HI
We are going to start my DS Anthony (age 6) on Zoloft tomorrow night. ALways nervous when trying a new kind of medication. Just wondering if anyone had Zoloft work for them? My ds has anxiety issues, OCD, major sensory issues. had latley is having such behaivor issues! Gets so angry. I just hope this medication works.
Thanks
MArie
My oldest was on it for a little over a yr at 100 mg but it didn't seem to work. not sure whyConnor was on Zoloft for a few years, but after awhile his anxiety got much worse. We weaned him off a year ago, and his anxiety is now well within managable limits. The Zoloft helped for the first year, but then he began a gradual slide into major anxiety issues (hair pulling, etc.). Since we discontinued the Zoloft, his major anxiety issues have disappeared. Go figure.My oldest who is fourteen was on Zoloft for about six months. He was taking it to treat depression. His doc decided on Zoloft because I have taken Zoloft in the past for anxiety, and am currently taking it and have always done well with it. However, it was not the medication for my son. He didn't have any negative side effects from it, he just didn't get better and his depression continued to worsen. Zoloft is an SSRI and targets the levels of seratonin in the brain. After Zoloft we tried him on Wellbutrin which targets Norepenephrine and he responded wonderfully. Unfortunately he had an allergic reaction to that one three weeks in, and we are now on Cymbalta which targets Norepenephrine and Seratonin. So far so good on this one, and I've got my fingers crossed. I can tell you that Zoloft did absolutely nothing for my oldest childs ability to focus, organize and pay attention. Actually, it really did nothing at all for him. Sorry
Editing to add that my son also suffers from anxiety and has definite issues with anger.
My son takes Zoloft in the liquid form. He gets 1 ml (tiny bit) every morning in his orange juice. The neurologist started it in March because he said there are some great studies out that show it has helped kids with Autism. Something to do with the Serotonin in the brain. He said the dose is way less when given for this purpose than say if you were treating depression. I believe it's about 8 drops when I use the dropper.
I can tell you our experience. My son's behavior was horrible. He was a little over 3 and I could barely handle him. He fussed all the time and if I even said a peep it would make him worse. I just about couldn't go anywhere with him and I almost couldn't communicate with him. Well, within days of starting the Zoloft his eye contact improved and his behavior improved. He was still quite hyper, but his demeanor was better. When we started the Zoloft he was hardly saying anything. He could say words, but would only say them when he wanted to and when he spoke it was not usually in relation to anything going on around him. Well, over time the hyperness subsided some and I can honestly say his language skills exploded. He now sits for a full 45 minute therapy session and works with his therapist. He is truly a different child. He is so much better. I honestly think it's the Zoloft. We started out on even a 1/2 ml and after a couple of months progressed to 1ml. The doctor told us to progress after a week and we found that it made my son too agitated. He started biting his finger nails and toe nails. He was sucking pock marks on his arms. So we went back down to 1/2 for awhile and that got better. There were those initial side effects but his eye contact was so much better and his speech improvements were so amazing that I didn't want to stop the medicine. We stuck with it and the side effects are way better now. His behavior is still bad at times. He'll go from laughing to fussing in a minute, but it's much better then the out and out screaming uncontrollable tantrums that he used to have.
We still have issues and we are working on them, but overall I would say the Zoloft has helped my son quite a bit. He is truely a different child from what he was just this past March. I think the Zoloft gave him the ability to calm down and focus some so that he could then benefit from the therapy he gets. Before the therapist couldn't get anywhere with him some days due to his inability to sit, listen, focus and connect. Now he does all that.
I hope this helps some.
My 6 yo started Zoloft in August, started with 1/4 tsp. then eventually increased to 1/2 tsp.
Wiithin 1 week, he stopped freaking out over the rain; he rolled down the window in the back seat for the rain to hit his hand and face - I couldn't believe that was my child in the car.
We increased to help more with his obsessions. He is doing better but the obsessions are not gone.
So for the time being, he's doing good and we'll keep using it.