@ainsleigh

Welcome to Mayo Connect. I am a Volunteer Mentor and not a medical professional, therefore I cannot diagnose or prescribe for anyone. However, we are all here to share our experiences which may be helpful for you in resolving your issue. I'm sorry to hear of your grandson's problems. I agree with the recommendations already made that you change doctors (psychiatrist) sine he isn't willing to find a medication that works for your grandson. There are simple genetic tests that can be done now to determine which antidepressants will work with his metabolism so he doesn't have to go through taking different meds to find one that works. I have included the link to information about the testing from the Mayo Clinic site. Mayo isn't the only place that does this testing. I would do this test before changing to another drug.
http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/center-for-individualized-medicine/drug-gene-testing.asp
My son was put on Paxil when he was in college (21 years old) and after a few years a new doctor was going to change him to another antidepressant, but as he was withdrawing from the Paxil he experienced a rash on his legs. They biopsied his rash and discovered that it was a reaction to withdrawal from Paxil. So, he can't stop taking it now. He's 47 years old. BTW, he returned to college, and has a PhD from Boston College now, so don't give up hope.

Your grandson's primary care physician may be able to do perform the genetic test to find the appropriate antidepressant for him. He may also be able to refer your grandson to a different psychiatrist and a counselor/therapist. I suffered from depression and anxiety disorder when I was in my 20's and was on my own for the first time. Because I had a childhood that was traumatic, I decided to get counseling--talk therapy. It is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I learned so much from talk therapy and it saved my life at the time. I was very opposed to antidepressants most of my life, so I never tried any. However, panic attacks finally were getting in the way of living fully, so about 6 years ago I asked my primary care physician about taking Celexa. He agreed to put me on it after we talked for awhile. I had to start with a half dose at first because the full dose was too much for me. I was lucky as the generic Celexa, Citalopram, works great for me. It's inexpensive and I am so happy to be taking it. It changed my life and my panic/anxiety attacks have stopped. I function quite well now.

Please seek help from your grandson's current psychiatrist, and if he won't do the genetic testing, then find another one. Your grandson deserves to be cared for appropriately for his condition. There are so many ways to determine the best help for him that you or his parents must explore until you find the right psychiatrist and the right psychologist or counselor for him.

I hope others in the Mayo Connect family will respond to your situation with additional ideas. Please let us know how things are going with him. Thank you for reaching out to help him. He is lucky to have you in his life.

Warm regards,
Gail B
Volunteer Mentor