Do you think a doctor would put a 13 year old on Prozac?

Answer 1

Unfortunately YES. I'm in Canada, I was put on Clonazepam (klonopin) at age 13, throughout my teenage years, I saw many different Psychiatrists etc.. and was on way too much medication, at one point I was on 12 different medications, all in one day. Now that I'm an adult, and I see what they did to me, I feel it important to let people know...

Helping the 13yr old find out ways to solve their problem cognitively, it will help them a lot more in the long run. Medication can help, but a lot of Dr.'s do OVER MEDICATE young patients. You should talk to the DR, and ask why they think prozac is nessicary, and if there are any alternate treatments available.

Answer 2

No, well yes, but I don't think anyone under 18 [or anyone at all for that matter] should take any drugs of that nature. They have serious side effects including suicidal intentions. I was put on Zoloft when I was 14 years old and I was [literally] almost nuts. I had tremors, I would sweat, and it definitely didn't help my depression any. I suggest talking to your doctor about other routes to take. Like someone else said, just because they'll prescribe it, doesn't mean you should take it. There are many other things you can do to improve your well-being. Drugs aren't always the right answer.

Answer 3

Prozac is a very harsh antidepressant so the doctor would probably start them on a different one first. There are so many of them out there that they have a few to choose from.

Answer 4

While no antidepressant is approved for use in people under 18, there has been sufficient research in certain conditions that support the use of antidepressants in those situations.

However, this does not extend to all (or even most) children, and the use of these medications for children who their parents think are depressed (or any problem) without an adequate evaluation is not a good idea for ANY medication, not just antidepressants.

As always, these questions should be_discussed_ with your doctor.

Answer 5

A doctor would, but I don't think antidepressants are a good idea for most people. Only in extreme situations. Maybe. Most depression can be handled other ways, like eating a better diet that is high in Omega-3's, tryptophan (found in turkey), flax seeds, and some other foods. And avoiding processed sugar and other processed foods. Also, get your kid playing outside and spending time with friends or finding an activity s/he really likes.

Antidepressants are dangerous.
1st- you don't learn how do deal with things, just pop pills,
2nd- you can't miss a dose or suddenly stop because some people who do this can become (the gunman at VTech for example).

http://www.lifetechnology.org/blog/2006/08/brain-foods.html
http://www.organicconsumers.org/school/depression041405.cfm

Answer 6

I was 12 when my doctor put me on prozac... very inappropriately in my opinion. I had a very chaotic family life and went through a phase where I got in trouble and acted out a lot... so they decided to try to numb my brain I suppose.

Children much younger than 13 are routinely put on mental medications... so to answer your question, yes. In my opinion, medication should be a last option, but it seems more often than not, it's the first.

Answer 7

Kids are already overmedicated. Some of the concerns that I would have as a parent would be the hormonal changes as well as the potential for kids to experiment with recreational drugs.

What are the alternatives to Prozac? Has this been discussed yet?

Answer 8

Depends on the doctor, but I work with a psychiatrist who does order prozac for teenagers on a fairly regular basis, so it's definitely not out of the question.

Answer 9

Yes. A recent study just came out proving efficacy of SSRI anti-depressants in children and adolescents. If your doctor believes he should be on Prozac, then you should discuss potential benefits/risks with him.

Answer 10

I was nine when I started taking meds. Now I'm 22 and it seems like everytime something goes wrong, my doc increases the dose. Don't be in a rush to get pills for an easy way out, sometimes they're not all they're cracked up to be.