Grandson 19- depression and anxiety-had to leave university

There are so many anti-depressant medications now, would the prescribing Psychiatrist be willing to try another medication(s)? I take Cymbalta (duloxetine hydrochloride), the follow-up by Eli Lilly when the Prozac patent expired. PLEASE stay of benzodiazepams as they are habituating and addictive and you can have seizures if you quit them to quickly. I take clonazepam 4 mg and starting a taper off that will take about 5 months! Best of health to your Grandson. Also, I suggest the book, and do the exercises, "Mind Over Mood" by Greenberger and Padesky (on Amazon) recommended to me by a Psychiatrist. Best to your grandson. Oh, and lots of aerobic exercise, or even walking daily is a BIG HELP.

Hello. I am not a medical person but I have been on medication for anxiety and depression for close to 50 years. I have done well and have managed my illness, with the help of both a good Therapist and a good Pychiatrist, for a better part of my life.
What I know is that there is a right medication for everyone and you just have to be patient and consult with a Pychiatrist who is very knowledgeable about it. I have recently changed Dr’s because my medication was not working well enough and my prior Dr just couldn’t get it right. Within six weeks with the new Dr. I am feeling so much better and more like myself than I have in a while. Yes I have had to go through some medication changes and I still am. It is not easy but it is worth it.
No one should have to suffer from anxiety and depression especially with all the new medications and treatment information that is out there.
Some have already said this but exercise of just walking can help so much. I try to walk everyday even if only 20 minutes.
I hope there is a way that you can help your grandson find a new Pychiatrist and a good Therapist if he doesn’t have one. They can be a life saver. I got my recommendations from my General Practitioner MD.
Just an FYI I suffered from Agoraphobia with extreme panic attack’s at the age of 18 through 20. A good caring Thetapist literally saved my life. It can be a long road to recovery but it is well worth it. One day at a time. He can get better and even back to school at some point. He is fortunate to have you supporting him. Keep it up he needs it maybe more than you know. One person can make a difference. Hope he gets the care he needs. No one is obligated to stay with a Dr who’s care is not working. Wish you all the best.

@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.

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

Paxil has helped me along with 1mg activan if needed. It helped me live a normal life again. It took awhile to get it right and a few different doctors but it was worth it.

Thank you so much for your ideas. They are much appreciated.
Ainsleigh

Your reply is appreciated so much. Thank you for taking the time .
Ainsleigh

Thank you so much for your response. I had never heard about the genetic testing and I have been treated with meds for many years for anxiety and depression. I take 3 different meds. and they have kept me on an even keel. I do think there is likely a genetic factor in our family.
My Grandson's parents will certainly follow up with his family doctor and I have passed the web site along to them and to any others who may be interested. They will also look for another Psychiatrist too as the current one does not seem to be the right one for him.
Again my sincere thanks. It is a relief to be able to reach out for helpful information.
Ainsleigh

Your input is so appreciated and I thank you.
Ainsleigh

@ainsleigh

If his psychiatrist won't consider trying other meds, he should be retired. There's a long list of antidepressants available. I tried several before I found that I responded to Wellbutrin.

Any psychiatrist with a brain would be happy to try other meds. There's an important thing to remember when dealing with any medical person. You have to advocate for yourself. If your grandson stands up for himself, and a doctor refuses to work with him, he needs to find a different doctor, for his own sake. Don't let a doctor pull the God complex. Turn and run.

I know that most of us have been trained to believe that every doctor knows what's best for us, and that would be nice, if it were true. We're living in a new world.

Jim

Hi Jim
I don't think my Grandson has the confidence at the moment - due to his mental health problems- but we agree with what you said and his parents have decided they must find him a new Psychiatrist ASAP. It is hard to understand why a doctor would not make med. changes when things are not
working.Thanks so much for your input.
Ainsleigh