation. Even a minimal routine (rising and going to bed at the same time with some predictable activity throughout the day) will help your teen. Finally, your doctor may be going on a summer vacation, so try to schedule the medicine change before any departures.
During the School Year
If the medicine change cannot wait until summer, there can be some advantages to commencing during the school year. Your teen is already in a routine, which will help with dosing times, and being busy can be a good distraction from any anxiety over trying a new medicine. Some families prefer this time if they have a big vacation planned during summer and they don’t want to risk their plans.
Keep in mind that your teen may need extra support if they are in school. Let their teachers know what is going on, even if you expect things to go smoothly. Sometimes the teacher is the first to notice a change since the student is dealing with classroom stress. Also, if your teen has trouble with the medicine change, teachers are more likely to be sympathetic about late assignments if they have been included from the beginning. Don’t worry about bothering the teacher. They appreciate being able to communicate with the parents when there is a problem and not being left in the dark.
During Family Holidays
Some families feel that Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other holidays offer special advantages for a medicine change. Everybody is at home and parents do not have to contend with jobs, therefore there is plenty of support for the teen. If the holiday coincides with the end of a semester at school, this can be especially helpful because there is less pressure at the start of a new semester rather than during exam time. Keep in mind, though, that a one- or two-week break does not give much time for a medicine change, which can take weeks or (quite honestly) months. Also, many doctors do not work during holidays and if there’s a problem, you may be stuck with the on-call doctor.
If you have the luxury of choosing when to make a medicine change, discuss these options with your teen. Often, you will find your best answer there.
“Help your teen track the frequency of a breakthrough symptom so that the psychiatrist can determine if things are worsening or remaining steady.”