Is Medication Warrented?

[LBruce]

My 9 year old daughter, 10 in October of 2005 recently brought to my attention that she was having recurring thoughts that she was unable to stop on her own.  The thoughts are: Like a counting game such as she would see a square and she would start to count the sides and then the corners; on people as she watched TV she would count the faciel features first the eyes then the nose, etc..  this is disturbing to her as she does not know why she does it.  When my child was in the first grade, she started to experience eye tics.  We went through a series of tests to rule out medical and as she was still experiencing them on occasion we came to the conclusion that these were possibley being caused by anxiety.  After paying close attention to the atmosphere of her surroundings, bringing this to the attention of her school & teachers the eye tics diminished on their own without any medication being used.  Due to the tics in first grade (2002-03) she did not progress academicaly so we held her back to repeat the first grade (this bothers her still to this day). During her 2nd year of first grade (2003-04) and during her year in second grade (2004-05)she did not experience the faciel eye tics that we were able to notice.  I have had her being tutored to help with her academics.  At this time, she is going into third grade (2005-06)still behind academically.  With a lot of prayer, I made the decision to pull her out of the public school system and place her in a Private Christian School atmosphere.  I wanted to home school her. I thought this would academically be the best situation for her as she learns better with one on one teaching but I am a working mother and I am unable to stop working at this time.  I recently took my daughter to her Pediatricion (I have seen him for 16 years) for a well visit and mentioned the counting game that my daughter is experencing in her mind.  Due to her history with the tics, he suggested we try her on a low dose of Zoloft 25mg.  She is to take 1/2 a pill each morning for two weeks and then 1 pill after that for the remaining.  I am to see him in one month.  My question is: Should I put my  10 year old daughter on the medication Zoloft?  I do agree that my daughter does experience anxiety.  I'm only wanting to do what is best for her.  Please help me in making this decision as she seems like a normal child in every other aspect of her life.  Possibly, the Zoloft might help her to focus in school?  I do not know what to do.  My mother-in-law is bipolar maniac depressive and takes medication for this.  Is this what is happening to my daughter.  I am not wanting my daughter to have to go through her life like this.  Please help me to know what to do.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Personally and professionally, I wouldn't put my daughter on this medication until I had first tried her on a course of psychotherapy.  something is bothering her and she is unable to talk about it...a few sessions may be all you need.  There is also a child behavior forum on this site that may be able to give you more detailed advice than I can.

[charchar]

Hi, I have a daughter that is 20 years old and has had mutiple surgeries in the last 2 years. She started having headaches in May 2003 for the first time and she had a MRI and it came back as abnormal and needed a MRA and it came back saying that she had no blood flow in 2 of her communicating arteries in the right side of her brain that they thought she was born with it. So they put it off as migraines. We went on and left it alone. She started having heart problems that they found that she needed a pacemaker. So she had that in June 2003 and the headaches stopped.( maybe every now and then she would have a headache but not so bad she would have to go to the ER.) Then in May 2004 she had some stomach problems and  ended up having endometriosis laporscopy to try to clean that up. 2 weeks later she was still having problems so the took her gallbladder out and her appendix .June 2004 (one week after the gallbladder came out) she got pancreatitis and was hospitalized 20 times with 5 stents placed (at different times) and a celiac nerve block and then in Feb. 2005 they took her pancreas out and did a islet cell transplant. Well now it is Aug 2005 and she has started to have really bad headaches and she can't control them and last week she started having seizures she had 3 in one week (she has never had seizures before) so they put her on Keppra 500mg but her headaches are explosive so they put her in the hospital and started her on ativan and haldol but would'nt give her anything for the headaches. Yesterday they released her to go home but continue the atavan and haldol with cogentin and they finally gave her some ultram for the headaches she is to see a neuro. Next week, she seems to be doing fine controlling the headaches with the ultram right now but she cant function taking the haldol and cogentin .She has only been on it for 4 days and we are thinking of taking her off these two meds (haldol and cogentin) because it knocks  her out. Will this do anything to take her off. Her dr. says he doesn't know what else to do until she sees a neuro. Could this be related to all the surgeries shes had?? Any help would greatly be appreciated. dee

[frecklesag29]

Hi! I have a step-daughter, at the age of 11, started having nightmares and her grades dropped. I immediately knew something was wrong. She cried much of the time. I found her a councelor and she sent her to the psychiatrist. He prescribed zoloft. I didn't like the idea much. We informed her school as well. They really didn't agree. After one month of the zoloft, her teachers were astounded at how different she was. She did not stay on it for long 9 months or so. I put her back on it about a year later and she took it for 6 months and then weaned herself off of it. This is all before the research on SSRI's on kids and teenagers. It sure made a difference. Her depression and anxiety came from her mothers side and I believe some serious abuse from her mother's boyfriends. She never told the therapist anything though. I hope the therapist helps your child. The therapist I took her too helped some, but as soon as I quit she reverted back to the way she was. (compulsively lieing ect. the nightmares stopped) She no longer lives with us; she went to live with her mother last July. The public school she attends now has seen the need for a therapist. The have a private contract with one and the therapist sees her as school. I hope all goes well with yours.
hey3

[lmroswell]

She may have a learning disability.  She probably feels different than the other children in class because she is having academic difficulties which is causing her to feel uncomfortable and nervous.  I would seek out a professional, a phyciatrist (sp?) who works with children, and have her evaluated.  I wouldn't give her medication, based on one pediatrician's recommedation.  She needs to be evaluated for any underlying conditions.  The sooner the better.  Good luck