If you're looking for a pediatrician who will prescribe you an antidepressant that causes relentless weight gain, then bully you about said weight gain in front of your whole family - Dr. Harrington is the one to see! I've been coming to Chesterfield Pediatrics since I moved to chesterfield at age 3, and have had mostly good experiences. It was only up until recently that my sister and I were switched from Dr. Ahmed to Harrington (Ahmed is wonderful and kind - definitely recommend).
I had been switching between various antidepressants throughout my time at Chesterfield Peds, but was put on Paxil specifically after the doctor switch. One of the side effects we weren't warned about was severe weight gain - and I was on this medicine for over a year. Granted, my body rejects SSRIs in particular, which exacerbated adverse effects, so I cannot blame Harrington entirely for this. However, she made no effort to tell us what the side effects were, or give us really any information about the drug at all. I gained about 30 pounds over that year and it destroyed my self-confidence, Harrington's snarky, passive-aggressive comments about said weight gain only making it worse. At my family's new doctor, it was exclaimed - in horror - that she would never prescribe Paxil to anyone, especially not a teenage girl.
Never in my life had I been so happy to turn 18 and no longer be a patient there. I did switch to wellbutrin, and lost almost all of the weight I gained, however I now have an extremely unhealthy relationship with food and my own self-image extending well into my adult life. I'm in college now, and with free reign over my eating habits, they've gotten completely skewed. The crippling fear I experience regarding weight gain often leads to days in which I eat very little, or not at all.
The staff at Chesterfield Pediatrics has been so wonderful to my family ever since we were toddlers - don't get me wrong. Every other doctor we've encountered has been very pleasant to work with. But if you do choose this office - please, for the love of god - avoid Harrington at all costs. The only thing you have to gain is a bill from the therapy your child will need. read more