Anxiety/OCD in Teen - I need some advice

[Cynful]

My son turned 13 in April. He's always had some LD's and has always been on the anxious side of things, however, lately its WAY out of hand. I suspect that hormones have a huge role in this. He's getting practically agoraphobic. He gets ill everytime we are going to go out to eat and lately even at some other times.

 

Until we see his doctor, I'd like to look into some natural alternatives to help but I'm unsure where to begin. Do you know of any vitamins/herbs/etc. that I can try? I'm really worried about trying stronger prescriptions with him that a doc might prescribe. Also, what type of doc do we even see? I just assumed to start with a pediatrician though we don't have one in this area.

 

Anyway, I'm at a loss and extremely worried for him. He gets very upset over this too and tells me he doesn't want to be this way. He has even broken down and cried and hugged me (unusual for him). Any advice ladies?

[asta]

I'd look for a pediatric psychiatrist if your ds is so anxious that he is bordering on agoraphobia. That is not something to be dealt with with non-standardized herbal tonics (I'm assuming you're in the US - in the UK, Europe and Australia, herbals are standardized just like regular medicines).

 

 

a

[Misty]

Go straight to a psychiatrist.. This is serious anxiety that is only going to get worse. Playing around with herbel remedies will be hit and miss and will take forever.. He needs medication.. He needs relief!

 

I have two daughters with OCD.. OCD is a MONSTER and will only get worse if left untreated. We tried the natural route for years and it only intensified and became unbearable for all of us to live with. We started them both on Zoloft and suddenly everyone was so much happier and calmer and life was (somewhat) peaceful again.

 

OCD and anxiety is something that WILL GET WORSE over time. He will not outgrow it. Your son needs both therapy and medication. He will be thankful for this.

 

That said, I am not usually a medication advocate! We do biomedical intervention and all of my kids are on several supplements and they are also on strict gluten-free, casein-free, and soy-free diets. Get your son on a medication first and then study up on biomedical intervention and herbel remedies.. You can always take him off the medication later when you feel you have your natural resources in place and he is benefiting. Your son needs relief from this anxiety.. Act fast! Good luck!!

[Cynful]

Thanks for the replies. I agree, I know meds will probably be needed though I'm terribly worried about it. However, getting an appointment is going to take some time around here and I wanted to know what I could do in the meantime for him.

[Misty]

Some things you might want to research that may help him in the meantime..

 

5HTP

St. John's Wort

Cod liver oil (some say this helps with mood/anxiety, but it's benefits stem way beyond that)

Melatonin to help with sleep if he is having trouble sleeping at night due to anxiety/worry

[Cindyg]

GABA. 750 mg twice a day.

5HTP twice a day

Taurine twice a day

 

You can get all this at the healthfood store.

 

This is per our DAN doctor.

 

I'm not sure what does what in this cocktail, but we get a discernible difference from GABA.

[asta]

GABA. 750 mg twice a day.

5HTP twice a day

Taurine twice a day

 

You can get all this at the healthfood store.

 

This is per our DAN doctor.

 

I'm not sure what does what in this cocktail, but we get a discernible difference from GABA.

 

For your child.

 

It could seriously mess up her child.

 

Always be careful about prescribing over the internet, however unintentionally.

 

 

a

[Cynful]

GABA. 750 mg twice a day.

5HTP twice a day

Taurine twice a day

 

You can get all this at the healthfood store.

 

This is per our DAN doctor.

 

I'm not sure what does what in this cocktail, but we get a discernible difference from GABA.

 

What is a "DAN doctor" ?

[texasmama]

Besides medications, cognitive behavioral therapy by a good therapist who is experienced in working with anxiety can be very effective. You would be looking for a master's level clinician (a counselor or clinical social worker) or a psychologist (PhD). Many health insurances will pay for mental health services. I agree that it needs to be addressed quickly. Therapy can help with long-term coping strategies, which medication cannot do. Medications are sometimes very helpful and needed, though, if someone has reached a point at which he/she is not functioning well in life.:grouphug:

[sbgrace]

Cognitive behavior therapy (with someone trained in pediatric OCD if that is the issue/not sure from your description?) is going to be the best thing you can do for him long term no matter what other medications (herbal or prescription) you might use.

The OCD foundation will have a list of doctors--hopefully some in your area. Ideally, you'll find someone who works with pediatric patients. If you can't, though, you want CBT over other types of therapy even if it isn't a pediatric practitioner.

 

If you do some researching you will find that there is evidence that anxiety can be treated with inositol as effectively as with SSRI's. This includes OCD. It's safe but has to be taken three times a day mixed in drinks (it tastes like sugar/not objectionable). I guess I'm saying it's a pain to do compared with SSRI's. Really no side effects though past the normal GI stuff most of the meds (prescription or not) can have in the beginning unlike SSRI drugs. N-acetylcysteine is also safe and effective in conjunction with Inositol (or SSRI's). I've seen some studies that lead me to think it might be effective on it's own (much easier to dose than the Inositol). I believe there is an article on the OCD foundation site about it though it might be in conjuction with SSRI meds. Inositol acts like SSRI's I believe though without side effects. NAC is different. It modulates glutamine I believe which is a significant part of the picture for many with these issues. Both have been extremely helpful to me and I would give either to my own children were they showing symptoms. However, I would also pursue Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for them. That is going to have the most long term impact for him in terms of quality of life.

 

I agree with the previous poster that OCD particularly is a monster that grows and you want to attack it with everything you can as soon as early as you can in the onset.

Edited June 21, 2010 by sbgrace

[Laura in VA]

For your child.

 

It could seriously mess up her child.

 

Always be careful about prescribing over the internet, however unintentionally.

 

 

a

 

:iagree: I would advise against any herbal remedies until you see a physician. Severe anxiety is not something to try to self-medicate. Hope you are able to get an appointment soon.

[bettyandbob]

While you are waiting for a psychiatric appointment, you can alter your child's diet. Our house if gluten free per my dd's celiac diagnosis. We all went GF to help her adjust and noticed behavioral changes in ds. After we went GF, we also did other eliminations (nuts, peanuts, a few other things). It turned out ds was mildy allergic to a lot of things. Not enough that our ped would say to eliminate them, but when we did it helped. Then, a cousin suggested the Feingold diet and we eliminated all artificial ingredients. I thought I made healthy meals to begin with, but it was still work to clean up our diet. Doing this took an edge off my son's anxiety.

 

When he hit puberty we needed more than diet to control his anxiety. The interesting thing is the psych clinic we go to, first tells families to eliminate, most of the foods we eliminated, before going on meds. They want the patients neurological system functioning at it best before they start regulating with pharmaceuticals.

 

I would not go with an herbal remedy without direction of an herbalist or a Naturopath or a Naturapathic MD. I know people who dabble in herbal remedies for short term problems taking itty bitty doses. It sounds like you have a chronic and serious issue and if you really don't understand the problem or the remedies you could cause a lot of harm. Herbal remedies are drugs just like the pharmacueticals prescribed by typical MDs.

 

For information of dealing with elimination diets and environmental issues, you might want to look up Is this your child? by Doris Rapp MD.

[hsbaby]

I have always had terrible anxiety. I REALLY wish my parents had gotten me treatment at an earlier age! I am now on medication and it has made HUGE improvements. I know how difficult it is to put our children on medication (I struggled with putting my dd on meds for years), but you truly are doing your child a favor. Anxiety is miserable to live with. While herbal remedies may work for some, they were unsuccessful for me. I agree with the previous posters and would suggest seeing a psychiatrist ASAP.

[Misty]

What is a "DAN doctor" ?

 

Defeat Autism Now.. They follow a specific protocol for recovering children on the autism spectrum. My 3rd daughter sees a DAN doctor.

 

http://www.defeatautismnow.com/

[Misty]

The interesting thing is the psych clinic we go to, first tells families to eliminate, most of the foods we eliminated, before going on meds. They want the patients neurological system functioning at it best before they start regulating with pharmaceuticals.

 

Wow, that is impressive! I am glad to hear this is starting to catch on. I totally agree with this approach!

 

For information of dealing with elimination diets and environmental issues, you might want to look up Is this your child? by Doris Rapp MD.

 

Yes, this is a great book.. And to the OP.... if you want to do testing for food intolerances/sensitivities, I would recommend either Great Plains Labs http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com or Alletess http://www.foodallergy.com

[Paz]

You may want to look into magnesium. My dd started taking it about 6 months ago. She has very bad sensory issues with noise. It has made a huge difference. It is a natural relaxant. In fact, for some reason last week my resting pulse was over 88 beats per minute. I took some magnesium and it brought it right down. I haven't had a problem since. I will link the one my dd takes. http://www.betterhealthinternational.com/productDetails.asp?prodID=PY00117

[HeidiD]

 

If you do some researching you will find that there is evidence that anxiety can be treated with inositol as effectively as with SSRI's. .

 

 

Is inositol a natural remedy? How is it preferable to an SSRI?

[texasmama]

Wanted to pop back in to recommend a book called "Freeing your child from anxiety". The author has a series of "freeing your child from..." books. It does a great job of explaining the mechanics of anxiety, what the treatment is and what a parent can do to help. It is very practical rather than theoretical.

[LibraryLover]

:iagree: Just because something is natural...doesn't mean anything...pot is natural, and that's going to be a thread that never dies.

 

:iagree: I would advise against any herbal remedies until you see a physician. Severe anxiety is not something to try to self-medicate. Hope you are able to get an appointment soon.

[sbgrace]

Is inositol a natural remedy? How is it preferable to an SSRI?

It's natural in that it's found in food and it's a b vitamin. Natural doesn't mean safe as some have pointed out in this thread. But based on all the research I've done into both safety and effectiveness I would use this with my own child.

 

In the research I did it had very similar treatment response rates (effectiveness) as SSRI's did but far fewer side effects.

You can do a lot of research online as this has been studied for both anxiety and depression. This is a depression link http://www.healthbulletin.org/depression/depression2.htm but includes summaries of some of some studies. This is one on anxiety and similar to what you will find as you research:

Comparing inositol with fluvoxamine 'an SSRI drug]..."Twenty patients completed 1 month of inositol up to 18 grams a day and 1 month of fluvoxamine up to 1.50mg. a day...Improvements on Hamilton Rating Scale for anxiety scores, agoraphobia scores, and Clinical 'total] scores were similar for both treatments. In the first month, inositol reduced the number of panic attacks per week by 4.0 compared with a reduction of 2.4 with fluvoxamine. Nausea and tiredness were more common with fluvoxamine. Because inositol is a natural compound with few known side effects, it is attractive to patients ambivalent about taking psychiatric medication.

SIDE NOTE: Like SSRI drugs you generally need longer than a month of treatment for response. Generally you will begin to see improvement around six weeks after you begin the full dose. This is the same whether it is an SSRI drug or Inositol. The 18 grams of inositol is in three divided doses a day and you work up to that dose.

Double blind studies showing effectiveness for anxiety/OCD.

http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/153/9/1219

 

Double blind study showing effectivness for Panic disorder:

http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/152/7/1084

Summary:

CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that inositol's efficacy, the absence of significant side effects, and the fact that inositol is a natural component of the human diet make it a potentially attractive therapeutic for panic disorder.

Basically: it's as effective as SSRI drugs with less side effects. However, it's a pain in the rear to take as you need to dose it three times a day in powder form mixed with drink.

 

N-acetylcysteine has lots of potential for OCD related (and other I suspect) issues:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/763746nj71604523/

http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/66/7/756

There is ongoing research in the use of NAC for a variety of conditions (addictions, anxiety disorders, bipolar, etc.)

 

Sometimes natural is actually better than pharmacological. Sometimes it is safer. Sometimes it is neither of those. Never assume natural is safer or better just because it's natural of course. You have to do your research. In the case of these two, which are found in our food and used safely in the past for other things, you'll find double blind published clinical trials showing such positive results (both in safety and in efficacy) that I find it pretty exciting/promising. Severe OCD is particularly life debilitating and isn't always responsive to treatments that exist so to have new, effective options is very cool.

Edited June 27, 2010 by sbgrace

[Noble_Grace]

I agree with Betty. We have very good friends who have children with LDs. These run in the husband's family along with anxiety disorders.

I happen to be a analytical scientific nerd and recognized, before any of his family did, that there were issues. They had a grandma in the family who was certifiable, plus a lot of alcoholism, but no one recognized that it ran in the family.

With their firstborn child, who is OCD among other issues, diet made a huge difference.

NO milk, sugar, processed anything, basically nothing white, or anything wheat, and initially stay away from corn, strawberries and citrus.

It took about 20 years to get the husband on board with the special diet thing. He's very ill now. Mental health issues anxiety, panic, confusion, and only now is beginning to accept he needs to change his diet.

They go to a nutritionist.

Suggested food to eat: organic meats, almond milk, lots of fresh veggies,veggies can be lightly sauteed in extra virgin olive oil, fresh fruits, unprocessed nuts. The husband has found, goat cheese and sheep cheese along with other products from these sources to settle well. I think sourdough bread is ok if done with the overnight process, because it breaks down the glutens.

I would suggest fish, but with the oil spill, ??? IDK...

 

BTW here is a link to this certain type of nutritionist they use. http://www.cedsdirectory.org/practitioners_results.asp?ceds_StPr=CA

This procedure is amazingly accurate. I took my dad to this Dr.. He, my dad, has a lot of health problems, and takes meds for heart regulation, stroke prevention, about 12 different meds in all. But they were killing his thyroids and the doctors wouldn't test that. She found a few different things wrong with him, gave him drops and pills, and within 4 weeks we saw a huge improvement!!

People with different ailments come from all over the world for these types of treatments.

 

For your son, the nutrition and diet or lack thereof is most likely the most imperative. Until he is stable, don't force him to go "out" bring the "restaurant" or the "movie" home. Make a picnic and order takeout. Maybe something like sushi? I'm not exactly sure. Or something like chinese, but no noodles or white rice.

 

Our nutritionist always pushes for lots of greens, and organic eggs also. (BTW, it's important what the animals eat. I.e. If the chicken is eating an organic corn, not genetically modified.

 

May God bless you all. I hope you can find the help you need.

[Cynful]

I want to thank everyone for their advice and links and well wishes. We are in the process of getting insurance and I can't take J to the doctor as we don't want him diagnosed with anything that might compromise their approval of the insurance. So until this gets resolved, I thought we'd try what we could at home.

 

He's a great teen. Most of the time, he's happy and active here at home. But taking him out to eat or to the movies, forget it. He gets ill. He's been fine with stores and we've taken him to Twistee Treat and he did fine. He goes on Friday's to park day (or did until it got too hot) and he loves that.

 

I'm sure that diet and hormones are overwhelming him right now. He started with this behavior about a year ago. We were out with his grandparents for his birthday dinner and he started to feel sick. He never got sick but it upset him so much that he might have thrown up there that he hasn't wanted to go out to dinner since. He HAS gone out but not much and he hates it everytime, gets white and pale and sweaty and feels terrible.

 

So what we've done so far, we've cut out most sugar at this point and I'm working on the "white" stuff. I've also started him on a good multi-vitamin and I researched inositol myself and have started him on this too. We've been doing this for about a week or so. He says he feels a little calmer but isn't ready for dinner out yet. I'm not pushing it - I want him to make the decision to want to test it himself.

 

Anyway, I wrote a book I think, sorry. It doesn't help that I'm pregnant now too and all "my" extra hormones too. :) What a pair he and I make. :lol: Thanks to everyone again.

[Pippen]

My son turned 13 in April. He's always had some LD's and has always been on the anxious side of things, however, lately its WAY out of hand. I suspect that hormones have a huge role in this. He's getting practically agoraphobic. He gets ill everytime we are going to go out to eat and lately even at some other times.

 

 

It's very important to keep him going out while you are waiting to find an effective treatment. Instead of a regular family outing you might find better results by taking him out alone so you have more flexibility and so they'll be no surprises. ie Plan a once a week outing with two predetermined stops--mom picking the first place and son picking the second.

[HeidiD]

It's natural in that it's found in food and it's a b vitamin. Natural doesn't mean safe as some have pointed out in this thread. But based on all the research I've done into both safety and effectiveness I would use this with my own child.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the info. My daughter (aspergers) has been taking an SSRI along with Clonidine for 9 years, but her doctor seems to want to ween her off the meds (although side effects haven't been a problem in her case, and her previous behaviors were very extreme). I appreciate the info. and links. :)

[MelanieM]

If you're open to alternative medicine, I highly recommend Elisabeth at http://taylorhomeopathy.com. She offers a truly holistic approach, and is my go-to person for just about anything.

 

Best of luck to you.

[Cynful]

If you're open to alternative medicine, I highly recommend Elisabeth at http://taylorhomeopathy.com. She offers a truly holistic approach, and is my go-to person for just about anything.

 

Best of luck to you.

 

Thank you, I'll look into this. :)

[SailorMom]

Oh - bum.:grouphug:

I have both. Mine has gotten worse with age - and I am still dealing with it. Lots of understanding and support, lots of exercise, a therapist, and maybe meds.