Lexapro Shown to be Safe in Helping Teen Depression
A new study just released by Forest Laboratories has shown that Lexapro, one medication in a group of depression drugs classified an SSRI’s is having very good results with teens ages 12 to 17. What makes this such an important step in the battle to relieve teen depression is that back in June of 2003, the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) issued a recommendation that paroxetine which is the generic name for Paxil not be used to treat children or adolescents with depression.
The recommendation by the FDA was a really big blow in the fight against depression because the major symptoms of depression which are sadness and loss of interest in usual activities can affect a teens entire life. What happens is that most teens who suffer from depression never get treated which eventually leads to problems at home and at school.
It has been estimated that up to 8 percent of the teen population is affected by depression. Depression is a very serious problem and the options with young people that were considered safe have been restricted. Now Lexapro which has been shown to be safe for adults can be used for teens as well.
“Treating depression in adolescents can be particularly challenging because few anti depressants have demonstrated efficacy in clinical trials in this population,” said Graham Emslie, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “In this study, Lexapro significantly improved depressive symptoms in adolescents with MDD, and was also well tolerated by study participants.”
The study by Forest Laboratories was conducted at multiple centers and involved 316 teens suffering from MDD or major depressive disorder. The teens were given either Lexapro or a placebo. The change was measured over an 8 week period based on the Children’s Depression Rating Scale which covers 17 symptoms of depression including impaired schoolwork, difficulty having fun, social withdrawal, physical complaints, and low self-esteem. The Lexapro was well tolerated and the results were very good.
Since the chemistry of the brain especially in the area of depression is not fully understood and the exact way to treat depression remains a mystery, having at least one drug to help the adolescent population is a big step in the right direction.
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May 14th, 2008 at 1:57 am
Off topic. I would like to thank you for visiting my Happiness Haven blog and posting your comment. Have a wonderful day!
May 15th, 2008 at 3:41 am
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May 17th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
[…] post was on the signs of teenage depression and before that I wrote about how the anti depressant Lexapro was found safe for use by teens. I find teenage depression to be the most tragic forms of […]
July 16th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Actually, I may be one person but I highly reject that statement. I was on lexapro and it was among one of the worst experiences of my life. To be honest I barely remember the time span I was on it, which would be about six months. I was a zombie, not consciously aware of much of anything. I would sleep pretty much days at a time, and like I said before honestly to be blunt there was nothing going on upstairs, I can’t explain it but it got to a point where my life, schooling, relationships suffered greatly and for a length of three months I stopped taking it. I was then prescribed Prozac which, oh my God, was a life saver. A week of medication it was as if I had just woke up from a long dream or just this hazy, fogginess was gone, I actually could function and be aware mentally. As I stated previously, I may be just one person, but I would not wish that experience on my worst enemy and I, with great conviction, do not reccomend Lexapro for a pharmaceutical treatment of depression.
July 21st, 2008 at 1:35 am
Thank you Lynnsie, I really appreciate your input. Never being diagnosed with depression until I was about 25, I have very little experience with depression as a teen. Although I have quite a bit of experience now, within this post I was only reporting on information that had just been released. Being that I endured this illness through my teenage years and never knew what it was, it is very important to me to see as many teens as possible get help. The teenage years are so vital in the development of one’s life. I wish you could have given Lexapro a better review so that more teens would have hope to live a better life. It is comforting though to hear that there was something that gave you relief as a teenager. Once again thank you very much for your comment!
August 12th, 2008 at 12:21 am
I am having my teen son be put on lexapro, he’s been on it for 3 days now…already feels a bit better. Is it safe for a 16yr old? I am concerned about the articles out there re:teen antidepressants and suicide….and the difficulty teens/adults have in ‘getting off of an antidepressant’.
Any insight on this? I just can’t see my teen son suffer anymore, he’s been ’somber and moody’ for over 2yrs now. And finally admitted to feeling ’sad’ most days…he actually asked if he could take something for it and also to see a counselor again…
Thanks.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:27 am
Donna, I agree with putting your son on something. I wish that they had me on something at that age. Maybe life would not be so difficult now. No 16 year old should suffer like that - there is to much life to live, especially at that age. Suicide is a very real concern, but it is only a small percentage of teens and is he living life like this? Part of my recover at 45 years old was because of finally getting medication that worked. Unfortunately I have no insight on Lexapro for teens except what I wrote - wish I did. All I can say is that I am glad to hear that you are trying, watch him carefully and please let me know how your son is doing. Scott
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:26 pm
i really need help. i have been having so many breakdowns. my parents just dont understand they say im just overreacting. im 17 years old nd i have never felt so depressed in my life. there are so many reasons. pls help i hate this feeling.
October 3rd, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Hi Nicloe, I really want to help you, but I am not a professional. I am just a guy who has spent his life feeling the way you do. It does pass, life does get better. I have been where you are now. You really need someone to talk to someone in person, please contact someone by phone in your area. Here is one contact that I have found for you. I really want to to help, please write me back. Scott
http://www.depression-understood.org/information/infocontact.htm
October 12th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I have been getting a few questions in regards to beginning medications for depression and anxiety to my blog, so this could not have come to me at a more perfect time.
When writing about any psychotropic medication or ANY medication for that matter, those in the medical profession have to be careful about using disclaimers.
All people are unique and different and all people have different body/brain chemistry. This is why one medication will work wonders on one person, but not work at all on another. Finding the right medication often takes time and much patience as many people wait to get over side effects that often even turn a person away from a certain medication. I see this happen more times than I would like, but I do understand. Some people may experience side effects so horrible that they cannot deal with them for one more minute, while others have no negative reactions whatsoever. That is what makes this such a difficult process.
I have written a couple of articles discussing this subject in more detail at:
http://docinthebiz.com/blog/the-difficulties-of-finding-a-medication-that-works-for-you/
http://docinthebiz.com/blog/how-do-i-know-what-medication-is-best-for-my-mentalemotional-disorder/
I hope this will be found useful!
Thank you for allowing my comment.
Doc KC
October 14th, 2008 at 3:10 am
Doc, you could not be more right! I began taking taking an SSRI several years ago and all it did was put me to sleep while leaving my mood unchanged. I quickly tried another SSRI that worked for a while and then quit. I have now been on a third medication for about 3 years and I have been feeling the best that I have ever felt in my entire life. You are right, different meds react differently to different people. Unfortunately sometimes the side effects leave a person really turned off. Taking medication for depression can be a long battle of trial and error. Most people end up being on several during the time that they take medication. For me that will probably be my entire life, but I am just grateful to be feeling good. Thanks for the comment.