Celexa And Anxiety Disorder In Children

The common use of Celexa to treat anxiety and depression disorders in adults begs the question of the effects of Celexa and anxiety disorder in children. If your child has expressed the usual symptoms of anxiety disorder in children, it may become necessary to treat the disorder with prescription medications.

Celexa is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or SSRI for short. SSRIs are antidepressants and affect the chemicals that nerves in the brain use to send messages to one another.

Originally, SSRIs were developed for people with depression. It was later found to be effective for those with anxiety disorders as well. Some of the more popular SSRIs that you may recognize are Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, and Celexa.

Celexa and Anxiety Disorder in Children

Nearly all data we have that looks at the effectiveness of Celexa on anxiety disorders have been on adults. The tests that have been done, however, show that antidepressants increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children and teenagers. This risk must be taken into account when prescribing Celexa or any other anti-depressant for a child with anxiety disorder.

In fact, the FDA earlier this year proposed that makers of all antidepressant medications, Celexa included,  update the existing black box warning on their product's labeling to include warnings about increased risks of suicidal thinking and behavior in young adults ages 18 to 24 during initial treatment. The initial treatment is usually considered to be the first two months.

If your doctor has prescribed Celexa for your child's anxiety disorder, it is critical that you closely monitor his behavior during this initial two month period, more so than you would usually do. If you notice any unpredicted changes in his behavior upon taking Celexa, you should notify your caregiver or doctor immediately. Every matter of Celexa and anxiety disorder in children needs very active parental involvement. And in no case should you give your child Celexa without a prescription from your doctor.

Let your doctor know of any and all medications that your child is taking, whether it is related to his anxiety disorder or not. Your doctor should know your child's complete medical history - for example, Celexa should not be taken by any child with kidney or liver disease, or who a history of seizures. The child should also be monitored for possible allergic reactions to any of the ingredients in Celexa. Any doctor who prescribes Celexa should be able to explain the possible various side effects and behavioral changes, which are to be expected, and how they can be managed.

On balance, if you need to treat the anxiety disorder in your child with an antidepressant, Celexa is a not a bad one to go with. Celexa was approved by the FDA in 1998 but like all other antidepressants, it can cause side effects. The advantage of Celexa, however, is that it tends to cause less drug interactions than some of the other antidepressants. It also appears to cause less withdrawal symptoms in users.

Anxiety Attack Symptoms
Many people feel that anxiety is purely a mental disorder. But anxiety attack symptoms can have profound physical effects on the body and leave you paralyzed in it's wake.

Anxiety Disorders In Children
Unfortunately, anxiety disorders in children are very common. If not treated early, it can lead to loss of self esteem, susceptibility to alcohol and drug use, and anxiety disorder in adulthood.

Anxiety in America Site Menu