Prozac

[Jeanne61]

The psychiatrist has now put Glen (16) ASD on prozac (20ml liquid) once a day alongside his 1mg twice a day risperidone (was on 2mg twice daily but had to cut it down due to Glen becoming constipated). Glen's anxiety is still sky high on the risperidone, been on it nearly 8 weeks so she thought she would try prozac as well. Do you think the prozac will help my son?

[Jason C Bourret, Ph.D., BCBA-D]

Prozac is a medication commonly used to treat anxiety whereas risperidone is an antipsychotic that is used to treat irritability and behavior problems in individuals with autism-spectrum disorders. The best that I can tell you is that the medication may help. The most important thing is to make sure that you have a psychiatrist that you work well with and who is responsive to your needs. Treatment of these types of problems is often a long term process and, while this particular dose of Prozac may or may not work, the important thing is to have a psychiatrist that you are comfortable with working with you on developing a long-term solution for the issues your son is facing.

[Jeanne61]

Thanks for your comments.  I do have a psychiatrist that is very good she is trying to get a mental health assessment for my son in a residential setting., she prescribed the prozac for the time being due to the rapid deterioration in my son's mental health.