Lovan

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My sons pead has written out a script for lovan for my son. He wants him to start on half a tab tonight. He thinks his anxiety is comorbid and pretty bad. He wants us to try and get it under control before it turns into anything else.

I didn't want J on meds- but I can't leave him like he is. His anxiety is really effecting his quality of life. Has anyone else had any experience with lovan. The doctor first sugested rysperdole or rispiredone (cant spell sorry) but I didn't want this because my mum had had this med for psychotic behaviour and I didn't like what it did to her.

Nobody likes their child being on medication but sometimes it's the lesser of two evils. There's a lot more known about medications nowadays and the side effects are right there on the internet for you to look up. You'll find supporters of medications (and detractors) at WP. Ultimately, as a parent, it's up to you to keep a close eye on your son and stop the medication if you feel that it's having the wrong effect. Your mother probably didn't have someone so informed and so closely watching her.

Find out if the doctor can give you a form. The one we use for my child's ADHD medication is called the "Vanderbilt" form. You fill one out, then your child's teacher fills one out and they are looked at together to see how well it's working for him and how much the side effects are effecting him.

Helps to keep an "eye" on everything.

keep in mind also that not every med works for every body.......there are plenty of anti-anxiety meds out there that your doc could try- if lovan doesn't work, you could try a different med.

Lovan = prozac.

SSRIs are known to increase suicide risk in children, so keep an eye on him.

Also, prozac is also known to INCREASE anxiety, so it may end up making the problem worse.

There are many other treatments for anxiety that don't have harmful side effects.

First try various exercises such as yoga, tai chi, pilates, or even running and biking can be helpful. Have a relaxation room with dim, warm lighting and calming music playing. There is behavior modification therapy that helps one control the mind, and stop anxiety before it becomes a panic attack. There are breathing exercises, meditation, mindfulness and psychotherapy that can be tried as well. Even a placebo has been shown to provide relief of anxiety symptoms.

Even after all those methods have been tried, I still would never, ever put my son on prozac. The risks and side effects outweigh any possible benefit for children.

Just a few points of note based on the Wikipedia article for Lovan;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoxetine

It says Panic disorder.... Is that the same as anxiety?

and... just a few things to watch out for - Also from Wikipedia, I've skipped words (replaced by ...) to improve clarity and shorten.




Of note is the fact that the most common side-effect which resulted in the discontinuation of the drug is ... anxiety.

An anti-anxiety drug with anxiety as a side-effect?

So, now you know the side-effects to watch out for.

Good luck.

I always thought i would never medicate my child, but now my thoughts have changed a bit. I think you are his Mum and you know him best. I think if i saw my son really suffer i would at least try it. My Mum always advises me to 'try it', with things. We would never think twice about giving our children medication for an illness, somehow medication for mental health is not as socially accepted!! Your doctor has prescribed it, id say keep notes and give it a go, never know it could be perfect for him. Xx

FD, there's a reason for this, and it's not just social stigma. Let's compare 2 medications and see why someone might be comfortable giving their child one over the other.

One medicine I've given my son is Benedryl, when he came down with hives all over his body.

Diphenhydramine can commonly cause sedation, tiredness, sleepiness, dizziness, disturbed coordination, drying and thickening of oral and other respiratory secretions, and stomach distress. Diphenhydramine may also cause low blood pressure, palpitations, increased heart rate, confusion, nervousness, irritability, blurred vision, double vision, tremor, loss or appetite, or nausea. Diphenhydramine should be used with caution (if at all) in persons with narrow-angle glaucoma, prostatic hypertrophy (enlarged prostate gland), hyperthyroidism, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and asthma.

Tremor, palpitations and increased heart rate might be serious side effects. I probably wouldn't dose my kid again if these happened to him. I probably wouldn't risk dosing him daily with those side effects either.

Now let's look at side effects for Prozac. Keep in mind, there have been no long-term studies on the side effects of prozac in children, so there could be a lot more things we don't know about:

SIDE EFFECTS: Nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhea, dry mouth, trouble sleeping, dizziness, drowsiness, yawning, weakness, or sweating may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these serious side effects occur: unusual or severe mental/mood changes (e.g., anxiety, mania), weight loss, change in sexual desire and ability, vision changes. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur: uncontrolled movements (tremor), fever/flu-like symptoms. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these highly unlikely but very serious side effects occur: unusual muscle stiffness, fast/irregular heartbeats, chest pain, black stools, vomit that looks like coffee grounds, easy bruising/bleeding, unusual bleeding, seizures. For males, in the very unlikely event you have a painful, prolonged erection (lasting more than 4 hours), stop using this drug and seek immediate medical attention or permanent problems could occur. A serious allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction include: rash, itching, swelling, severe dizziness, trouble breathing. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

DRUG INTERACTIONS: Certain medications taken with this product could result in serious, possibly fatal, drug interactions. Avoid taking MAO inhibitors (e.g., furazolidone, isocarboxazid, linezolid, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, selegiline, tranylcypromine) with or within 2 weeks of starting fluoxetine or at least 5 weeks after stopping it. Also avoid taking thioridazine with this medication or within 5 weeks after stopping treatment. Consult your doctor for more information. This drug should not be used with the following medications because very serious (possibly fatal) interactions may occur: astemizole, terfenadine. If you are currently using any of these medications, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting fluoxetine. Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: certain anti-anxiety drugs (e.g., alprazolam, diazepam, buspirone), other SSRI anti-depressants (e.g., citalopram, sertraline), tricyclic anti-depressants (e.g., amitriptyline, imipramine), other anti-depressant drugs (e.g., nefazodone, trazodone, venlafaxine), anti-seizure drugs (e.g., carbamazepine, phenytoin), atomoxetine, dextromethorphan, certain herbal products (e.g., ayahuasca, St John's wort), isoniazid, lithium, meperidine, drugs to treat migraines (e.g., ergotamine, "triptans" such as sumatriptan), pentazocine, psychiatric medications (e.g., aripiprazole, clozapine, haloperidol, pimozide, risperidone), tramadol, tryptophan, weight loss drugs (e.g., sibutramine, phentermine), drugs removed from your system by certain liver enzymes (CYP 2D6 substrates such as amphetamines, flecainide, metoprolol, propafenone, vinblastine), other drugs which can cause bleeding/bruising (e.g., thrombolytic drugs such as TPA, anticoagulants such as heparin or warfarin, antiplatelet drugs including NSAIDs such as ibuprofen). Low-dose aspirin (usually 81-325 mg per day) for heart attack or stroke prevention should be continued unless your doctor instructs you otherwise. Aspirin is similar to NSAID drugs, and can increase the risk of bleeding in combination with this medication (see above). Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you also take drugs that cause drowsiness such as: certain antihistamines (e.g., diphenhydramine), medicine for sleep (e.g., sedatives), muscle relaxants, narcotic pain relievers (e.g., codeine), tranquilizers. Check all prescription and nonprescription medicine labels carefully (e.g., cough-and-cold products, pain relievers/fever reducers) for ingredients which may increase the risk of side effects. Ask your pharmacist about the safe use of those products. Do not start or stop any medicine without doctor or pharmacist approval.

In clinical studies, antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children and adolescents with depression and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of Prozac or any other antidepressant in a child or adolescent must balance this risk with the clinical need. Prozac is approved for treating major depression in children 8 years and older and for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder in children 7 years and older.

Additionally, the progression of major depression is associated with a worsening of symptoms and/or the emergence of suicidal thinking or behavior in both adults and children, whether or not they are taking antidepressants. Individuals being treated with Prozac and their caregivers should watch for any change in symptoms or any new symptoms that appear suddenly—especially agitation, anxiety, hostility, panic, restlessness, extreme hyperactivity, and suicidal thinking or behavior—and report them to the doctor immediately. Be especially observant at the beginning of treatment or whenever there is a change in dose.

All that info sure is scary. I really dont know what I would do if one day I was in the same position as the OP. It is very hard for a Mum to watch her child suffer like that, maybe there really is no other choice.

I do hope I dont have to face decisions such as these in the future, but it is good to have people put forward the pros and cons. I'm sure all the info given will really help.

Its so difficult for his Mum, I wish her all the best in her decision for her child xx

Your right this has been an extremely difficult decision. But its something I have to try, I am watching him extremely closely. I got a print out from the chemist/pharmacy. I have looked everything up on the net-yep even all the really bad stuff- I'm not taking this lightly. My mother committed suicide nearly 7 years ago and she was on anti depressants, I always swore I would never give my son drugs. But whats better- watching my boy be terrified at the drop of a hat, lack of sleep due to recurrent night mares, beliefs in the end of the world, constant panic attacks, ocd getting much much worse, and the list goes on- we could all help him deal with these things even though they are bad, IF thats as bad as it got- but its getting worse, his self esteem is very very low as well and getting lower.

I dont plan on allowing this to be an ongoing thing, I figure a while on this (not sure how long) perhaps a few months I don't know, whilst some good cognitive therapy and phsycoloigst therapy takes place. At this stage the therapist cant even get close to him, its going to take months before he can trust her. I had to do something, before this turned into something else.
Being in a state of depression, constant panic, fear and low self esteem can lead to other more sinister mental health issues- where if that happened perhaps my choices would be taken away.

I have given copies of the drug info to my sons school (they have red flagged it for all teachers) and a copy to his autism program teachers. We are all watching him very closely. He started this med on Monday, its now Wed and I have already been back to the chemist, to have then answer some questions. At this stage I am hoping for some postive changes for his sake, but I will be prepared to take him off this med (in a controlled environment) at this first sign of things going bad.

At this stage I think Im hoping for some support. I understand if you cant give that, I to wasnt able to offer support to other parents that have been in similar situations in the past. For that I apologise.

I'm sorry that I can't offer much support for Lovan being reasonably unfamiliar with the drug however my eldest son is on Ritalin and I know how much heartache it is for a parent to put their child onto medication.

The best thing you can do is familiarize yourself with the good and bad aspects, raise awareness in people who will come into contact with your child and keep close watch on things.

In other words - do everything you've already done. You're obviously doing a fine job of parenting since you've done everything necessary. You'll find that some people are simply "against medication" and will criticize you and I'm sorry but you just have to toughen yourself against them - you can't reason with them. You know your child best and as a parent, you have their best interests at heart.

One thing that you might want to do at some point is work out what dosage would be suitable for you (it's usually based on weight) and take some just to see how your son feels. It will enable you to better empathize with him if he talks about it. Also, testing on yourself will give you a good idea of how the drug will react with your family's genetic makeup. It should be quite safe - they wouldn't have prescribed it for children otherwise.

making medication decisions is never easy..........all the side effects can be very scary.....in our case, the benefits of medication far outweigh the possible negative side effects.. ... fortunately, son hasn't exhibited any negative side effects. when he first started on meds, we watched him carefully.
i, myself, am on meds. it is a personal decision. i feel better on meds than not on meds....my son , age 16, also feels better when he takes his meds vs. when he's forgotten to take his meds- he reports feeling much more agitated without his Prozac. ...we tried all sorts of natural remedies, and did not have any luck with them.