My 11 year old girl has selective mutism, a social anxiety condition and has been on Zoloft, Seroquel, Wellbutrin, Lexapro, and counseling over the last 6 years with no improvement. Looking up anti anxiety meds on the Internet listed none of these meds, but listed benzodiazepines as the medication of choice for extreme anxiety and social anxiety.Since she can not even talk except to family and close friends (not at school at all) why have this meds not been tried?

Dr. Joshua’s Answer

A literarure search did not reveal any studies that would have shown the efficacy of benzodiazepines in selective mutism. However, selective serotonin inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine have been found beneficial. It probably does not matter which SSRI is used, but some have reported success with paroxetine (Paxil).

The reason for not prescribing benzodiazepines is probably that they have not been shown to be beneficial in this condition. Another reason is that they are sedative, cause memory loss, and may hinder the child’s normal cognitive development.