Suffering from depression & taking medicines, how long will the treatment last?

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern. Your son is a 15 year old student and has been diagnosed with depressive disorder for the last one year. A lot of students at this age when faced with change of place, friends, situations and burden of studies develop depressive symptoms. Pressure from parents to compete in big examinations is also one of the main reasons for depression aggravation. He was given Paroxetine 12.5 initially, which was gradually increased to 37.5 mg and treatment continued for about a year. The doses were then reduced to 25 mg and then again increased to 37.5 mg last month (attachment removed to protect patient identity). I wanted to know, why his doses have been increased again. Does he show worsening of depressive symptoms? As per guidelines, for the first episode of depression maintenance treatment should be continued for at least six months post remission of symptoms. You have mentioned that he is performing well in terms of mood and apart from reduced interest in studies he is doing well. So, in my opinion doses can be reduced gradually and treatment can be stopped. Paroxetine is a SSRI drug (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and is a good antidepressant drug. He is on 37.5 mg, which is a high dose. The drug causes sedation and this could be the reason for his poor performance in studies. Even the other possibility for his poor interest is depression itself. Poor concentration is one of the main symptoms of depression. So, you can talk to his doctor and ask for dose reduction. For good concentration, I suggest Omega-3 fatty acid and Vitamin B12 supplements. This will improve his depression too.