Re: Medication Question - SSRIs

[Guest guest]

I do plan to read the " Files " re: medications at this site.

Dot

>

> My dd (17 yrs) likely will have to be put on SSRI drugs. She's had OCD since

age 11 & the social anxiety has crept in the last 4-5 yrs. The psychologist

mentioned zoloft, etc. to be taken at high doses - 40mg to 100mg, though they'd

start at a lower dose & work up as needed.

>

[Guest guest]

My 7 year old is on 75 milligrams of Zoloft, which from what I understand

is a mild to moderate dosage. She has benefited tremendously from the

Zoloft. She still acts and feels like " herself, " she is just better able to

manage her compulsions and intense emotions. She does have some

sleeplessness and decreased appetite, but this has not led to any weight

loss. She just weighed in at the doctor yesterday.

Going on an SSRI does not foretell a lifetime dependency on medication. As

your daughter matures and enters different phases of her life, she may be

able to completely manage her anxieties through cognitive techniques. At

other times in her life she may need the assistance of medication for a

year or two. Or, perhaps she will be like my husband and require lifelong

medication in order to have a good quality of life. The point is the

medication improves quality of life if taken when needed.

My daughter is too emotionally immature to cope with her OCD. She needs the

help the Zoloft gives. She was too overwhelmed to do the cognitive work.

She will likely be on medication until her later teens or her college

years. But during this time we will continue to weekly work on her methods

for coping, which will serve her when she is off the meds. Ideally no one

would need medication, but it does help, and if it helps and you need help,

I say go for it.

On Tue, Nov 22, 2011 at 8:07 AM, soccer_space wrote:

> **

>

>

> My dd (17 yrs) likely will have to be put on SSRI drugs. She's had OCD

> since age 11 & the social anxiety has crept in the last 4-5 yrs. The

> psychologist mentioned zoloft, etc. to be taken at high doses - 40mg to

> 100mg, though they'd start at a lower dose & work up as needed.

>

> The dr. feels that the social anxiety is currently more debilitating than

> the OCD, but the OCD is continuing & we see symptoms daily that keep

> recurring. The dr. thinks dd needs the meds to progress before even more

> time passes & she misses her chance to develop the most basic social

> skills. She won't even do the social exposures - avoids them instead.

>

> Is there an SSRI that causes less weight gain than others? What

> experiences have you had with side effects at high doses of SSRIs? Will I

> be able to tell if she has suicidal thoughts/etc. as a side effect or will

> dd have to tell me?

>

> Has anyone had success taking drugs for 1-2 yrs. then getting off them &

> dealing with OCD/social anxiety without the drugs? I'm worried she won't

> get off them if she starts.

>

> Thanks, I have no experience with any of these drugs & am scared to have

> dd take them, although the dr. assures me they are safe. It's hard for me

> to see a future of any quality for dd right now & the drug issue just makes

> me picture her drug dependent & still dysfunctional.

>

> Dot

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

My daughter has had OCD and trich (compulsive hair pulling) all her life. By

2nd grade it was apparent she needed medication because she was too afraid of

most foods to eat. By 4th grade she had been on some OCD meds, but none helped

the trich. In 4th grade she was really off the wall both trich and OCD-wise.

By that I mean her fears were bizarre and caused her to have melt-downs, and she

had very short, pulled hair. I got the psychiatrist to have her try the OCD med

Anafranil, which has always worked so well for me, and the change was

miraculous. My daughter is 12 and now has long, beautiful hair and she thinks

in a more rational manner. She is doing so much better in every way. I have no

desire to take her off medication at any point in the near future because of how

well she is doing.

Medication Question - SSRIs

My dd (17 yrs) likely will have to be put on SSRI drugs. She's had OCD since age

11 & the social anxiety has crept in the last 4-5 yrs. The psychologist

mentioned zoloft, etc. to be taken at high doses - 40mg to 100mg, though they'd

start at a lower dose & work up as needed.

The dr. feels that the social anxiety is currently more debilitating than the

OCD, but the OCD is continuing & we see symptoms daily that keep recurring. The

dr. thinks dd needs the meds to progress before even more time passes & she

misses her chance to develop the most basic social skills. She won't even do the

social exposures - avoids them instead.

Is there an SSRI that causes less weight gain than others? What experiences

have you had with side effects at high doses of SSRIs? Will I be able to tell

if she has suicidal thoughts/etc. as a side effect or will dd have to tell me?

Has anyone had success taking drugs for 1-2 yrs. then getting off them & dealing

with OCD/social anxiety without the drugs? I'm worried she won't get off them

if she starts.

Thanks, I have no experience with any of these drugs & am scared to have dd take

them, although the dr. assures me they are safe. It's hard for me to see a

future of any quality for dd right now & the drug issue just makes me picture

her drug dependent & still dysfunctional.

Dot

[Guest guest]

I'll just second 's answer, well written!

Without " looking " right now, what I can recall about the SSRIs -

The first one may not work well, be willing to try another.

Paxil is worst for weight gain.

Prozac - I've read can be activating for some people? Works great for those who

do take it of course. Thought maybe my couch potato OCD sound could use a

little activation though, lol, but he used Celexa.

Celexa - is skinny, still today at 22, too skinny, could use some

weight. He didn't gain any on Celexa, I've read some gain 10 lbs or a little

more. Someone else may tell you they gained more than that, it just differs for

each person.

Those are the 3 that I can think of things to say about right now. But they're

all good meds for OCD and those they work for. Each SSRI is different so one

doesn't work for everyone when treating OCD. (I know you know that already.)

Do keep us posted. What does your daughter say? Does she feel the social

anxiety is separate from the OCD - or that the OCD is what is causing it

(feeling weird or something)?

>

> Is there an SSRI that causes less weight gain than others? What experiences

have you had with side effects at high doses of SSRIs? Will I be able to tell

if she has suicidal thoughts/etc. as a side effect or will dd have to tell me?

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for all the comments on my question. I really appreciate the help.

Dot

>

> My dd (17 yrs) likely will have to be put on SSRI drugs. She's had OCD since

age 11 & the social anxiety has crept in the last 4-5 yrs. The psychologist

mentioned zoloft, etc. to be taken at high doses - 40mg to 100mg, though they'd

start at a lower dose & work up as needed.

>

>