Hi,
I have a son with CAH but he is a few years off being a teenager. I have been to a few CAH Conferences and I met 3 teenagers last weekend and they looked fantastic. They were very happy and social. I asked them whether they had issues at school and with their friends and all of them said no.
In situations where a teenager doesn't want to take their medication or is starting to have emotional issues with having CAH you can approach an Adolescent Health Professional. They can talk to kids about the issues they have and can even mediate with the Endocrinologist as to their treatment.
Another option is a hospital Social Worker as they have alot of experience with teenagers who have life long conditions.
As for long term effects of treatment etc. I am not an authority but I believe if they stay on a low replacement dose of cortisone there shouldn't be any significant side effects. The problems start to happen when they spend years on high doses, problems can then occur later in life.
If you are wanting to speak with a parent of a teenager or an adult with CAH just contact me and I can put you in touch with someone lindapowell@optusnet.com.au
Regards
Linda
Linda
