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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
More relief. FDA approval Some medications widely used to treat anxiety in children and teens are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for that use. But that doesn’t mean they are not safe and effective, or that they haven’t been thoroughly studied. When drug companies develop a new medicine, they are required to prove to the FDA that it is safe and effective for treating a specific problem in a specific group of patients — say, depression in adults. Once the drug is approved, it can also be prescribed “off label,” for a different use and/or a different age group — say, anxiety in children. The drug company may choose not to seek FDA approval for the drug’s use with these additional disorders or age groups, since the process is expensive. But other scientists may have studied these different uses for the medications extensively, and published their research in credible, peer-reviewed journals. That is the case, for instance, with the use of antidepressants for childhood anxiety. There is a lot of research backing up their safety and effectiveness for kids with anxiety, even though they are not approved by the FDA for this use. Zoloft, Prozac, and Luvox are FDA-approved to treat OCD in children and teens. Cymbalta is FDA-approved to treat generalized anxiety disorder in children and teens. Types of medication used for anxiety Anxiety medication for children and teens that are commonly prescribed are: Anti-depressants called SSRIs (Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil) Anti-depressants called SNRIs (Effexor XR, Cymbalta) Anti-anxiety medications called benzodiazepines (Ativan or Klonopin) Atypical antipsychotics (Abilify or Risperdal) Alpha agonists (Catapres, Kapvay, Tenex, Intuniv) Atypical anxiolytics (Buspar) Antihistamines (Benadryl, Atarax or Vistaril) Antidepressants The clear choice for anxiety medications for children and teens are the serotonin reuptake inhibitors, the antidepressants. Study after study shows those are the medicines that are effective, and they can be extremely effective. With the right assessment, with the right youngster, the use of antidepressants for anxiety can be transformative. And it can happen relatively quickly; in our studies we often see kids better by the first week or two of treatment. They’re not completely well but they’re moving in the right direction, and that kind of response early on generates confidence in the anxiety treatment, makes moms and dads feel a little bit better and makes the kids feel pretty good. There are several types of antidepressants that have an
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