Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello my autistic 16 year old son has recently been diagnosed with GAD and PTSD. It’s been a difficult journey to get support - he’s been too anxious to engage with therapy and been off school for some time and missed the whole of year 11. The hope is that the meds might help him enough to start to engage in life again and eventually access the therapy he needs. However, having read about the side effects he is just terrified of how he might feel if he takes the meds. He has lots of sensory issues around feeling nauseous had some general issues with his body and feeling uncomfortable. Although rationally he can understand that he might feel better he’d rather just stick with how he is than risk being the person who gets all the side effects. He is happy to take other medication such as painkillers and antibiotics but feels very different about this. I’ve told him he doesn’t have to take them and to think about it/wait until he’s ready. But I can’t help feeling frustrated.
Has anyone else experienced this or got any advice on how he might be encouraged to try the meds?
Thank you
Hi I’m on fluoxetine 30mg I assume you’re on the starting dose of 20mg? Give it a couple of weeks and see how you feel. I found it helped me sleep and quietened my mind I now don’t go without it. I’ve found it’s the only one that helps for me without major side effects but it’s all based on personal experience. Good luck
Thanks for this -10mg for the first week moving up to 20mg after that.
glad it worked for you