Wellbutrin for Treating Depression in Children

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Wellbutrin for Treating Depression in Children

(December 21, 2006) - Depression in children and teens often goes undiagnosed and untreated even though it affects about 8 percent of people between 11 and 18 years of age.

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Now, a San Antonio psychiatrist is studying a pill commonly used for depressed adults to see if it’s a good alternative for the younger set.

Child psychiatrist Dr. Burl Daviss works with young people suffering from depression. Some of the primary symptoms of depression are irritability along with sleeping and appetite changes.

“It can be associated with a lot of difficulties in social interactions. School performance, relationships with family, and it can be a really devastating condition,” Daviss said.

Only Prozac is approved for the under-18 set, but it only helps about 65 percent of the time.

That’s why The University of Texas Health Science Center is embarking on a study of Wellbutrin — a drug widely used since the mid-80s in adults, but not well studied in children. It works on a different brain chemical than Prozac.

“It works in a completely different mechanism,” Daviss said. “Wellbutrin is a drug that influences the catecholamine, which are neurotransmitters in our brain that influence our response to stress, but also how well we focus and pay attention.

Volunteers for the study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, will receive Wellbutrin or a placebo for eight weeks, and then can stay on Wellbutrin for 24 weeks. It’ a once-a-day pill that could have life-changing effects.

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“There’s a lot of challenges with sorting through what’s normal — versus what’s not. Daviss said. “I think if you have any concerns or suspicions at all, check checking with a clinician that has some expertise in that is a good thing to do.”

By Wendy Rigby
Source: KENS 5

Last updated: 12/06

Wellbutrin for Treating Depression in Children

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