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
Caution is wise when taking any new medication, especially things that primarily affect the brain as it is often unpredictable. My own experience with fluoxetine was overall positive (very few side effects and eventually I was able to stop and maintain the good habits I built on fluoxetine without medication), but I began taking it for depression rather than anxiety, and was practically begging them for medication to help. I do believe the outlook you have before starting fluoxetine influences the side effects you experience, as the people I know who felt they were in control of the decision to start/did not feel coerced in any way have had minimal side effects- I do not say this to minimise the likelihood of side effects as it is not currently possible to predict how someone will respond, but to discourage you from trying to encourage him to make a decision he is not fully comfortable with (even if you are not being 'intense' about it).
Have you discussed other medications that may be available? I know the selection for paediatrics is more narrow, but he may feel more comfortable if there is a choice? I would also highly recommend some of the DBT resources available online.
Hello thank you - will check out DBT online.
I think you’re right- one of his concerns is that if he starts taking meds when he’s feeling anxious about the side effects he won’t feel well on them because he will imagine side effects even if they aren’t there! So tricky!