Psychiatrist not much good

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Last night I took difficult child to his first psychiatrist appointment since his psychiatric hospital visit. He had a stomache ache and refused to go inside the bldg. (Gee, what a shock! :smug:)

I went to the appointment. 1/2 hr early, and they were running 1/2 hr late, so that gave me plenty of time to persuade him.
I ended up going in alone. :(

psychiatric had read the rept from the testing we had done and took the other dr's word for it that difficult child is a high functioning Aspie.
She immediately started convincing me that he needed Prozac or Zoloft to calm him down and maybe that would help him feel comfortable around other people--incl her. Maybe he'd come in next time, she suggested.

I told her that the clonidine seemed to be helping and suggested something like Xanax. She said no, it is highly addictive, and is like a BandAid approach, whereas Prozac cuts to the core of the depression, which in turn, will affect the anxiety.

In addition, I had wanted her to give difficult child the results of the testing, since he will more readily accept his Asperger diagnosis from an authority figure. If husband and I tell him, he'll tell us we're lying. He loves to shout, "You're lying!" when we tell him he has bedwetting issues, for ex., but he will willingly take Desmopressin when he stays overnight at a friend's house. :ashamed:

Since he didn't come in, and clearly told me that he did not want to share his personal problems with-a stranger (I know the feeling) the dr suggested that we go back to our child therapist and have him tell difficult child.

All of this, with-o mtng difficult child.

I'm not thrilled, as you can see. I don't know how much of this to lay on her shoulders and how much on difficult child's--or perhaps, equally on both.

How many of you who have Aspies medicate with-Zoloft or Prozac? Does it help? difficult child still has anxiety and anger issues, but I have seen huge improvements in the last yr. He has friends, he's on the ph all the time, he doesn't dread going to school (unless there's a huge exam) and overall, I see the drug as unneccesary.

Any thoughts?
 

Jena

New Member
hi

i just responded to your other post. As you know my difficult child isn't aspie. so i can't give you any thoughts on that issue. Yet at the end of the day if you think that difficult child is making steady improvements, there haven't been any huge issues the last several mos. than i'd say ok keep moving forward with no medication, and therapist. That's your call, and up to you dependent upon how things are going at home.

difficult child's pyschdoc said the same exact thing to me in terms of xanax, it's a bandaid approach and highly addicting. I do agree. Their actually fighting right now to have it taken off the market a pyschdoc friend told me a few weeks ago. Personally I had used xanax over a year ago, and i loved the stuff!!! lol. I don't know i haven't heard anything prior to that, she just shared. I wouldn't be too thrilled if she was ready to write a script last nite with-o mtg. difficult child yet at the same time if pyschdoc was given a report from a credible place with-diagnosis on it I could see her saying what she thinks would be good as far as medication is concerned.
 
Our difficult child has taken a low dose of Zoloft for several years now. It has made a HUGE difference in his life - but he also carries the diagnosis of major depression.

Most days now, you would not believe that he's depressed. The medication works very well for him.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Asperger's requires school interventions much more than it requires medication. Only 50% of all Aspies are on medications. This is a Neurological condition. Do you know anyone in your area who specializes in Autistic Spectrum Disorder? Many Aspies are very sensitive to medication (my son sure is) and he does better off of it. Now your son may need it, but he also needs interventions. Medication won't help him with his social skills as much as textbook teaching him social skills in school or in the community. I can see why you don't like him. Are you stuck? Frankly, if he has a lot of friends and is always on the phone...are you sure he has Aspergers?
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Well, that's what we're calling it for now, lacking any other diagnosis or "name." He's definitely got something that is spectrum-like.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
I think I'd have reservations, too, about a doctor who was ready to prescribe medications based solely on what someone else reported about my kid. They should at least let their own experience and judgement confirm whatever the report says AFTER they've had a chance to meet and talk with the patient.

An SSRI might be helpful for your difficult child's anxiety -- I know it's helped my difficult child 1 tremendously, but then he doesn't have the mood disorder diagnosis. My difficult child 2 tried Zoloft in the first grade and it made him hypomanic, and he IS the one with the mood disorder diagnosis.

It's really hard to know what to do, and that's why I think this psychiatrist should have reserved any medication recommendations until she actually SAW your difficult child in person.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Thank you all.
I'm still confused, but at this point, I'm going to wait, primarily because I agree that the psychiatric is too eager to prescribe medications for a kid she's never met.
It just rubs me the wrong way.
 

Jena

New Member
i've got a good one for you, i had a doctor diagnosis difficult child once with-o mtg. her!!! LOL soley based off my stories and logs.

can you imagine???????????????
 

Nancy423

do I have to be the mom?
all our psychiatrists would hand me adhd medication scripts, after a 10 min meeting.........shame
they never did work. I found that ALL our psychiatrists over the years wanted to give me a script by the time we left.

Ok, scoop on Xanax....it's a great drug, HIGHLY addicting, and yes...more of a bandaid approach to the problem.
Zoloft. Great drug....for depression. NOT good for anyone under the age of 18. we tried this with- my difficult child for about 9 months without improvement, and dr gave script based on what I said (and I only mentioned that she sometimes seems sad)
Prozac. originally for anxiety. great drug. really did help al Occupational Therapist (OT) of people

In the years I was at the pharmacy, seems like 90% of people are expecting drugs to change the world. If something is wrong, take a pill and it'll be ok. I hate the approach, but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to try. I will wait about 3-12months to see if the medications have improved our situation. I always asked the PharmD's about what they thought. They're wonderul brains to pick.

If you have reservations about giving either medication, then I'd follow your instincts. But is it the drug itself, or the person wanting to prescribe it that you're not sure about?
 

BestICan

This community rocks.
We once met with a psychiatrist who was very interested in diagnosing my difficult child with bipolar and adhd, and medicating him, without ever meeting him! We got the heck out of there. Rubbed us the wrong way, in a big way. I think you should trust your instincts.
 

Ropefree

Banned
The child and adolscent psyciatrist my son has had all did long interviews and
met with us for hour session for medication monitoring. used evaluation forms, snap evaluations for the teachers.
I am so sorry to read how awful things can be. Unbeliveable in that I believe you that is awfull.
 
Top