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Child mental health

14yr old ds on fluoxetine - side effects

2 replies

pasanda · 01/10/2015 12:38

My ds has been on fluoxetine (20mg) since the end of May after an overdose and self harming. He is SO much better.

He does, however, have a real 'don't care' attitude about virtually everything….. from homework, to the fact he has Thomas the Tank Engine books still in his room! To not wanting to put the clean duvet covers on his bed because he doesn't care about sleeping without them, to what colour football shirt I buy him. Everything is met with malaise.

Now I know that some of this is typical teenage behaviour, but I know a lot of other teenagers and they all seem to have more ownership to their emotions iyswim. They make their room their own, they have an opinion on their clothes, they care about their education (it seems!).

Does anyone know if this dulling of emotion is common with antidepressants. It is great he is not feeling suicidal anymore (obviously!) and is taking more of an interest in sport and friends etc, but anything beyond that is just "I don't care"!

He is due to come off the fluox in February and I am kind of hoping this withdrawal from the drug will ignite more care in him.

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ChampagneAndCrisps · 01/10/2015 12:57

My 13 year old has been on Fluoxetine for a few years now for obsessionality. He's not experience emotional dulling or any other side effects.
I don't have any tidy teenagers - didn't know they existed!

I guess in your son's case you need to think about whether he could still be depressed because that will reduce his motivation.

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Doingmybestmum · 09/10/2015 16:33

my ds is on 10mg of citalopram which seems to be making v little difference, I wonder if yours would benefit from 10mg of Fluoxetine and mine 20mg of citalopram.

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