Emotional side effects on Remicade??

[Ktomakin]

Hello,

I am wondering if anyone has noticed any emotional differences with their children who are on Remicade. My 7 year old son has been on Remicade since 2010. He is in remission and doing well, the only thing we have really noticed is that he is very emotional he cries for what seems like every little thing, and also has a hard time staying focused. This is not a new thing we have noticed it for a few years now, but is becoming more apparent as he gets older.

Thank you all!
Kacie

 

[my little penguin]

I would talk to his ped.
Sounds like normal 7 year old stuff for a kiddo with a chronic illness.
They start to be come more aware of their disease as they age and may not be able to put those concerns into to words yet.
We have notice this with DS even prior to Ibd dx . He has other chronic issues.
Plus kids don't process over night they might go through the grieving process of the dx over a period of years vs adults who take a few weeks to months.

Hope the ped has some answers . A therapist who works with medically complicated kiddos might also be able to help sort it out .

 

[Ktomakin]

Thank you so much for replying. We will definitely talk to his ped. Guess I should have mentioned before. He doesn't really know he is sick, he was diagnosed just before his 4th birthday, and hasn't had any more symptoms since starting Remicade at that time. (we are very lucky and grateful) He knows he gets medicine (infusions) but doesn't know he has a chronic illness. I'm not sure if Crohn's or the Remicade have anything to do with the way he acts, but just wanted to mention it to see if anyone else has noticed anything with their kids, I guess I am trying to rule out the Remicade as a possible cause of how he's acting. Hope that makes sense, lol.

 

[my little penguin]

He may not "know" he is sick but at that age - they start to figure out what is "normal" and most kids know by age 7 that "normal" kids don't go to the hospital often or have to have infusions. plus kids hear a lot more than you think- maybe when you or someone else was talking either on the phone, in the house, at the peds, GI's office.

My 10 is just starting to figure out what crohn's means other than a sick tummy etc.. in terms of possible damage to the intestine.
He was dx with severe life threatening food allergies at age 4.5 and he picked up a lot of "listening" when we didn't think he really was.
He also would show the same things you are describing- little things making him cry etc...
around age 6-7.

 

[Patricia56]

Depression can strike children as young as that and I would agree with the suggestion that you find a children's therapist, preferably one with experience working with sick kids but those can be hard to find.

You might invite your son to draw pictures about his feelings when he's happy and when he's sad. This can be a helpful way for them to express themselves when they are that age and doing it when they're happy, not just sad, helps take any stigma away about having to draw pictures when he feels bad.

The peds may or may not be helpful when it comes to issues of emotional/mental health. So just be prepared for that.