Serious worries over 13 year old obsessive son and possible treatments

[Silverbird]

Does anyone know about the risks associated with some of the supplements commonly discussed on this website for OCD?

 

I am really desperate to help my 13 year old son, but my concerns (possibly heightened by my own OCD) over possible risks, are stopping me from giving him anything.

I have always been aware that anti depressant drugs could cause problems with sexual development(something to do with artificially raising the serotonin level), but was quite happy to try inositol etc.However, a doctor I consulted with,for a completely different problem, suggested that "natural" doesn't necessarily mean safe, and that if a product is working in the same way as a drug, it may well have similar side effects.

 

My son really felt that inositol was helping him, but if there is a chance that it could be working in the same way as anti-depressants, could that also have a detrimental effect on sexual development?In the meantime, I have taken him off it. As mentioned in a previous post, my doctor's surgery are less than helpful and would not consider any supplements that are not licensed drugs. I have consulted an integrative doctor for my own OCD, but all his literature has big disclaimers on it about everything being at your own risk (this seems to be common in the UK).

 

Another supplement I would like to try for my son is magnesium (he has some tic behaviours), but as far as I can work out, that also takes part in the transmission of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and so would presumably also come under the category of "artificially raising the serotonin level". We are becoming increasingly desperate here as a family, but feel we are going round and round in circles on safety issues.

Edited December 6, 2010 by Silverbird

[Chemar]

Hi

Inositol is a B Vitamin and so no, it does NOT have the same kinds of side effects as anti-depressants. It doesn't even work by the same mechanisms that they do. Your doctor should know that! SSRI's raise serotonin by blocking it's re-uptake in the brain.

 

yes, one should approach all supplements carefully and always start at low doses and see reactions

 

but magnesium and Inositol are considered safe if used at recommended doses

[Silverbird]

Hi Chemar

 

Thank you for your reply. To be honest,I hadn't even brought up the subject of how inositol works with my family doctor; as far as he is concerned, any supplements cannot be sanctioned. It feels as if I'm totally on my own, trying to work all this out. It was actually a different doctor who was talking about menopausal issues who suggested that I couldn't assume that "natural" was safe ie HRT versus herbal treatments for the menopause, so I thought that a similar thing might apply to OCD treatments.

 

In terms of a proper plan and supportfor my son, my only other hope is the integrative doctor, but he doesn't seem terribly approachable, is terribly expensive and is a 14 hour round trip away.

 

I suppose the warnings on the supplements - only use under the direction of a physician- have made me nervous, particularly coupled with my family doctor's attitude of "We cannot sanction their use- we don't know enough about them".

 

Just out of interest,can you help me to understand how the inositol works?

 

Many thanks.

Edited December 6, 2010 by Silverbird

[Silverbird]

Hi Silverbird here again.

 

When I mentioned in my last post about my concerns over the anti-depressants causing problems with sexual development by "artificially raising the serotonin level", I think I may have been confusing this with something else."Artificially raising the serotonin" may have been the reason given for some other side effects, possibly with trycyclic anti-depressants.

 

Sorry to cause confusion, but didn't want to mislead anyone.

[MomWithOCDSon]

Silverbird --

 

I just came across your post and thought I would share our experiences.

 

I'm not clear on what you mean by "interfering with sexual development." Do you mean that you're afraid some of these drugs may delay a teenager's sexual development? Or increase the speed of their sexual development? Or contribution to a lack of inhibition with respect to sexual activity? What, exactly, is the fear/concern in this regard?

 

My son has been on low-dose SSRI's off and on for the last several years for his OCD. The SSRI decreases the rate at which serotonin is absorbed in the brain and the gut, thereby leaving it available for an extended period and helping the person to feel more positive, more in control of their thought processes, etc. In adults, the warnings here in the States include one about use of the SSRI may cause sexual dysfunction (to be blatantly frank: trouble becoming aroused and/or staying aroused), but that is a side effect that is also stated to be 1) sometimes temporary, decreasing as the person becomes more accustomed to the drug, and 2) impermanent, meaning once the drug is ceased, full functionality in that regard returns. So far as I've read or been told by our doctors, there is nothing "developmentally hampering" necessarily in these medications.

 

That being said, I would completely agree and support being cautious about using any of these medications with children. In our case, we felt we were out of other options because he was being made so dysfunctional by the ferocity of his OCD at some points.

 

As for supplements, again, here in the states, they are not regulated as prescription drugs are and therefore the mantra is always "consume at your own risk." My husband, like your doctor, frequently reminds me that just because it's "natural" doesn't necessarily mean it's "safe," but if you acquire your supplements from reliable sources, and if you start "slow and low" with them and then see if anything helps your son, and what helps. One thing I feel pretty secure in is the fact that, if standard amounts of these supplements were flat-out dangerous to consume, they would not be available without prescriptions or available at all.

 

In the end, nothing is truly without risk. One could be hit by a vehicle crossing the street in front of your house. But its the weighting of risk versus reward. What is the quality of your son's life WITHOUT inositol or something that will help him with his OCD? What might the quality of his life overall be WITH some of that help? What might the quality of YOUR life be with some more help? Don't let the OCD (his or your own) call all the shots! You can do this!

[AmieM]

I believe some medications can diminish sexual drive but I'm not sure but permanent sexual dysfunction. My doctor told me that any possible side effects are diminished once you quit taking the medication. There is still a drive, just not as strong from my understanding. I took Zoloft at the time.