I just read that the FDA is going to require a 'warning' on 10 antidepressants that states this medicine can cause suicidal tendencies when beginning the meds or increasing/decreasing the dose. It says it can also cause panick attacks.
They were:
Prozac (also sold generically as fluoxetine)
Zoloft
Paxil
Luvox
Celexa
Lexapro
Wellbutrin
Effexor
Serzone
Remeron
Something to think about... It says especially in children. Be careful!!

I Saw That Too And Freaked!!!!!!!!!
Calling My Doctor Tomorrow!!!!

I take Paxil CR 25mg and it has helped me alot but they should watch you carefully on these types of meds...especially children.

Well, I read a follow up article from a local doc at the University of Alabama and he said there was no merit to what the FDA was saying. He said that antidepressants have done more good than harm and that with suicides, it's hard to tell if it's the actual depression or the medicine but he literally said - no merit to what they are saying based upon the studies. Sorry to freak you out... I should have read more before posting it. Although, it is true... just not sure if it's really founded.

i'm not taking any chances.....i am confronting my doctor today. I really feel like the negative sexual side effects of Zoloft over-weigh the tiny bit of good that is does
i will let you guys know what he says.
i take 100mg a day

Just wanted to say..before everyone flips-i believe they are talking about the first few weeks/early months of treatment and also it would be related to those who are bi-polar..anti-depressants are reverse for mania..makes you more agitated..thats why you should be careful getting anti-depressants thru a GP..as opposed to a psychpharm..low dose paxil or others are used regularly for people like ken coming off of drugs/related depression..not harmful-but someone who is severely depressed and prescribed an antidepressant that may be manic-bad!I think there should be more care in prescribeing thease meds..brain candy for the masses..esp.kids..my son would have not graduated high school unless he was medicated--per order of the SCHOOL!
Heather

I just wanted to throw this out real quick.Last year, my youngest son was Rxed prozac for mild depression along with some anger issues.Most of the anger was directed at my husband for deciding to do something that really hurt me emotionally.It also affected our whole family,but my youngest took it the hardest.After a few weeks on the prozac, i started to see some improvement.but after about six weeks, i started to see a big change in personality.it also seemed as though his depression had gotten worse.my son has always had a really good sense of humor.even when he was in the hospital for almost two months for liver failure and subsequent transplant, that sense of humor kept him and us going through the really bad times. well, i no longer saw that sense of humor.in its place was a sullen closed off more angry boy.This was not my son.
To make a really long story short,this all came to a head when his phsycologist decided to raise his prozac dose even higher.i never liked the idea of him being on it in the first place but went along with it hoping that it would help as he was really suffering.After about only one week at this higher dose, he had what can only be described as a major anger explosion.he came very close to stabbing our nieghboor with a knife.God, i am starting to cry just thinking of this whole thing again.This was a happy go lucky kid,with a really great personality,who loved his doggy and loved to laugh.the dramatic change in him caused mostly due to the prozac was just unbelievable!he ended up in a facility for some badly needed therepy and a change in his antidepressant.They took him off of the prozac immediately and started on lexapro.after only a few days with out the high dose of prozac slamming his brain everyday, I started to see my son again.He is doing pretty good right now,but after about a year on the lexapro, he started to become more depressed and anxious.as of last week, he was switched over to effexor.His doc said that the effexor would help with the anxiety as well as the depression.his therapist is looking really hard at his major problem being post traumatic stress caused by the trauma of having to be subjected to some of the most horrid tests and procedures while being treated for the liver failure and Tx.I know that just being in the room with him while he was subjected to all this caused ME to feel rather traumatized,i can only imagine how he felt.He seems to be very sensitive to just about any of the ssris out there that he has tried.they don't know if this is some reaction to his anti rejection drugs or just his body make up.I myself, am taking lexapro and haven't really had any sort of problems with it.It has been over about a year now, and it seems to be working.
I think that the biggest thing to come out of this study is for people to be very aware of what they are taking and watching themselves(or there mommies watching)for any changes in there feelings and behavior.And no one should be taking an ssri or any other type of an antidepressant with out also being in some type of therepy.After all, if you are taking an antidepressant, you are obviously depressed and really need to talk through what the causes are.Most drs say that the depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain but I think that there is also something that helps to trigger this chemical in the brain that is brought on by outside causes,and if that is not dealt with, the depression will most likely linger.just my opinion.
the point of this is that just to watch yourself closely while taking these meds.i was taking zoloft at first but was feeling kind of like i hit a wall with it.i was just in this little holding pattern and not feeling like it was working for me anymore.I could feel that little bit of darkness start to creep back into my head and thats when i went back in to talk with my doc about a change.since my son was doing so well on the lexapro at the time,I asked him to switch me to that,and yes i am seeing a wonderful therepist.My son sees her too.the lexapro is still working.and considering what I have been through over the past year or so, that is really an amazing thing.Just be really aware of yourself and your feelings and you shouldn't have a problem in taking any of the ssris or any other antidepressants.Kay? sorry for the length, i really did want it to be a quick thing.sometimes i tend to babble on.somebody please stop me!!! Take care all, Marcia

Hi,

Try not to freak out!! I started on Prozac over 12 years ago and within a year moved to Zoloft - so I have been taking that for about 11 years. I also started on Welbutrin last fall when I hit a particularly bad depression.

You know your body - if you think you are feeling worse then by all means tell your doctor about it. But don't panic over this article!! Because of everyone being so lawsuit happy in this country, they have to give you five million warnings on everything.

As an example, do you read all the side effects of every medication you have taken? If so, how many times do you really ever experience any of those side effects? Every person is different, but when they do a study, if enough people have a symptom they have to throw that in.

Being informed is a good thing - but always keep an open mind.

-Kathi

Feelbad, My 15 year old daughter was just prescibed Prozac last Thurs. She is a mildly depressed teen with lots of issues. I am a little concerned now about starting her on this med. Can you tell me a few things I need to watch out for in the beginning, I am really nervous now. She also has anger issues. Its so hard to know what the right thing to do for your child concerning medication. She has also been abusing drugs. Thats another concern I have with mixing the two. I hope things are better with your child, Thanks so much!

I used to be on Remeron. It made me very angry and crabby. I actually felt more depressed on it than on nothing at all. I also was then told to go off of it and that I didn't need to taper. The makers of it had on their website at that time that since it was a newer drug you didn't have to taper. Needless to say I got very sick and wound up in the hospital for a week with shakes and diarrhea and vomitting. Then of course I had to start xanax because the panic attacks that started while on remeron got much worse when stopping it. So beware of antidepressants! I have not found one that makes me feel better. And I know everybody is different. I am 34, but only 95 pounds so I don't know if that had anything to do with it or not.

KIMBEE,sorry if i freaked you out a little,I only posted that as a reason why we need to keep a very close eye on ANY meds we take,or a child takes.Especially a child as they don't really understand alot of their normal feelings yet,mostly due to hormones and puberty.
I know that you must have put alot of thought and consideration into the possibility of putting your child on anti depressants.I know we sure did.my sons reaction to the Prozac was a very extreme one,believe me.the best possible thing you can do for your child is just watch her.you know what her normal behavior is like,better than anyone else.I saw subtle changes in his overall personality.His anger worsened, and he just wasn't right you know?Believe me, if there is anything wrong, you WILL notice as time goes by.My sons changes just kept getting worse,not better.i wish i had said something much earlier and maybe the blow up wouldn't have happened but hindsight is always 20/20 isn't it.all i can honestly tell you to do is really,just observe.Chances are that your daughter will do just fine, but just be very watchful.one thing that my son told me one day was 'mom?i just don't feel right"If you hear those words, get thee to the DR.what happened with my son could have happened to anyone on any type of ssri.it depends on the sensitivity factor you know?I hope this helps to ease your fears a little.Just give the drug a few weeks and see how she does,it could be the best thing for her in the long run.you just never know when you are dealing with this kind of thing.good luck with your daughter kimbee.Just keep the mommy gaze on her,and try and relax a little(I know easier said than done).It is so hard to watch your child go through all this but eventually things will get better.Just hang in there okay?If you need to vent, i am here.take care, marcia

Marcia
Thank goodness you did put up your post.
I am so sorry - what a dreadful experience - hope your son and the rest of the family are now OK.
Kimbee
Why would a teenager be put on an anti-depressant? Surely being mildly depressed/mood swings etc are all part of being a teenager? Do you think her situation really warrants her being put on a drug like this? Can she not cope in any other way? Hope this isn't a sledge-hammer to kill a fly situation?
Just my thoughts
Y

Yinsky - just wanted to say hello. I've been talking to Kimbee and her daughter has been using drugs pretty badly so they must have gone to the doc and this was his/her suggestion. Kimbee said she was testing positive for pot and opiates. I don't know what i would do if my children were going through this. I know your point, these days doctors are quick to prescribe these meds but I think in some cases, they are warranted. However, I also know that ALL teens go through some severe changes in their lives and growing up is so hard that they all experience some mild depression.

But I think Kimbee's daughter's situation is more than just a mild form. Sorry Kimbee for speaking up but I know we talked in depth about her. How IS she doing? What ever came of the doc? What did they say about the drugs? Pls let us know... By the way.... as far as depression goes - today has been the hardest day of all. I was up all night and am just obsessing about this crap. Anyway, just wanted to mention that. Take care everyone.

I needed antidepressants as a teen but didn't get them until I was about 20. Either that or I needed thyroid meds, we don't know, but they totally changed my life. I cannot have a normal life without antidepressants, plain and simple. I waited an entire year of crying (sobbing) myself to sleep--told myself if one year from now I have not had one good night, I will try to get meds, so I did. I have not been on them constantly, though. The thing is, without the right meds I WILL self-medicate with other drugs, no question.

Also, the biggest risk for suicide is that before the meds, you are so low that you think about suicide, but don't have the energy to do anything about it. At the early stages of anti-depressant use, you regain some of the energy before your depression is alleviated, so you are able to use that energy to do something proactive and carry out your plans for suicide, although you are still depressed. I learned that as an undergrad psych major. Of course, you do have to watch for the mania that can appear in some people as well, but my previous explanation is, I think, the most common reason.

rosie

Sorry guys - Kimbee - I had no idea about your background!
Hope you and your daughter find something positive to work with.....
Y

My mistake, from what I was hearing on the radio today, they are more concerned with people coming off of these drugs and the suicidal tendencies. Could be a reverse rationale, though, from my prior one. My first husband did c/t prozac before he took his own life. When something like that happens, it is hard to blame it on one thing,though (except for at the time, of course, when I was sure it was entirely my fault). It is a very complex thing. So I think I am glad they are including these warnings.

luv,
rosie

Thank you Marcia for your help that did make me feel a little better. I will keep a very close eye on her. I just hate the thought of medicating her. She is so sad sometimes it really worries me. And Banker thank you for coming to my defense, believe me I dont want to put her on medication but I really have no chice, she saw a doctor last week and they said she was definatly depressed, she also has been pulling out her eyelashes, so she has lots and lots of problems going on. They are hoping the Prozac will help with everything. I just dont want her using drugs illegally, so if Prozac works Im all for it. She needs help NOW! Again thank you all! Banker I hope things are a little better with your situation. Time always helps.

Hi KIMBEE, was thinking about you and wondering how things are going so far?I am really hoping that your daughter is doing okay.Watching your child go through all of this hell can be so overwhelming,how are YOU doing with all of this?I feel so helpless sometimes you know?I want sooo badly for my son to feel better and really am at a loss as to how to go about it.You just have to have faith that things will work out.i have to take my other son to see my psycologist on Monday to start the testing for adult ADHD.He has had alot of problems while growing up and it was kind of by accident that I realized he was most likely suffering from undiagnosed ADHD.my other son was thought to have this a few months ago,and his psycologist(who just happens to be mine too)gave me all these questionaires to fill out and we had to give one to his resource person and one teacher at school.Well,as i was going through this thing and answering all of the questions for my one son,it was then that I realized that my other son fit almost all of the profile for ADHD.the son that I was doing this for actually ended up being border line for it so i know,without a doubt that son # 2 has it.He has always been getting into trouble since he was in grade school.he wouldn't stay in his seat, he couldn't concentrate on his homework,and he has always been this non stop bundle of energy.I am hoping that when he gets the actual Dx and on the proper meds that he can actually become a better functioning person.we tried just about everything to try and get him on the right track,but nothing has ever seemed to work.Boy, our kids can really bring on those sleepless nights can't they?Keep on hangin in there KIMBEE.Let me know how things are going okay?I really do know what you are going through and hoping all the best for you and your family.take care, Marcia

Marcia, Hi, Things are going pretty good I guess, I was really nervous about starting the Prozac, but I had no choice, she has to get help. She has literally pulled all of her eyelashes out! I keep thinking in the back of my head that this has to my fault, she saw sooo much of my abusing pills. I know it has really bothered her. I know at one time she was more the mom, as I was always withdrawing. Its so depressing, I wish I could go back in time and change everyting, she has suffered the worst. My other two have handled it much much better. I feel for you having to deal with the struggles too of having children that need to be on medication. Its a scary world, but I think everything will turn out ok. I know exactly what you mean about feeling helpless, we want so much for our children. I hope evverything works out ok with you, keep me posted on the outcome, did you say he has already seen a doc? Let me know how it goes, good luck!

My daughter is bi-polar and takes Lexapro, Seraquel, and Topamax. Just recently her Lexapro dosage was upped and for about 72hrs she did suffer from a deeper depression and wanted to cut herself now I don't really know if it was from the increased dosage or just a mood swing but I do know without the meds she would probably be dead. She was diagnosed and hospitalized after threatening to take her own life and many instances of self-injury. She is 14yrs. old and I put off her "depression and anger" thinking it was just a stage because of her age.