Starting Prozac & IBS

[buckeyegirl]

My DS8 was diagnosed with IBS last year.  He have been managing that but at the beginning of summer started to notice a lot of anxiety/stress around normal things.  His IBS doctor gave him Prozac yesterday.  We notice the stress/anxiety because he calls it belly pain.  I don't think he knows how to differentiate the different pains.  We are trying to give him words to explain but since I have never had his discomforts I'm not a ton of help.  Anyway, the doctor wants us to start at 5 mg for a week and then go up to 10 mg a day.  We leave for Disneyland tomorrow.  Should I start the Prozac or wait?  I also have him scheduled with a therapist but he can't start until August.  I thought some mindfulness techniques could help.  Any other ideas I'm not thinking of? 

[kitty]

When my DS first started Prozac at age 9, it really amped him up and he had a hard time settling down and falling asleep for several weeks. We ended up having to put him on melatonin (300 microgram dose). If traveling already makes sleeping challenging, I might wait until after the trip in case he has this side effect as well.

[ilikedonuts]

We waited a week or so to start my daughter on it until I knew we’d be home and not doing anything major. I had a bad reaction to an AD (not Prozac though) so I just like to keep an eye out.

Have you tried meditation? My daughter has some apps she uses if she’s at home and having bad anxiety about something. Therapy will give him some tips as well.

[Poppy]

I would wait. I quit Prozac because I thought it was giving me GI issues.

[nicolewi]

I would wait.

[buckeyegirl]

Update: We waited but man was his anxiety on high alert at Disney Land. I know it wouldn't have kicked in enough to help him, but that was rough.