Is your child on Prozac?

[marydmjj]

Does anyone have a child on Prozac or something similar? I haven't done any research on it yet. Is it ok for children to take? What has your experience been?

Exhausted and worn out Mom...

 

[disneymouse]

no, i don't have any experiences/advice but i just want to give you a ...

 

[Aurora63]

There is a child in another 1st grade classroom at my school who is on Prozac. She has gone from being a decent kid to being a behavior nightmare. Last week, she ran out into the street. Thankfully no one was there. But everytime I see her, she's doing something off the wall...her class will be walking in line, and she's standing in the grass, looking at the dirt. Etc, etc, etc. Lately she talks about hurting/killing others. This is all since the Prozac. Her teacher has referred her to our guidance dept.

Just one child's response to it, take it with a grain of salt...who know what else is contributing to her issues. But I'd be very careful before deciding to medicate a child. I hope it all works out for you.

 

[Aidensmom]

I don't have a child on it, but I do know it has been approved for children recently, and have some experience with adults that have taken it (I used to work at a mental health center).

If the doctor thinks that is the best way to go, I see nothing wrong with giving it a try, but I am sure he will suggest other things first, and those should definately be tried first if so. A lot of issues with children can be taken care of with counseling. You didn't say how old you child was, but counseling is especially effective with younger children because their thought processes are not as ingrained yet.

Just keep in mind that everyone reacts differently to medications. What works for one person may not work for another. My advice is to really discuss this in depth with your child's doctor, and express any concerns that you may have.

 

[mrsdash]

My ds has been on prozac for three years now and it has been a godsend. No problems with it at all. Big hugs for you...mrsdash

 

[Christine]

My son has never tried Prozac. Back when he was about 8 or 9, he was having some terrible anxiety issues and the doctor put him on Paxil. It made him so terribly hyper, he was bouncing off the walls. I will never do it again. So, it wasn't right for him. It is different in every person.

 

[pawsitivemom]

HUGS sweetie!

I have a 14yr DS who was diagnosed with ADHD at age 6. He's been on most of the ADD meds there are and he is now on Prozac also....PM me. I don't feel terribly comfortable "talking" openly about this on this board. KWIM?

 

[marydmjj]

Thanks for the info. My DS10 is ADD and we had him medicated for almost a year when he was 8. Long story short, we took him off the medication because he and I hated how it made him feel. We enrolled him in a Multi Sensory Learning program at school and that has solved the 4 hours of homework issue. We have tried to deal with his anxiety and rage issues at home as best we can. He is a great kid - although a little hyper and wound up - away from home but turns into a monster at home. He can't put himself to sleep at night, wakes up a minimum of 5 times each night unless he is in bed with us, and generally disturbes the sleep of me, DH, and his brother. We have been seeing a therapist that specializes in sleep problems with children affected by ADD but I'm done. I'm exhausted. I'm tired of fighting with my son. I'm tired of DH coming home and having to deal with whatever crisis happened during the day because I'm too angry to parent properly. A different therapist suggested trying Prozac and we immediately said no we don't want to medicate. But now I'm thinking about trying it. I don't know - maybe I just need to vent.

 

[Christine]

How did the Prozac make him feel?

I'm not doctor and I don't even want to "pretend" to be one here, but I'll relay the info my son's psych doctor told me.

If a child becomes very hyper on an SSRI, it is a clue to them that the child could have a type of mood disorder (say like bi-polar). Sometimes SSRIs are not the right class of drugs. With your son's issues, have they tried the mood stabilizer class of drugs (Risperdal is one of them).

 

[Hillbeans]

Gosh, I really don't have any advice but I just wanted to give you a hug and tell you that you're a great mom and your kids are very lucky to have such a caring mom and dad looking out for their best interests.

 

[dcentity2000]

Now pay attention 007.

Prozac is a stimulant selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant (also known as an SSRI) and is the only mainline antidepressant that can be used on patients under the age of 18 years.

• Prozac will WAKE THE PATIENT UP and give them extra energy
• Prozac's generic name is Fluoxetine - try googling that for better information on the drug
• Prozac may not be right for the child and there is NO WAY TO TEXT THIS BEFOREHAND
• SSRIs have been linked to an increased risk in suicide
• SSRIs have a lower side effect profile than most antidepressants but will almost certainly still cause unwanted effects, ranging from headaches to the potentially fatal serotonin syndrome.
• This drug has the longest half life of all the SSRIs, meaning that it stays in the patient for longer
• Dosage ranges from 20mg to 80mg, outpatient usual ranges

Fluoxetine (Prozac) is a SERIOUS drug and should be taken with caution, especially when it comes to children. Personally, I'd only dose a child if all available therapies proved not to be enough given the potential downsides to the drug. From personal experience, I must say that the drug didn't suit me very well, leaving me as weak as a kitten hallucinating, suffering from amnesia and with dellusions and hallucinations, so maybe I'm a little biased.

Fluoxetine (Prozac) is, once again I must reiterate, the ONLY certified mainstream antidepressant for child use.

All I can say is good luck really and not to be afraid to try. Sure, it disagrees with some people (like me) but for the majority it can be a Godsend (research: the Prozac Effect).

Also read up here:

http://www.mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-p05.html

Mood stabilisers I'd generally avoid as they can be far heftier drugs than anti-depressants - the usual suspect, Risperidone (Risperdal), is actually an anti-psychotic, used for the treatment of severe psychotic illnesses. They pose the risk of TD, a movement disorder which is often permanent.



Rich::

 

[marydmjj]

How did the Prozac make him feel?

I'm not sure if you were asking me - my son hasn't been on Prozac. We had him on Strattera and he would feel sick to his stomach every night.

Rich: Thanks for the information and the link. When I researched Strattera I was terrified to put my son on it based on all of the scary information on the web. I'm sure the same will be for Prozac.

We have another appointment with his therapist and his sleep therapist to discuss other options. Of course, know that I've posted this he's been an angel today.

Thanks for the and kudos. Being DS's mom is really hard but I love him more than anything and am blessed he is mine.

 

[2sweetangels]

My kids arn't but I am on Prozac. I was put on it right after I gave birth to Hayley for post partum depression, I have it real bad.

 

[Christine]

I'm not sure if you were asking me - my son hasn't been on Prozac. We had him on Strattera and he would feel sick to his stomach every night.

Oh, sorry, I misread your post. Now I see that you were referring to the ADHD meds that made your son feel bad.

You mention Strattera--lots of kids have the stomach effects from it. My son's doctor says that he has not had much luck with Strattera at all. It works for a very small percentage of his patients.

Have you tried the "regular" ADHD meds for him? I will tell you that I have "tried" the medications my children take. I have tried Prozac (made me feel horrible) and have also tried Ritalin for 2 weeks. I had very little side effects with Ritalin and found it much more tolerable than the SSRIs. And the good thing about them is that they come out of your system quickly.