Posted by jd on September 25, 1999, at 23:20:44
In reply to Trichotillomania, posted by Shelley Madryga on September 25, 1999, at 17:53:24
Hi Shelley,
SSRIs like Prozac have been documented as useful for trichotillomania, though obviously nothing's 100% and prescribing antidepressants to children
remains controversial. If the behavior is severe enough and accompanied by other compulsions then medication may make sense, but make sure the child has a doctor that has experience with these things and is willing to procede slowly and cautiously. Even adults are often prescribed too high a starting dose of meds like Prozac, so you don't want a 5-yr old to overdo it if he is going to take this course. You might want to also inquire whether doctors are prescribing other SSRIs (Zoloft, Paxil, etc.) for pediatric use yet--they can be a little less intense than Prozac for some people.There are a couple other medicine options for trichotillomania too, but understand that--especially for a child--there's still controversy about what the best therapy is, and even whether medicines are necessarily the best way to go.
Good luck,
JD> My sister lives in Toronto. She has a 5yr old boy who has been diagnosed as having trichotillomania by a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist is advising the boy to be put on the drug Prozac. The boy has been doing this for about 3yrs and has has other compulsive habits in the past. Does the drug Prozac an appropriate course to take? Are there any places in Toronto for his mother to contact for further information on this? Is it a chronic habit? Are there other places to look for solutions to trichotillomania?
> Thank-you
> Any answers would be appreciated.
> S. Madryga
poster:jd
thread:12038
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990914/msgs/12054.html