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Age limit on anti-depressants???

i've just read another question that says you cannot be given antidepressants until you're 18 due to it making you more likely to commit suicide - is this true? i'm not 18 but if i ever had the guts to go to the doc i reckon i'd need antidepressants. does this mean that i would have to suffer on for years till i'm 18 before i could get any treatment to help? i'd probably kill myself before then!

Public Comments

1. you do not have to wait till your 18 only the psychiatrist can determine what anti-depressant medication is good for each individuals chemical balance i know some people younger than 18 taking anti-depressant medications it depends on the chemical bodily function of an individual everybodys body chemistry is different some develop immunity to certain anti-depressants only the psychiatrist can determine along with your bodily functions whats best for you
2. that's a load of me b0ll0x!!!! how is antidepressants going to INCREASE the chance??, it would lower the chances dramatically!!! anyone can get them as long as you have has a psychiatric evaluation by a professional to see how much you need!
3. As far as i know there isnt an age limit as such, ive heard of 9 year olds on antidepressants as awful as it is! drs like not giving them to younger people because their body hasnt matured yet. All drugs effect your body in some way, normally your liver etc if used for a long time and this could be worse and quicker on younger people. you will also find that they dont like giving them to the over 65s for the same reason. As for the whole more like to commit suicide...well im on fluoxetine and on my medication leafet its says they CAN cause suicidal tendancies along with mania and worse depression along with about 40 other things! why i dont know but it says it in black and white.
4. ive been on them since i was 14 im 24 now so yeah you must be able to get them if you are under 18
5. You can get antidepressants if you are younger than 18, but the dosage has to be monitored and side effects have to be watched very closely. For some reason these drugs can make suicidal thoughts worse in adolescents. My guess it the hormones in the body are partially responsible for this reaction. I'm 47 and I was warned that there is a possibility that some adults can have suicidal thoughts as a side effect. Going to the doctor and finding a counselor was the hardest thing I ever did, but it was well worth it.
6. Ridiculous isnt it!! I went to the drs because i was very very low... They said they couldnt give me any antidepressants because they dont like to give them to anyone under 16...so i went back when i was 16 and then they told me they didnt like to give them out to people under 18... They told me that i should have some councelling...when i told them i was actually seeing the school nurse and a counceller they told me there was not much else they could do!... Personally i think this is absolutly ridiculous...I mean surely if your that low you would need antidepressants then the risk of them not giving them to you is that could get so low that you'd take your life... I think its stupid that they say they dont give them to you because its more likely youll commit suicide but surely a person of 27 can coimmit suicide?... The medical profession annoy me!!! Big time!!! Xox...
7. this is just because recently, pharmaceutical companies have been getting called out because so many teens on antidepressants were killing themselves shortly after beginning the medication. it was enough so that the FDA had to put a "blackbox" warning on antidepressants (if you ever read the inserts that come with samples of antidepressants, not the pharmacy bottle but the actual box). the blackbox warning in the box of pills states that teens on antidepressants have a higher risk of suicide within the first several weeks of starting them. this has not been fully studied as to why however, they have to put that warning on there. it is just a warning though and a doc can pretty much put anyone on any medication...there is no age minimum for meds. however, in order to legally be diagnosed with a mental health disorder such as schizophrenia (officially) and antisocial personality disorder, you do have to be 18.
8. The issue here is not that the meds cause suicidal behavoir but, instead: Truly depressed and suicidal people lack the energy to get up and do it, worse they lack the ability to formulate such a compelx plan. Anyway, as the meds start to work, these people start to feel better and more able to plan and carry out their plan. That is why we are hesitant to give the very drugs that make life seem more worh living
9. Some antidepressants increase the liklihood of a minor committing suicide. But i'm sure there are others that are safe to take at your age. Talk to a psychiatrist. And for someone young, you might want to try therapy before drugging yourself because once you start the drugs, you will be on them for the rest of your life.