So glad i found this community as i am feeling incredibly alone right now. My 14 year old son has suffered from anxiety since very early in life. Three years ago we had evaluation completed and he was diagnosed with anxiety, agoraphobia and adhd. At that time he was placed on a 10 mg dose of floxatine as well as methylphenidate for his adhd. He still had issues but overall, his seventh grade year was a huge improvement. At the end of seventh grade, we discontinued the methylphenidate.

         This current year has been a challenge. On a few occasions his anxiety has manifested itself in the form of verbally lashing out at teachers, running from the classroom and hiding. And in one case leaving the building. Thankfully I had just arrived and saw him exit the school. I was able to get him to come over to me but in the end i had to physically force him into the car and take him to a crisis councelor.

         Sorry for so much background, but it's relevant to the current situation. A few weeks before the bigger issues started, his pediatrician increased his floxatine dose to 20mg. After the most recent meltdown my wife and i decided to get a referral for another evaluation and to also look into a weekly therepist outside of his weekly sessions with his school councelor. He also had a med managment appointment with a new doctor as his current one is out on what we have been told might be a permanent medical leave. His appointment was today and here is where everything has gone sideways.

         This new doctor brings us in and at first comes off as somewhat abrasive with my son. This put a bad taste in my wifes mouth, but over the next 45 minutes he gets my son to discuss and say more than I've seen him discuss in a long time. After talking with him for a while the dr shows concerns that taking him off the methylphenidate prior to this year was a mistake and that much of his anxiety comes from frustration over schoolwork and lack of focus. He also recommends that we forego the evaluation we have planned until we see what the medication changes do. But the biggest thing is he wants my son off the floxatine. Wants us to take him down to 10mg next week then stop the meds the week after.

        At this point my wife expresses her concern about him getting worse and the Dr makes the huge mistake of joking that my wife could take the floxatine if she gets to worried. I saw it as a bad attempt at humor. She did not.

         His suggestion is to taper off the floxatine and have another appointment in three weeks to discuss reintroducing a stimulant for the adhd as well as to review his progress and the possible need for a new antidepressant. He just feels based on the recent issues the floxatine isnt working for us. 

        Now we are home and my wife and I couldnt be more opposed to one another on this. She sees this Dr as a rude outsider who doesn't understand my sons history. Shes convinced he didn't review my sons file well enough and is upset because he is recommending the opposite of what everyone else has told us. The problem is, everything he said today are in exact lockstep with how I've felt this year. I've always felt removing the stimulant was a mistake and I've always felt the floxatine was doing more harm than good in this particular case. She is upset that he wants to do the opposite of what others have told us while im thrilled that someone is finally suggesting we try something new. I understand where she is coming from. She is so afraid things will get worse. But I'm just as terrified that nothing will change if we keep doing what we have been doing. 

          So she agreed to give it a shot, but she is basically putting it on me. If it goes badly i cant help but feel like it will all be my fault. I offered to go back to the original gameplan but shes angry and has shut me out at this point. This is starting to sound like I'm asking for marital advice so illI stop right here. I guess I am just feeling scared and alone on this and needed to sound off. Thanks for lending and ear. (eye)