i and my 9 year old son suffer from bipolar disorder which also can come with anxiety issues so i can understand your concern. in all honesty i must give your doctor kudos for wanting to wean your teen off the medication. many doctors who hand out meds for mental or mood disorders are like drug pushers. the trouble with some of these drugs aside from the numerous and ill side effects in teens and young adults is that as your child grows and their chemistry changes these drugs are no longer effective. then you have to try a different drug until you face the same issue. it's a vicious cycle and the one suffering the most is the child who is beginning to feel much like a guinea pig by this point. my advice is to give it a try to see how it works out. if you have concerns about the anxiety returning perhaps the doctor would be willing to provide something to be taken in cases of extreme anxiety. and if it turns out that this situation isn't working out you can ask for your teen to be put back on meds. please remember teen years are very anxious times for all children in teen years. i experienced it myself and my own teen is currently having issues. sometimes the best medicine is to assure them that they're normal and everything will work itself out. anxiety attacks are scary and can escalate into all sorts of fears (like those of being in the process of dying). it helps to be reminded that it's only an anxiety attack not death and it will pass once they calm themselves. i wish you all the luck! <positive_smiley>
my teen has anxiety which is controlled by medication but dr wants to take him off the medication. why? is this safe? . my son was having hallucinations and was given antipsychotic meds 18 mos ago. 8 mos ago he was dx with anxiety and rx anxiety meds. he hasn't had hallucinations since. 2 months ago dr stopped antipsych meds. he is currently taking anxiety meds. hes doing very well and still no hallucinations. dr wants to lower dose of anxiety meds til he is no longer on med. his anixety was so severe it caused hallucinations. is it possible for a teen to outgrow anxiety to the point no med is necessary?