Dr. Khalil M. Saliba, MD

Yes, they can, based on the severity of the depression. Start with therapy if the depression is mild.

Melatonin at the right dose and the right time is a good first step.

First of all, we have to define what you mean by long-term use. Initial studies have shown safety for about one year. Furthermore, treatment recommendations for depression is to treat for about 6-9 months post remission. Which means that after about a year of treatment, if the adolescent is back to normal, there needs to be a discussion with the patient and the parents whether treatment needs to be continued or whether it’s safe to start tapering off the medicine.

Right now there are no head to head studies looking at best treatment for bipolar depression. However, there are several medications that are indicated specifically for bipolar depression. The best approach is to work with your psychiatrist on a medication that would work for your son with the least amount of side effects if at all.

It certainly would not be a bad idea to have her be evaluated if her hyperactivity is getting in the way of her reaching her potential in school and affecting her social life, as well as her home life. Your pediatrician should be able to start this process and if needed a consultation with a child and adolescent psychiatrist may be helpful.

K. Michael Saliba,MD

Very interesting, but a hard question to answer with the amount of information provided. The answer depends on how he’s doing in other aspects of his life such as school and home. In addition, consider his emotional state. Has there been a change lately? Does he seem more sad or depressed? Collecting all that information and talking to your pediatrician might be the way to start. Some boys do actually go through a phase around this age where they are more self-conscious and less confident in social settings. Whether your son is in that kind of phase or not will depend on the answers to the other questions I mentioned earlier.

Stressful events at school or home can lead to sudden changes in motivation. Assuming that there are no new stressors at home, you can start by discussing with your son as well as his teachers if there's anything different at school; check with teachers to see if his behavior has changed in the classroom. Accordingly, a meeting with the school counselor and the teacher as well as other school officials may be in order. A depression and an anxiety screening done by the school counselor may also be helpful. Look for bullying or other forms of stress at school, especially ones related to social interactions.

Your son seems to be experiencing some sort of anxiety. The recommendation is to have him be evaluated by a therapist/psychologist/counselor.

So your son had been toilet trained and suddenly started wetting the bed. This usually raises concern. The first thing I would recommend doing is taking him to his pediatrician or your primary care physician. A face to face interview and a thorough assessment and physical exam are essential to direct treatment. There may also be need for laboratory and psychological work up, but start with your primary care provider.

I applaud your motivation and will to be free of drugs. There are a couple of ways you can do this. One approach would be to find an addiction specialist who would put you on a taper protocol and monitor your progress closely as you wean off Suboxone; the other approach is to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital where you would be detoxed, monitored, and treated for withdrawal symptoms. As you think about getting off Suboxone, I encourage you to think of non-pharmacological techniques to address back pain and consider exercises to strengthen the back.
Hope this helps.