6th grade going on a SSRI

amother

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 9:52 pm

Anyone have a younger child on a SSRI? Dr is recommending it for a child that is frequently irritated, has no patience, argumentative and diagnosed as oppositional defiant. DS also has ADD and we are trying meds for that. Feeling overwhelmed as I never wanted any of my kids on meds but the family is really suffering as a result of these issues. DS goes to weekly counseling and we have tried lots of behavior modification strategies with no success. We have also tried OT for sensory issues. DS has had a full Neuropsych eval. Any helpful advice or stories of a child who was helped by these meds would be great.

amother

Silver

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 9:58 pm

My DS started in 4th grade. Very similar issues. It has made a big difference. He has gotten nowhere with therapists but the medicine has helped. He still is irritable but much less and most of the time it's not spontaneous and it's for a reason. Although sometimes not a very good one. He still has a hard time dealing with frustration. I wish he did not have to take meds but he does. Besides the fact that he is smiling, joking and easier to be around, he feels better too.

amother

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 10:05 pm

OP here, I forgot to mention that’s DS is only problematic with the oppositional defiant at home (dr said OD kids are either a problem at school or home but not both) so I am wondering how medicine will help if it wears off by time he comes home. Will ask DR but if anyone has insight that would be helpful.

amother

Red

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 10:32 pm

SSRI medication doesn't wear off, they stay in the bloodstream at a steady level. The stimulant medication does wear off.

I have ADHD children, and the combination of SSRI and stimulant seems to be the winning combo. The SSRI helps a huge amount with mood regulation

amother

Ivory

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 11:33 pm

Does he have a diagnosis that warrants the ssri? I wonder if a lot of his symptoms (both add and odd) can be stemming from atypical anxiety. In that case you would hopefully see relief with the right ssri. It would concern me to combine both add meds and the ssri for now. Do you have the option of putting add meds on hold while figuring out the ssri?

amother

Tue, Apr 09 2019, 6:13 am

According to his counselor he sees weekly she wants me to speak to Psychiatrist at his appt tonight about SSRI due to his Oppositional defiant diagnosis (through the Neuropsych he had 8 weeks ago) and failure to make improvements in his behavior through other routes we have tried over the past few years. We have the appt with the psychiatrist tonight because we are still trying to figure out the ADD meds.

ectomorph

Tue, Apr 09 2019, 9:29 am

ra_mom wrote:

Shouldn't the ADHD meds be fully figured out before adding another type of medication?

I agree. Especially an ssri that has long term health effects like weight gain.

I wouldn't start a child this young on ssri especially since most of the issues are at home which points to a situational issue.

Finally Focused is an excellent book that can help you rule out physical issues.

Has he been tested for anemia? Lead? Are his vitamin d, zinc, or magnesium levels low?

does he get enough sleep? If not, try melatonin before ssri.

Does he eat a healthy diet?

amother

Silver

Tue, Apr 09 2019, 9:43 am

My DS started on an SSRI first (2 yrs ago) and his mood improved almost immediately. He was borderline with ADD and just recently started Concerta. I agree that starting or adjusting 2 different meds at the same time is problematic.

amother

Tue, Apr 09 2019, 9:55 am

Thank you everybody. Glad people have gotten help and glad I am not alone.

With oppositional defiant one of the defining characteristics is bad behavior only in certain situations. I also blamed our parenting for years until I fully understood this. I have read almost every parenting book, taken every class and we are the most consistent parents you could ever meet not just based on our own opinions but the “nanny 911” expert we hired to observe our household as well as the two counselors we have taken our DS to over the years. No sleep issues, healthiest eater out of all my kids (which all eat well) and none of the vitamin deficiencies you mentioned. ALL were checked.

I am also concerned about getting both meds right. The behavior issues are actually much more problematic then the ADD. Will see what doctor says tonight. I don’t think anyone involved is interested in over medicating or taking things to fast BH.

Would love to hear more from other mommies!

ectomorph

Tue, Apr 09 2019, 10:23 am

I would still try to get the adhd meds right. Removing the impulsive/immediate gratification part might help a lot with the other issues.

I'm not an expert in this but oppositional defiance seems more of a behavioral issue than depression, anxiety which is usually what leads to needing ssris.

If he's in a bad mood and therefore disobedient, wouldn't that carry over to school.

amother

Cobalt

Tue, Apr 09 2019, 10:35 am

amother wrote:

If you are considering putting your child on an SSRI, you must be absolutely certain that there is no history of bipolar disorder in your family.

Mentioning this from experience. An SSRI can trigger mania in someone with a genetic predisposition to it, and is something you need to be aware of.