What is the best antidepressant for a 15 year old?

Of all the antidepressants, only fluoxetine (Prozac™) has been FDA approved to treat pediatric depression. For obsessive compulsive disorder in children and teenagers, FDA has approved only fluoxetine (Prozac™), sertraline (Zoloft™), fluvoxamine, and clomipramine (Anafranil™) .

Can a 15 year old take anxiety medication?

Some mental health professionals may recommend that teens take anxiety medication in conjunction with psychotherapy. For teens, medication may be prescribed in the short-term or the long-term, depending on the nature and severity of symptoms.

Can antidepressants affect puberty?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been associated with endocrinologic adverse effects in several reports in adults, but there is no information on their effect on growth and puberty in children.

Do antidepressants stunt your growth?

Conclusions: A decrease in growth rate, possibly secondary to suppression of growth hormone secretion, may occur during SSRI therapy. As the use of this group of drugs is expected to increase in the young age groups, larger studies are warranted to investigate their effect on growth and growth hormone secretion.

Do antidepressants affect brain?

Studies have found that Prozac-like drugs might interfere with normal patterns of growth in children’s still developing brains. Although the research is not conclusive, it is possible that kids on antidepressants are trading one psychiatric diagnosis for another.

Why teens shouldn’t take antidepressants?

In some children, antidepressants may also trigger anxiety, agitation, hostility, restlessness or impulsive behavior. These effects may indicate that the child’s depression is getting worse or that the child is starting to develop suicidal thoughts.

Can my teenager take antidepressants?

Antidepressant drugs are often an effective way to treat depression and anxiety in children and teenagers. However, antidepressant use in children and teens must be monitored carefully, as rarely there can be severe side effects.

Are antidepressants bad for you?

Antidepressants can cause dizziness and unsteadiness, increasing the risk of falls and bone fractures, especially in older people. Interactions with other medications can increase this risk. A very small number of people have had heart problems, epileptic fits or liver damage while taking antidepressants.

Does serotonin affect hair growth?

It has also been shown that human skin can produce serotonin and transform it into melatonin, which has been implicated in hair-growth cycle. Therefore, it is possible that treatments interfering with serotonin homeostasis in the skin may alter the balance between hair growth and hair shedding (16).

Why teens should not take antidepressants?

Is there an age limit for antidepressants?

The use of antidepressants is not usually recommended in children and young people under the age of 18. This is because there is some evidence that, in rare cases, they can trigger thoughts about suicide and acts of self-harm in this age group.