Anyone with a child on ZOLOFT????

[kaylajr]

any one have a child on this medicine

any advice or experiences

it will be used to treat Anxiety in my niece
and i am
Just looking for info

thanks

 

[luvdzny]

When DD was diagnosed with OCD 5 1/2 years ago (she was 10 years old at the time.)one of the first medicines she was prescribed was Zoloft. We had to change medications within a few weeks. She had "behavioral side effects" from Zoloft. Basically it caused her to do things that she would not normally do; for instance she threw the cat in our swimming pool for no reason! She was on a number of SSRI's until we finally found the right one. She is now on Luvox. If you have any more specific questions PM me and maybe I can help.

 

[Talking Hands]

There is a specific warning that it should be used with caution in teens as it may increase the possibility of suicide in that age group.

 

[Chatter Box]

I was on zoloft for a while but it made me sick to my stomach. It can take up to a month to work right. I have bad panic attacks and pass out sometimes. Zoloft in a low mg dose is normally ok. Just watch her eatting habbits and if they change talk to the doctor. I lost close to 10 pounds because I couldn't eat while on it and never told my mom. I took it around age 12. Hope this helps.

 

[Poohnatic]

My son was on it for a few months, because our doctor wanted to take him off the Luvox/Rispirdal combo that he's been on. Baaaaaaaad move. It really threw him out of whack, more meltdowns, very unstable emotions.

At least the doctor listened to us that DS doesn't seem to react to most medicines the way you expect and we tapered off really quick.

Suzanne

 

[kaylajr]

So no GOOD experiences huh??

NO I'm worried

they are starting her on 1CC dose i guess
and she is 12 and it is for Anxiety

maybe SIL should talk to DR again??

 

[Marseeya]

The problem is, there aren't too many meds in that category that have been tested for kids. According to every one of my son's doctors when I expressed my concerns about Zoloft, they feel the concerns have been overstated and that for most kids the benefits outweigh those concerns. And the simple fact of the matter is, when you have a child with mental problems, you really need to watch them more closely anyway.

My son was on Zoloft at 12 and we did see some agitation in him. He's on it now again at 14 to balance some of the depressive effects of his Depakote and he's doing alright with it. He's on a lower dose now than he was back then and I'd prefer to keep it that way. He hasn't had a rage in months and his moods have been relatively stable. (need to insert a fingers crossed smiley here )

 

[huckster]

my son was on it for a short while not good made him worse for depression and anxiety .. very moody , he also had ALOT of trouble with wel butrin he finally ended up on celexa and has been on it once he got passed the dizzy a few days it keeps every thing under control and no side effects hope this helps oh and they also tried paxel that was bad also

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My dd took Celexa when she was on meds. It was only temporary.

 

[disneygals]

My dd was on 50 mg from age 11.5 to 13 with no side effects starting or stopping. She was on it for panic attacks and general anxiety. It worked for her, but took a good couple of months, it wasn't instant.

 

[chrismiss56]

DD17 was diagnosed with anxiety centered OCD and take Prozac (10mg).....has no problems what so ever and it has really helped her anxiety level. Might ask about Prozac.

Have a Magical Disney Day!!

 

[Marseeya]

DD17 was diagnosed with anxiety centered OCD and take Prozac (10mg).....has no problems what so ever and it has really helped her anxiety level. Might ask about Prozac.

Have a Magical Disney Day!!

I could be wrong, but isn't Zoloft a derivative of Prozac? I think I remember one of my son's countless doctors saying so.

 

[snoopy]

Zoloft was given to my girfriend's son who suffered from anxiety and severe OCD. Turned him right around. I know people say pills are not magic, but in his case, they were! He does have to be closely monitored though, and I know after awhile the strength he is taking has had to be increased. But all in all, he is so much happier and so is his mother!

 

[Marseeya]

Can I just say that I think it is so nice that you're taking the time and energy to research something for your niece? I can't imagine my sister taking enough interest to do something like that for my kids.

 

[minkydog]

There is a specific warning that it should be used with caution in teens as it may increase the possibility of suicide in that age group.

You are right. Our 2wk experience with Zoloft was the beginning of a year-long roller coaster during which my DS17 tried to kill himself twice, cut himself 43 times,had 4 manic episodes, dropped out of school and left home. It took some strong medications and two hospitalizations to bring him around and he is doing well now. But what I wouldn't give to turn back time...

I'm not anti-medication.We just had no idea Zoloft could do so much harm. Proceed with caution. Medication can be a life-saver when you have the right one.

 

[Sleepy]

I was on Zoloft a VERY short time. It caused severe muscle spasms. One day when I was in the house alone, I got one in the cheeck of my rear end and landed me in the floor screaming in pain for almost 2 minutes. I couldn't move. Wasn't so funny then, but thinking back, it must have been a sight. I stopped the medication after that one.

 

[Marseeya]

You are right. Our 2wk experience with Zoloft was the beginning of a year-long roller coaster during which my DS17 tried to kill himself twice, cut himself 43 times,had 4 manic episodes, dropped out of school and left home. It took some strong medications and two hospitalizations to bring him around and he is doing well now. But what I wouldn't give to turn back time...

I'm not anti-medication.We just had no idea Zoloft could do so much harm. Proceed with caution. Medication can be a life-saver when you have the right one.

Ohmygod!!!

Did anyone know why the effects lasted as long as they did? That must have been a nightmare for you and your family.

 

[minkydog]

Ohmygod!!!

Did anyone know why the effects lasted as long as they did? That must have been a nightmare for you and your family.

It was a complete nightmare. To make matters even worse, his father(DH) had a life-threatening heart problem during the same period and nearly died. So the poor kid had way more to deal with than the average bear...

As best we can know, Zoloft altered his brain chemistry which triggered a bipolar psychosis. Finding a medication that would treat him without making things worse or causing dreadful side effects was time-consuming. There were several set-backs along the way, including a second suicide attempt last October. I think he was on 7 different meds during that one year. DS is now 19 & med-free for the past several months. He's doing well, starts college next week(he earned his HS diploma in June.)But I have to tell you, I sometimes find myself waiting for the other shoe to drop...

 

[Marseeya]

It was a complete nightmare. To make matters even worse, his father(DH) had a life-threatening heart problem during the same period and nearly died. So the poor kid had way more to deal with than the average bear...

As best we can know, Zoloft altered his brain chemistry which triggered a bipolar psychosis. Finding a medication that would treat him without making things worse or causing dreadful side effects was time-consuming. There were several set-backs along the way, including a second suicide attempt last October. I think he was on 7 different meds during that one year. DS is now 19 & med-free for the past several months. He's doing well, starts college next week(he earned his HS diploma in June.)But I have to tell you, I sometimes find myself waiting for the other shoe to drop...

I totally understand that. Now that you tell me the story, I seem to remember you and I communicating about this when I first joined the boards (I wanted advice about taking reluctant teen to WDW ). Does he keep up with counseling or anything? Has he learned to gauge his moods to make sure he doesn't slip back into the depression/bipolar? I really wonder how things are going to turn out with my DS when he's that age.

 

[minkydog]

I totally understand that. Now that you tell me the story, I seem to remember you and I communicating about this when I first joined the boards (I wanted advice about taking reluctant teen to WDW ). Does he keep up with counseling or anything? Has he learned to gauge his moods to make sure he doesn't slip back into the depression/bipolar? I really wonder how things are going to turn out with my DS when he's that age.

i think we did talk about this, perhaps last winter. At the moment he does not go to counseling,however he did go for many months. He keeps in touch by cell phone with his old counselor, though. He has learned to control his moods much better, gotten a job, and a change of friends. Or lets say, he reevaluated his friendships and kept the ones worth keeping. Things were so black for such a long time, i never thought it would ever get better. And now, here we are.