Sertraline?

[AnotherSENmum]

Hello all,

Our DD (13) has a rare chromo disorder and was put on Sertraline a week ago for aggression.

We had three great days at the start but the last four days have been hell, with huge violence and anger. We were warned things would get worse before they got better but I don't know what to do. The psychiatrist said maybe give up the Sertraline and start Aripiprazole but when I said shouldn't we try a bit longer she said she couldn't condone any drug that meant DD was a threat to anyone.

Is it worth persevering? Anyone with any experience or thoughts?

(ps I appreciate I'm talking to strangers on the internet - am also talking to IRL friends etc but thought here might be a good source of info).

Thanks!

Has she been taking them regularly? Have you actually watched her take them? My daughter found Sertraline worked swiftly & dramatically. The only time we got bouts of aggression back was when she had not taken her tablet or left it too long between doses. I called it rebound anxiety. She is now at the stage where she needs a med review & increase as the anxiety & subsequent aggression has crept back in again gradually, but getting her to book an appointment is near on impossible, despite the GP prescription saying she needs a review & me prompting her various times! Bloody kids! My DD is 20 now & been on 100mg Sertraline since she was 18. What dosage has your DD been prescribed?

Interesting, thank you. The rebound anxiety sounds about right.

She is 13 and is on 37.5mg/day with a view to going up to 50mg ultimately.

I spoke to the pharmacist about it today and he suggested making the dose morning and evening. To stop the peaks and troughs he thinks might be behind her behaviour spikes.

Good luck with your DD. It's exhausting this isn't it!

My DD (15) has been on it for about a year now. She wasn't aggressive to others but was gouging lines into her face and picking at them. She is on 75mg in the morning and 100mg at night and we've had no issues since. My DS (17) is on respiridone and that was for aggression and that worked immediately, it has some nasty side effects but we've got him down to a very low dose. It might take some time to find what works for your daughter but a definite relief when you do. Good luck, being a battered parent is not a good thing to have to go through, my son is non verbal but he was just as distressed as us afterwards x

Thank you so much @onecardshort I've only just seen your reply. We might go onto that if the sertraline doesn't work. We're having an awful time.

Do you mind me asking what the side effects are of risperidone that you have experienced?

We are quite desperate

PS our DD is non-verbal too

AnotherSENmum I just wanted to warn you about side effects of sertraline. My ds was given this for his obsessive behaviour and it provoked a massive spike in his behaviour. He became very agitated and his obsessive behaviour became dangerous and completely unmanageable. He ended up hospitalized after being on it for about three weeks. It also stays around in the body for some time. Ds is now on ariprazole and is doing better. He also had risperidone in the past and did well on that. The main side effect of risperdone was an initial spike in appetite. This settled down after a while. Ds was on risperidone for aggression and anxiety for about seven years. It seemed to stop working for him and I think he had built up a tolerance.

Just seen your reply @cansu - thank you. We had a massive spike in aggression on the sertraline too - unmanageable barely covers it.

She's still on sertraline but also on aripiprazole and fingers crossed, things are much better.

Nightmare though. Poor you too - I never knew things could be so tough.

Thanks AnotherSENmum. Hope things continue improving for you. My ds is doing much better but it is a constant worry.