Autistic teenage vegetarian daughter refusing prescription meds.

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Posting on AIBU for traffic.

Does anyone have any experience of this and how to work around it?

DD is 16 (so she has to consent to treatment), she is autistic and has very fixed views.

She takes vegetarianism to the extreme generally and this has been an increasing issue over the years with her refusing cross contamination and not wanting to be near where meat is prepared or sweet wrappers even because of gelatine.

She's normally fit and healthy but the last few months she hasn't felt well and has been experiencing headaches and dizziness and palpatations so she's just had bloods done and it turns out, perhaps unsurprisingly that she's anaemic and has low B12 and vit D. The doctor has phoned and has left the prescription at the surgery pharmacy wanting bloods redone in 3 months.

I've called her and she has said she will not take the prescription if it is not specifically vegetarian, the doctor does know she is vegetarian and autistic but I'm not sure if the meds prescribed will be!

She is an intelligent child but her views on this are horrible. She would rather be ill than break her own rules around products being vegetarian.

I just don't know how to sensibly approach this. I guess if the prescription isn't suitable i can make an appointment for her to explain to dr why she is refusing treatment.

Does the Mumsnet hive mind have any other ideas/ experience? She's at 80% attendance at college due to frequently feeling too washed out to attend and she is county level sport and this is impacted her in that too.

There is just no reasoning with her so it's exhausting.

Order her some vitamin d and b12 gummies online. My DS is vegetarian and also won't take pills so he takes these.

So the meds you refer to: iron supplements, vit D supplements and B vits supplements? Anything else? All of those you can find vegetarian forms if what has been prescribed isn't.

Oops I forgot the g word leads to automatic hiding
order her some vitamin D and b12 gűmiies online. My vegetarian DS also won't take any pills and he takes these.

but not at prescription strength I don't think from the research i've done.

Better than not taking them at all?

she won't take gummies as she has an aversion to anything that resembles a sweet.

Plus they are not prescription strength.

Vegums are what we take in this house. Not prescription strength, but better than nothing.

Yes but she's very anaemic which is why she needs prescription strength medication to cure it. She has to have repeat blood tests in a few weeks to check they are working.

Just speak to the pharmacist. They will be able to help.

And -- said with much sympathy. My ASD DD has a very restricted diet and needs to supplement all kinds of things. Getting her to consistently take supplements is hard. Is her ASD diagnosis on her medical record? Can you talk to the doctor about it? We were referred to a dietician who was really helpful.

ETA: my DD is on extremely high levels of iron supplements; she is on 420 mg ferrous fumerate which is prescribed and vegetarian.

dietician is a good idea.

I am very keen as well on trying to nip this in the bud.

It is not great for a child to refuse medication on what seems to be pseudo - religious grounds.

What if something more serious happens to them!

Take a photo of the ingredients and upload it to ChatGPT to check if it’s vegetarian.

You can’t nip autism in the bud.

these are pretty standard medications. My DD’s vitamin D pills do not have a gelatine coating which is generally used for pills that need to transit the stomach.

Yes the pharmacy will be able to help you, as PP said.
I do sympathise as I have a similar daughter!

One point I would add is to be mindful around eating disorders, which you probably already know is common is autistic girls. I'm not sure on the research but in my experience they're often vegetarian as well. It just jumped out at me when I read your post, I'm hoping this isn't an issue for you.

I don't know if you saw my addition that ferrous fumerate (which my DD is on at quite a high dose) is vegetarian.

It is really normal black and white thinking occurring (well, normal for ASD). There is only so much you can control ...

Some of the Better You sprays are vegan and much easier to take than tablets. They do a B12 one and a Vitamin D + K2 one. As far as iron supplements go, unfortunately if your DD is anaemic then she’ll need prescription strength ones to get her levels up. Although Solgar do a gentle iron which is lower in strength but more tolerable. It’s vegan/vegetarian.

My DD is vegetarian, not autistic, won’t eat anything containing gelatine.

Yes that's the point. She will need the prescription to get the levels up.

To the posters saying you can't change autism or change the fixed views this is not as simple as finding a vegan/ vegetarian supplement.

The anaemia is making her physically ill. She needs to sort that first before she can use food supplements.

No i didn't spot that, does it say vegetarian on the packet/ bottle?

We are at the point that DD won't eat food unless it's labelled vegetarian even when it clearly is.

I sympathise. I had iron deficiency without anaemia and felt like death so your poor daughter must be feeling utterly miserable. Her autism may count this out, but I had an iron infusion privately which really helped. I now take the Solgar tablets daily to keep my levels topped up.

I’ve been vegetarian for over 40 years and don’t eat gelatine or collagen but I have vaccines with animal products in them. I have no idea if the chemotherapy drugs I had were vegetarian. If something more serious happens, it’s a different decision.

You're right, go and collect the prescripion and look up the brand and whether they're veggie

Yes she's feeling dreadful. It is also affecting her mood and sleep.

I'm glad you are feeling better now x

Bell's Ferrous Fumarate 210mg is the ultimate solution for keeping your iron levels balanced and your energy levels up. With 84 tablets in a pack, you'll have plenty of this essential mineral to last you for months.
Benefits:

• Bell's Ferrous Fumarate 210mg tablets are specially designed to help replenish your iron levels, making you feel energised and ready to tackle the day
• Each tablet contains 210mg of ferrous fumarate, which is a highly bioavailable form of iron that your body can easily absorb and utilise
• Ideal for those who suffer from iron deficiency anaemia or who have a higher need for iron due to pregnancy or heavy menstrual bleeding
• Safe and easy to use, with clear dosage instructions included in the pack
• Suitable for vegetarians
• Manufactured in the UK, ensuring the highest quality standards

It is easy to check if the ptescription is vegetarian. DD is vegetarian and won't eat gelatine, but our GP is pretty switched on about prescribing vegetarian meds.