Opinions on Child Taking Zoloft

Hi B.,

I've taken the time to read all of the posts you have received, and there are some pretty varied opinions out there... so I'll add my two cents!

There are so many different treatments out there, it's overwhelming, not to mention scary. Sometimes, I think that simple, back to the basics methods are the best place to start.

I agree with those who say diet and counseling. They don't even have a solid diagnosis for this child, so why start with experimental therapies and medicine?? Start simple and take it from there.

You are being such a good friend to help out with this - good luck and let us know what happens.

I guess I would question why the child is anxious and why isn't that being addressed? They very well may need to put her on something, but I agree that zoloft is a heavy hitter for a first reaction. Why not something simple like a little xanax or even a low dose valium. But that would only be IF meds are really needed. The anxiety needs to be addressed first, in my opinion.

In good health,

Lori K

I have found that there are often better solutions than medications, but they are not as commonly known or as readily available in most circumstances.

I am a therapist that specializes in completely natural treatments that have proven highly effective for children with specific learning and brain processing difficulties. Most children with symptoms that are diagnosed as ADD or ADHD are suffering with a confusion of brain function that does not appear to have a structural or chemical cause. I feel this is why most doctors do not have a solution that actually solves the problem. Most often they are left with these types of medications that do not solve the real problem, but can be helpful for moderating or subduing some of the symptoms. The fear most people have about these medications are well founded and parents are wise to learn as much as they can about the possible affects of long term use. But, most families are not aware of other options and feel they must accept the lesser of two evils. In some cases, it is best to accept the medication for the short term relief it can offer, but to never stop seeking out better ideas, nonetheless.

Most often, the real problem for people with these issues is a confusion of brain processing habits. The technique I practrice is called Crossinology's Brain Integration Technique. We simply challenge the brain to use specific pathways or groups of brain functions and then use acupressure to help the brain find more efficient and less stressful methods to accomplish those functions. Because the brain always prefers the most efficient methods of function, once they are established, they tend to be permanent. It takes several hours to complete the treatments and insurance companies have not yet considered covering the expense of these treatments.

Most schools are not yet aware of the advantage of brain integration for many of their special needs students. I have heard of one or two schools that pay for the treatments because they found it was far less expensive to provide BIT for a child than to send them to the special school district, but most schools are not even aware of these types of treatments and many still only support more commonly traditional types of therapies. So, at present, it is an out-of-pocket expense for the family.

Depending on where your friend lives, it is likely they would have to travel to find a therapist that is certified to practice BIT. You can learn more about this cutting edge technique and where to find a practitioner at www.Crossinology.com.

They may also find a great deal of help for their daughter with diet and natural allergy treatments. There is a great book, Is This Your Child, by Dr. Doris Rapp, that explains how so many of the symptoms of learning and behavioral problems are stressed by food sensitivities and a variety of allergies. You can suggest they look for a doctor that practices acupressure based allergy treatments such as N.A.E.T. or the Legge Method if they are not able to get the BIT treatments. You can learn much about diets that help ADHD symptoms online as well.

I understand how frustrating it is to have a child that needs help and not liking the traditional options that are offered by the schools or the doctors. My own sons needs were misdiagnosed and misunderstood throughout his school years. This is what inspired me to search for better ideas for these children and their families.

I hope this is helpful to your friend and their precious daughter.

Good Morning B., This is a great thing you are trying to help your close friend with. My boys took Ritalin when they were in gr school and hated feeling like zombies Their words not mine. One of our daughters in law takes Zoloft and truthfully I don't see it making much difference in her most of the time. But she is an adult and should be able to control some of her actions. nuff bout that one.

Has she tried taking her to a child physiologist or therapist to talk to? Try to find out what the root problem is that is causing this. I think I would go that route first before medications. That's just me though. I know some children need something to help them cope, and sometimes (not all) parents and Dr.'s jump to medicate to quickly. Diet could help, hormonal changes could be taking place in this 12 yr old already. There are a number of things that could be the cause, and finding that cause would be my first step.
I went blindly, following the schools recommendations. All the time thinking the School and Dr. were in Cahoots with each other....lol I took them both off the medication after 4-5 yrs of fighting them to take it. ( Found out later they could of had heart attacks or suicidal tendency's)Then I home-schooled where they really excelled.

God Bless you B. for your active role in helping your friend and her precious daughter.

K. Nana of 5
Hope everyone had a wonderful Safe Independence Day!!

I would be very cautious giving anti-anxiety medication to children/teens. Reports show they cause suicidal tendencies. That's the only thing that came to mind when I read your post. Good luck. I wouldn't do it.

Hi B.,

This is such a complicated thing! I don't know much about Zoloft, but I have tons of experience with a teen on medication for anxiety and depression.

My daughter is 23 now, and has been on medication since she was 15. From the time she was 10 until she was 15 her issues with her "sensitive" stomache were treated with Liquid Zantac, and watching her diet for all manners of caffeine and natural acid. This was effective for the nervious stomache and included A LOT of label reading and a very strict diet. You don't realize the ingediants in most of the food you eat until you have to start watching all of it. She may want to start this whole treatment with trying to watch her diet before the medication comes into play.

At about the time she was 15 the depression/anxiety became unbearable for her, so the Dr. put her on Lexapro, at the time they (Dr.s) were saying this was the "safest" medication for young children. It took a few months to figure out when to take the medication (night worked best for her) and for it to become effective. Even on the medication she still had some VERY down days, but for the most part it helped to keep her calm.

Around the time she was 22 the dose was so high it was making me uneasy, because it was also not working as well, so we asked her Dr. to put her on someting new. She is now on a time released Wellbuteran. This seems to be effective for now, but again there are still bad days. The parent and the child have to be aware that any of this medication is not a wonder drug, and there will still be "bad days", going on the medication is not a magic cure all.

I don't think the Dr.s moniter these medications as well as they should, so the parent is going to have to be ever vigilant and pay attention to changes in personality. These types of medications also seem to make the child want to sleep more. There were days when we literally had to make her come join the rest of the world.

Don't not put her on it for fear of the unknown. I can tell you from personal experiance the side effects are worth the child having some piece of mind.

If she isn't suffering from depression or if you are not aware that she is, one thing we have learned is the two seem to run hand in hand. So don't be surprised if depression pops up even without the medication.

Wish her well for me!

N.

No experience on the drug - have heard and know first hand the effects that Omega 3 supplement. Plenty of studies to verify the increase in brain development and visual. There is a great supp to take from Arbonne if can swallow. or if can't go to whole foods and ask a nutrionist and they can rec a good one. I like the nordiac naturals for my 9 and 5 year old. If have additional questions please feel free to contact me as research shows great results!! Also why not try a natural supplement first!!!
Thanks for listening.

The only way to know is to give it a try. I have heard many good things from people who have used Zoloft, but it was not a good match for my daughter when she needed similar help. It actually had negative side effects for her emotionally. When it became evident that Zoloft wasn't working, we tried Prozac and it worked wonders. I also felt extremely worried/hesitant about putting her on medication (especially one with such negative hype), but it truly has changed her quality of life for the better.
It takes some time for that type of medication to build up in the system and take full effect, so I agree, this would be a good time to start the process, rather than wait until school starts. Tell your friend to keep a daily log once she starts the medication, to report back to the doctor about any positive or negative effects. This will not only help him to determine the right dosage for her, but also the right match of medication, in the event Zoloft doesn't work. Again, the only way to know for sure is to try it. I wish your friend all the best!

I know you got a lot of answer and I didn't get to read all of them. But I took zoloft as a teen and I was drowsy and tired all the time yet I couldn't sleep at night. Personally a teen should never be put on antidepressents without trying therapy first and not just 3-4 sessions then get a prescription.

I do however have a suggestion that i think may help. Valerine root is all natural and is a relaxant and a sleep aide. I take it for when I'm feeling stressed out and it has a calming effect. For some people it puts them to sleep but for me it just relaxes tension and calms my mood swings. it isn't addictive but the only bad part is it doesn't smell very good. If she can't sleep at night melatonin works for some people too.

B.,

I can not answer your question about Zoloft, but I can give you some experience of my own. I started having anxiety when I was about 12 and back in the 80s they just didn't do anything. I am 38 and have tried medications, but they have not proven to solve the issue in the long run. As have a child, I avoided situations that made me have anxiety which is a bad thing. So, since medication did not help me. I make sure I eat a healthy diet and exercise. I avoid caffeine and sugars as much as possible. I think taking the time to realize your daughter has anxiety is a good thing rather than avoiding it. This will help her tremendously. I wish you the best of luck in your decision.

My son has ADHD Inattentive type, he was diagnosed in 2004, he is 14 years old, we tried a medication and it didnt seem to work, I was not willing to go to a higher dose so I talked to his psychologist, took him to some sessions and turned to holistic medicine. I went on CHADD and found a list of foods that help children with ADD/ADHD and also found out what foods hurt children with this problem. SUGAR is the NO. 1 enemy of children with ADD, you must monitor the caloric intake of sugar. This lends to anxiety, hyperactivity, sleeplessness and in some cases overactivity in the brain. Today my son is a straight A student who is behaviour problem free, he's happy and healthy, and is NOT on any medication at all. So change the diet, check out the CHADD website and consult a good child psychologist before medicating your child.

I am with a 24 Health and Wellness Manufacturing company here in USA. They produce consumable items for your household. I know about ADD. My nephew has it, but my sis took control of her own home environment plus he is taking some of the best vitamins and another item that has helped him. Here is my websites:

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Good Luck Love to help you.

We have a 16 year old friend who has stomach problems, but not from anxiety, I think it causes her anxiety because when she eats she immediately feels sick, she missed several weeks of school last year from this problem. It took several months to figure out her problem, they even thought about taking out her gall bladder, but now she has a pill she takes before she eats that keeps her from being sick. I think I might try to address the issues with eating before the ADD, after all if your stomach hurts I'm sure you get ansy just from not feeling well! I wish I knew the med's our friend takes, but I don't, I just wanted to give you another perspective other than just addressing only the anxiety when it could be caused by the other problems.

Hi B.,
I know it is scary for any parent to put their child on meds. I am a licensed clinical social worker that works with children who have mental health concerns and I have a 13 year old son who takes meds for AHDH and Bipolar Disorder. Even though I work in that field it took many years for me to allow him to take meds. I have to say that his quality of life and school performance has improved dramatically since he has been stabilized on meds. The trick is to find a reputable doctor that will be supportive and finding the right medication for the person. My son went to 2 doctors and 3 different counselors before we felt comfortable with the situation. He started off with ADHD and anxiety symptoms in 1st grade which is when we started counseling. He eventually became very depressed by 4th-5th grade which prompted me to seek a psychiatrist for meds at the beginning of 5th grade. He is now diagnosed with Bipolar. In hindsight, I wish I would not have waited so long to get him on meds but I was afraid too. My advice would be for your friend to get more than one consult with a psychiatrist and/or counselor if she is still concerned about the Zoloft. It does sound reasonable to start meds now so she could be more stable by the time school starts. You sound like a good supportive friend, she will need that right now with her daughter's situation. Good luck to you, your friend and her daughter.

My son had anxiety to the point of throwing up. We put him in therapy and it has made a world of difference. If you would like to know who we used just send me message and I will be happy to give you her information.

I don't have any experince with a child taking zoloft, but I have takin it and it just takes the edge off for me that I may better cope with things. I also wanted to mention that whether or not she has to take it permanently or not should be low on thr priority list, in my opinion. I'm a nurse and many times I see that patients are hesitent to take meds that are psychologically-related. If it works, it works. There's an unfortunate stigma attached to mental illness (not that that's her situation) that it really affects compliance. Just like any physical illness if the med works for her anxiety, then that's what matters :)
I hope everything works out for you all.

I had the same problem when I was a kid.Everything and anything stressed me out! Biofeedback training combined with counselling really helped to reach me how to recognize and control what was going on within my body.Zoloft isn't addictive- I took it for post partum depression, but as a mom, I'd have concerns about putting a child on it unless everything else has been tried. Sometimes, though, even a short time on the meds is all that is needed. It is a really tough call! One more thing too. Turns out some of my problem was actually symptoms of hypoglcemia(low blood sugar). It seems to be hard to diagnose-but maybe a log of food intake related to symptoms might help too. Mainly I'd tell her to listen to her gut. She knows her child better than any doctor!

You have had lots of responses and I'm later than most. Zoloft is in a family of meds for depression and anxiety, sometimes it is used for maintenance of migraines. it is one of the milder ones. It is not an "addictive" stimulant medication for ADD. I liked zoloft for myself as a teen for about 6-9 months till it quit working and I had to go on stronger stuff. It did make me very ill coming off of it for several days, Mine was not anxiety though, but depression. When my mother was a child she had very similar symptoms and took benedryl every day. this also helped her psoriasis. Tell your friend as someone else said get many opinions, each one will give you different advice. Good Luck.

Regardless of medication she needs to speak to a therapist, one who works with children with anxiety. If she is so upset that she can't eat, she NEEDS to see a professional. That professional can work w/a child psychiatrist to decide on medication & dosages. I would not trust a pediatrician w/psychiatric medications. They are not trained properly for this. I am a mother with ADHD & depression & have a daughter w/ADHD & depression as well so I have experience w/medications for an adult & child w/medications.

So, have her doctor refer her to a specialist.

Good luck! She will feel better with the proper care. It would not be fair to not get her some kind of help before school.

J.

This sounds a lot like my friend's symptoms before she was diagnosed with Celiac disease. Another friend was allergic to high fructose corn syrup. Ask your friend to not rule out allergy testing, as it may turn up the answers she's looking for.

I have personally been battling with depression seasoanl effective disorder since I was 12 yrs old i'am now 29 yrs old and still on medication.I started taking Zoloft when I was 15 but that was to weak and wasn't helping me.I remember going through all these menatl health medications with my family and couldn't belive that my parents would do this to me.I was like a zombie slow moving sleepy never wanted to get up.And yes I did drop out of highschool for a while because it wasn't making me feel any better to be on medications my actions where out of control.Anyway I was on Paxil for 10 yrs and that is a very effective medication but it is potent and I will never ever be on it again it was suppose to be non addictive but I had to have it everyday I tried for 3 yrs to get off of it with weekly visits to the dr for yrs and I had to go my entire pregnancy taking it thank god nothing is wrong with my son bit I had to quit cold turkey and it was horrible.I say now with 3 kids of my own I will stay on top of their health and get information as much as I can and understand it before I agree to medicating my children.And their condition if anything where to happen to them.Now that i'am on Zoloft again very low doage 25 mgs I have gained some weight but thats not all from the medication I have no time to exercise but have noticed that I can eat all day long if I wanted to and never get full,also feel sleepy an hour after taking the pill followed by some dizzines.But haven't noticed any major side effects.

Hi B., My son also takes Zoloft for the same reasons. I totally understand your concern. I had the same concerns also. I've addressed this many times with his doc and was been reassured that everything is ok. My son has done much better with his OCD and anxiety since starting on the Zoloft. I did make a big difference in him and anything that will help him, i'm all for. We keep a close eye onto him and we stay in touch with him to make sure he's feeling ok. Talk with your doc about the concerns and talk with your "daugher". I can only vouch for my family, but it has made a big difference for our son. Good luck!!

I hated Zoloft it actually made me feel worse. Welbutrin worked pretty well when I was a teenager, it's less potent and has fewer side effects.