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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by msurtees on November 19, 2004, at 21:50:33
Hello.
My son has been diagnosed with a minor case of turrets syndrome and and adhd. He's been taking straterra which has made a huge difference in allowing him to focus on school work and everything else (he's 9yrs old).
A final issue we've been dealing with is very high anxiety and loss of all focus when he's in larger groups of people, ie. the classroom...he has some minor learning disabilities.
Anyway...today he was prescribed 10mg of Celexa to help with the anxiety.
Sounds good to me...but...isn't there alot of stuff today talking about kids and suicide/self-harm with these??
Thanks.
Posted by jasmineneroli on November 20, 2004, at 0:59:10
In reply to Son and Celexa, posted by msurtees on November 19, 2004, at 21:50:33
Hi
Until very recently I worked in the school system with kids with behavioural and psychiatric problems.
I've experienced many with the Tourrettes/ADHD/Anxiety triad. My heart goes out to you and your son.
Although he's young, it's not at all unusual to combine a stimulant like Strattera or Ritalin with an SSRI in a low dose, like 10mg Celexa. He may get a little worse in anxiety at first as he adjusts to it. Just monitor him carefully.
Some things to note:
1) If the drugs to appear to work, DON'T take weekend or vacation "holidays" off them. I dealt with many boys who had "re-bound" crashes and terrible behaviour etc. They need to be taken consistently.
2) Don't make your son responsible for taking his own meds. I saw that all too often with disastrous results.
3) Consider a part time schedule at his school, if that's at all workable. These kids find a busy school with constant changes of activity and routine, very very stressful. The more stress they're exposed to, the worse their symptoms become. A shorter school day, at this point in his education, might be very helpful. If his meds get sorted out, and adjusted for increasing body weight (& puberty -yikes!!)and he has a GOOD school experience now, his Middle School/High School years will be much more successful.
Best of luck to you both :)
Jas
Posted by chailatte on November 20, 2004, at 9:33:50
In reply to Re: Son and Celexa » msurtees, posted by jasmineneroli on November 20, 2004, at 0:59:10
Hi, it is true that there is a lot of negative publicity for AD's causing children to become suicidal and try to take their lives. On the other hand, many people worry that depriving a young person of an AD that they need can have its own drastic consequences. I think the key is monitoring your son while he is beginning the Celexa and calling the doctor if you notice changes in him that are alarming.
Posted by ants on November 22, 2004, at 14:25:51
In reply to Son and Celexa, posted by msurtees on November 19, 2004, at 21:50:33
Hi. I am 24 y/o and have Tourettes and depression and anxiety. Congratulations on getting your son diagnosed and treated. I was not "officially" diagnosed until 2 years ago, and although I knew I had TS, and I am sure my family did too, no one would talk about it and of course I never asked for help. It made school very difficult-it sounds like you and your son are already on a healthy path. The worst part about TS for me is when I have to be in a large group. I always feel like everyone is watching me and it makes it difficult to concentrate. This could also be affecting your son and exacerbating his ADHS symptoms.
Is your son taking anything for his Tourettes specifically (to control tics) or only for the ADHD and anxiety? I started out treating the tics with a low dose of clonodine, which has been really effective for mild tics, and now I am taking Effexor (an AD) which has allowed me to lower the clonodine even more. My neurologist's thought is that if I can deal with my depression and anxiety, the tics will be minimal and not so bothersome.
Anyway, I just wanted to share. Keep in mind that all of his diagnoses are very closely related and over time, his tics might change dramatically. Tics will breed more anxiety, and vice versa, so it will be important to monitor him and make ajustments as necessary. Keeping a journal or log might help.
Good luck!
Ants
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