{"id":138,"date":"2025-12-03T14:07:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-03T14:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforobryensjourney\/?p=138"},"modified":"2025-11-23T08:55:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T08:55:09","slug":"https-cota-org-cotaforobryensjourney-blog-interoception-medication-side-effects-behavior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforobryensjourney\/2025\/12\/03\/https-cota-org-cotaforobryensjourney-blog-interoception-medication-side-effects-behavior\/","title":{"rendered":"Rebooting the System: The Signal Jam"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How Medication Side Effects Mess with Your Child\u2019s “Internet Connection”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Medical Maze is a daily challenge, and I get it.<\/em><\/strong>
I’m a 20-year L&D leader and 15-year Medically Complex Mom dedicated to sharing the proven, repeatable systems that help my family find peace <\/em>as we go<\/em><\/strong>. <\/em>Let’s make this journey easier, together.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the second of a 4-blog series titled “Rebooting the System,” aimed at helping us navigate chaos created by others without losing our cool. And we have another tool for you to download for free at the end of this 5-minute read!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ugh. It’s The Meds.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Look, I\u2019m writing this while running on stale hospital cafeteria coffee, a pocket full of crumpled parking tickets, and a whole lot of hope. If you are reading this, you probably are too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my day job, I’ve designed systems training (amongst a zillion other things). I know that a computer program only works if the data going in is clear. If you type in garbage, you get garbage out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is exactly what is happening to our medically complex kids<\/strong>. And the cause is often the very thing saving their lives: the medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to talk about a big word: Interoception<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Interoception and Happy Kids<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What is Interoception?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Interoception<\/strong> is just a fancy word for your “internal sense.” It is how your brain knows if you are hungry, thirsty, hot, cold, or in pain. Think of it like your body\u2019s internal WiFi signal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For our kids, medication side effects<\/strong> can mess with these signals. It\u2019s like a hacker is jamming their WiFi connection. The signal gets fuzzy, static takes over, and messages get lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turning the Volume Knobs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Medications don’t just fix illnesses. They change how the body feels from the inside out. Medication side effects<\/strong> act like volume knobs on your child’s sensory system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. The Amplifiers (Steroids, Stimulants, Hormones)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some meds turn the volume WAY UP<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your child takes steroids or certain hormones, interoception<\/strong> tells them lies. They don’t just feel hungry\u2014they feel like they are starving. They don’t just feel annoyed\u2014they feel furious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see a tantrum in the grocery store. They feel a chemical tidal wave inside their body. They can’t just “calm down” because the medicine is revving their engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The Blunters (Sedatives, Pain Meds, Heart Meds)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some meds turn the volume WAY DOWN<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are used to keep hearts steady<\/strong> or reduce pain. But medication side effects<\/strong> can also numb feelings of joy or safety. Your child might seem “checked out” or zombie-like. They can\u2019t listen to their body because the connection has been cut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Your Doctor Didn\u2019t Mention This<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is where it gets tricky. As a parent, it\u2019s easy to feel frustrated that nobody warned you about this. You pick up the prescription, read the warning about “dry mouth,” but nobody mentions the behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here is the truth: We need our doctors.<\/strong> They are heroes at saving lives. They look at blood work, scans, and organ function. Their job is to make sure the heart beats and the lungs breathe. They are focused on survival<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But while they are watching the organ, you are watching the whole child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doctor sees that the levels are perfect and the medicine is working. And they are right! But you are the one driving home, watching the system crash in the backseat. It\u2019s not that they are hiding information; it\u2019s just that their lens is zoomed in on saving the life, while your lens is zoomed in on living it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What You Can Do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If your child is struggling, stop and look at the chemistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n