My 11 years child has moderate anxiety. his pediatrician wrote prozac (fluoxetine) . we are hesitant to use. should we consult psychiatric first. how safe is proza?

Ok: Prozac (fluoxetine) is generally safe. I see that you listed your medications and not your childs. Anxiety and depression are often intermixed. If to treat this with medication or not is a judgement. Medication is a trial and it will be easier to answer you question after the trial of prozac (fluoxetine). If it works, who would want to change? I would advise a 4-6 week trial and if no response then deciding-your call

Good record: We general pediatricians consider treatment of depression and anxiety to be core part of our knowledge base and training. If his case is straightforward, if would be reasonable to not seek outside specialists at this time. Weekly counseling sessions would be helpful to help your son manage his stress. You should see a response within the month. Best of luck!

Ok: Prozac (fluoxetine) is a relatively safe anxiety medicine that has been largely used for quite some time. Compared with other medicines, this is less addictive, less dangerous and more tolerable side effects. A face to face conversation with your doctor on why Prozac (fluoxetine) would be the choice would be recommended. A second opinion with a psychiatrist could also be beneficial . Good luck.

Anxiety/needs CBT: It is MOST important with pediatric anxiety in my opinion to find a good therapist that specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and that has worked successfully with children with anxiety. This should be the first step, not medication. It is also important to include the family in the therapeutic plan, as often the family dynamics can be contributing/exacerbating the child's anxiety.