Teens and Prozac. Any good stories?
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Anonymous
| I only hear the negative in the news and it's not the kind of thing people talk about much in person. Thank you. |
Anonymous
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As a teen I was on Prozac for depression. At times it was by itself and at times it was in combination with other drugs as we tried to find the right prescription to get my mood stabilized. Initially I had resisted starting medication since I didn't want to accept that I needed it, but it really did make a big difference and was the right thing to do. It took about a year and a half with medication and therapy for me to get back to a point where I didn't need it anymore.
I took a gap year after high school and was fine, and then the pressure when I started college made me start sliding back down into depression so I went back on medication for another year or so. By senior year of college I was off all medication and I've been fine for the past 15 years 
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Anonymous
| He wasn't a teen when he was taking it but by DS took it in 3rd grade and it was a godsend. He still struggled with anxiety but the medication allowed him to be in control of it instead of it controlling him. I have a strong family history of depression/suicide but didn't let the blackbox warning deter me. We were working with talent professionals and we determined it was the best choice. DS was on it for @9 months. He's now in middle school and if/when he starts to spiral again, I will have no hesitation about putting him back on it. It's not a silver bullet (still need to do CBT/other therapies) but it sure is a great support. Hugs. |
Anonymous
| My son has made a tremendous turnaround from crippling anxiety and depression on Prozac. I can't say enough good things. (He is 17.) |
Anonymous
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Thank you so much. I hadn't thought of it as such a short term med and I'm happy to know that's an option.
DC did suffer black box warning from a different med for a different reason so I'm especially reluctant but this Dr didn't hesitate. We have the meds but she doesn't want to take them. In part because she's afraid of weight gain, I think. In part because she's on meds for something else too and thinks that taking meds makes her "weird". And she doesn't want to do CBT. It's very sad and I don't know how else to help. We've done lots of things to try to reduce the stress and increase the positive in her life but it hasn't helped. I want her to be happy and it's awfully hard to live with someone who's often angry and finds fault in everything. It's not fair to the siblings either. These positive responses are helpful- and thank you for the support. It's hard. 
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Anonymous
| 17 yo dd has been on it for about a year and a half. No issues whatsoever and definitely a positive turnaround. |
Anonymous
| 16 yo DD takes Prozac, after trying two other meds, one of which made her depression worse. She is doing so much better, and I am glad we finally went this route, even though we resisted it and tried therapy and other treatments first. |
Anonymous
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I can only say we have had positive experiences. My DD was so anxious when she went on a small dosage at age 13 the difference for the better was night and day! She is now 17 and it continues to help in so many ways. My other daughter now is on it for her anxiety and it has helped her too although not as dramatic.
Good luck! |
Anonymous
| It's one of the oldest and best known antidepressants and is considered very safe. My child was on a low dose, along with psychotherapy, for about 7 months at age 15. No dramatic change but seemed to help through a rough time. Now at 18, no issues or need for meds. |
Anonymous
| Funny how kids can get this stuff but adults can't. |
Anonymous
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My son who is now 12, went on Prozac when he was about 7 years old. He had school anxiety and would run out of the school kicking and screaming. Getting him to school was extremely difficult and constant issues whenever he thought about school.
We tried diet, exercise, etc. etc. but they were not effective. The doctor suggested a small dose of Prozac and it worked wonders. He was on it for about 8 months which allowed him to regain confidence and go through some therapy. The doctor called this a 'reset'. After we took him off, some of the old symptoms came back but he was calmer and was better able to control his reactions and it was manageable. He's in 7th grade now, a straight A student in AAP, well adjusted, normal level of anxiety, likes school, lots of friends, etc. Worked out great in our situation. |
Anonymous
What do you mean? Adults most certainly can and do go on Prozac and other antidepressants. Have you tried, PP? |
Anonymous
| I don't have a reference off hand, but one study showed that after all the negative publicity about Prozac causing suicidal thoughts, the number of teen suicides actually increased. The reason was that people didn't want to put their kids on the medication, i.e., not treating depression with medication was riskier than taking the drug. Note: not all depression requires medication...it should be a last option after trying everything else. |
Anonymous
Yes I tried about 10 years ago in my early 20's I was told I need to switch birth control. I explained how ever since I was about 5 I've wanted to die. I hate being alive. I cover it up wellamd pretend to be normal but everyday I wish I was dead. I'm pretty sure I have borderline personality disorder though ive been told by an ex possibly I'm bipolar. The dr just switched my bc . It did help slightly. People on here say oh take meds, it's not that easy. |
Anonymous
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My brother became suicidal on it. He was in his early 20s. I would definitely monitor moods carefully. He was already incredibly anxious and depressed when he started it and was probably taking Atavan too?
It has obviously been wonderful for many people. |