Is this the right meds. for him.
My 9yr old son is on lexapro 10mgs for anxiety about going to school?
Question posted by m jane on 11 Sep 2009
Last updated on 28 May 2019 by kkobe
5 Answers
kkobe
28 May 2019
Hi M Jane,
I’m not here to tell you he shouldn’t take lexapro, but PLEASE be aware of the side effects of coming off the meds if he ever decides to do so. The longer he’s on it the harder it’ll be. I was on for 8 years (I’m young in my 20s) and the side effects of coming off have been miserable and potentially permanent. From GI issues to heart, these were things I never had before/while I was on the medication until I came off and I was a full time athlete. If you do some research you’ll find a lot of similar stories. Prozac (another SSRI) has a half life MUCH longer than lexapro so it’s a lot easier to come off and very well tolerated. I’ll be honest I was pretty upset that none of my providers ever let me know what could happen when coming off of the meds, and how much worse it would be if I were on it long term. It may be worth asking.
A lot of providers dumb down the symptoms/side effects of coming off primarily because it isn’t well researched and they attribute the effects to ‘new medical issues.’ Not to scare you but absolutely something to keep in mind. I was on 10mg for 8 years, however some people have reported bad withdrawal symptoms even after short term use. I’ve had 6 different providers (physiatrists, internal med, etc) tell me its one of the more intense medications and by far the most difficult to come off of the SSRIs. Hope this helps!
Kobe
Inactive
28 May 2019
My 8 year old daughter has suffered from anxiety since kindergarten. She is nauseous every single morning. She use to even throw up in kindergarten. Last year a neurologist saw her for 5 minutes and put her on 10 mg of lexapro. I waited till this year to try her on it and an anxious child became a super anxious child. Now she won't even go to the bathroom at home alone. I took her off the meds because it was clear that it was only making her worse. I wish I knew the answer to this problem. I had the same anxieties growing up but that was during a time when parents ignored a lot of what was going on. I don't want my child suffering like I did but trying to find a solution is a trying matter. I have recently set her up to start therapy and hoping that will help. Please let me know if you come up with anything else.
evadf
14 Sep 2009
Seek another physician and get some additional options. Clinical trial of these drugs are rarely done on children therefor results unknown. Suicide rates and anti-depressant use in children a concern. Maybe alternative schooling or put on hold until ready. I have three children of my own and know how tough it can be. I wish you both the best of luck.
dave
izzothecat
12 Sep 2009
I had a client with a similar problem, only he would begin crying before stepping out of the front door. The main issue behind it all was separation anxiety. It was an extremely bad case... so much so that the boy had missed enough days that he was looking at having to retake 2nd grade if the problem wasn't fixed soon. The mother couldn't bear to see her son in that much distress, and a cycle began in which each day when she would arrive at school, the boy would kick and scream as if being tortured. Eventually, the mother would just feel awful and allow her son to go back home with her.
If you were to take a guess at how long it required to fix this problem completely, what would you honestly guess? No drugs were used... it was all cognitive behavioral therapy. First, in order to break the cycle that had built, the separation was made substantially less significant by having the child take the bus rather than be driven by the mother (and a close friend--a neighbor--was the person who accompanied the boy to the bus). Then the bus driver would greet the child and keep him comfortable until they reached school (at which point--in this case--his teacher met him as he came off of the bus, and they walked to class together). Thus, there was no more drawn-out ordeal where the mother would feel terrible after a certain amount of her child's crying and screaming, and the boy adjusted almost immediately to this new routine. This took 3 days in total; after the initial three days of these changes, the child gradually became more comfortable with the entire process, and the teacher reported a significant increase in the child's social interaction with fellow classmates.
My point in briefly outlining this one case is two-fold: 1) The majority of our society is hooked by the biomedical approach to problems... and it's no wonder. There is a drug touted for every single problem out there. However, what most people fail to realize is that psychiatry is merely one option among numerous other treatment methods, and 2) (perhaps more importantly) it is one thing for adults to experience the "art of psychiatry," but to the still-developing brain of a child, the effects of ANY drug (whether or not it available by prescription is irrelevant, as it is still--in its simplest definition--a toxin that is foreign to the human body) are completely unpredictable. Physicians and psychiatrists feel safe turning straight to Lexapro because it causes few side effects in adults (I don't know how many of them are prescribing anti-depressants to children for anxiety, but I sure hope the answer is, "not many"), as well as because of one simple fact: Doctors (and an M.D. is the same degree a psychiatrist has) only know how to fix problems with medications. That is what they were trained to do, and that is why they are the only professionals who can write prescriptions.
If you take some time to read the forum on Lexapro (on this same site), you will see that there are several prominent worries among ADULTS who are (or have been) given this seemingly and relatively harmless drug. The largest of these issues are the withdrawal symptoms experienced when attempting to come-off of Lexapro, and the agreement among most patients (which is backed by research findings) that Lexapro seriously alters your metabolism. In a child, who knows what the results might cause... and I write "who knows" because that's the truth... nobody knows because nobody has researched the effects on children (because it is not meant to be prescribed for children).
In summary, please know that I am not trying to make you "anti-drug" or anything like that. I am simply stating that you should look into this specific drug being used in children for this specific case, and see what you are able to learn. Also, as I stated in the very beginning, remember that there are many other effective methods available; perhaps just talking with someone else (or taking some time to sit down and think about it) will help you to better understand where your son's problems are coming from, as well as what is being done to make this problem worse and better.
I only caution you because of the fact that your son is so young (and as I already said, the long-term effects of medications are unpredictable). For instance, even in its simplest form, this one seemingly harmless prescription could result in the modeling of behavior... that is, it may increase your son's likelihood to seek a pharmacological fix whenever he encounters a problem later in life. Thus, my main point is simply that you do some homework on this issue (particularly the drug and its use in children), weigh the potential benefits against any potential risks, think of any possible underlying causes for your son's problem (i.e., what might be causing his stress?) and--in the end--you will feel a lot better with whatever choice you make (because you will have learned more about it, as well as compared and contrasted the recommendations of other professionals).
Sorry for such a long message, and I hope that everything works out for the best. Good luck, and take care
clm1970
16 Sep 2009
No problem, you are absolutely correct. These medications are given out many, "most" times, after spending 15 minutes or less, with the individual (s), without much or deep, forethought into why they are prescribing the medication (s). Many times, it turns out to be "poly-pharmacy," and the meds are stacked, one atop another. Then, they are seen, and repeated over, over. As time passes, many persons are not considered for other interventions, such as, most important, some type of therapy to address the issues. Simply, they are just "drugged," without the benefit of the above, complicating and only adding to a dysfunctional and challenging situation. Best regards, Cindy.
clm1970
11 Sep 2009
Hi M Jane, how much lexapro is your son taking? Obviously his symptoms were so vegetative that you and your provider made a decision to medicate him. Overally, Lexapro is a good choice, it is the daughter drug of Celexa, and only difference between the two, besides price, is that the Lexapro is more serotonin speficic. Theoretically, it should give a more therapetic response. Serotonin, is the brain chemical, that is supposed to make you feel happy or more able to tolerate stressors more effecticely without decompensating. Is he in therapy also? In my practice, I have found that while the client is taking the psychotropic medciations and participating in some type of therapy to work on building skills, whether at your local community mental healht center, private therapist, or even the guidance counsoler at your child's learning establishment.
I will say that I am impressed with your provider and yourself finding the etiology of the symptoms, which very very well could have been misdiagnosed that poplur diagnosis, ADHD. Make sure he takes the medication with solid protien so as to prevent gastric dumping and will not let medication work as well as it should. GOOD LOOK
If you get an opporutntity, look at : www.healing-arts.org
Escpecially Dr. Mehl featured on that siet.
m jane
11 Sep 2009
Thank you for your insight it was very helpful. My son is on 10mg he is 9yrs old and 110 lbs The anxiety going to school is really-he cries "I can't do this!" Teachers have to drag him to his class. When he is home he is fine. Do you think I should ask his Doctor to increase the lexapro
clm1970
12 Sep 2009
Do you think that he is just around too many people in the classroom, is someone he is sitting to bullying him or making threats, or is there a certain subject, that when it is time for that, he looses control? Before I would raise the medication, I know it is difficult with such busy lives, but I would get together, in the same room son's teacher, guidance representative or social worker, yourself of course (bring a friend with you for moral support), school nurse and psychologist. Then, I would convene the meeting and inform them that some how, your son's educational needs are not being met, even though he is doing his part taking the medication. There is some education based barrier blocking your son's progress, they need to figure out what it is so that he may go forth with his job of learning as they do in their respective capacities. If the problem or challenge is thrown back, as it is for you to fix.
Then, I would tell them, and submit in writing you are calling for your child to be considered for educational testing which you want to and expect to include an occcupational therapy assessment of his writing skills, and not having dysgraphia, simply means difficulty when write. Please to to www.ldonline.com for questions, guidance. I wish for your son peace and to you also, clm1970
izzothecat
12 Sep 2009
"Serotonin, is the brain chemical, that is supposed to make you feel happy or more able to tolerate stressors more effecticely without decompensating."
Key word here is "supposed to." The more correct phrasing would be, "this is the basis of the 'biochemical dysfunction hypothesis' of depression and anxiety." Unfortunately, this hypothesis has no research to back it up, particularly as we cannot determine whether or not an individual has a "biochemical imbalance." One thing is for sure, however. Drugs such as Lexapro (merely one of the isomers of Celexa--which was produced because Celexa lost its patent, went generic and the pharmaceutical company needed a new way to make money--and this is the quickest way to do that nowadays), Celexa (the racemic form), and any other SSRIs/SNRIs can cause a chemical imbalance in an individuals brain.
The child is 9-years-old, his brain is still forming, and you want to pour chemicals into the equation? I agree with the therapy comments (as well as the need to identify the underlying reasons for his significant distress and anxiety about going to school), but I do not see how one can advocate resorting to medications as the first line of response to a problem... especially as it is based off of a theory with no empirical support. Multiply it by 100 because the patient is 9-years-old.
clm1970
12 Sep 2009
Hello, I kindly appreciate your phrasing of the serotonin hypothesis. To be exactly correct, Lexopro inhibits centeral nervous system neuronal uptake, per Mosby. Further, I would never or did I advocate that any psychotropic medication intervention be "first line," and stand alone the miracle answer for the situation. However, each situation should be evaluated and consideration extended to all elements. In this young person's situation, I agree with the Lexapro due to the vegetative nature of his symptoms, inability to function, and overall compromised quality of life. However, if you note, I did not suggest that this be the only intervention or cure for his situation. It should not stand alone, and there need to be exterior, outside supportive interventions whether in the classroom via an IEP (Individual Educational Plan), with accomodations specific to support his learning needs.
He may be challenged with a learning disability such as Dyscalcula ( Impairment of the ability to solve mathematical problems, usually resulting from brain dysfunction, per Answers.com), and potential others. Supportive sessions with the school or private therapist could be, in my opinion should be, involved with this young person to work on attaining, implementing and practicing effective coping skills not only to work through his current situation, but strong, positive skills that he will be able to utilize in other situations as he matures. Again, although psychiatry has a heinous instinct to see the patient and automatically medicate, expect the medication to stand alone, and if no improvement in symptoms seen, they just continue to increase the medication or add on five more. Then you get "Polypharmacy." Clinicians, who utilize the aforementioned method, is not and never will be my approach. As we all know, every person is different, and knowing this, every person's presentaton, intervention (whether medicine or enviromental), and treatment should be formulated in a unique way to be suit the person but again, not stand alone. Thank you. CLM1970
izzothecat
12 Sep 2009
I obviously offended you... and honestly, that was not my intention at all. I noted that I agreed with your comments on seeking therapy as an adjunct to the Lexapro. More importantly, the main reason for this misunderstanding is due to the fact that the answer I posted over 9 hours ago is still "being reviewed" and should have appeared beforehand. Regardless of this fact, though, I apologize for upsetting you; my comment was certainly not directed toward you.
Rather, I was merely responding to the general manner in which psychotropic drugs are handed-out like candy on Halloween, and at times it seems that from reading another person's case, you wonder if the graduates of Ross Medical School in the Caribbean are actually allowed to return to the US to practice now! These drugs are explained to patients (who TRUST the words of their doctor) as safe, and then given to people by doctors (GPs and psychiatrists alike) that tend to see a patient for 7 minutes every 3 months... and their busy schedules of writing prescriptions for 100 people per day seems to keep them "out of the loop" when it comes to the research that they should be paying attention to (if they are adamant about their career, then they will be informed about the research... however, the trend for clinical practice to lag ~2 years behind the research is most troubling, and I was merely making the point that a problem such as this is increased exponentially when applied to anyone under the age of 25 (when the brain has fully developed), let alone a 9-year-old). See, I did it again. It is just a rant--not towards you, but towards the inadequacies of many so-called medical professionals.
So, once more, I am sincerely sorry for provoking you; although it was not my intention to do so, they were my words, and I apologize for offending you.
(and my post still has not appeared!)
Take care,
Kiera
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- Lexapro uses and safety info
- Lexapro prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Lexapro (detailed)
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